New Garmin Marine Cartography Offers All-in-one Mapping Solution

Garmin Navionics+ and Garmin Navionics Vision+ comprise the next generation of cartography for Garmin marine devices.

A new day is dawning for marine cartography, and Garmin’s latest release  is leading the charge. Well, with unparalleled worldwide coverage and the No. 1 marine mapping solution¹, you could say we’ve been leading the charge for a while — but now we’ve got something even better.

Both Garmin Navionics and Garmin Navionics Vision are feature-rich, all-in-one-mapping solutions that boast larger coverage regions than ever before and give boaters the ability to seamlessly explore both inland and offshore waters.  You can choose the standard option, Garmin Navionics+, or go for the premium Garmin Navionics Vision+ for additional features. Below, we’ll break down the difference.

What is included with Garmin Navionics+?

With Garmin Navionics+ cartography, a mariner receives:

• Integrated Garmin and Navionics content with a new, redesigned interface that features an updated color palette and Navionics cartography-style appearance for exceptional coverage as well as clarity.
• Up to 5,000 chart content updates each day with a one-year subscription and the ActiveCaptain app, ensuring you always have the most up-to-date mapping for your time on the water.
• Built-in Auto Guidance+2 technology that provides boaters with optimal suggested paths from dock to dock using factors like desired depth, overhead clearance, chart data and frequently traveled routes.
• NOAA raster cartography available for free via the ActiveCaptain app.
• Depth range shading with up to 10 color-shaded options.
• Up to 1’ contours to provide a more detailed image of bottom structure for improved fishing and navigation.
• Shallow water shading that highlights depths to aid in navigation.
• Access to the ActiveCaptain Community to see popular points of interest, recommendations and advice from boaters who frequent the area you plan to explore.

What additional features are included with Garmin Navionics Vision+?

Premium Garmin Navionics Vision+ cartography comes with a more robust collection of downloadable charts and advanced features. In addition to the Garmin Navionics+ features listed above, Garmin Navionics Vision+ users receive:

• High-resolution relief shading that combines color and shadow to give you an easy-to-interpret, clearer view of bottom structure than contour lines alone.
• High-resolution satellite imagery overlaid with navigational charts to give you a realistic view of surroundings.
• Aerial photography of the area’s ports, bridges, docks, navigational landmarks and more to give you a better sense of surroundings above water.
• Side scan images that capture submerged objects like wrecks, fallen timber and other potential hazards on select U.S. lakes.
• Sonar imagery that reveals bottom hardness on select U.S. lakes.
• 3D views, such as Mariner Eye and FishEye, to provide additional perspective both above and below the water.

What devices are compatible with Garmin Navionics+ and Garmin Navionics Vision+ cartography?

Garmin Navionics+ and Garmin Navionics Vision+ are both compatible with a range of Garmin chartplotters, including:

• ECHOMAP UHD series
• ECHOMAP Ultra
• GPSMAP 7×3/9×3/12×3
• GPSMAP 10×2/12×2
• GPSMAP 12×2 TOUCH
• GPSMAP A12
• GPSMAP A7
• GPSMAP 7×2/9×2/12×2 PLUS
• GPSMAP 8700 BB
• GPSMAP A12 – VOLVO
• GPSMAP 7×3/9×3/12×3 – VOLVO
• GPSMAP 8400/8600 – VOLVO

Where can I buy Garmin Navionics+ and Garmin Navionics Vision+?

Both the standard and premium versions of the latest Garmin cartography can be purchased on a preloaded microSD card or downloaded to a previously purchased microSD card via Garmin Express. Simply plug in your new Garmin Navionics+ or Garmin Navionics Vision+ microSD card and start using the new charts right away. You can activate or renew a one-year Garmin cartography subscription within the ActiveCaptain app.

What if I already own a Garmin chartplotter with built-in charts?

Not a problem. If your chartplotter came with built-in BlueChart g3 and/or LakeVü g3 mapping, you can purchase a dedicated Garmin Navionics+ microSD card that delivers the new generation of mapping directly to your chartplotter. All you have to do is plug it in.

To learn more about Garmin Navionics+ and Garmin Navionics Vision+, click here.

¹Based on 2020 reported sales

²Auto Guidance technology is for planning purposes only and does not replace safe navigation operations