Surfshark Review for Sailors: Pros, Cons & Our Experience

Before we sailed away in January 2023, one of the things we had to figure out was how we were going to stay connected to family and friends… and how to stay connected securely.

Free WiFi networks are incredibly handy when you’re traveling and don’t have a lot of data to use in foreign islands. We use free WiFis at marinas, coffee shops, boat supply and grocery stores, and many more places along the way. But public WiFi networks can also pose a security risk.

So before we left, I researched ways to help protect ourselves online and signed up for Surfshark.

After 3.5 years of using Surfshark across 17 countries and territories, we’ve continued using it mainly for public WiFi networks and accessing our usual streaming services abroad. 

Before I go any further with my Surfshark review, I want to be completely transparent: Surfshark has provided me with a free year of its Surfshark One plan. However, I was already a paying Surfshark customer for three years before receiving the complimentary subscription.

This post also contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase Surfshark through one of my links, at no additional cost to you. All opinions in this review are based on our own experience using Surfshark while traveling and living aboard our sailboat.

For us, being able to watch our regular TV shows, use it on unlimited devices, and how simple it is to use has made it worth keeping. But, there are a few things to consider before determining if Surfshark is right for you.

What is Surfshark and How does a VPN Work?

Surfshark is a popular cybersecurity company that provides you with a VPN, or virtual private network, that creates a more secure connection while you are online.

It can also change your location, or IP address, that websites see.

Why Use a VPN While Sailing

Knowing we will be connected to a lot of different public WiFi networks while sailing around and traveling, we want to be able to have a more secure connection.

Starlink and Surfshark are two subscriptions we use while cruising full-time, but for different reasons. We have Starlink for internet on our boat, but when we’re off the boat, we frequently connect to public WiFi networks in the US, Bahamas, and throughout the Caribbean. That’s when we use Surfshark. 

We spent an entire summer at the Grenada Yacht Club in Grenada, and used Surfshark regularly when doing our online banking and our streaming TV shows and music.

Surfshark also allows us to access streaming services while we travel abroad. We are able to watch our regular TV shows by connecting to an IP address from our home country. And, Surfshark can allow you to connect to servers in 100 different countries across 6 continents, so they have their bases covered.

After trying to speak French all day while on the French islands, it’s nice to go back to the boat and watch English TV shows… in English! 😂

Our Experience Using Surfshark on our Sailboat

After having used Surfshark for over 3.5 years, we find it very easy to use, even for a non-techy like me.  

Below are the top features we use with Surfshark:

Using Surfshark on Multiple Devices

We have it installed on all of our devices (phones, laptops and tablets) and just select the location we want to connect to. It connects quickly and we haven’t had any issues with it disconnecting. 

One thing I love about Surfshark is that they don’t limit you on the number of devices you can connect to. This was an important feature for us when comparing Surfshark to other VPN providers.

Using Different IP Locations While Cruising

We have been to 17 different countries and territories in the past 3.5 years. While we frequently use a US-based IP address, we also have used French IP addresses when clearing into the French islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe and St. Martin. I find that their website for clearing into the country tends to work better when connected to a French IP address.

Using Surfshark on Public WiFi Networks

The biggest reason we originally signed up with Surfshark is to use it on public WiFi networks. Now, years later,  we continue to use it most frequently for this reason. Living full-time on our sailboat, we find ourselves frequently connected to public WiFi in many different places. I can’t tell you how many times we are at Island Water World searching for boat parts online while in the store. Having Surfshark on my phone adds a layer of security.

Streaming While Sailing

I’d say the second most frequent use of Surfshark is so we can stream our favorite TV shows. Yep, even living on the water, we still watch TV.

However, when we are out of our home country (USA), we often have to use the VPN with Surfshark to connect to a US-based IP address to allow us to see our shows. 

Using An Alternate ID Online

With the Surfshark One Plan, you can also create an Alternate ID online. I just learned about this feature recently, so I haven’t created my Alternate ID yet, but plan to do so. My phone number got leaked recently and the annoying spam calls all day are real  🙄

Is Surfshark Easy to Use of You Aren’t Techy?

Yes, I consider myself low on the tech-savvy scale, and find Surfshark very easy to install, connect to, change IP addresses, etc.

It’s easy to walk through the steps of installation, and then you have a desktop icon, or app on your phone. I love that they are the same and both are self-explanatory to use.

Pros and Cons of Surfshark

As with any tool, nothing is perfect. Below are the pros and cons I find when using Surfshark.

Surfshark Pros

• Unlimited devices
• Works across all the different devices you carry aboard
• Useful when traveling internationally
• Gives you added security on public WiFi networks
• Lets you change your apparent location/IP
• Easy for a non-techy user to actually use

I didn’t realize how important the unlimited devices were until I realized how many devices we actually have Surfshark installed on! 🤯

Surfshark Cons

• Sometimes your connection feels slower
• Occasionally a website doesn’t work properly while the VPN is running
• Sometimes you have to temporarily turn it off

Ok, so on the Cons, we have actually had to turn it off for some websites to work, which can be frustrating. We find that this happens on some of the US government websites we use where they block the use of VPNs.

Other times, we have found that sites just tend to run really slow. I reached out to Surfshark on this and they provided me with this helpful article for different troubleshooting to try when this happens.

I personally love that they have a bypass feature for websites that don’t allow VPN. You set it up once, and don’t have to worry about it again.

Who is Surfshark Best For?

If you are a full-time cruiser and travel internationally, using a lot of public WiFi networks, or want an added layer of security, then definitely take a look at Surfshark. 

If you are primarily online with Starlink on your boat, or your home internet, and don’t binge watch your TV shows like us, then you may be able to do without it.

Surfshark is especially appealing if you travel with a lot of devices because it doesn’t limit the number of devices you can use with your account. 

Is Surfshark Worth it for Sailors? Our Verdict

After having Surfshark for 3.5 years (paying for it ourselves for 3 years), I definitely plan to keep the service (even if/when we go back to paying for it ourselves). 

We find that we use it on a regular basis whether sailing in the Caribbean, or back in the USA during visits. We connect to public WiFi networks a lot and I love having the added security layer provided by Surfshark.

We also love unwinding at the end of the day and watching our favorite TV shows, wherever our anchor drops.

FAQs about Surfshark