All boats need top-notch gear for navigation. This applies to all forms of recreational boats, fishing, and sailing boats.

But with brands competing with unique features, it can be tricky to pick the best.

So, which will you pick Raymarine vs Garmin?

In our opinion, you should pick Raymarine. It’s $100 more expensive than Garmin but comes with a greater map and route choices.

However, if you’re new to boating and are alright with fewer routes, pick Garmin.

We recognize that the information provided is insufficient to make an informed choice. We’d appreciate it if you’d read along.

So, we can discuss all the details before you decide.

Let’s navigate our way to the best option!

Raymarine VS Garmin: How Do They Vary?

When you’re out on the waters, boating safety is extremely important. And this is where these navigation systems come into play.

However, there are slight differences between Raymarine and Garmin that make them unique.  These unique features will help you decide which one you want to get.

To avoid overwhelming you, we’ve made a simplified table below. This should help you get an idea of what details we’ll deal with later.

Features:	Raymarine	Garmin
Price	$800-$2400	$700-$2300
Power consumption	20 Watts	Up to 36 Watts
Map choices	3 types of maps	Only 1 available in the system
Number of routes displayed	150+	100

You’ve seen the differences at a glance, now let’s dive deeper.

How Do The Prices Vary?

The prices vary by $100, with raymarine being the more expensive one. Raymarine navigation systems retail between $800-$2400.

On the other hand, Garmin is slightly cheaper. Their systems will cost you between $700-$2300.

With time, the costs for both can increase. This is mainly due to maintenance. You’ll need to replace the batteries of the controllers once they run out.

For both brands, the battery in the controllers will serve you between 1 to 2 years. There are 2 signs to look out for. They have dimmed lights and an unresponsive system. When you notice them, it’s time to change the battery.

With Raymarine, the battery packs are priced at $55. With Garmin, the replacement batteries cost about $40.

However, battery replacement is easy. It isn’t as bothersome as problematic minn kota battery chargers. And, it doesn’t take that long to replace the battery packs.

Is Power Consumption An Issue?

Well, simply put, more power consumption means the battery will be drained faster. This won’t make a great difference. But you may need to change the battery once it depletes.

With Raymarine, it draws 20 watts of power. Whereas, Garmin draws 36 watts of power. However, this shouldn’t worry you as much.

Because the batteries get drained at more or less the same time. You simply need to pay attention to the controller batteries and when they deplete.

For both brands, they’ll deplete at the 1 to 2-year mark.  Then just like replacing johnson power pack, replace batteries for raymarine or garmin.

User Interface

Raymarine products are known for their user-friendly interface, with large, easy-to-read displays, and intuitive navigation.

Their interface is designed to be simple and straightforward, making it easy to use even for those who are not familiar with marine electronics.

On the other hand, Garmin products have a more straightforward interface, with a focus on quick and easy navigation.

How Many Map Choices Will You Get?

This is a really significant difference between the two brands. Raymarine provides more maps than Garmin. This has a direct effect on the number of routes that we’ll discuss later.

Raymarine comes with 3 maps. They are Navionics, CMAP, and LH maps. With Raymarine, you have one added advantage.

Raymarine will give you the option to load more maps into the system. It comes with additional storage to store the maps and routes you’ve taken.

This way you can install any specialty map based on your needs. You can also revisit the saved routes.

However, the same can’t be said for Garmin. Garmin comes with 1 map built into the system. It’s called the BlueChart G3.

While this itself is a multipurpose map, it can still restrict you. Especially if you want to explore unique routes but the system has no information.

Garmin doesn’t have the storage feature as Raymarine. So, you can’t save the routes you’ve taken.

Thus, if your Rosborough boat faced trouble on a route, you can’t store the information. Therefore, you can’t evaluate what went wrong.

Customer Support

Both Raymarine and Garmin offer excellent customer support, but Raymarine is known for providing more personalized and hands-on support.

Their customer service is renowned for being knowledgeable and helpful, making it easy for customers to get the support they need.

Garmin, on the other hand, is known for its fast and efficient customer service, with a large network of authorized dealers and online support resources.

Do The Number Of Routes Matter?

As mentioned before, the number of maps directly affects the number of routes. Since Raymarine has more maps, it provides more routes.

It can provide 150 routes with ease. With the added feature of storage, you can get and store more routes.

Gramin does an impressive job with routes. Even with fewer maps than Raymarine, Garmin will give you 100 routes. So, if you’re new to fishing or sailing, it should cover you well enough.

This brings us to the end of our segment. Just a couple more things to wrap this session below.

FAQs

Does Raymarine radar work with Garmin?

Unfortunately, Raymarine radar does not work with Garmin. Raymarine radars are designed to work with Raymarine electronics.

Attaching Raymarine radar to Garmin or other electronics may hinder the radar’s functions due to a lack of compatibility.

How far can a ship’s radar see?

Well that depends on the power rating of the radar itself. Most recreational, fishing and sailing boats have a radar of around 4kW.

For a radar of that power, the range tends to be approximately 48 nautical miles. Usually, the greater the power rating, the greater the range of the radar.

Can radar pick up birds?

You may be surprised to hear this, but yes your radar can detect birds. It can specifically pick up flocks of birds very well.

Individual birds may not show up on the radar. If you’re out on your boat during sunrise, you may notice flocks of birds appear as a light cloud on the radar.

Who owns Raymarine now?

Raymarine is a subsidiary of FLIR Systems, Inc. FLIR Systems is an American multinational company specializing in the design and manufacture of thermal imaging cameras and other sensing systems.

In 2016, FLIR Systems acquired Raymarine, a leading provider of marine electronics, to expand its offerings in the marine and boating markets.

Conclusion

So, which navigation system will be in your scope? Will you pick the Raymarine or the Garmin? Allow us to assist you further if you are still lost.

If you’re experienced and adventurous, we’d tell you to pick Raymarine. You’ll get more maps and routes to explore that’s worth spending the extra $100.

However, if you’re new to sailing or fine with fewer routes, then pick Garmin. As you gain experience, you can later upgrade to Raymarine.

We hope this helps you decide on the navigation system you want to buy. Both are great brands to choose from. And we’ve done our best to cover the considerable differences to aid your decision-making.

Well, that is all we have on our radar on Raymarine vs Garmin. We hope that our advice helps you decide on the best radar for your boat. If you’re happy with the advice we gave, leave us a reply below.

Till then, have fun and stay safe on your boating adventures!