Night Vision For Boating

I'm looking to buy a night vision device for use primarily while boating at night. I was originally thinking of binoculars but read on a boating forum that a monocular might be a better option so that our normal vision doesn't become too distorted. This article also mentioned that a wide field of view was important. We've never used night vision before and think it would be helpful for spotting channel markers, buoys, unlit vessels, etc.

I'm looking to spend between $200.00 to $500.00 or so. Any advice (monocular vs. binocular as well as brand recommendations) would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, keep the magnification, down, but also be sure to choose a waterproof model, such as the Yukon Sea Wolf Going a binocular gets you the comfort of using two eyes, but does not improve performance.