Marine Radio suggestions

That is just hard to fathom. But that makes all the sense. Your comfort zone increases as you progress..in many things we eo in life

I just checked GPS Store (gpsstore.com) and the HX 870 is selling for $209 no tax, free shipping and a $40 Rebate. That's a great deal!!
 Aloha,
Da Bruddah

cool! I'll take a look today. how about a compass? there a specific type, model or preference that kayakers use?

cool! I'll take a look today. how about a compass? there a specific type, model or preference that kayakers use?

Something like a suunto field compass if you want to have on ehandy in your pfd, you can also use it for backpacking/hiking/orienteering.

If you want something deck mounted, ritchie makes some great compasses.  Suunto makes a marine compass with bungee straps that can be easily taken on and off and will glow in the dark for a time.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FEWAA4/ref=sxr_pa_click_within_right_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=2795410502&pf_rd_r=YXFKBFJMNZ7AKDF14G8B&pd_rd_wg=83uUQ&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhs-carousels&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_w=wCmPg&pf_rd_i=kayak+compass&pd_rd_r=WRNCPGBJBFD8T8P84MA1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Suunto-SS012100013-A-30L-Compass/dp/B000JL2CAG/ref=lp_3401501_1_12?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1489610333&sr=1-12&th=1&psc=1

Just don't send back the direct read compass because you can't figure out that it is read from the front and not the top like the field compass.

thanks for the info. I'll take a look at them. I briefly looked into it. didn't know how costly these things are. I remember getting one out of a Cracker Jacks box as a kid.

The SH 870 has a compass.
Da Bruddah

The SH 870 has a compass.
Da Bruddah

So do GPS enabled fish finders. I still strongly recommend a non electronic compass.

I dont plan on the electronic compass. One more thing to fail. Only electronic I plan on having is my FF and marine radio

Great thread. I was going to create a post on the same topic. Guess I don't have to now.


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I have never had my map and compass batteries die, but I have had GPS die.

https://www.amazon.com/SE-CC4580-MilitaryLensatic-Prismatic-Sighting/dp/B001ID4ZY0/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1489674365&sr=1-3&keywords=compass

I have never had my map and compass batteries die, but I have had GPS die.

https://www.amazon.com/SE-CC4580-MilitaryLensatic-Prismatic-Sighting/dp/B001ID4ZY0/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1489674365&sr=1-3&keywords=compass

The reviews on this one are not exactly flattering. 

wow! looks like the ones I used to get in a gumball machine!

I just grabbed the cheapest one I could find. Luckily I already have a really nice compass, but I don't think I would buy a super expensive one if I didn't. With drift and everything else that happens on the water, even if you were exact on your heading, you probably wouldn't make landfall where you wanted to anyways. For me, it is an emeergency "which way is land?" type of thing. I could be wrong I guess and am open to criticism.

I am with you MF on that. I think the compass isn't completely for precision.... to an extent. It's for 'which was is land?' type scenario.
I hope you catch my drift. no pun intended.

I am with you MF on that. I think the compass isn't completely for precision.... to an extent. It's for 'which was is land?' type scenario.
I hope you catch my drift. no pun intended.

As long as you understand the error in the compass and navigate accordingly.  One of the reviews ascribes a 22 degree error to this compass.  That, to me, is unacceptable.  When you are navigating back to a point with a compass in near W0X0F and you intentionally skew about .5 miles off then work your way back in a known direction.  That's impossible if the margin of error is that huge.  For every mile you travel 1 degree error is almost 100 feet off course.  If you are 5 miles out and skew 5 degrees off, you end up about half a mile from where you ultimately intend to be.  That is a good situation.  22 degree error?  That's not a compass, that's a useless paperweight.

It's also important to remember that compasses don't tell you which way land is.  The tell you which way north is.  You need to know which direction land is, and it might not always be east.  Shelter Cove is a good example of this. Sure, you will hit land if you go east, but that won't do you a whole lot of good.