I don't have a favorite compass, but I do have a least favorite. Those damn orienteering compasses (Silva et al) are worse than useless on a boat. Maybe there is some special trick that they do well when orienteering, but even on land I don't like them. I much prefer a direct reading compass, like any you find for marine use or military issue. If anyone can not read a compass, it is probably because they were trying to use an orienteering style compass. While they are not difficult to read, they do require effort. You often need to turn a bezel to get a reading, not easy when you are paddling. Where when you look at a direct reading compass, the letter or number under the line is your course. Look Ma no hands! If you hold the compass between you and a landmark, the course showing is the heading. Some orienteering compasses try to accomplish this with mirrors, but usually you need to look down on the compass to get a reading and it is hard to keep it pointed at something your not looking at. In case you can't tell these compasses are a pet peave of mine. The only good reason I can see for them, is they are probably really inexpensive to manufacture. For that reason they are cheap to buy and serve as a good addition to emergency kit. They will at least help to keep you from paddling in circles. BTW, I have an "Aquameter", I'm not sure who makes it, but it works well for me. Nick At 10:10 PM -0600 6/4/98, Philip Wylie wrote: >For the readership at large what compasses would they rate >as the best if they could be catagorized to be among the top >three? > >Cheers, > >Philip > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ >*************************************************************************** Nick Schade Guillemot Kayaks c/o Newfound Woodworks, RFD 2 Box 850, Bristol, NH 03222 (603) 744-6872 Schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/ >>>>"It's not just Art, It's a Craft!"<<<< *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat Jun 06 1998 - 18:31:01 PDT
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