The boating sector is forecasted to generate $61.19 billion in revenue by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights. With such high demand, promoting boating products and services can be a great way to earn commissions.
Our 18 best boat affiliate programs offer competitive commissions and exciting promotions to help you succeed. Find your best match and start growing your earnings today!
TL;DR
You can increase earnings by promoting reliable boating products and services. Let’s check our list of the best boating affiliate programs to see which suits you most.
- Wholesale Marine (Commission: 5%, Cookie: 14 days)
- Boatbookings (Commission: 20%, Cookie: 30 days)
- Sea Eagle Boats (Commission: 9%, Cookie: 120 days)
- BoatSMART (Commission: 30%, Cookie: 45 days)
- My Boat Card (Commission: 50%, Cookie: 90 days)
- Better Boat (Commission: 12%, Cookie: 21 days)
- Cabela’s (Commission: 3%, Cookie: 14 days)
- Outdoor Play (Commission: 15%, Cookie: 120 days)
- Getmyboat (Commission: $50, Cookie: 14 days)
- Yachting (Commission: 3%, Cookie: 60 days)
It can be overwhelming to run programs, manage affiliates, monitor performance, or process payments. However, affiliate software like UpPromote can help handle all these tasks effortlessly. Our app makes it simple for even beginners to grow a successful affiliate marketing program.
115,000+ users worldwide have used UpPromote to start affiliate marketing. Now is your turn.
Top 18 Boating Affiliate Programs in 2025
Looking for the top boat affiliate programs? See the table below for the highlighted information.
| The best affiliate programs | Program name |
| Affiliate program with the highest commission rates | My Boat Card (50%) |
| Affiliate program with the longest cookie duration | Outdoor Play (120 days) |
| Affiliate program with the most payment methods | Outdoor Play (SEPA, BAC, AHC, Wire transfer) |
| Affiliate program with the most promotional materials | BoatSMART, Cabela’s |
1. Wholesale Marine
Wholesale Marine sells high-quality boat covers, engine parts, propellers, and bimini tops at competitive prices. Their returning customers can enroll in the Captain’s Club Rewards program for discounts and savings on upcoming purchases.
The brand offers a commission rate of up to 5% on every successful purchase. Their cookie is valid for 14 days from the customer’s first click.
They support your promotions with many beautiful banners and text links. Their regularly updated data feed helps you show the latest products to your audience.
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2. Boatbookings
Boatbookings rents out yachts, sailboats, catamarans, and motorboats for different events, vacations, and activities. Their expert team provides personalized, unbiased advice to help customers find the right item.
Yacht charter affiliates can enjoy a 20% commission for every sale when joining the Boatbookings affiliate program. The referral window lasts 30 days from the customer’s first click.
The brand prepares a collection of beautiful product images and buttons to assist with your promotions. You can view your performance anytime using their smart tracking dashboard.
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3. Sea Eagle Boats
Sea Eagle Boats produces high-quality inflatable kayaks, canoes, and fishing boats for various outdoor sports activities. Their boats have multiple air chambers and rugged construction to withstand various environments.
They offer a 9% commission on every successful order through your affiliate link. You may earn about $58 per sale with an average order value of $650. The brand allows you to earn commissions on purchases within 120 days of the customer’s initial click.
You can leverage their impressive banners and content to drive your audience’s attention. Their smart tracking dashboard helps you check your performance anytime you want.
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4. BoatSMART
BoatSMART provides accredited boating safety courses and licenses for boaters in Canada and the U.S. They offer various learning formats, including online courses, home study guides, and classroom courses.
Affiliates will earn a high commission rate of up to 30% for each order placed. You have 45 days to get earnings if customers buy products via your link.
They prepare many high-quality banners, pre-written content, and links for you to create appealing promotions. Their affiliate manager also gives you expert tips to optimize your conversions.
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5. My Boat Card
My Boat Card offers boating education and certification services for the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC). Their course educates boaters on safe boating practices, laws, and regulations.
You can earn up to a 50% commission for every order via your link. The cookie window lasts 90 days from the customer’s first click.
Once approved to be their affiliate, you can access their collection of pre-made banners and content and add them to your website. You can also get assistance from the affiliate support team to optimize your promotions.
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6. Better Boat
Better Boat helps boat owners keep their vessels in top condition with high-quality boat care products and accessories. Their product range includes boat scuff erasers, interior and exterior cleaning kits, and specialized cleaning tools.
