Choosing the Right GPS Device for Your Boat

Choosing the right Global Positioning System (GPS) device for your boat can take a lot of work. There are handheld GPS devices, wristwatch GPS devices, full-blown desktop GPS units and GPS devices somewhere in the middle. To complicate matters there are now GPS devices that integrate cellular, global information system and Bluetooth technology.

And there are all sorts of GPS software accessories to use with your GPS devices. Most prominent are maps. Besides built in maps, GPS devices also give you the power to create your own maps. And the new GPS systems will even generate maps for you. That is a map that takes you back over your original route if and when you become lost.

And there’s more to come. The integration of the microwave world of GPS with the ultra high frequency (UHF) cellular and short-range radio frequency marine networks portends a new boating experience. As these networks evolve into one, you can expect to see advanced GPS devices that interact not only with GPS and WASA satellite networks, but short-range, buoy-based cellular and radio frequency identification networks. These new GPS devices will not only give you your location, but also connect you to a worldwide network of boats and sensors. And these boats and sensors will warn you of every approaching wave, give you exacting details of every depth contour, tell you the location of every swarm of fish in the ocean and even give you data on water pollution and temperature.

So are you ready to reap the benefits of a worldwide water network? And if so will your GPS device be able to tap into and contribute to the pool of information being collected? Probably so, and that’s because today’s GPS devices are evolving. They have more Geographic Information System (GIS) features than ever before. GPS devices combined with built in cameras allow you to geocache landmarks above, below and on the sea’s surface. And this will enable boaters to add hydrographic, underwater topology and cartography data to existing marine databases.

So how should you pick your GPS system? Do you pick it for its basic GPS capabilities or its GIS capabilities? The answer to that question can be complicated.

But one place to start is safety. One question to ponder is just how much added safety do you get for with a GIS enabled GPS device? In a dark and cold ocean the only answer can be is not enough. Ideally, one would pick a GPS device that has the most reliable GPS safety in regard to hardware specifications and the best GIS navaid safety features. And in the future, this means how well your GPS device will interface with a worldwide water network.

Since safety is a function of both GPS hardware and GIS software, focus your attention on GPS vendors that have a strong track record in marine safety, GPS hardware technology and GIS software technology.

Since GPS and GIS cannot be learned in a day, consider vendors that have placed an effort on easy-to-use and easy-to-learn GPS and GIS user interfaces. Ideally, GIS enabled GPS hardware and software interfaces should be self-instructional. And they should allow you to be up and running with the basics in seconds, not minutes or hours.

But before you make your purchasing decision, see if your GIS enabled GPS device will pass the ultimate test. And what is that test? Take your GPS device straight out of the box, drop the instruction manual in a bucket of water and see if you can find your way home.