Best Marine GPS Systems In 2022

The Striker 4 marine GPS and fishfinder from Garmin features built-in GPS and the company’s CHIRP transducer for a noticeably higher level of clarity when it comes to denoting schools of fish large or small as well as delineating underwater structural anomalies. As such, any boat owner whether engaged in fishing or any other activity that may require moving outside normal channels would do well to have one of these on board at all times. The underwater realm is the last great frontier. Unlock its secrets with the Garmin Striker 4 marine GPS.

The high performance CHIRP fishfinder/marine GPS combo allows you to identify your potential catch and mark it with a high degree of accuracy for later reference. The ability of the 77/200 kHz transducer to accurately record underwater structures both natural and manmade allows you to navigate safely under all conditions regardless of location. It can also be of enormous value when navigating in a heavy fog. While the graphics as we noted above are 2005 all the way they nonetheless accurately pinpoint areas of danger or interest so your trip can be both more profitable and safer. That’s because CHIRP continuously sweeps a full range of frequencies and performs a comprehensive analysis in microseconds continuously returning an array actionable data for your consideration. (CHIRP can also be easily upgraded.) The whole unit is held firmly in place via a suction cup mount. Whether you’re sport fisherman, commercial fisherman, treasure hunter or ferry operator you’ll be glad you invited the Striker 4 marine GPS on board.

The Garmin GPSMAP 78sc Waterproof Marine GPS features a clean, easy-to-use design, a 2.6 inch LCD color screen and amazingly it will float if dropped in the water with no ill effects. That waterproof design is a big plus but not the only one on display with the GPSMAP 78sc marine GPS. It also features a dedicated man overboard button that instantly marks the spot of the incident allowing you to relay it immediately to the Coast Guard and other nearby vessels. There’s also a barometric altimeter, an electronic compass and a full array of preloaded charts covering the US coast.

The 78sc marine GPS from Garmin is both user and marine friendly (save the screen size) and is an invaluable navigational tool for commercial vessels or private yachts, sailboats, and family fishing boats. The ability to instantaneously share your waypoints, routes, and even geocaches means the days of simply disappearing at sea are effectively over. Someone will know where you are and the route you’ve to take to get there, should trouble arise, and they can share that information with the Coast Guard and others. While the high sensitivity GPS for boats tells you where you are the built-in 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter will allow you to plot a timely and accurate course back to safety or back to that special fishing ground you discovered on your last excursion. Should waves crash over the bow and your 78sc marine GPS wind up sloshing about on the deck it’s no problem as the unit is completely waterproof. And in the event one of those waves should take someone overboard with it there’s the dedicated man overboard button that allows you to mark the exact spot where it occurred. No more navigating in circles with the 78sc marine GPS from Garmin. This also makes a great gift for fishermen in your life.

Like its big brother the 78sc the Garmin Marine GPSMAP 78 GPS navigator is full of useful features and boasts a clean, easy-to-use design that allows you to safely and effectively find your way either in the open ocean or the inlet near your home. Like the 78sc it’s also completely waterproof and will float. Those who worry that a floating marine GPS device may still work afterward but the SD card will be ruined worry in vain because the microSD card for the 78 is tucked neatly into the waterproof battery compartment. Between preloaded maps and the optional BirdsEye Satellite imagery you’ll have the world covered with the Garmin 78 marine GPS.

The Garmin 78 Marine GPS Navigator with 2.6 inch screen is the precursor to the 78sc marine GPS and is a fine GPS marine navigation unit in its own right. Responsive, versatile and able to take a hit from the weather you’ll find your way through the deepest water or unfamiliar shallows using the high performance GPS, tri-axia compass and the plethora of maps available for download. If you really want to win the gold medal for best prepared subscribe to the BirdsEye Satellite Imagery service and have the world at your fingertips. If you don’t currently have a marine GPS device on your vessel or you’re sporting an older model it’s time to move up to the 78 series marine GPS from Garmin and make the most of each outing.

The 5-inch WVGA display of the Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP marine GPS is a welcome respite from some of the smaller displays that are often part and parcel of marine GPS devices like this. But that’s just the start of the units many incredible features. The CHIRP (Compressed High-Intensity Radar Pulse) broadband sonar represents a huge step forward in plotting and understanding what’s beneath the surface. While above the waves the high sensitivity GPS for boats keeps track of your movements within a few feet even on the rolling sea.

With its comparatively large display you’ll be able to locate fish, scan the depths, and navigate unfamiliar waters easier and faster than you ever thought possible. The Helix 5 marine GPS comes ready to go with its internal GPS chart plotting and its ability to move seamlessly from GPS to fish finder and back again. If you wish you can display both features side by side. The Humminbird Helix 5 marine GPS also features something it calls “Clear Mode” which eliminates clutter, allowing you to home in on the bigger individual fish and “Max Mode” which ramps up fish identification to even more effective degrees and is likely what you’ll want to use to identify schools. All in all the Helix 5 marine GPS and fish finder from Humminbird is easy to use and effective and will help ensure you don’t return from your fishing venture empty-handed or get lost in the process.

The Garmin Striker Plus 5CV is one of the most advanced GPS units available to fishermen. It has a mix of features that make it perfect for boat trips and fishing excursions, providing you with detailed information about what is happening beneath the surface. The GPS allows you to mark waypoints, create routes, view the speed of your boat, and draw custom maps (with 1’ contours). That means you can have the perfect trip completely planned out before you ever step onboard. The in-built memory allows it to store up to two million acres worth of maps. 

All of the information is displayed on an impressive five-inch display. Designed to be easily readable in direct sunlight, you can mount the Garmin Striker Plus 5CV on your boat’s dashboard and have it as a permanent fixture. For detailed information about the fishing conditions, Garmin has built a CHIRP ClearVü Scanning Sonar into the unit. This provides you with an image of what is passing beneath your boat, so you can strike when the time is right. The image provided is nearly photographic, allowing you to identify the size (and maybe even type) of fish that has passed beneath.