You will get a 12% commission rate on successful sales via your link. You can get earnings on purchases made within 3 weeks from the initial click.
The brand pays commissions through PayPal, so you must have a PayPal account before registering for their program. You’ll be eligible for payouts when your balance is at least $10.
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7. Cabela’s
Cabela’s is a leading retailer of outdoor recreational products, especially for hunting, fishing, and camping. Customers can join the Cabela’s CLUB credit card program to earn points on purchases, which can be redeemed for store merchandise.
You can get a 3% commission rate for all sales when being a Cabela’s affiliate. The company gives you a 14-day referral window to earn money on sales from the customer’s first click.
You can add their pre-written content and high-quality creatives to your website to impress your audiences. Their newsletters will provide you with the latest product information and exclusive offers.
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8. Outdoor Play
Outdoor Play sells a vast selection of kayaking gear, including paddles, lifejackets, and trailers, as well as camping, hiking, and climbing equipment. Their products feature top brands like Hobie, Kokatat, NRS, Kuat, Malone, and Black Diamond.
The brand pays a high commission rate of 15% for every purchase via your unique link. The cookie period will remain valid for 120 days from the visitor’s first click.
The Outdoor Play affiliate program is managed through Awin. You can sign in to your Awin account and check your clicks, sales, and commissions via their smart tracking dashboard.
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9. Getmyboat
Getmyboat is one of the world’s largest boat rental and water experience marketplaces, with 180.000 boats in 10,000 destinations. Customers can rent various types of watercraft, including kayaks, sailboats, powerboats, and yachts.
The company pays affiliates $50 for each order through your unique link. You have 2 weeks from the customer’s first click to earn money on successful sales.
Managed through Rakuten Linkshare, their affiliate program gives you access to your unique tracking link for your promotion. You can also monitor your promotional results in real time via their tracking dashboard.
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10. Yachting
Yachting has over 13,000 boats for rent in popular sailing destinations worldwide. They also offer deposit insurance, cancellation insurance, and medical payment coverage.
You can get a 3% commission on every boat rental via your link. With an average price of €3,000 for boat rental, you may earn €90–100 per booking. The cookie duration remains valid for 60 days after the customer’s first click on your unique link.
The company pays your commission through bank transfer or wire transfer. You can use their pre-made banners and links to support your promotion and increase audience engagement.
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11. Boatsetter
- Commission rate: 6%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
Boatsetter allows renters to browse and book boats directly from the owners. They boast over 50,000 boats available for rent in more than 700 locations worldwide.
12. Aurora Marine
- Commission rate: 10%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
Aurora Marine produces cleaning solutions to enhance the boats’ performance and appearance. They cater to diverse types of vessels, such as aluminum, fiberglass, inflatable, and others.
13. BoatsToGo
- Commission rate: 7%
- Cookie duration: 120 days
BoatsToGo offers a wide range of boating equipment, including inflatable rafts, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards. Their feature line is available only through their in-house brands, such as Saturn, Azzurro Mare, and Mars.
14. TH Marine Supplies
- Commission rate: 8%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
T-H Marine Supplies manufactures high-performance boat parts and accessories. Their products are suitable for almost all types of recreational boats made in the U.S., including bass boats, pontoon boats, runabouts, and center console boats.
15. Marine Products
- Commission rate: 5%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
Marine Products is a leading water sports pro shop in Utah, selling wakeboards, water skis, boat parts, and various water gear. Their products are sourced from leading brands like West Marine, Garmin, Yamaha, Sea-Doo, and others.
16. BoatUS
- Commission rate: $30
- Cookie duration: Not mentioned
BoatUS has become the largest association of recreational boaters in the U.S., with over 800,000 dues-paying members. Water enthusiasts can sign up for membership to get discounts on fuel, marinas, boating supplies, and access to exclusive resources.
17. Oceanscaptain
- Commission rate: 50%
- Cookie duration: Not mentioned
Oceanscaptain partners with charter companies to provide luxury yacht rentals and support yacht sales. They feature a variety of yacht charter options, including single-day trips, weekly charters, and event charters.
18. Speed Dock
- Commission rate: 10%
- Cookie duration: Not mentioned
Speed Dock provides a wide selection of boats for rent at competitive prices in Cape Coral. They also organize boat tours and vacation rentals, with various discounts and promotions.
How to Launch a Boating Affiliate Program on Shopify?
