Switch Covers

Markings fade and deteriorate over time, but if you use your boat regularly, you probably don’t pay attention to them anyway. You know by feel where the livewell and the nav light switch are. But remember that other people may need to operate your boat at times, including in emergencies. Clearly and accurately labeled boat switches are a bigger safety factor than you might expect. Read More

Additionally, faded, unreadable, or scarred switches significantly affect the appearance of your helm. By design, switch panels are typically in a highly visible and easily accessible spot on your console or dash, so ugly covers are one of the first things you and your guests see.

Not all covers are the same. OEM options come in a wide variety of shapes and textures, and replacement covers are just as different. It’s important to select replacements made of material that can stand up to the marine environment without fading or deteriorating. Read More

“Soft touch” style covers feel great when they’re new, but they tend to deteriorate and get sticky or soft over time. Hard plastic options last longer.

There are also different techniques for marking on the cover. Many coverings have labels and markings printed onto the surface of the plastic, but this tends to fade and wear away. Read More

For crisper, more readable lettering, and better resistance to wear and environmental conditions, choose switches with laser-engraved markings. Laser-engraved switches have the added benefit that the backlight shines through the engraving, making the markings readable in the dark.

Yes, the covers on virtually all boat switches can be easily replaced without removing or replacing the switch itself. They do fail sometimes and need to be replaced, but they tend to last much longer than covers.

Switch covers simply snap into the body. Although they can be removed with no tools at all by gently prying the cover-up, a simple and inexpensive Actuator Removal Tool makes the process quicker and easier and reduces the risk of damaging it. To install the new cover, just push it into the body until you hear it snap into place.

Switch covers aren’t quite universal, but very close. The replacement coverings sold by Boat Outfitters and other retailers will fit the vast majority of rocker switches used on recreational boats over the last 30+ years. That includes Carling, Blue Sea Systems, Cole Hersee, and many others.

Many OEM options were made from materials that simply couldn’t stand up to extended exposure to the marine environment. The colors of the switches themselves faded, the ink used to print the markings wore away or faded, and, in many cases, the surface of the cover got soft and gummy to the touch. Today’s coverings are far more durable.