Garmin GPSMAP 79sc Handheld GPS with Coastal Charts

The Garmin GPSMAP 79sc is a floatable handheld marine GPS with preloaded coastal charts. No install, no transducer, no dash cutout. It is the unit you clip on a dayboat, toss in a kayak hatch, or keep as a backup when the helm plotter is dark.

The 3-inch transflective color display stays readable in hard sun. Chemically strengthened glass and an IPX7 rating handle wet decks. It runs on two AA batteries (not included); Garmin rates life up to about 19 hours depending on battery chemistry and settings. A tilt-compensated 3-axis compass and multi-GNSS reception (GPS, Galileo, QZSS with SBAS) help with heading and position when you are moving slow or standing still.

The "sc" version includes BlueChart g3 coastal cartography. MicroSD expansion (up to 32 GB) and Garmin Express downloads let you add more map content later. Button interface, paperless geocaching support, and room for 10,000 waypoints make it a practical coastal companion rather than a toy GPS.

See it in action

What you get

• Rugged handheld GPS with 3" color transflective display (240 x 400)
• Preloaded BlueChart g3 coastal charts (sc version)
• Floats; IPX7 water rating; MIL-STD-810 tested (bare unit)
• Multi-GNSS with tilt-compensated 3-axis compass
• Up to about 19 hours on 2 AA batteries (not included)
• microSD slot (32 GB max) and microUSB interface

Good to know

• sc vs s: This 79sc includes coastal charts. The 79s is the non-chart sibling.
• Batteries: Ships without AAs. NiMH or lithium cells are the practical choice for runtime.
• Not a fishfinder: No sonar. Pair it with a helm unit or STRIKER/ECHOMAP when you need depth and structure.

Specs

• Display: 3" diag transflective 65K color TFT, 240 x 400
• Size: 2.67" x 6.85" x 1.67" (6.77 x 17.40 x 4.23 cm)
• Weight: about 9.95 oz (282 g) with batteries
• Memory: 8 GB internal (user space varies with mapping)
• Waypoints: 10,000 · Routes: 250 · Tracks: 250
• Interface: high-speed microUSB; NMEA 0183 compatible
• Garmin part number: 010-02635-02
• UPC: 753759284534

In the box

• GPSMAP 79sc handheld
• USB cable
• Carabiner clip
• Documentation