Handheld GPS

[jiveturkey]

The only downside to the Garmin Etrex series is that they aren't very waterproof.

That's sad to hear. I've had mine for a few years and still haven't given it a going over in bad weather. I just assumed (because of the marketing) that it would be fine.

 

[Charlie99]

That's sad to hear. I've had mine for a few years and still haven't given it a going over in bad weather. I just assumed (because of the marketing) that it would be fine.

It wasn't much in the way of bad weather. I think it was just being splashed and sloshed just about every day all summer long.

I go out for an hour or or so of sailing just about every day in the summer; sometimes for a couple of short sails. The 15-20mph seabreeze and 2 or 3' wind waves of a typical afternoon on Buzzard's Bay end up being pretty wet sailing on a 14' sailing dinghy running at hull speed or a bit faster. To make matters worse, my typical use was to have the GPS in the center bottom of the open cockpit floor, just showing the speed in big numbers --- so it got hit by both spray and any water sloshing around.

Factor in the high humidity at the Mass. seashore that never lets anything dry out, and it all adds up to a pretty severe test of waterproof and high humidity endurance.

 

[Jessica Anderson]

It's not technically a handheld GPS but I use an app that turns my phone into a GPS. Navionics on your phone acts like a GPS and you can download the Boating app for pinpointing yourself on the water or the hiking app when you're hiking. Very useful and versatile.

 

[lemke]

I have an older Garmin Oregon that I use as a backup to my Simrad units on my boat. Easy to read screen and plenty accurate to get me "there" and back.