---
product_id: 1143043
title: "Garmin GPSMAP 78sc 2.6-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter"
brand: "garmin"
price: "€ 536.46"
currency: EUR
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.it/products/1143043-garmin-gpsmap-78sc-2-6-inch-waterproof-marine-gps-chartplotter
store_origin: IT
region: Italy
---

# Waterproof to IPX7 & floats High-sensitivity GPS receiver 3-axis tilt-compensated compass Garmin GPSMAP 78sc 2.6-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter

**Brand:** garmin
**Price:** € 536.46
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Summary

> 🛥️ Command the Waves with Confidence — Your Ultimate Marine GPS Sidekick!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Garmin GPSMAP 78sc 2.6-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter by garmin
- **How much does it cost?** € 536.46 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.it](https://www.desertcart.it/products/1143043-garmin-gpsmap-78sc-2-6-inch-waterproof-marine-gps-chartplotter)

## Best For

- garmin enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted garmin brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Stay Oriented Anywhere:** Integrated 3-axis electronic compass and barometric altimeter keep you on track and informed.
- • **Navigate with Precision:** Ultra-sensitive GPS locks your exact position even in challenging marine environments.
- • **Built to Brave the Elements:** IPX7 waterproof design that floats—never worry about accidental drops overboard.
- • **Chart Your Course Like a Pro:** Preloaded BlueChart g2 coastal maps with detailed shorelines, depth contours, and marinas.
- • **Seamless Sharing & Expansion:** Wireless waypoint and route sharing plus microSD slot for endless map upgrades.

## Overview

The Garmin GPSMAP 78sc is a rugged, marine-ready handheld GPS and chartplotter featuring a bright 2.6-inch color display, high-sensitivity GPS, and waterproof IPX7 rating with float capability. It comes preloaded with detailed BlueChart g2 coastal maps for the U.S. and Bahamas, includes a 3-axis tilt-compensated compass and barometric altimeter, and supports wireless sharing of waypoints and routes. Designed for boating, watersports, and outdoor adventures, it offers reliable navigation and advanced features in a compact, durable package.

## Description

Featuring a bright 2.6-Inch LCD color display with built-in basemap and high-sensitivity GPS receiver, the GPSMAP 78 series takes recreational navigation to a whole new level. All three models are waterproof, and include a built-in microSD card slot for loading additional maps and a dedicated MOB (man over board) button.

