The 9 Best Waterproof VHF Marine radios (2023 reviews)

Not everyone likes to purchase radio for their regular usage, but the uniden great radio would be an anomoly. It is nice to have a piece of mind in a small boat in a big lake. The MHS75 covers all usa, international, and canadian marine channels, keeping you up-to-date with all the latest marine activity. It comes with a charging cord that you plug into the cigarette lighter in your car. The battery lasts a long time as well and the audio sounds very clear and the mic picks up everything very clearly.

This radio is suitable for recreational vessels involved in racing and coastal cruising. It is great backup radio for bigger boats, or primary for smaller boats without a fixed antenna / radio system. The Range is adequate if you have clear sight with limited obstacles like islands and trees. The battery in the radio has excellent life and it operates great.

Why We Like This:

Works well on large inland water reservoir
Simple and necessary radio for all boats
Bright display and easy to use
Battery life is very good about 12 hours on full charge

Best For deer woods: Cobra VHF Marine Radio

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The cobra vhf marine radio gives the top-tier radio a run for their money by offering flagship specs at a much more affordable price. This floating radio has an orange core for higher visibility and is easy to retrieve if dropped overboard. It features in a compact unit that fits in a shirt pocket. It can be charged with the 110V AC charge cradle that is included with the model. It features 6 watts of power for longer range communications, full access to noaa weather channels and alarm tones for emergencies, jis7/ipx7 rated submersible, tri-watch, memory channels and burp. It is backlit and has an easy-to-read orange display for higher visibility in all conditions.

The sound is so clear and a long range. It is great for fishing out on a boat.

Why We Like This:

Included car charger is very convenient
Perfect companion for trips out to sea
Thoroughly waterproof & can handle a fall from a hunting tree stand

Best For hunting: Standard Waterproof VHF Marine Radio

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Standard is known for creating pragmatic and minimalist radio for people on the go, and its line of standard waterproof vhf marine radio definitely falls in line with that reputation. More makers need to be doing USB charging. It comes with an SMA (Male) threaded antenna. It has all weather channels built in. It is perfectly and the audio is crystal clear. It fits in your hand relatively smaller when compared to the more powerful hx. It does require recharging frequently.

The quality of the radio is less than a heavy duty Standard. It's small, tough, totally submersible, and easy to use.

Why We Like This:

Best charging design of all marine only radios
Small, portable, and has excellent battery life
Good brand reputation

Best For kayak: Standard Horizon Waterproof VHF Marine Radio

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Standard Horizon has been making great radio for years, thanks to a combination of clever design and appropriate materials. The Compact, ergonomic case design is a result of the new internal, large capacity 1850 mAh Lithium Ion battery technology. It will receive FM broadcast bands between 76 mhz to 108 mhz. It can only be used while out on the water or when on the coast and talking to someone out on the water. This gives the radio a much smaller case design yet light enough to float face up if dropped in the water.

It is easy to operate, has all the buttons well placed for on-handed operation. The strobe can be reconfigured to flash on and off, flash SOS, or set to stay on continuously. This radio will continue to be used by visiting friends and family.

Why We Like This:

Easy to operate, long battery life
Easy to set up and easy to use
Good size for a handheld radio
Good sound, very easy to read scree

Best For The money: Uniden Waterproof VHF Marine Radio

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Next on the list, we've got yet another radio that manages to win our hearts. It's the uniden waterproof vhf marine radio and it's widely considered as radio that has the most suitable features. The best radio for a boat would be one that can be installed in a boat with the long antenna. It comes with the largest LCD screen in its class 25mm (h) x 40mm (w), and paper white backlight display for day time and red backlight display for night time, so it’s the radio you won’t leave shore without.

The handheld radio is perfect. It has a nice large screen. It is built to throw in your pocket or tuck away on deck, its compact size is never far away when you need to stay in touch the most. The sound quality is clear and emergency channels come in loud and clear. These radios transmit approximately 25 Watts and will provide better coverage.

Why We Like This:

Good brand reputation
Lot of satisfied buyers

Best For Marine Use of any size boat: Cobra Waterproof VHF Marine Radio

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We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate radio. The cobra waterproof vhf marine radio is exactly that - it's a simple radio that hits all the right notes. It is designed to ipx8 (jis8) standards for water submersion. It offers a compatible speaker/mic accessory on the cobra website. The radio has many nice features. The sound quality is quite good and the unit is very easy to charge from a cigarette lighter. It is equipped with rechargeable batteries, so you can avoid purchasing batteries frequently. There is flakey white powder around them. The rechargeable batteries it comes with are decent.

Why We Like This:

Instant access to national hazards and weather information, 24 hours a day
Great radio and compact, perfect for pwcs, kayaks etc
24 hours per day, you will have accurate and live information

Best With DSC: Yaesu Waterproof VHF Marine Radio

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The yaesu waterproof vhf marine radio is satisfactory and appropriate and fits well with your regular usage. The DSC DISTRESS function when activated transmits a digital MAYDAY including vessel identification, Latitude / Longitude and time (with GPS connected), to facilitate prompt response. It allows dsc calls to be received even when listening to communications. It has to have an mmsi number or it will beep every 10 minutes. This VHF has an internal speaker. It features smooth and easy to add to that it is easy to operate menu system. The high resolution dot matrix display makes navigating the radios many features smooth and easy to use. The new one is easier to use, excellent reception and transmission. It will beep every 10 minutes.

Why We Like This:

Replaces older eclipse+ and eclipse dsc models radio controls on the microphone
Programmable scan, priority scan, and dual watch
Affordable ultra compact class d fixed mount vhf radio
Easy to install and looks great

Best For Use: Retevis Waterproof VHF Marine Radio

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The retevis waterproof vhf marine radio is suitable and reliable and fits well with your daily purpose. This model is equipped with USA/ International/ Canadian channels plus ten (10 ) NOAA Weather Alert Channels. It can connect to shore timely and smoothly while facing unexpected situations. It can be used in the united states, canada and international waters. It can float on the water until you catch it. It features the included in this inexpensive radio.

The rear battery compartment has a slide-lock fastener for use in removing the battery cover. It comes with a wall charger. It can help you get weather information in advance and ensure the safety of personal and vessels.

Why We Like This:

Three (3) watt two-way marine radio with weather channels and 110vac/12vdc rechargeable batteries
Smaller than most other handheld vhf radios and slightly lighter in weight
Use for hunting and has excellent range

Best For long Range communications: Standard Horizon VHF Radio

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The standard horizon vhf radio is specially designed for your regular usage and has all useful features. This radio is a must for operating a boat on the intercostal waterways. It features include two scrambler systems built in, both a 4 code cvs2500a and a 32 code fvp. It includes both the 12v and shore power chargers. This HT floats, and thus is manufactured to be light, and that's a good thing.

This radio has an adjustable squelch control to blank noise when not receiving a signal. It is high quality, very clear and the squelch can be adjusted easily. It includes the charging cradle and power cord along with spare battery accessory that takes AA batteries. The Radio package includes a charging cradle and power cord along with spare battery accessory that takes AA batteries.

Why We Like This: