[goodhands_gheenoer]

does anyone use a handheld GPS for navigation the 10,000 islands. What recommendation for models would you make.

 

[Brett]

The screens on the hand helds are not that big.
Hard to read any detail when back in the creeks,
for general location they're pretty useful.
I do like my Garmin, but if the batteries die
there's still a compass and full size hardcopy charts aboard.

 

[The_Skiff_Shop]

The screens on the hand helds are not that big.
Hard to read any detail when back in the creeks,
for general location they're pretty useful.
I do like my Garmin, but if the batteries die
there's still a compass and full size hardcopy charts aboard.

I wish I could recommend Garmin but I'm on my forth product failure in a row - 4 separate purchases, 4 different products. The e-mails I receive from Garmin imply that I'm not capable of mastering the "on" switch. : Tech support seems to be a generic canned response. FWIW, tech support does not seem to have a generic response for "don't worry about it, your competitor's product is working fine" ;D ;D ;D At least with e-mail, I didn't have to press "1 for English" ;D ;D

Having said that my Garmin 478 failed just before I went to Choco so I pulled out my trusty 76Cxs with the downloads and it worked well. I still have my original 76 and it works as well as it did the day I got it. So, if you want something reliable, the handhelds are what have historically worked for me.

 

[richwalker71]

I've got a Garmin Oregon 400c and I love it. Haven't taken it to Choko yet but I am very confident that with it and a chart I wouldn't get lost.

 

[DuckNut]

I use the Lowrance IFinder H2O with the Gold chart disk and this is amazing. Been through Chocko many times.

 

[goodhands_gheenoer]

Thanks for the replies.  I need to do some more homework.  Funny how the guys at Bass Pro think you should have the most expensive one. 

 

[Bob_Rogers]

Call me a dinosaur, but my ancient Garmin GPS 48 is all I've ever needed in the 10K. My eyes, my memory, my compass and charts are much more useful running the back country at high speed. Miss some of the turns back there because your screen didn't update fast enough and you can get yourself in trouble, I've seen people do just that while staring at their big displays instead of looking at the water.

If I ever need to replace my 48, I'd go for the Garmin 72 - simple, durable, proven.

 

[lemaymiami]

Here's another vote for the Garmin 72... I have three of them. You can get a hardwire that's designed for the bracket and lose those battery blues.... Although the 72 does not have a chart feature, with a little study it will do darned nearly everything needed. The only data it will store (other than tides and celestial stuff) is what you actually load into it. I make a point of loading every third or fourth marker as a waypoint, and all critical gates or spots where you might get in trouble if off course. There's lots of other little tricks (I used to teach a short free course on the topic with West Marine) that will improve you day... Chief among them is the trip log. If you re-set it at the end of every day you'll have an accurate measure of distances run each day (and that will let you figure your precise fuel consumption...). The little machine is very accurate, within thirty feet most days....

 

[Charlie]

I haven't used a hand held GPS from a boat yet, but I kayak the 10,000 islands ALOT (my favorite place for overnighters). I can tell you that my previous GPS, the Garmin 76CSX, worked above and beyond my standards. It was easy to use, had depth marking, I could change in between Blue Charts and Topos for use on land, and it was DURABLE! I can say that I abused the thing. I dropped it, neglected to properly clean it, and banged it up in general. The thing would not give up.
     When they say water proof, they mean it. It wasn't one of these "splash proof' GPSs where they CAN get wet, it was water proof. There were many times when it would fall in the water and I wouldn't notice it and it would be draged for 5 minutes in water. I would pluck it out, wipe the sceen clear, and countine on using it. My vote no doubt goes for the 76CSX.

I now have a 78sc and that has been working well for the last two paddles. Hope it workes as well as the 76CSX.  ;D

 

[beavis]

My garmin handheld worked great throughout choko with tons of detail using the garmin maps. I have the 60Csx and the thing is bullet proof and easy to operate even with one hand. Menus are very intuitive and user friendly. Much easier than the ifinder I had. I had the ifinder h20 from Lowrance and with the charts for that one, but the battery hatch is chit and not water proof so it friend my nice 125 dollar map chip. So in the garbage that went. But that also had great maps for the area too.

 

[Capt Dan Medina]

Used and still use the garmin 76 handheld.... downloaded the map for the area i needed and never let me down.... It is a black/white screen, and the 76cx my buddy has is pretty much identical but in color. Advantage of his is that is a bit quicker loading when zooming in....
just my .02