Review: The future is now - I've had some experience with the older GPS 76 and found it very hard to see in bright sunlight out on the water. So, I was a bit nervous in ordering the GPS 78sc without being able to kick the tires. It arrived yesterday and I've spent about 6 hours total getting used to it. There were several concerns that I, at first, felt like I had bought a pig in a poke -- BUT, after a couple of phone calls talking to the Garmin technical people, all my issues were resolved. This device is simply incredible with its accuracy and features for such a small package. I rely heavily on the MOB (man overboard) screen for use in setting upwind marks at specific bearings and distances from the committee boat in Race Committee work for Offshore classes. The color screen is very easily seen in the brightest conditions. The track log and reciprocal bearing back to the committee boat are highlighted in different colors and make for a superb display. One of the reasons the color screen is so good (and they don't mention it anywhere) is that the lense window is polarized. I stumbled onto that by accident today on a hike while wearing my polarized sunglasses. I noticed that when turning the device at a right angle the image suddenly disappeared. That only happens when you are viewing a polarized lense from another polarized lense. Now that I am familiar with the 78sc, my ONLY complaint is that the on-line Operation Manual is woefully inadequate for anything other than a basic introduction. However, all of your technical questions (and I am sure you will have some0 will be answered by their Customer Service department. Unlike many other companies, you won't have to wait more than a minute or so before getting through to a tech specialist. Pretty impressive. Let me give you an example of how the Operation Manual suffers. Nothing in the on-line literature advertising the 78sc explains the setup capabilities of the compass feature. It is factory set to show a compass rose instead of degrees. I have a real need for this to be in degrees, and yet after playing with the device for over an hour, I could not locate any menu item that would allow me to change the display. I was quite disappointed in my purchase at this stage -- however, my first call to their tech people got me oriented in how to use the menu drop-down sub categories to find where I could make the setup change. My next issue was that I consistently found the compass bearing was always 10 degrees off from measurements made with my hand-bearing compass. I must have performed the compass calibration in the 78sc a dozen times -- all to know avail. Unbeknownst to me, the factory default for the compass feature is for TRUE north instead of Magnetic north. In my region of the country, eastern Virginia, the angular difference between true north and magnetic north (known as the declination) is ---- Ding ding --- 10 degrees. I stumbled on this by again calling the tech support and was led to the menu item where I could switch from True North to Magnetic North. The devices is now dead on with my hand-bearing compass. I also will be using this for my hiking adventures and purchased the Topo 24 -- Mid-Atlantic sw to provide topographic detail. This along with the built-in altimeter make this a powerful tool to have in your backpack. Having owned this for only two days, I obviously cannot speak to the reliability of the device over long term exposure to saltwater, etc. I had read a few negative reviews from purchasers on this issue on several other websites. But, I intend to keep such exposure to a minimum (i.e., not leave the device on-board), so I do not think this will be a problem for me. UPDATE I spent most of the day yesterday out in the bay doing mark boat duties for our Race Committee. The 78sc performed flawlessly and the accuracy of the MOB feature (pinging on the committee boat) was amazing. As the committee boat stayed put the whole day, I only had to ping it once and from then on I had accurate bearings and distances for setting and moving the upwind marks and the pin end of the starting line. I set the device on the top of the dash in the center console and it never budged, even in choppy waters, thanks to the rubber backing on the GPS. The coastal chart info is also detailed and accurate. I honestly cannot think of anything I would do to improve this device. If you have a need for it -- don't hesitate, buy it.
Review: Very nice unit, reasonbly priced, and very accurate charts. - Very nice, a lot of function for the money. I spent 6 weeks sailing the Bahamas (Spring and compared the chart quality of this unit to an large chartplotter mounted on my boat and an IPAD loading with the latest Garmin and Navionics charts. The charts on this little handheld were the most accurate! This unit showed individual coral heads correctly. Amazing. Depth contours were more accurate than the others and when we had to navigate through shoal passages, I relied on this Garmin handhold, it was spot on. I used it in my dinghy and it got wet occasionally. One time I noted the back cover wasn't sealed properly, check it carefully. I ended up with a little fogging in the LCD once in a while but it worked great. I wonder now about long term, as anything in salt water......

## Features

- Marine-friendly handheld with high-sensitivity GPS receiver and 2.6-inch color TFT display
- Perfect for boating/watersports--waterproof to IPX7 standards; floats in water
- Built-in BlueChart g2 U.S./Bahamas coastal charts with shorelines, depth contours, navaids, harbors, marinas, and more
- Built-in 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass and barometric altimeter for heading/altitude/weather
- Share your waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly with other compatible device user

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B003I86PJG |
| Batteries | 2 AA batteries required. |
| Best Sellers Rank | #195,461 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #249 in Handheld GPS Units |
| Color | Black |
| Connectivity technologies | Bluetooth |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,426) |
| Date First Available | April 23, 2010 |
| Department | mens |
| Human Interface Input | Buttons |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 7.7 ounces |
| Item model number | 010-00864-02 |
| Manufacturer | Garmin |
| National Stock Number | 5825-01-593-3541 |
| OS | Windows |
| Other display features | Speakers |
| Product Dimensions | 2.6 x 1.2 x 6 inches |
| RAM | 1740 MB |
| Scanner Resolution | 160 x 240 |
| Special features | Rugged case, Barometric altimeter, Garmin Connect compatible, Electromagnetic compass, Garmin HotFix, Custom POIs, Automatic routing, Hunt/fish calendar, Geocaching, Photo navigation |
| Whats in the box | GPSMAP 78sc, Manual, USB cable, Wrist strap |

