# Marine First Aid Kits (2026): Waterproof Cases and What to Add for Fishing Hooks and Sun > IP67 and roll-top first aid kits and cases for fishing boats, the Red Cross contents list, and what to add for embedded hooks and sunburn, as medical sources describe. - Source: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits - Publisher: SaltProofLab (https://saltprooflab.com) - Published: 2026-09-29 - Category: life-jackets-safety - Tags: marine first aid kit, boat first aid kit, waterproof first aid kit, fishhook removal, sunburn first aid, kayak first aid - Method: picks chosen from Amazon listings and brand specs; not hands-on tested; current Amazon prices are on the page; content checked 2026-09-29. - Quick answer: For most fishing boats, the NANUK 904 is a pre-stocked kit in an IP67 case that floats, sold by NANUK. To build your own, the empty NANUK 903 (IP67) or a Sea to Summit roll-top bag keeps supplies dry. Then add what a stock kit lacks for fishing: wire cutters for hooks, and aloe and pain relievers for sunburn. ## Key takeaways - MedlinePlus says never try to remove a hook that is deep, in a joint or tendon, or near an eye or artery; get medical help instead. - MedlinePlus advises a tetanus booster every 10 years and a call to your provider after any hook injury if yours is not up to date. - An injury that needs treatment beyond basic first aid makes a boating accident reportable, per the Coast Guard. ## Products (chosen from listings, not tested) 1. **NANUK 904 Waterproof First Aid Kit, 110 pieces** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits#product-B0FYH9FFZ2) — Buy it if you want one sealed, floating box that is ready on day one. - Pros: IP67 case that floats if dropped overboard, per NANUK; Pre-stocked with dressings, bandages, gauze, antiseptic wipes, gloves, scissors, a thermal blanket and a tick removal tool, per the listing; Two latches, a handle and lock eyelets; mesh lid organizer - Cons: No wire cutters and nothing specific for sunburn; add both 2. **NANUK 903 Waterproof First Aid Box (empty)** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits#product-B085JZ2NG4) — Buy it if you already own supplies and want them sealed in a hard case. - Pros: IP67-rated, crushproof NK-7 resin case that floats, per the listing; Interior 7.4 x 4.9 x 3.1 in; exterior 9.1 x 6.8 x 3.8 in - Cons: Empty; you buy and pack every item yourself 3. **Sea to Summit Lightweight First Aid Dry Bag, 3 L** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits#product-B0BW17PGTS) — Buy it if you paddle and need a light bag for a small kit. - Pros: Roll-top bag with taped seams and a clear window; the listing calls the seams waterproof; 3 liters with the top rolled three times; 6.7 x 5.2 x 8.4 in closed, per the listing; D-ring to clip it inside a kayak hatch or crate - Cons: Empty, and soft; no IP rating is given 4. **My Medic MyFAK Mini First Aid Kit** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits#product-B0C84KSZQ4) — Buy it if you want a small kit that goes with you, not one that stays in the console. - Pros: Gloves, bandages, blister and burn supplies, and hydration tools, per the listing; Hypalon MOLLE panel and metal clip to attach it to a bag or seat - Cons: A soft pouch with no water rating; keep it in a dry bag on the water 5. **North American Rescue Trauma First Aid Boating Kit** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits#product-B0FN6RTF1Z) — Buy it if you run far offshore and someone aboard has trauma training. - Pros: Includes a C-A-T tourniquet for severe bleeding and over-the-counter medications, per the listing; The listing says it exceeds U.S. Coast Guard standard 160.041, Items for First Aid Kits; Sealable yellow hard case with labeled pouches - Cons: 8 lb and 14 x 10 x 6 in; a tourniquet is only useful to someone trained to use it A fishing boat's first aid kit has to survive spray, sun and a wet deck, and it has to handle the two injuries the water hands out most reliably: a hook in the skin and a sunburn. Start with a case that stays dry, fill it from a standard list, then add the fishing extras below. **How we chose:** we did not test these kits; picks come from the makers' listings, sold by Amazon.com or the brand's own store and in stock on September 29, 2026. Contents advice comes from the Red Cross, MedlinePlus and the American Academy of Dermatology. ## Five kits and cases compared | Kit or case | Type | Water protection (per maker or listing) | Sold by | Amazon price | |---|---|---|---|---| | [NANUK 904](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits#product-B0FYH9FFZ2) | Pre-stocked hard case, 110 pieces | IP67; floats | NANUK | see the current Amazon price on the page | | [NANUK 903](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits#product-B085JZ2NG4) | Empty hard case | IP67; floats | Amazon.com | see the current Amazon price on the page | | [Sea to Summit First Aid Dry Bag](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits#product-B0BW17PGTS) | Empty roll-top bag, 3 L | Taped seams; no rating given | Sea to Summit | see the current Amazon price on the page | | [My Medic MyFAK Mini](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits#product-B0C84KSZQ4) | Pre-stocked soft pouch | None stated | MyMedic | see the current Amazon price on the page | | [North American Rescue boating kit](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits#product-B0FN6RTF1Z) | Pre-stocked trauma kit, hard case | "Airtight, waterproof," per the listing | Amazon.com | see the current Amazon price on the page | ## The case matters more on a boat A soft kit left in a console hatch sits in spray and bilge damp all season. The IP67 rating NANUK gives its 903 and 904 cases means, under IEC 60529, protection against immersion to 1 meter for 30 minutes. NANUK also says both cases float, which matters if the box goes over the side. On a kayak, where space is tight, a roll-top bag is the lighter choice. Sea to Summit rates its 3-liter bag by the rolled closure and taped seams rather than an IP code, so keep it inside a hatch, not strapped on deck. Whatever the case, [the Red Cross](https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/anatomy-of-a-first-aid-kit.html) says to check the kit regularly, check expiration dates, and replace anything used or out of date. On a boat, make that the start of every season. ## Start from the Red Cross list The Red Cross recommends that a kit for a family of four include, among other items: absorbent compress dressings, 25 assorted adhesive bandages, cloth tape, antibiotic ointment and antiseptic wipe packets, aspirin, an emergency blanket, a breathing barrier