So youre up and at em bright and early, putting your fishing vest on for a long day out on the water. All of your lures, bobbers, live bait, giant net, and even your hooks are ready to go. Make sure, however, you remember to grab that snazzy new marine GPS unit you bought; itll come in handy.

Why? Do people get lost on a lake? Do people get lost right off of the coastline? Marine GPS units will keep you from finding out! They are versatile, convenient, and often are waterproof and have the ability to float. A marine navigational system is great for anyone going out on the water, especially if you are not familiar with the area or happen to get caught up in a nasty storm where visibility is compromised. Many marine systems can not only lock in on your location, they can tell you where buoys, obstructions, coastlines, and even lighthouses are. Just make sure before you leave shore that you save your shore location in the unit, in case you do get lost. Some even can tell you depth contours and tidal zones to be aware of.

A similar device that maritime travelers will find comes in handy for longer, more extensive trips across the seas is the chartplotter. This uses GPS satellite signals to come up with an electronic navigational chart, or ENC. A chartplotter displays the ENC along with a boats heading and speed. The great thing about …