## Product Details

- **Battery Life:** 20 Hours
- **Brand:** Garmin
- **Connectivity Technology:** Bluetooth
- **Included Components:** GPSMAP 78sc, Manual, USB cable, Wrist strap
- **Map Type:** Oceania
- **Model Name:** GPSMAP
- **Mounting Type:** Wrist Mount, found in image
- **Screen Size:** 2.6 Inches
- **Vehicle Service Type:** Boat

## Images

![Garmin GPSMAP 78sc 2.6-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31J+yD9jWwL.jpg)
![Garmin GPSMAP 78sc 2.6-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31eA4h73UeL.jpg)
![Garmin GPSMAP 78sc 2.6-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31uHjMzoOiL.jpg)
![Garmin GPSMAP 78sc 2.6-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71T9UzvBkRL.jpg)

## Questions & Answers

**Q: Is there a clip on the back of the device?**
A: No clip, but there is a lanyard.

**Q: Gpsmap 78sc comes with bluechart g2 u.s./bahamas coastal charts. would that include inland rivers like the stjohnsriver in florida?**
A: GPSMAP 78sc comes with built-in BlueChart® g2 coastal charts and a worldwide basemap with imagery — perfect for all your outdoor pursuits. Map detail includes shorelines, depth contours, navaids, harbors, marinas and more for the U.S. and Bahamas.I hope this helps.

**Q: Will this fit in the glovebox of a waverunner? Specifically a gp1800/vxr/vx?**
A: Ok, i can help. Sure. There are these things called measuring devices, you know, tape measures, rulers and such like, they have identifiable marks on them Measure the internal dimensions of the glovebox and look at the 78SC dimensions.Work it out! Only one question,Do you really have a certificate to operate that waverunner?

**Q: how do i remove the trip odometer from the main navigation screen?  It is overshadowing 1/4 of the screen at the top.**
A: Hello,I would try this 1.	From a main page, press MENU2.	Select CHANGE DATA FIELDS3.	Select a data field4.	Press ENTER 5.	Follow the on-screen instructionsThis menu should allow you to customize the Data fields shown etc.. Hope this helps thanks again

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The future is now
*by T***R on May 21, 2011*

I've had some experience with the older GPS 76 and found it very hard to see in bright sunlight out on the water. So, I was a bit nervous in ordering the GPS 78sc without being able to kick the tires. It arrived yesterday and I've spent about 6 hours total getting used to it. There were several concerns that I, at first, felt like I had bought a pig in a poke -- BUT, after a couple of phone calls talking to the Garmin technical people, all my issues were resolved. This device is simply incredible with its accuracy and features for such a small package. I rely heavily on the MOB (man overboard) screen for use in setting upwind marks at specific bearings and distances from the committee boat in Race Committee work for Offshore classes. The color screen is very easily seen in the brightest conditions. The track log and reciprocal bearing back to the committee boat are highlighted in different colors and make for a superb display. One of the reasons the color screen is so good (and they don't mention it anywhere) is that the lense window is polarized. I stumbled onto that by accident today on a hike while wearing my polarized sunglasses. I noticed that when turning the device at a right angle the image suddenly disappeared. That only happens when you are viewing a polarized lense from another polarized lense. Now that I am familiar with the 78sc, my ONLY complaint is that the on-line Operation Manual is woefully inadequate for anything other than a basic introduction. However, all of your technical questions (and I am sure you will have some0 will be answered by their Customer Service department. Unlike many other companies, you won't have to wait more than a minute or so before getting through to a tech specialist. Pretty impressive. Let me give you an example of how the Operation Manual suffers. Nothing in the on-line literature advertising the 78sc explains the setup capabilities of the compass feature. It is factory set to show a compass rose instead of degrees. I have a real need for this to be in degrees, and yet after playing with the device for over an hour, I could not locate any menu item that would allow me to change the display. I was quite disappointed in my purchase at this stage -- however, my first call to their tech people got me oriented in how to use the menu drop-down sub categories to find where I could make the setup change. My next issue was that I consistently found the compass bearing was always 10 degrees off from measurements made with my hand-bearing compass. I must have performed the compass calibration in the 78sc a dozen times -- all to know avail. Unbeknownst to me, the factory default for the compass feature is for TRUE north instead of Magnetic north. In my region of the country, eastern Virginia, the angular difference between true north and magnetic north (known as the declination) is ---- Ding ding --- 10 degrees. I stumbled on this by again calling the tech support and was led to the menu item where I could switch from True North to Magnetic North. The devices is now dead on with my hand-bearing compass. I also will be using this for my hiking adventures and purchased the Topo 24 -- Mid-Atlantic sw to provide topographic detail. This along with the built-in altimeter make this a powerful tool to have in your backpack. Having owned this for only two days, I obviously cannot speak to the reliability of the device over long term exposure to saltwater, etc. I had read a few negative reviews from purchasers on this issue on several other websites. But, I intend to keep such exposure to a minimum (i.e., not leave the device on-board), so I do not think this will be a problem for me. UPDATE I spent most of the day yesterday out in the bay doing mark boat duties for our Race Committee. The 78sc performed flawlessly and the accuracy of the MOB feature (pinging on the committee boat) was amazing. As the committee boat stayed put the whole day, I only had to ping it once and from then on I had accurate bearings and distances for setting and moving the upwind marks and the pin end of the starting line. I set the device on the top of the dash in the center console and it never budged, even in choppy waters, thanks to the rubber backing on the GPS. The coastal chart info is also detailed and accurate. I honestly cannot think of anything I would do to improve this device. If you have a need for it -- don't hesitate, buy it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very nice unit, reasonbly priced, and very accurate charts.
*by F***R on September 17, 2017*

