Smart Safety Gear For Boating After Hours

Whether the situation is navigating a rocky inlet at night or trying to spot someone treading water in the dark, thermal imaging shows what’s beyond any spotlight’s reach. The infrared specialists at FLIR have set a new benchmark for portable night vision products with its new Ocean Scout Pro.

This 1 lb., 2 oz. monocular has a wide 32-degree field of vision and can detect the human heat signature at over 500 yards, according to FLIR. The unit displays the image via a 640x480 display with a 60 Hz display rate – which means you can pan rapidly across the water’s surface without missing a thing.

We tested the Ocean Scout Pro and were wowed by the ability to quickly spot and ID both human and non-human forms – including some at about a quarter-mile’s distance. We also found it easy to make out inanimate objects ranging from bulkheads to other boats, since everything creates its own unique thermal energy that is visible to the monocular’s VOx microbolometer sensor.

Another standout feature that struck us when we tested the Ocean Scout Pro was its easy user interface. Techy items this advanced can be tough to figure out, but that’s not the case with the FLIR. The five buttons on top can all be manipulated by feel with the same hand that’s holding the unit, and we were changing color modes, recording videos, taking pictures, and zooming in and out with ease after about 15 minutes of use.

For a deeper dive, check out this 3-minute video from FLIR:

The Ocean Scout Pro carries an IP76 waterproof rating and the grippy housing is rated to survive drops from two meters (about 6-1/2 feet), so the unit’s survivability at sea should be excellent. The internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery is good for up to six hours of use, and an embedded flash drive has 16 GB of capacity. The Ocean Scout Pro is connective, too, with both Bluetooth and WiFi, and can stream video right to a phone or tablet via the (free) FLIR Scout app. Price: $2,395. marine.flir.com