Top 5 Editorial Picks
Five current fishfinders chosen for distinct buyer needs—from compact value to a premium expandable system. These are editorial selections, not Amazon or reader ratings.
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Best Compact Value
A straightforward sonar and GPS unit for kayaks, jon boats, and small boats.
Best All-Around 7-Inch Fishfinder
A capable sonar-first choice for anglers who want a useful 7-inch display without moving into a full chartplotter system.
Best GPS & Chartplotter Upgrade
The mapping step-up for buyers who need confident navigation as well as high-quality scanning sonar.
Best Side-Imaging Upgrade
A current 9-inch imaging platform for anglers ready to build around serious side imaging and boat integration.
Best Premium Expandable System
A larger-boat platform for buyers who want premium sonar, mapping, networking, and a serious expansion path.
Our binocular review takes a hard look at a number of waterproof binoculars specifically suited to the rigors of the marine environment. A marine binocular is an expensive but essential piece of marine safety gear. Boatmen on all vessels should keep a pair close at hand whenever they are on
We tested the Vegas 10×52 out in the British Virgin Islands and were surprised by the good quality of these binoculars. We were most surprised by the clarity of images during very little daylight. The diopter scale is located conveniently at the bottom side of the right eyepiece with plus
The Olympus Magellan is mid-size 7×50 marine binocular that weighs in at 39-ounces. Noted features in this binocular review included individual eye focus and a smooth blue plastic exterior armor. The diopter scale is located on the bottom side of the eyepieces with index and scale marks molded into the
The West Marine Tahiti 7×50 marine binocular has a sleek modern appearance and is shielded from the elements with a layer of blue and black plastic armor coating. Tahiti features center focus with a single adjustable diopter on the right eyepiece. Testers noted the center focusing mechanism worked smoothly and
The Swift Sea King has the traditional look of a military-style binocular with its black stepped armor and beefy construction. Features include individual eye focus, front lens caps secured to the center hinge, and a neck strap with wide nylon webbing. Compare Best Prices on Binoculars Here. The diopter scale
The Swarovski SLC 7x50B features a roof prism design that gives these marine binoculars a very long, narrow, sleek look. This binocular review found the SLCs tipping the scale at just under 41-ounces making this set comparable in weight to other expensive binos weve reviewed. Swarovski claims patented multi-coated glass
The ProMariner Watersport RC is a 7×50 marine binocular that looks sleek with a smooth yellow soft plastic finish. As part of our binocular review we weighed these binos in at 39-ounces. The Watersport RC is equipped with center focus and a single adjustable diopter on the right eyepiece. As
The ProMariner High Seas RC is another of the 7×50 compact-style marine binocular we checked out thoroughly in our latest binocular review. They stand just over six inches high when resting on the objective lens caps and weigh in at 40-ounces. The High Seas RC uses a center focus mechanism
The ProMariner Gulfstream GS50 and Gulfstream GS30 are compact nearly identical 7 x 50 marine binoculars. We cover both on this page. Both are fairly light, weighing in at a mere 35-ounces. The pair features a squat design and measure right at six inches high when standing on the front
These Nikon StabilEyes feature 16x magnification, the highest of any image stabilized binocular we’ve tested. Objective lenses are 32mm. The main body is covered with black plastic armor that is textured on the bottom and indexed for fingers on top. The back panel on the main body holds controls
The Nikon Ocean Pro marine binocular has sleek look and smooth grey finish. They weigh in at 41-ounces, making them a couple ounces heavier than other comparable binoculars. One of the first things we noticed in this binocular review was the Ocean Pro compass. It is one of the smallest
The Fujinon Techno Stabi binoculars in this test are 3rd generation and feature a magnification factor of 14x coupled with 40mm objective lenses. Black rubber armor coating in combination with a polycarbonate case offers a high degree of impact protection for the lenses and electronics. The rear case panel holds
The Celestron Oceana is a rather compact marine binocular that stands about six inches high when resting on the objective lens caps. Features noted in this binocular review include individual eye focus, objective lens caps secured to the center hinge, and a slide rule style distance calculator printed on the
The Bushnell Stableview, an economical marine-grade image stabilized binocular, tested here features a magnification factor of 10x coupled with 35 mm objective lenses. The objective lenses and all the gadgetry needed to operate the stabilization are contained in a box shaped case that tapers toward the front. The rear panel
The Bushnell Marine model 137501 is a relatively inexpensive mid-size 7×50 marine binocular. They feature individual eye focus with a diopter scale on each eyepiece. The scale is located on the bottom of the eyepieces in our preferred location for easy setting when in use. Index and scale marks are