The Miami International Boat Show yesterday kicked off its 56th edition at locations across the city, including the Miami Beach Convention Center and Pride Park, the Venetian Marina, Herald Plaza, Museum Park Marina and IGY Yacht Haven Grande Miami.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially opened the show with members of the recreational boating industry in front of the Miami Beach Convention Center.

“On behalf of the National Marine Manufacturers Association and the entire recreational boating industry, we are honored to welcome Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show — one of the largest boat and yacht shows in the world,” said NMMA president and CEO Frank Hugelmeyer. “The show is a powerhouse for Florida’s economy, driving tourism, job creation and sales for U.S. marine manufacturers that support Florida’s $31 billion recreational boating industry economy.”

“It was an honor to join the ribbon-cutting ceremony today for the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show,” DeSantis said. “With Florida as the fishing and boating capital of the world, our boat shows are likewise the biggest and the best. And last year, we broke tourism records in this state yet again. I wish all of our visitors a great time and happy boating.”

Before welcoming DeSantis, Andrew Doole, president of U.S. boat shows for Informa Markets, announced that the yacht component of the show next year will move from Herald Plaza to Indian Creek in Miami Beach, where it had been held for more than 30 years before relocating in 2018.

“Moving the yacht showcase to Indian Creek will bring two of the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show’s locations — the in-water yacht display and the on-land portion at Miami Beach Convention Center — closer together,” Doole said. “Having both locations on Miami Beach will improve the overall experience for show attendees and exhibitors.”

Navico
Aine Denari, Navico Group president and Brunswick chief technology officer, opened a press conference for Brunswick’s electronics division, highlighting five new products, including the Lowrance Eagle Eye chart plotter, Recon trolling motor, Simrad NSS4 MFD, B&G Zeus MFD and Attwood Latitude Evolve chair.

“It’s going to be a great year for Navico,” Denari said. “We’ve got an exciting line of products to introduce today, and there are more coming in the next 12 months.

The new products were on display individually and in partner boat brands, including Costa, East Cape and Dusky.

Flite
Flite vice president Nick Stickler introduced the Flite Jet 2, a new foiling board with improved efficiency and power. He also announced a new, limited-release Clay edition with unique coloring and added features that are available on Flite and Fliteboard Pro models.

Mercury Marine
Mercury Marine announced several new products, among them Joystick Piloting for Single-Engine Outboards with Thruster, the Mercury Racing Altitude propeller, 150R and 200R outboards, a refreshed Mercury owner’s app and new Fusion colors for its 150-hp FourStroke outboards.

Dometic Marine
Dometic entered the gyroscopic stabilizer market with the DG3, which the company said has shorter spin-up times, greater efficiency and improved longevity thanks to a number of engineering firsts in the space.

“Today we’re announcing a whole new level of gyrostabilizers with what will be the first of many products we will launch into the market,” company president Eric Fetchko said during a press conference. “Instead of waiting as long as an hour for spin-up like competitive products, the DG3 can fully stabilize in 16 minutes. Longevity is improved because of improved bearings, and the unit is powered by a 48-volt battery that is voltage agnostic, negating the need for a generator.”

The DG3 will be available in the coming weeks and will be available to OEMs and in the aftermarket.

Honda Marine
Members of Honda Marine’s executive team provided a business update and announced new products during a press conference.

“We grew both sales and market share in 2024, despite a tough market,” director Dan Sherlock said. “We also tripled the size of our internal organization. In 2025, we will focus on growing our market share even further by leveraging sales in the OEM segment and developing strategic partnerships.”

The company announced a partnership with McClaren Engineering to produce a 300-hp, tuned version of its V-6 powerhead, which will be available this fall. It also announced updated versions of its inline 4-cylinder and V-6 outboards between 115 hp and 225 hp.

Pursuit
Pursuit launched an overhauled S328 midrange center console built for family time and fishing.

“We developed and built this boat by focusing on our North Star: the voice of our customers,” Pursuit president Christopher Gratz said. “They tell us what they want; we listen and then put the ideas to work in our boats.”

The boat is powered by twin 300-hp Yamaha outboards, with twin 350-hp Yamahas available as an option.

Highfield Boats
Christophe Lavigne, president of Highfield USA, provided an update on market conditions and introduced a model to the Highfield RIB lineup.

“Our industry is struggling,” Lavigne said. “Dealers are having to deal with inflated inventory and keeping boats moving. Still, Highfield had a good year in 2024, selling 80% of the small boats overall in the U.S.”

Lavigne also announced a new category of boat, a crossover, fiberglass RIB called the ADV7. The adventure-style boat is aimed at the next generation of new, young boaters.

“This is just the beginning,” Lavigne said. “Next year, right here, we’ll introduce another boat in this category, and more after that.”

Suzuki Marine
Brandon Cerka, Suzuki general manager of sales and marketing, provided a recap of 2024 and revealed Suzuki’s strategy for this year.

“Our plan going into this year is to hunt, farm and harvest,” Cera said, “meaning we’ll broaden customer interest, create opportunities and connect the sale with our potential customers.”

West Marine CEO Chuck Rubin took the podium to talk about its new strategic partnership to offer Suzuki outboards at brick-and-mortar locations, as well as online.

“We’re happy to now be able to connect our customers, both commercial and retail, with Suzuki’s product line,” Rubin said. “This is a great partnership, and we’re looking forward to the long-term relationship.”

Suzuki also announced a new look for its entire outboard line, including minimalistic branding and new colors that create a consistent look throughout the product offerings.

Viking
Viking Yacht Co. announced the new 50 Convertible at Herald Plaza. The new boat follows the 48 Convertible, which sold 80 units during its production run. The builder plans three additional boats to follow, including Billfish, Sport Coupe/Sport Tower and Open Express models.

“No one else in the industry can match our quality and versatility,” Viking president and CEO Pat Healey said in a statement. “We have the best team of designers, engineers and boatbuilders in the industry. This series of the 50 is going to be an incredible achievement, and one we know our owners will be very pleased with.”

The 50 Convertible will formally launch at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show later this year.

Boat of the Year
Monterey’s Elite 30 was named Boat of the Year by Boating magazine, a sister publication of Soundings Trade Only in the Firecrown Media Group.

Each year, Boating tests and evaluates the industry’s top new models, selecting one overall winner that exemplifies excellence in engineering, innovation, performance and the overall boating experience.

“We are honored to receive this incredible recognition from Boating magazine for the Elite 30,” Monterey co-chairman Charles Marshall said in a statement. “This award is a testament to our relentless commitment to designing and building boats that exceed customer expectations in both performance and luxury. The Elite 30 truly represents the future of boating.”

The Miami International Boat Show continues through Sunday.