[Paddlewise] GPS Question

I currently have a Magellan M315 and have been fairly
satisfied with it.  It has served well on my sailboat,
in the car, and on the trail.  It does have a few
deficiencies though, especially for kayaking.

  1. It has poor battery life.  On a 1 week cruise I
would need to use quite a few alkaline batteries
(Magellan doesn't recommend rechargeables or at least
didn't at the time I bought it).

  2. It isn't very waterproof.  Mine leaked and was
replaced while it was under warranty.  It is no longer
under warranty so I am especially unlikely to carry it
while paddling without using a waterproof a bag.

Are other brands or models more suitable?  I would
really prefer something with a really waterproof case
and long battery life.  Does such a device exist?

The ability to display maps would be nice but is not a
requirement.  The cost difference probably is enough
to scare me away anyway.  I do keep maps and charts on
my iPaq, but don't use it in the kayak. I might carry
it and use it in camp to plan the day, but using a
waterproof bag and trying to connect the iPaq to the
GPS is probably a bit to much trouble while underway
in a kayak.  It is also likely to result in a dead
iPaq.

Recommendations, observations, or comments?

Pete


Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better
http://health.yahoo.com
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************