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Chris Riley

Lifestyle Editor Expertise: Boating | Water Sports | Outdoor Lifestyle Highlights:
  • Lifestyle Editor and Content Curator
  • Specialist in Boating and Outdoor Hobby Industry
  • Advanced Open Water PADI Certification
  • Entrepreneur
Experience: Chris Riley is a Lifestyle Editor and founder of Boatsafe.com, specializing in boating, outdoor sports, and hobbies. Chris heads up a team of industry research experts, curating a comprehensive platform and industry anchor. Boatsafe.com caters to professionals and passion hobbyists alike. Chris’ experience on the water spans his life and career, with sailing, fishing, surfing, and diving as his prime passions. He’s combined digital-research with his sailing and water-sports expertise, to curate the best in gear, boats, gadgets, and nautical knowhow for his international readership. Based in Rogers, Arkansas, Chris lives in the Ozarks and is surrounded by the Buffalo and Mulberry River, not far from Beaver Lake. When he’s not putting outdoor enthusiasts at the helm of their passions, you can find him on, under, or alongside the water. Education: Chris’ entrepreneur-ship sailed at age 12. Since then, he’s captained innovative projects, navigating his prime passions: sailing, water sports, and outdoor living. He received a first-hand education in boating and water sports, sailing to over 50 islands and travelling to 70 countries. He has his Advanced Open Water PADI Certification.

Articles by Chris Riley

Best Wakeboard Boat for 2023 – The Ultimate Guide

If you haven’t tried wakeboarding before, let’s just say you’re missing out on a spectacular sport. It’s fun and has a myriad of health and fitness benefits to boot if you make it a regular part of your lifestyle. After all, going to the gym is so mainstream… If you’re on the hunt for the…

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Best Full Face Snorkel Mask

A full face snorkel mask is different from a pair of goggles and snorkel that you can buy at your local drugstore. A full face snorkel mask combines a scuba mask and a snorkel, which can greatly improve your effectiveness and efficiency when snorkeling. What makes a full face snorkel mask a snorkel mask is…

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Ranking the Best Fishing Rods of 2023

You may not have given it much thought before now but think about how important the rod is when you cast, hook, and reel a big fish. The rod will have to be flexible, but not so flexible that there is not enough stability to hook a fish, but not so stable that it breaks…

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Best Fishing Rod and Reel Combo

Professional anglers often prefer a separate rod and reel so they can pair the best fishing rod with the best fishing reel to give them the best setup. For the amateur or recreational anglers, this can get expensive. Plus, you will have to make sure the fishing line you have on your reel is suitable…

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Best Power Boats of 2023: Review and Buying Guide

For experienced and beginner boaters, nothing is more irresistible than the experience of cruising the open water aboard a powerful watercraft. The cool breeze and splash of water on the face, the foamy waves that trail the boat as it cuts through the water, and the sheer ecstasy that comes from steering a boat are…

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The Best Stand Up Paddle Boards of 2023

Paddle boarding provides something for everyone. You have free rein to head out for an exhilarating paddle on a calm lake or catch the ocean eaves that put your mind at ease. Perhaps you’d like to delight in quick-pace paddling to get in your day’s workout or try out paddle yoga. The world is your…

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Ranking the Best Fishing Waders of 2023

Don’t underestimate the power of fishing waders. The importance of fishing waders often gets overshadowed by rods, reels, and lures. While these are all important pieces of equipment for fly fishing, they are not the only gear that needs to be scrutinized. Fishing waders are an important piece of equipment. They are the sole reason…

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The Best Crankbait Rod: The Top 5 Choices and In-Depth Buyer’s Guide

Have you ever wanted to open a bottle of wine only to realize that you have no idea where the corkscrew is? There are videos online showing you how to open up that bottle by pushing the cork back into it using the blunt end of a butter knife and such. Yes, it gets the…

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Top 6 Best Night Vision Monocular for Outdoor Enthusiasts

There are night vision goggles, night vision driving glasses, and then there is the night vision monocular. While opinions are divided as to which one is best, the most practical course of action would be to listen to people whose profession calls for the use of all three and find out which they think is…

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Best Scuba Mask

Each piece of diving equipment is important in its own way, and the scuba mask is one of those pieces of equipment. Your scuba dive mask will be your window to the underwater world. It will need to be clear, clean, and safe for it to be useful. Scuba masks will have different features and…

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Top 6 Best Scuba Fins for Every Type of Diver

The ocean remains one of the least explored frontiers yet one of the most exciting places on this planet. That might sound strange because people go swimming, surfing, fishing, and pretty much travel across the Atlantic (and the other oceans) almost every day. But the simple truth is that more than 80% of our oceans…

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Top 7 Best Snorkel Gear and Sets – Buyers Guide and Reviews

The world’s oceans remain some of the most exciting yet under-explored destinations on this planet, which is quite a shame because they are even fewer places quite as serene and as beautiful as underwater. From colorful schools of fish to amazing coral reefs, seagrass, turtles, stingrays…you name it, the ocean is an entirely different world….

