Marine GPS units or Global Positioning Systems have taken the world by storm. You can throw away your maps and atlases. Forget about MapQuest and Google maps, Global Positioning Systems are the new King of the Castle. You will find that, unlike other electronics, the rapidly growing world of GPS is quite different. There are about 2-3 model cycles revolving within each calendar year. Therefore, newer models come out packed with more and more features, sleeker body designs and they are also becoming more reasonably priced with each new series release.

With advances in technology and user interfaces they have become very simple to use. You can quickly enter in the address or coordinate for which you aim to navigate and within seconds it is ready to go. This is an excellent option for the die hard seaman to record routes, including speed, distance, time taken.

Screen size may be something to consider when purchasing your next marine GPS unit. Not only does it make for easy viewing of maps, speed and clock functions, but also because most units have touch-screens, it makes entering numbers and addresses much easier (especially if your fingers are not dainty).

Marine GPS units, not only, help with direction guidance, they also offer features that help you track just about every aspect of your trip. You will also discover that they will determine your estimated time of arrival based on your speed and weather conditions. This is a very useful option for those who are at work on the open water. By interfacing with a PC, you can track statistics of your travel for future use to help you plan accordingly and reduce costs in your business.

Spoken direction (or text to speech) is another feature offered by most modern-day GPS units. Confusion will be greatly reduced when you are verbally receiving direction, alerts and alarms. There is a wide range of alarm functions, including Off Course, Shallow Water, Deep Water, Anchor Drag which can be a big help to even the most capable sea captain.

Another function that you may find useful in some of the more high-end units is the ability to be used hands-free with your Bluetooth Capable phones and devices. As improvement to versatility, design and price continues to rise, more and more consumers will be joining the marine GPS revolution. Before you know it you may also be enjoying all that GPS navigation has to offer.