Very nice, a lot of function for the money. I spent 6 weeks sailing the Bahamas (Spring and compared the chart quality of this unit to an large chartplotter mounted on my boat and an IPAD loading with the latest Garmin and Navionics charts. The charts on this little handheld were the most accurate! This unit showed individual coral heads correctly. Amazing. Depth contours were more accurate than the others and when we had to navigate through shoal passages, I relied on this Garmin handhold, it was spot on. I used it in my dinghy and it got wet occasionally. One time I noted the back cover wasn't sealed properly, check it carefully. I ended up with a little fogging in the LCD once in a while but it worked great. I wonder now about long term, as anything in salt water......

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love it 'cept for leaky port covers.
*by R***R on January 22, 2019*

This is a wonderful little device and I have used it extensively, including over a 47 day kayak trip from Anacortes WA to Petersburg AK. When functioning properly it is an awesome tool. However there are some design defects which I would like to see resolved. 1. The rubber covers for USB and power ports are poorly designed and WILL leak salt water leading to corrosion. My other IPX 7 devices (camera, VHF radio, etc.) have more positive enclosures that never leak. 2. When loaded with lots of waypoints and routes the device consumes more power. I was able to see this over many days use and found through experimentation as I deleted waypoints and routes as I journeyed forward. Prolly got a software loop that's evaluating everything always rather than what's presently relevant which as data grows never gets to sleep. 3. Unit OFTEN locked up while navigating a route. This would require popping the protective cover off, removing batteries and restarting. Not something you want to do while in windy wavy conditions! Eventually I stopped using this feature but that's just a shame. Let me reiterate that when it works I love it. I have taken to coating protective covers with Aquaseal before paddling on salt water. However I then have to remove it before I can connect USB to computer which is obviously a hassle. As I said I WANT to love it and seems they are VERY close to a great design. Wouldn't be nice if they listened to their customers a little better? January 7, 2020: I would like to add to my review. Last summer circumnavigated Vancouver Island by kayak over 34 days. I again loaded my GPSMAP with lots of data including waypoints and tracks. Battery performance was very much improved and while following tracks it never locked up. My impression is that software changes have fixed my complaints. Sadly port covers are still poorly designed and will leak.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Garmin GPSMAP 78sc Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter
- Hard Storge Case Replacement for Garmin GPSMAP 67 / 67i / 66i / 79sc / 65 / 86sci /65s/66s /66st by Aenllosi
- Garmin Backpack Tether Accessory for Garmin Devices, Black

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*Product available on Desertcart Italy*
*Store origin: IT*
*Last updated: 2026-03-07*