If you plan going fishing or just want to go somewhere by sea, chances are that a marine GPS device might come in handy for you. In most cases you already own one that came with the yacht, however, you may want to get a better one as often the case is that many crucial features are missing on the default units, for example, a chartplotter can be of great need if you are keen on fishing. Most of the new GPS units offer echolocation, sea coordinates, but are almost always stuffed with a lot of unneeded features. In this article, we’ll try to review the two GPS chartplotters that could be deemed the best ones in the market - Garmin GPSMAP 4212 and Lowrance HDS 7, both of which have essential features that every Marine GPS should have, and also a chartplotter to receive additional data, like the speed of the boat you’re on.

Garmin GPSMAP 4212 is a GPS chartplotter that offers high-resolution satellite imagery and can boost your sea-sailing with additional awareness in any situation. It’s perfect for everyone, both for fishing or just sailing. It has an affordable price and stands out with a beautiful quality design and a 12.1" 1024x768 VGA screen. It also offers a 3D perspective of what’s below the boat, so it’s great for fishing. It is also easy to use and comes with detailed coastlines, port plans, restricted areas, gives updates of the current weather and can transmit a signal in case of an emergency.

The HDS 7 is a model that people who are keen on fishing will love, as it offers in-depth coverage of more than 100,000 bodies of water and covers most of the lakes in the U.S. in incredible detail. It is also compatible with many mapping systems and its maps are updated frequently. It is a cheaper alternative to the Garmin GPSMAP 4212 with its design being simpler than the former and the screen size being smaller, but the functions preserved. It, just as the GPSMAP 4212, also offers stereo quality reports of the weather.

The aforementioned chartplotters could arguably be the best on the market, as they offer two extremes – the focus on quality and the focus on price. Which one of them to pick remains solely to you. Just don’t forget to actually use the device on its fullest, as the features they offer are, in the worst case, very interesting, if not useful. Remember that sailing is a great way to relax, but you don’t want to spoil the fun by getting lost. A Marine GPS with a chartplotter can help you a great deal to enjoy the most of your sailing time.