r a e G & Goods
By Evin Moore and Eva Seelye
The Sailor’s Smartwatch Garmin quatix 5 Smart Watch / $550.00+ The quatix 5 wants to do it all–GPS navigation, autopilot control, race timing, and fitness tracking–in one compact time piece. This watch is the latest from Garmin’s Marine series and it was crafted with yachters in mind. The quatix 5 is made to integrate itself into your boat systems. For example, autopilot can be controlled right from the watch; connect it to the GHC 20 autopilot unit and steer the vessel from anywhere on board. Link it with a compatible Garmin chartplotter to see temperature, depth, wind, and speed live on your wrist. The quatix 5 comes equipped with GPS navigation and built-in altimeter, barometer, and a three-
axis electronic compass. Take some of the guesswork out of racing and take advantage of a virtual starting line displayed on the face of the Garmin smartwatch. With this tool and the race countdown feature, you’ll always know precisely how far you are from the start of a race. The quatix 5 also collects all your sport data, whether you are paddleboarding, kayaking, or water skiing. Your speed, distance traveled, distance per stroke, total number of strokes, and even lap times are all recorded and stored for later review. And when not on the water, use the fitness tracker to monitor everything from heart rate and total steps to calories burned.
The quatix 5 has a stainless steel case that measures 1.2” and a silicon or stainless steel band, and is waterproof up to 10 ATM (atmospheres), which means the watch can withstand 10 times the pressure at sea level. The quatix 5 can be found on garmin.com and is available in different styles from $550.
Just In Reach
Garmin InReach Explorer / $449.99 The Garmin InReach Explorer is a satellite two-way text communication device made for those who want to leave the beaten trail and be their own pathfinder, while giving themselves and their families peace of mind. Navigation, communication, and SOS services are all features of the Explorer, which uses the Iridium satellite network to stay connected anywhere a conventional cellphone would be well out of range of a cell tower. The Explorer allows you to exchange text messages with another Explorer in the field or any cellphone or e-mail address in the world, while GPS tracking lets
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your family and friends follow your progress with preset waypoints. The device also provides GPS map guidance with a topography map, plus a built-in barometric altimeter, accelerometer, and compass. Weather reports are also at your fingertips with the standard and premium weather packages offered by Garmin. GEOS, a leading emergency response solution, handles any SOS sent by an Explorer. If you want to explore farther than you ever have, while staying in contact, think about the Garmin InReach Explorer, available from garmin.com for $449.99, plus subscription.