June 29, 2026

For boat owners, it’s essential to protect your vessel and passengers. To do that, you need marine equipment that can help you scope out your environment and anticipate what might happen next. Luckily, Garmin has a lineup of award-winning marine electronics that can help increase boaters’ situational awareness on the water.

If you’re curious about what Garmin marine electronics will best suit your needs, keep reading as we share a few of our favorites.  

1. Chartplotters and mapping solutions

Starting strong, let’s dive into Garmin chartplotters. Chartplotters have evolved to become a standard tool for anglers and boaters. Modern chartplotters are a multifunctional hub for your nautical charts, sonar and compatible marine equipment. When you take advantage of Garmin mapping solutions, you can expect smoother navigation. With Garmin Navionics+™, plan out your routes and take note of what areas to navigate to or away from. Features like built-in Auto Guidance+™ technology¹ help boaters plan trips by suggesting dock-to-dock routes, while the shallow water shading feature makes it easier to see where shallow waters are.

When you upgrade to Navionics Vision+™, you get high-resolution relief shading for a realistic view of your underwater landscape and satellite imagery for a top-down view of surrounding land features and shallow areas with lots of vegetation and shoals. Plus, utilize surface photos for more above-water visuals. For even more depth data, dynamic lake level will detect your boat’s position and lets you adjust your map’s depth values to show updated shorelines and current water levels.

Curious where other boaters are docking their vessels? Join the ActiveCaptain® Community to see points of interest, reviews and ratings from other boaters right from your chartplotter. Who knows? You might just find your new favorite marina or small town.

2. Marine cameras

When you dock your boat, Garmin camera systems can help ensure a smooth approach and tie off. Consider the GC™ 255 flush mount camera or the GC 245 surface mount camera when having your desired camera system installed². To dock with ease, set up guidance lines and distance markers to avoid or see how far away you are from nearby objects. View up to four cameras at the same time on your chartplotter with FishEye, BirdsEye and standard perspectives².  

Looking for a tailored set up that’s factory-installed? Monitor 360-video feed on your compatible multifunction display (MFD) using the Surround View System with six cameras so nothing is left out of sight. The feed includes visual bumpers for captains maneuvering into tight spaces along docks, piers or other objects. Plus, listen for audible beeps from your MFD when you get too close to nearby objects.

3. AIS/VHF radios

Keeping in touch with nearby boaters requires the proper communication electronics. To help with collision avoidance, Garmin Signal™ VHF 400 and VHF 220 marine radios with built-in AIS offer detailed information from surrounding vessels. Transmit (VHF 400 only) and receive nearby vessel data, including vessel name, position, course and speed from other AIS-equipped vessels.

Clear audio is key when communicating with other boaters. To combat unnecessary noise, adaptive noise cancellation automatically tunes out background sound for a clean audio experience. Want to play back audio from other vessels? Record up to three minutes of audio from active channels. In case of an emergency, transmit a distress signal using digital selective calling so first responders can receive crucial information.

4. Radars

With a Garmin marine radar, see targets and objects ahead of time. When it’s getting dark and weather conditions cause low visibility, Garmin GMR Fantom™ radars can track targets with MotionScope™ technology to avoid potential collisions.

Adjust target size for better separation on your screen and check out dynamic auto gain features like auto bird gain, dynamic sea filter and rain clutter to locate birds, vessels and rainstorms.

If you’re familiar with advanced radar imagery, use target tracking as well as alerts and markers, including variable range markers and electronic bearing lines, to maintain a safe distance between other vessels and objects. And when you set a desired distance, you’ll receive an alert when you get close to other vessels.

5. Autopilots

Navigating with precision and control are key aspects for a successful day of boating and, we’re here to offer a helping hand. No matter where you’re headed, Garmin autopilot systems are purpose-built for improved control at the helm.

Thanks to the built-in, solid-state 9-axis attitude and heading reference system, your boat will react and adjust depending on the water conditions. Plus, you’re sure to stay the course with precise orientation…