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Best Snorkel Mask

You will need a snorkel mask to go snorkeling. A snorkel mask will allow you to see underwater with a clear and unobstructed view. However, you will only be able to see if you have an effective snorkel mask. A mask that leaks, slips, or fogs will cut your snorkeling adventure short, and that is…

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The Best Trolling Motor Battery: Our Top Picks and Ultimate Guide

Let’s face it. Nothing ruins a day of exhilarating fishing faster than a dead trolling motor battery. After all, fishing gear revolves around performance. So, gear that doesn’t thrive in its designated role needs replacement. A trolling motor battery is no exception. While finding an excellent product isn’t rocket science, there are a few details…

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The 10 Best Dive Computers Every Underwater Junkie Should Own

Exploring the underwater world is exhilarating, and those who have tried it once typically go back for more. It, therefore, comes as no surprise, then, that scuba dive is soaring in popularity each year. While it’s a thrilling experience, it’s in an unknown area. So, it’s essential to take safety precautions, such as investing in…

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Best Pedal Kayak to Buy in 2023: Reviews and Buying Guide

Pedalling kayaks are an amazing innovation in small watercraft. As a smaller subset of recreational kayaking, it’s no secret that they switch things up. By combining thrilling technology that falls between a bicycle and a boat, you move faster and easier through the water. And not only are you positioned comfortably, but you also get…

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11 Best Pontoon Boats for 2023

While pontoons may not give you the adrenaline-pumping action of center console boats, they are one of the most versatile water vessels you’ll ever come across. Since they aren’t exclusively built for fishing or water sports, they offer a great compromise for people who like a bit of both. Did we mention how comfortable they…

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How to Use a Snorkel Mask

There are two types of snorkel masks: a classic snorkel and mask combination that is two individual pieces of equipment and a full face snorkel mask. You will need to understand how both of these snorkel masks work to know how to use a snorkel mask. When it comes to the snorkel and mask combination,…

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8 Best Daysailers Under 21 Feet – Buying Guide

It’s a sunny day, and you want to take a spin around the harbor. What better way to do that than launching a daysailer? These sailboats are traditionally smaller than a cruise ship or yacht, but considerably bigger than kayaks, catamarans, inflatable dinghies, and other smaller boats. Owning an open sailboat shouldn’t cost you an…

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Black Waterproof Scuba Dive Watch

How to Use a Dive Watch

Whether you have just purchased a dive watch, or you are in the market for a dive watch, you will need to know how to use it. You will need to know the different components, features, and mechanisms that make the watch work so that you can use the watch to its maximum potential. Before…

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5 Best LiveAboard Sailboats – Plus 8 Important Buying Considerations

Taking the plunge to live on a sailboat is usually a huge decision, especially as living aboard a boat is an exciting lifestyle choice. However, there are lots of things to consider before buying a boat that will suit your needs and also be nearly as comfortable as a traditional home on land. Whether this…

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Best Jon Boats 2023 – Our Top 10 Picks

If you’ve been to the Everglades, the Ozarks, or around the bayou, you’re probably already familiar with Jon boats. They’re no doubt the most popular watercraft you’ll see in the South, and with good reason. Not all waterways are suited to fancy, luxury, high-tech crafts. Some places call for light vessels that can comfortably skim…

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Best Inflatable Dinghies of 2023 Reviewed

A traditional boat is priceless to anglers and boaters, but it comes with the problem of finding suitable storage and trailer. This translates to increased costs that might not be too appealing for some intending boaters. Thankfully, an inflatable dinghy offers all the functions of a traditional boat plus convenience, high performance, ease of use,…

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10 Best Fish Fillet Knives of 2023 – Review and Buying Guide

Cleaning and filleting a fish is not the same as chopping through hard bones and meat. It requires a special fillet knife. Of course, you know this already, and that’s why you’re here in search of the best fish fillet knife that can give you the results you want. Although there are tons of fillet…

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Best Tandem Kayaks of 2023

Whether you’re visiting a tropical island such as the Maldives or staying at a lake house for the weekend, we all should get the opportunity to try out water sports. From jet skiing to water gliding, they’re the perfect escape from our day-to-day and get us rejuvenated for what’s to come. Nonetheless, if you’re on…

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Choosing the Optimal Kayak Length – Height Chart Included

Does size matter? The age-old question indeed. Kayaking is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding hobbies you can take up. It is borderline addictive, whether you want to do it for leisure, fishing, or touring, relaxing weekends with family and friends spent out on the lake, or to get your adrenaline pumping when battling…

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The Best Kayak Paddle and How to Choose the Right One

You’ve decided to take up kayaking. Congratulations! This is the best decision you could ever have made in your life up until this point. Seriously, kayaking is one of those sports that is great for the mind, the body, and the spirit. Picking the right vessel is no doubt one of the biggest challenges you’ll…

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8 Best Motorized Kayaks for 2023 – Buying Guide and Reviews

Picture this: You want to take your kayak out to a nice, scenic, secluded place up your local river. You’ve been there once before, and the experience was nothing short of magical. The weekend is now fast approaching. But, the thought of paddling all the way there, and then back again, isn’t appealing. There’s only…

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How to Choose a Kayak – Buying Guide

Kayaking is a great sport. It is a low impact activity with a wide range of benefits for your cardiovascular health, fitness level, muscle strength – particularly in the arms, chest, shoulders, and back – and your overall flexibility. It is not only great for your physical health; it works wonders for your mental and…

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The 10 Best Kayaks of 2023 – Your Complete Guide

Before you go off and buy the next kayak you come across, the two questions you first need to ask are: What do I envision myself doing in the kayak? And how much am I willing to spend on it? Here’s why. If you’re looking for something to use a couple of times during the…

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