Why? Do people get lost on a lake? Do people get lost right off of the coastline? Marine GPS units will keep you from finding out! They are versatile, convenient, and often are waterproof and have the ability to float. A marine navigational system is great for anyone going out on the water, especially if you are not familiar with the area or happen to get caught up in a nasty storm where visibility is compromised. Many marine systems can not only lock in on your location, they can tell you where buoys, obstructions, coastlines, and even lighthouses are. Just make sure before you leave shore that you save your shore location in the unit, in case you do get lost. Some even can tell you depth contours and tidal zones to be aware of.

A similar device that maritime travelers will find comes in handy for longer, more extensive trips across the seas is the chartplotter. This uses GPS satellite signals to come up with an electronic navigational chart, or ENC. A chartplotter displays the ENC along with a boats heading and speed. The great thing about a chartplotter is that they can give you three dimensional displays, great for fishing and knowing the contours of the land underneath your boat. They can also sometimes display information from radars and other sensors, because chartplotters always must be connected to a computer. If you are going out to fish, using a GPS fishfinder may be just the thing to help bring home the big one. These fishfinders work in the same way as other GPS units, focusing in on the fishies just as marine units can focus in on buoys and depth contours.

Wouldnt it be great if the GPS systems, chartplotters, and fishfinders all came in one unit? Be happy, they do. You can buy just about any combination of these, or even all three together. Of course, the more tasks the unit can do, the more expensive they become, but if an all in one marine GPS unit can find the fish, avoid a shipwreck, and bring you back home safe and sound, it of course would be worth every penny. Some of the most popular manufacturers of these handy helpers are Magellan, RayMarine, Humminbird, Garmin, and Sea King. So, carry on with the fishing expedition, but remember to pack your marine GPS device.