Get your boating video fix with these four great Youtube channels
One of the best ways to scratch your boating itch when you’re stuck on land, is to check out the fantastic boating content being published regularly by some seriously talented and passionate content creators on Youtube. In this article, I list some of my favourite channels where I indulge my boating addiction. If there are any that you think should have been included on this list, let me know in the comments and I’ll include them in a future piece.
Aquaholic
Ever wondered what that new boat on the manufacturer’s website looks like inside? Always wanted to walk around the latest 90 foot motor yacht from your favourite brand but unable to score an invite on board? Aquaholic is here to save the day. Featuring single-take guided walkthrough videos of all manner of boats big and small, you’ll get first-hand looks at every last exterior and interior detail of your favourite boats from your favourite brands.
The face behind the Aquaholic camera is Nic Burnham, chief editor of UK magazine ‘Motor Boat & Yachting’ or MBY as it’s often known. Nic is a staple of the British boating industry where he started off selling Princess yachts and since then has worked in one capacity or another for most of his life. Now he brings all of that accumulated knowledge to his Aquaholic videos. The Aquaholic formula is magnificent in its simplicity: Simple, voice-guided walkthrough tours of boats big and small. Unlike some larger channels, you don’t first have to sit through 15 minutes of painful and cringey ‘shout outs’ of every kind (“What’s up, it’s your boy X here” and “Hit that subscribe button” etc) on his videos. Instead, Nic gets straight down to business on every video, giving you exactly what you went there for: An inside and out all-access guided tour of a beautiful boat. Go check it out: Aquaholic on Youtube
ZipZap Power
If you’ve ever felt like your life could use insane amounts of horsepower, then ZipZapPower has you covered. Although the channel features boats filmed at a variety of locations, the majority of his videos are shot at Haulover Inlet, which is just behind Haulover Sandbar, an extremely popular boating location in Miami in the US.
[Image source: Hauloversandbarboatrental.com]
Haulover Inlet connects the inland waterways in the area to the Atlantic Ocean, and we all know that when ocean swells are compressed into a small bottleneck, you have waves. Of course, boats + waves = a recipe for fun, and in this regard, ZipZapPower doesn’t disappoint. Many of the videos on his channel feature the thrills and spills of skippers (and crew!) of various skill levels trying to navigate the challenging sea conditions present in the inlet, with routinely hilarious and sometimes nail-biting consequences. And given that this is America, the land of horsepower, you can bet that the majority of the boats in the videos are incredibly powerful. It’s not unusual to see 40+ foot centre console boats with four or five outboards, as well as high-speed powerboats from top manufacturers like MTI and Nor-Tech. It really is a sight to see.
A particularly nice recent touch with most uploads is that he includes the brand of every boat shown passing by, its power source, and the boat’s approximate value. Watching the boats battle their way through the inlet, you’ll be treated to a vast variety of boat manufacturers, boat models and boat types. Although just don’t expect to see anything sail-powered, as there is a running joke within the channel that sailing boats aren’t welcome.
eSysman
eSysman’s channel was one of the first channels I subscribed to when I started my interest in boating, and since then the channel has grown massively.
Superyachts are the only thing on the menu here, and that is completely fine with me because the content is absolutely top-notch. Many of the uploads feature the most breathtaking drone footage with sweeping shots of these behemoths of the sea, set to stunning soundtracks in exotic locations accompanied with highly informative commentary. The channel host (I don’t know his name, unfortunately), actively works on board superyachts himself, and he uses that experience and knowledge to shed light on the rather secretive world of superyachting.
His videos cover a massive variety of superyachts and superyacht topics. If there’s anything you’ve ever wanted to know about superyachts, their crews or even their owners’ lives, or if you simply enjoy seeing all kinds of eye-candy of these fantastic beasts, then this is absolutely the channel for you.
One of my favourite aspects of this channel is seeing the exotic marinas featured on the various uploads. Many of the docks he films from are ones I’ve never even heard of, and as a history buff myself, I love the fact that he is always sure to explain a little of the history of each location he visits. For example, a recent upload was filmed from an Italian port with a surprising connection to the Falklands war!
If you want to know more, go and check out eSysman’s channel: eSysman on Youtube.
BoatTest.com
If you’re in the market for a new boat, or perhaps you just prefer a more in-depth approach to your boating videos, then BoatTest.com’s Youtube channel is the place to be. Hosted by the famous Captain Steve, the channel features comprehensive test reviews of a variety of boats both big and small. Generally speaking, every test is divided into two parts: A ‘Test’ video, and a ‘Features’ video.
The test video is typically focussed on things like handling, fuel consumption and overall performance. The features video then goes through the various interior and exterior features of the boat in quite a bit of detail. This includes measurements of every relevant space, convenience/accessibility commentary, and overall opinions relating to the boat. Personally, I love the fact that they’ve taken this approach as it makes it much easier to find and watch only the content you prefer.
The BoatTest channel is a veteran of Youtube, with regular high quality uploads and a library of videos going back as far as nine years, so it’s a real shame that it doesn’t get more views. If you’re ready for some truly great quality boating content, visit their channel: BoatTest.com
Conclusion
That wraps it up for this roundup. If you enjoyed what you’ve read here, let me know and if there’s anything you think I’ve missed or any channels that deserved to appear here, leave a comment and I’ll try to include it next time!