The demand for boating is bigger than ever, leading to its fast-growing market. Their market size is expected to hit nearly $38 billion by 2030 (Mordor Intelligence Research).
For Shopify store owners like you, that’s a massive opportunity to grow bigger.
However, the real challenge is how to connect with the tight-knit community of boaters, anglers, and watersports fans. They trust firsthand experience more than anything, so how do you earn their attention?
That’s where affiliate marketing does wonders for your Shopify store.
You get to partner with affiliates who already have a dedicated audience in the boating niche.
Then, they recommend your gear and bring more sales to your brand. And the best part is that you only need to pay for their successful sales – no extra paying at all.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to build an affiliate program for your Shopify boating brand.
Why your boating Shopify store needs an affiliate program
So, let’s talk about why an affiliate program is a smart move for your brand.
A huge plus is that you can connect with niche boating communities naturally.
Traditional ads often fall flat in boating forums, blogs, and social groups where boaters go for real advice.
Meanwhile, your affiliates are already trusted members of these groups. They give your brand an insider’s voice, so your message sounds like a recommendation from a friend.
Moreover, an affiliate program builds real trust and even boosts your SEO.
A positive review from a popular fishing YouTuber or an experienced sailor is way more convincing than anything.
As a bonus, affiliate content provides quality backlinks, boosting your Shopify store’s search rankings.
Best of all, it’s a budget-friendly way to grow your brand. You don’t need to pay any upfront costs, you only pay for results.
In other words, you just need to spend money when affiliates make a successful sale. It’s a much safer way to invest in marketing and comes with high potential for a great return.
Choosing the right affiliate management tool
Let’s be honest, trying to manage an affiliate program with spreadsheets can be a disaster. You’ll be buried in paperwork, figuring out who gets paid for what, calculating commissions, and settling disputes.
This manual way isn’t just slow and messy. It can even lead to payment errors and damage your trust with your partners.
To avoid this headache, the best solution is to go for a comprehensive affiliate management tool.
As you look for the right tool, make sure it includes these essential features:
- Reliable Tracking: Real-time tracking with reliable data ensures every single sale is credited correctly.
- Flexible Commissions: You can create different reward structures for different products or partners.
- An Affiliate Portal: A professional dashboard where partners can find links and track their earnings.
- Automated Payouts: Pay your partners on time, every time, without the hassle and mistakes.
- Clear Analytics: See what’s working and measure your program’s success.
For Shopify boating stores, UpPromote is a top-recommended choice with all of the above features and more.
We offer a powerful, user-friendly platform that does the heavy lifting for you. When the technical tasks are automated, you can focus on building great relationships with your affiliates and growing your program.
You can try UpPromote with our 14-day free trial on all available plans. Then, you’ll find the right plan for your program before committing.
Create an appealing offer with suitable commissions and cookie duration
Structuring commissions for the diverse boating market
Your commission structure is the heart of your affiliate offer. A smart structure can ensure your partners are motivated to sell products across your entire catalog.
Since the boating market includes everything from small accessories to expensive equipment, a “one-size-fits-all” rate approach simply won’t work.
So, we’ve analyzed over 48 brands in the industry to help you find out your right rate.
Accessories & Small Gear (Under $50): 10-15%
A 10% to 15% commission is perfect for items like fishing lures, waterproof cases, and cleaning supplies.
These are often impulse buys, so a higher commission rate encourages affiliates to promote them frequently.
For example, one Shopify merchant within our app increased their commission from 7% to 12% on all boating items under $50.
Within just 3 months, their affiliate sales jumped by over 200% as partners started including them in their “must-have boating gear” lists.
Mid-Range Equipment ($50 – $250): 8-12%
We suggest setting an 8-12% commission rate for popular products like life jackets, VHF radios, and high-quality fishing rods.
The commission here is attractive enough to make it worthwhile for an affiliate to put effort.
If they successfully bring a $200 jacket sale, they can easily earn $24 on that qualified purchase.
High-Ticket Boats and Yachts ($700-1500): Offer 5-8%
If your store is about selling boats, yachts, and expensive gear ($700-1500), setting a 5% to 8% commission is a great idea.
While the percentage is lower, the final cash payout is very attractive to expert affiliates. A 6% commission on a $1,500 chartplotter still earns the partner $90 from a single sale.
We learned this after seeing a marine electronics store set up a 5% commission on their boats and yachts. In the first month alone, their top-performance affiliates generate over $10,000.