and an instant cold compress. The same list adds nonlatex gloves, hydrocortisone ointment, roller bandages, sterile gauze pads, an oral thermometer, triangular bandages, tweezers and first aid instructions. It also says to include personal medications and emergency phone numbers. Use it as a checklist against whatever a pre-stocked kit contains. ## What to add for hooks [MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000055.htm), the National Library of Medicine's health site, suggests keeping "electrician's pliers with a wire-cutting blade and disinfecting solution" in your tackle box. Add a pair to the kit, along with extra sterile dressings and antibiotic ointment. For a hook whose barb has not gone in, MedlinePlus says to pull the tip back out the way it went in. For a barbed hook "superficially (not deeply) embedded just beneath the skin," it describes two methods, the fish line method and the wire cutting method. Read them on its page before you need them, not on the boat. MedlinePlus is just as clear about when not to try: if the hook is deep, in a joint or tendon, or in or near an eye, eyelid or artery, "Get medical help right away." A hook in the eye is an emergency. It also notes that a provider can remove any hook under local anesthesia. After any removal, it says to wash the wound, cover it with a loose sterile dressing, not tape it shut, and watch for redness, swelling, pain or drainage. Call your provider if your tetanus shot is not up to date. ## What to add for sun A kit built for home rarely covers a day of glare off the water. The [American Academy of Dermatology](https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/injured-skin/burns/treat-sunburn) suggests a moisturizer with aloe vera or soy, and says to consider aspirin or ibuprofen for swelling and discomfort. It also says to drink extra water, since a sunburn draws fluid to the skin. For blisters, the academy says not to pop them, to keep them clean and to protect them with petroleum jelly while they heal. A small tube of petroleum jelly and a few packets of hydrocortisone take little room. The better fix is not getting burned. Our [sunscreen guide](https://saltprooflab.com/sun-protection/reef-safe-sunscreen-for-fishing) covers water-resistance claims on the label, and our [UPF fishing shirt guide](https://saltprooflab.com/sun-protection/best-upf-fishing-shirts) covers covering up instead. ## Which kit for which boat On a center console or skiff, the **NANUK 904** is the simplest answer: a pre-stocked kit in a floating IP67 case. Add wire cutters and sun supplies to its lid organizer. If you already have supplies, the empty **NANUK 903** gives you the same kind of case to fill yourself. From a kayak, a small kit in the **Sea to Summit** bag fits a day hatch; clip it to the D-ring. The **MyFAK Mini** is a personal pouch meant to go with you, which works best sealed in a dry bag. The **North American Rescue** kit is built around a tourniquet and trauma supplies. It suits crews far from help, and only if someone aboard knows how to use a tourniquet. This page is not medical advice; ask a doctor or pharmacist what to carry for your crew ([more on that](https://saltprooflab.com/about#safety)). Related: the [USCG equipment checklist](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/uscg-required-safety-equipment) for what the law requires aboard, and a [personal locator beacon](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/personal-locator-beacons) for calling help from offshore. ## Kits we left out Adventure Medical Kits' Marine Series kits were offered only by a distribution company, not Amazon.com or the brand's own store, and most were not in stock when we checked. Surviveware's kits were sold by a storefront under a different company name, and Orion's boat first aid kits by third-party marine dealers. Amazon.com sells one Orion kit, but its listing gives no contents. We found no CPSC recalls since 2023 for NANUK, Sea to Summit, My Medic or North American Rescue in the [CPSC recall database](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls); see our [recall page](https://saltprooflab.com/recalls) for marine recalls. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does the Coast Guard require a first aid kit on a recreational boat? No. First aid kits are not on the federal carriage list in the Coast Guard's [Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements](https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf). The same guide says an accident must be reported if someone needs medical treatment beyond basic first aid. ### How often should I restock the kit? After every use, and check dates regularly. The Red Cross says to check expiration dates and replace any used or out-of-date contents, and to include personal medications and emergency phone numbers. ### Can I push a hook through and cut it off myself? Only if it is shallow and not near an eye, joint, tendon or artery. MedlinePlus describes the wire cutting method for a hook whose tip lies near the surface: push the tip through, cut it behind the barb, and back the rest out. Otherwise, see a doctor. ### What if a hook goes into someone's eye? Go to the nearest emergency room. MedlinePlus says the person should lie down with the head slightly raised, not move the eye, and have it protected with a cup or soft patch that does not touch the hook. --- *SaltProofLab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.* ## Sources - redcross.org: [Anatomy of a first aid kit](https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/anatomy-of-a-first-aid-kit.html) - medlineplus.gov: [medlineplus.gov page](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000055.htm) - American Academy of Dermatology: [Treat sunburn](https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/injured-skin/burns/treat-sunburn) - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: [CPSC recall database](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls) - U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety: [Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements](https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf) --- Last updated: 2026-09-29 Canonical URL: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits How to cite: "Marine First Aid Kits (2026): Waterproof Cases and What to Add for Fishing Hooks and Sun", SaltProofLab, https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/marine-first-aid-kits (checked 2026-09-29). Disclosure: as an Amazon Associate SaltProofLab earns from qualifying purchases. Safety information summarizes public guidance and is not medical advice.