The Best Tools for Divers in the Boating App

The Best Tools for Divers in the Boating App

The Boating app offers a wide range of solutions for your time above and below the water. Below are some of the best tools for divers, with quick instructions on how to start using them. Whether you like to go scuba diving, snorkeling, spearfishing or other underwater activities the app can help you do it better.

Nautical Chart and SonarChartTM – Find your next diving destination

The nautical chart is the foundation of our product. You can use it to plan your entire diving expedition while sitting comfortably at home or on relaxing on the beach. Locate points of interest on the map, such as:
Wrecks – the sea and lakes are home to numerous ship wrecks and sunken aircraft. Swim around submerged treasure that create interesting underwater scenery valuable not just for their history, but also as artificial habitats for various marine species.
Submerged structure – remnants of modern and ancient cities lie below the surface due to water level changes, river damming and other events. Release your inner Indiana Jones and dive into history.
Coral reefs – some of the most beautiful underwater views are coral reefs. They form the Earth's most diverse ecosystem and varied marine habitats that support a wide range of organisms. It’s the ideal place for naturalists and underwater life observers.

SonarChart is the 1ft/0,5 m HD bathymetry map. It will help you to locate areas with depths adequate to your diving license and keep your experience stress-free. Plus, the SonarChart can help you find spectacular areas to visit, such as drop-offs, underwater cliffs, rocks, reefs and gullies, where you can swim and admire beautiful scenery and the marine fauna and flora that populates it.

How to: you can switch between Nautical Chart and SonarChart by tapping on the Map Option button on the lower left corner and select the layer you prefer.
To investigate a point of interest like a wreck, tap on the map to activate the crosshair, then move it on the object and press “?”

Relief Shading – Pinpoint diving spots at a glance

Preparation is essential for diving, and familiarizing yourself with the area you’re going to explore is always a great advantage. Relief shading, with high detail and a clear representation of the bottom can help make it easier to identify underwater cliffs, wrecks, submerged channels, and other interesting areas. Start here to find your next great diving destination, from wherever you are.

How to: tap the Map Option button on the lower left corner on the map and select the relief shading overlay.

Markers and sharing tools – Keep track of your favorite spots and share them

When you browse the map looking for a good spot to dive, or when you are on the boat returning from your expedition, you might want to keep track of an interesting place. All you need to do is add a marker on the map. This way, every time you browse the map or the archive, you will be able to find your favorite spots easily.
Do your friends have your same passion for diving? Quickly export a GPX with the marker information and send it to them. They will be able to display it on the Boating app or in another app that supports GPX files, such as ActiveCaptain® from Garmin.
Plus, if you want to suggest great spots to dive to your Facebook friends or Instagram followers, just share the marker as a link.

How to: tap on the map to activate the crosshair, move it to on the spot where you want to add the marker and press “?”. Tap on the Marker button, add the relevant info, and then save. To share a marker on social, go in Menu>Marker, select one or more markers, tap on the sharing button and then choose your social.

Community Edits and ActiveCaptain® Community – Join in and help your fellow divers

Community Edits and ActiveCaptain Community POIs are valuable local information such as seasonal buoys, lights, rocks, moorings, repair shop, wrecks and a variety of points of interest added by Garmin and Navionics users and available to all. You can find more information useful for your next diving expedition and you can easily become a contributor. Share your knowledge of great diving spots, wreck positions, marinas where you can rent boats, shops that sell or repair diving equipment, and anything that can make your fellow diver’s life easier.

How to: tap on the map to activate the crosshair, move it to the spot where you want to add the Community Edit and press “?”. Tap on Add, select the object category, and then add all the relevant info. To add an ActiveCaptain Community POIs visit this link and log in with your Garmin or Navionics account.

Fishing Ranges – Locate fishing spots at a glance with multiple depth ranges

Fishing Ranges is a feature mainly designed for anglers, so if you are a spearfishing enthusiast, you might use it to highlight the different depths at which the various species lives. You can boat directly above areas where you can catch the types of fish you are looking for, or you can find holes, hills, and drop-offs where they might hide.
You can highlight up to 5 depth ranges with different colors at the same time on the SonarChart layer.

How to: tap on the Map Options button in the lower left corner and scroll till you find Fishing Range than start adding depths for the 1st range and choose a name and color; then add more.

Update Maps – A world of reasons to update your charts

Cartographic details of the world’s oceans, seas, rivers and lakes need to be updated frequently because of both natural and artificial influences. You can access the impressive amount of updates we make daily. See where changes have been made on our Heatmap or view the latest content on our Chart Viewer. 

How to: with an active subscription, press Menu > Update All. With an expired subscription, go to Menu > Name > Subscription to renew.

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