5 Best GPS Buys for Boating Anglers

Autumn is the best time to buy new electronics for your boat. By November all of the new product has been released, and it’s made its way through the pipeline to the stores so you don’t have to wait a couple of weeks for an order to come in. And, with the holiday season just around the corner, autumn is the best time to take advantage of special deals and incentives, whether you’re buying for yourself or finding the perfect gift for a loved one.

This year has seen all the major manufacturers introduce a wide range of new GPS-fish finder combos, and some of these units represent amazing values considering all that they can do. Here are five of our favorites.

Garmin echoMAP CHIRP 93sv

MSRP: $1,299

Garmin’s echoMAP CHIRP 93sv is a nine-inch chart plotter/sonar combo with CHIRP and CHIRP ClearVü/SideVü technology. It comes pre-loaded with Garmin’s LakeVü HD maps that cover 17,000 lakes, 13,000 of which are mapped in high definition with one-foot contours from shore to shore. The unit supports Panoptix sonar and includes Quickdraw Contours software to instantly create your own HD maps with one-foot contours. Its internal 5 Hz GPS updates your position and heading five times per second, while the unit provides NMEA 2000 support for engine data, sensors, FUSION-LINK audio system, autopilots and more.

Humminbird HELIX 10 SI

MRSP: $1,499

Humminbird’s HELIX 10 SI stands out with the impressive clarity and brightness of its 10.1-inch display that makes viewing easy in even the brightest sunlight.  The side imaging/down imaging sonar with DualBeam PLUS and SwitchFire has up to 8,000 watts of power, while the built-in Humminbird ContourXD map also runs cartographies from Navionics and LakeMaster. Auto Chart Live comes standard, enabling the user to create detailed digital maps in real time right on the screen. And its easy to use thanks to new processing power driving a new Reflex user interface.

Lowrance Elite-7 Ti

MSRP: $799

Lowrance’s Elite-7 Ti offers a compelling combination of top-shelf performance and surprising affordability, bringing many of the key features of the company’s top-of-the-line HDS system like touchscreen operation, wireless connectivity and SmartSteer autopilot control into a single affordable package. Even better, it supports Lowrance’s all-in-one TotalScan transducer, with CHIRP sonar, broadband sounder, and StructureScan HD with SideScan and DownScan imaging all contained in a single, compact unit that fits on any boat’s dash.

Raymarine Dragonfly 7PRO

MSRP: $750

With its seven-inch, 800 x 480 pixel screen and a host of features including CHIRP, CHIRP Downvision and full compatibility with Raymarine’s WiFish app, and Navionics, C-MAP and Lighthouse charts. Photo-like sonar images allow easy identification of bottom features, while the all weather optically bonded screen display delivers brighter colors, sharper contrast, and are guaranteed to never fog up. Built in Wi-Fi allows anglers to  stream Dragonfly sonar data right to their smartphone or tablet with the Raymarine Wi-Fish mobile app. Plus, you can rewind and capture sonar images to share online with friends.

Simrad GO9 XSE

MSRP: $1,299

The Simrad GO9 XSE is a powerful, full-featured chart plotter/fish finder combined with a compact, easy-to-use multi-touch display. Its internal 10 Hz GPS receiver allows StructureScan HD and CHIRP sonar capability, along with autopilot integration/control, engine data monitoring, full audio entertainment connectivity with SonicHub2, built-in wireless connectivity, and the powerful Simrad TripIntel trip computer. It can also connect to any NMEA 2000-compatible equipment including engines, so it can display fuel flow, fluid level and more. Bottom line – it can replace your entire dashboard with GPS, fishfinder and plotter, all in one easy-to-use unit.