Garmin GPSMAP 60CS - need feedback.....

I'm very new to the GPS world and I'm looking into getting one (I'll still have my compass as a relaiable back-up)


http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/10001/-1/10001/232807/10001/10881/48/3

Does anyone have any feed back on this particular GPS? Would love to hear your opinion.

A geocaching friend of mine has the 60CS. The street maps are very nice, much better than my Sportrack Map gps.
The 60cs also stays locked on the sats and updates the coords much faster than mine.
I also have two Garmin etrex, the basic yellow ones. Those have taken a beating and keep going...good product.

I was fishing in Sitka a couple years ago. The captain/guide was showing me his fancy nav system, then he showed his back-up system.
A basic Garmin etrex. He said the simple one got him back home many times.

Looks like the new Garmin 60Cx with expandable memory is now available.

Basspro Garmin 60Cx

Mooch... I have a GPSMAP 60 and I like it a lot.

It has all of the features you could want in a mapping GPS but much less expensive than the color screen versions. 

Sunlight viewing is not a problem.  My first time on the water I vound that the default marine settings were difficult to read in sunlight, but you can play with the settings to get a good screen image in direct sunlight.  The default settings give the marine environment a dark background with with light symbols which is hard to see... but you can reverse that to give the marine environment a light background with dark symbols and visibility is no problem at all. 

I don't have anything to complain about this unit... easy to use, lots of features, and seems very durable.  I use a West Marine plastic GPS dry bag for it for protection.  Even though this one has a good waterproof rating on it, I don't trust any of them with direct exposure to saltwater... protect your investment.

I found mine in an Ebay store new for $229 plus $9.79 shipping ($239 total). 

Erik

I love my Garmin GPS.
Store it in the tackle box during landings and launchings.
You can also use these units while driving. 
Color is great. 
Garmin Storage Bag (don't know if it is waterproof).
Garmin Kayak holder, cheaply made but it does work.
Since the screen is so small, I set the Garmin closer to me so I can read it while paddling.


My kayak is upside down.

thanks for the input fellas! Hoping to get one by the end of the year! I've already been in too many situations where the fog rolled in on me in a matter of minutes. I was lucky beccause I had my compass AND I was fishing with someone who had GPS.

Earlier in the Salmon Season, I paddled out in Moss and the the fog rolled in. In the middle of the fog, I bumped into Fred "Savage" (who had no VHF and no compass) and so we  decided to stick together for the rest of the day. He thought his sense of direction was on but according to my compass he was waaay off. He then realized that while he trolling in the fog with a heavy ball, everytime he stopped to check his bait, he ended up turning his yak - thus throwing off his senses. I'd like to make sure this never happens again 

In addition to the obvious usefulness in fog, I also find them very handy when rockfishing.  If you find a nice pinnacle or structure that you're pulling fish out of, you can mark it and after you make a lengthy drift, you can make a bee line back to that spot and find the structure again very easily without any searching around.   

The GPSMAP60 also has a tide tool on it that will show you the tidal conditions at nearby tide stations. 

EK

One nice thing about a GPS in general is the ability to mark waypoints. 

Everytime I hook up a keeper fish, I make a waypoint.  I know the precise location (and date) of every halibut I've caught since I started kayak fishing.  Now I jet right to the spots and drop down...

If you have a friend who does this, too, or even several friends you can quickly determine a pattern of hot spots/honey holes and it can really acclerate your fishing.

HHHhhmmmMMMM !!!

(BlueKayak, - warning! - cover your eyes)

One more thing to consider is that some sonars allow interconnection with a handheld gps e.g., the Matrix line.  If you have or are interested in one of those, you might doublecheck that the ff you have in mind will work with the gps you buy.


Randy

It's funny I was telling my nephew about having a FF & GPS hooked up to my boat and when he was over at the house I should him my kayak,

He say's this is what you have all this electronics hook up too. Hell I thought you had some 30 ft Bayliner or something.

I told him, no way would I have a rig like that I'm trying to keep things simple.    Well I've got to go guy's,                and get  myself a Frappuccino down at Starbucks.        (BlueYak you better skip over this post too.)

It's funny I was telling my nephew about having a FF & GPS hooked up to my boat and when he was over at the house I should him my kayak,

He say's this is what you have all this electronics hook up too. Hell I thought you had some 30 ft Bayliner or something.

I told him, no way would I have a rig like that I'm trying to keep things simple.    Well I've got to go guy's,                and get  myself a Frappuccino down at Starbucks.        (BlueYak you better skip over this post too.)

Your trying to "keep things simple". That's a joke, right?

As for the guy looking at the Garmin GPS. Your looking at the right thing. It's nice to have a GPS that has built in near shore map. It really helps near harbors to already have entrances and bouys marked. I carry a handheld compass for backup. I put it on a string and put it around my neck when I use it. Just remember the compass will only tell you which direction to land. That land could be wave washed cliffs and rocks. I always pay attention to swell direction and wind direction and the weather forcast to know what changes are possible. Usually I can find my way back by knowing the swell direction, but this only works until you  get close to land, because they can bend near points. Practice this with your GPS. Just look down and look at the swell and try to find your way back or at least guess what direction home is. Then look at your GPS and see if you right.

yes that is a joke, I don't drink frappaccinos at starbucks.

Finally got my GPS - I went for the one Erik K. has = GPSMAP 60. Now I need to learn how to work the dam thing  I feel like I just jumped from stone age to jet age