any ideas on mounting a Garmin Etrex GPS to the front deck of a kayak so it is visible at all times ?
This may help
Don’t paddle a kayak much anymore but, I have an Etrex and bought the bicycle mount kit for $20.00 at Bass Pro.
I found that 1/2" cpvc plastic pipe parts clamp in it just fine. I used 1/2" “street” elbows and female plugs to build swiveling mounts in my truck, jeep, canoe, tractor and riding mower. Never used it on my bike! Go to Home Depot or the local ACE Hardware and get creative!
I stick it down with heavy duty velcro.
minicel option
You can build one with minicel foam and contact cement (DAP red or gel):
http://community.webshots.com/photo/281419423/337473381xzCzMX
http://community.webshots.com/photo/281419423/337472393FdswUi
Angled
http://www.kgcphoto.com/Kayaking%20Images/wisc-river-kayak_2142.htm
I’ve got one of those auto dash mounts that can position the GPS at an angle.
JackL’s Idea…
I just got a knife and a foam block and improvised…
http://community.webshots.com/photo/198327225/198333323kLMyDb
Hey Kudzu
That Tempest of yours looks entirely too new. come on down to South Florida and we can take it out and find a couple of coral beaches, submerged mangrove stumps and stuff.
Remember…Real men have scratched boats…
Paul
Man, that kayak looks fast !
Good Morning.
I am just enjoying my morning java while reading my morning P-net.
Hey, if you are interested your big chance is a week from today - a 6.5 miler down at Writesville beach.
- I heard the tidal currents were so strong that we might be going backwards!
Cheers,
JackL
Good Morning!
I’m working on cup #7 or so. Gonna get on the bike when it gets light, then get in the yak when it gets warmer this afternoon. SHOULD be scraping and painting this house. Tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow.
I gotta get me a boat that can hang with yours, Jack. I love my Tempest but about 5.4 is the best I can hold it at.
I did a casual paddle at Wrightsville several years ago. On that particular day it was the WIND that had me going backwards. I keep reminding myself that the Wright Brothers went to the NC coast 'cause you could always count on a lot of wind.
Brasilbrasil! You should see the bottom of my boat. I get a kick out of posters asking about covering scratches on their poly boats. I’ve run up on many a oyster bed about an inch under the surface.
Garmin mount
Garmin makes a auto mount that works great. It is fully adjustable to angle the etrex any way you want. If you have a poly surf may have a problem getting the adhesive to work. Have mounting plate’s on my kayaks so I can move it around.
Marine mount
I have the Garmin Marine Mount and it works great. At first I didn’t want to drill hole in the yak but after thinking about it why loose a GPS over a couple of drilled holes. FishHawk
minicell
where do you buy that stuff? It looks cool!
Thanks
You can buy minicel over the internet, just google it. Basically it is just a closed cell foam that does well with water and chemicals. It’s used a lot in kayaking, from making new seats and padding bulkheads, all the way to GPS holders. Some people carve a thick block to get what they want, others laminate thinner peices using contact cement to bond it together.
My GPS holder is glued rather than carved, and painted with artist’s acrylic. Took a lot of coats of acrylic to get a good opaque coat, but it has held up well and makes the holder look spiffy.
One of the nice things about a mincel holder is that it floats. The GPS itself is tethered via strap and biner to the decklines. But if for some reason the holder should become disconnected from the gps and boat, it’s a nice bright yellow floatie that’s easy to chase down. This is in contrast to a plastic mount that if dropped or knocked off the boat sinks to the bottom. The tradeoff is that the mincel is definately a more bulky item, but IMHO worth it.
All that said, I generally only use the holder if I am in unknown, difficult to navigate waters, or on a long open water crossing.
mount
Lots of good ideas. Thanks for help.
Phil
Clear front dry bag.
I use a clear front dry bag to hold my GPS and the spare batteries. That way everything is together, protected from the elements (saltwater) and it floats. I keep it clipped to the release handle for my spray skirt and it just lays on the skirt, visable at all times. I have not had a fogging problem…yet. I have my camera in a dry box under the deck bungies just in front of the cockpit, so that spot is taken. Got to take pictures, you know. 
mount
Miklos; this sounds like the simplest way to do it. I have one of those cases for my cell phone & may try it out. Thanks