Even though they have to pay substantial commissions to affiliates, their profits remain unaffected.
Takeaway: The key is to match your commission rates to the product’s price and the effort required to sell it. And, don’t hesitate to try different rates to truly find the right one for your program.
Setting the Right Cookie Duration
Cookie duration is the amount of time an affiliate has to get credit for a sale after someone clicks their link.
Getting this right is important to show your partners that you value their effort. Moreover, this period should match how your customers actually shop.
Small boating items: 7-15 days
For smaller items, a short window of 7-15 days works just fine. A customer buying a new boating hat or a set of dock lines usually decides pretty quickly.
Moreover, these items often cost under $50, so customers don’t have to carefully compare options. If they don’t like the items, they can immediately buy another without waiting weeks.
Big and high-ticket items: 45-90 days
But for the big stuff, a longer cookie duration of 45 to 90 days is reasonable. No one buys a new kayak or motor on a whim.
They spend weeks researching, reading reviews, and comparing prices before they make a decision. A short cookie window would be unfair to the affiliate who first sent that customer your way.
For example, a Shopify store selling kayaks initially had a 15-day cookie duration and was seeing very few affiliate sales for their best models.
After receiving feedback from affiliates, the store extended its cookie duration to 90 days.
This change led to a 40% increase in high-ticket affiliate sales. This is thanks to purchases from customers who required an extended decision-making period.
Takeaway: If you’re not sure where to start, a 30-day cookie duration is a great, fair starting point for most stores. The simple rule in this niche is that the more expensive the item, the longer your cookie window should be.
Identify the perfect boating affiliates for your Shopify brand
The right boating affiliates can significantly boost your program’s sales performance.
Before you start recruiting, you need to know who you’re looking for.
The best partners are people your customers already listen to for advice. We recommended that you look for creators who fit into these categories.
One of the most suitable partners is the Fishing YouTubers.
These creators have built a loyal following by posting honest reviews of gear and documenting their boating trips. Moreover, their loyal audience trusts them for product recommendations.
Take YouTuber @Fishingtutorial as an example. His videos are all about reviewing different boating and fishing gear.
Most of his videos receive hundreds of thousands of views and lots of comments from a dedicated boating audience.
Plus, he directly adds various product links under the videos to generate sales from real-time viewers.
Other than YouTubers, you can consider working with some top sailing bloggers. They can create high-quality and detailed guides on boat maintenance and share their voyage logs as experts.
Moreover, you can even ask these bloggers to write exclusive boat reviews for your brand, like this:
And don’t forget the Watersports Instagrammer. These influencers are masters of visual storytelling.
They can showcase your products with stunning photos or videos of the kayaking or paddleboarding lifestyle. This boating world looks exciting and inspiring to their followers.
Some effective ways to recruit your crew
Once you know who to look for, it’s time to bring them on board. Here are some effective ways to find them.
Find partners through manual outreach
Next, it’s time for some strategic outreach to find influencers and bloggers who would be a great fit. This might take more time, but you can truly find some high-quality affiliates out there.
The key here is to be personal.
Instead of sending a generic message, mention a specific video or blog post of theirs that you liked and explain why your products are a perfect match for their audience.
Here’s a simple email template you can refer to:
Subject: Loved Your Recent Post – Excited About a Potential Partnership!
Hi [Creator’s Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I’m the founder of [Your Brand Name]. I’ve been following your content for a while now, and I’m a big fan of your work! I loved how you [mention something specific you appreciated about their content].
At [Your Brand Name], we specialize in [briefly describe your products]. I truly believe that your audience would resonate with what we offer, as your content aligns perfectly with our mission of [state your brand’s mission].
We’d love the opportunity to collaborate with you! Would you be open to discussing this further? Let me know if you’d like to jump on a quick call or if there’s a preferred way you’d like to connect!
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Brand Name]
Besides reaching out to online influencers, it’s also a great idea to approach affiliates who are already promoting your competitors.
If an affiliate is successfully selling for brands like West Marine or Cabela’s, they already have the right audience and know how to promote your products.
The best way to find these people is through online boating communities.
Our successful merchants are often active members of Facebook groups and subreddits. They emphasize building genuine relationships first, which helps identify passionate boaters.
Turn your customers into affiliates
Actually, your best promoters are hiding in plain sight – your existing customers.
These loyal fans are your biggest brand advocates, so you can invite your happy customers to share your Shopify brand and earn extra money.
You can use UpPromote’s Customer Referral to set up referral links for customers.
Then, customers sign up to your boating affiliate program, get the link, and start earning money by promoting your store.
For example, a shop selling custom boat decals added a referral widget to their site. Within the first month, they signed up over 50 new promoters just from their happy customer base.
Equipping your affiliates for success from the beginning
Once you’ve recruited your affiliates, your next job is to make it easier for them to promote your boating brand.
The better the tools you give them, the more motivated they will be.
A smooth affiliate onboarding experience
Affiliates need a dedicated onboarding process to easily start their work. So, instead of leaving them wondering, you should have an automated welcome email ready to go.
This email is their welcome kit, and it should contain everything they need to get started right away.
A complete email should provide them with a unique referral link, a quick-start guide, and contact info for your affiliate manager.
With UpPromote, you can send welcome emails to all of your new affiliates with ease.
We take care of this and help you automatically send a customizable “Approved Affiliate” email.
This way, every new partner gets a warm welcome and their essential tools without any manual work from you.
Providing high-impact marketing assets
To keep your brand message consistent and save your affiliates a ton of time, you need a central place where they can find all your marketing materials.
UpPromote’s Media Gallery is perfect for this, as it acts as a library for all your approved promotional content.
So, what types of marketing materials can help your affiliates promote better?
A high-quality visual kit is a must-have to help affiliates grab attention online.
You can provide them with clean product shots and, more importantly, exciting on-the-water action photos and videos that showcase the boating lifestyle.
What’s more, take the guesswork out of their promotions so they don’t have to figure out what to say.
You should equip them with diverse pre-written copies and product descriptions.
Writing pre-approved headlines, compelling product descriptions, and sample email copy makes it easy for them to create content that converts.
Offer exclusive discount codes
What’s more, exclusive discount codes can help affiliates drive targeted sales. Everyone loves getting a discount, so this is an effective way to encourage the audience to make a purchase.
You can easily generate and assign unique discount codes to each affiliate inside UpPromote. Plus, our merchants can customize the codes with the affiliate name and a specific discount range.
For example, you assign an exclusive 10% discount to the affiliate name Alissa. She can then provide these coupon codes to her audience to generate more purchases above $100.
Keep your affiliates motivated and engaged with fairly rewards
Launching your affiliate program is just the beginning. The real secret to long-term success is keeping your affiliates feeling motivated over time.
Here are a few proven strategies to keep the momentum going.
One of the best ways to keep your partners motivated is with tiered commissions. This turns selling into a fun challenge, giving them clear goals to aim for.
The more sales they generate, the higher their commission rate climbs.
With affiliate software like UpPromote, setting up these performance tiers is simple and can make a huge impact on your bottom line.
For example, a Shopify-based store selling boating apparel saw that their top affiliates were lower than expectations.
They then tested out this tiered system to boost their affiliates’ motivation:
- Tier 1 ($0-300/month): 8% commission
- Tier 2 ($301-700/month): 10% commission
- Tier 3 ($701+month): 12% commission + free merchandise
After just 2 months, they immediately saw their top 20% of affiliates increase their monthly sales by an average of 35%.
You can also create bonuses in UpPromote to reward affiliates for hitting specific sales milestones.
The merchant can choose to pay one-time bonuses or recurring bonuses (monthly, quarterly, yearly).
Additionally, running performance-based contests creates a ton of excitement and buzz around your brand. This is especially effective during peak seasons.
You can launch a “Summer Kickoff” contest where the top-selling affiliate in June wins a brand-new fishing rod or a high-value gift card.
It’s not just about the prize. It’s about the recognition and fun that keep your partners actively promoting you over your competitors.
Conclusion
So, we hope you can find more motivation to start your boating affiliate program after reading this guide.
A successful affiliate program is your best bet for real, community-driven growth. It’s all about building a solid plan that guides your partners to success and truly understanding what the boating community needs.
With a tool like UpPromote, you can launch your program today and start turning your fans into your strongest promoters. We have a variety of pricing plans to fit your needs, including a free plan to get you started.
Ellie Tran, a seasoned SEO content writer with three years of experience in the eCommerce world. Being a part of the UpPromote team, Ellie wants to assist Shopify merchants in achieving success through useful content & actionable insights. Ellie's commitment to learning never stops; she's always eager to gain more knowledge about SEO and content marketing to create valuable content for users. When she's not working on content, Ellie enjoys baking and exploring new places.
