Even if we tried as much as possible, we cannot deny that even when yachting, or sailing in general, we will need binoculars. For approaching other vessels, observing the surroundings and for reefs and similar problems. Binoculars are simply needed. Fortunately, there are directly marine binoculars that are adapted for this kind of sport or job. Of course, they must meet certain specifications, which we will clarify in the following lines.
Classic against progress
When choosing, we immediately encounter one big problem. We will decide between monocular and binocular. We can trace the presence of the monocular with telescoping body to nautical themed movies set a hundred years ago and earlier. It's not because they were better, but because there simply weren't any others back then. Even nowadays, we can buy such a telescope. However, rather because of the recession than functionality and usefulness. Modern binoculars offer a better overview of the surroundings, do not suffer from the absence of spatial perception (due to the use of only one eye) and can be equipped with various modern technologies and improvements. And you know what, let's talk about them.
Don't resist progress
With marine binoculars, we often come across various improvements that we will use. Isn't it like a built-in compass on the metal end of a knife? No way, these are real improvements. A marine telescope, for example, should have a built-in compass that will be projected directly into the image. Thanks to it, we can determine the position of both ours and the observed object. Range finders are also very useful. Both for determining the distance and for determining the position, which we can write down and draw on the map. The biggest innovation is binoculars with built-in GPS. Although it may seem like science fiction, welcome to the age where science fiction is becoming reality. These improvements are subjective and the scope does not necessarily have them. But what is most important for such devices?
Watch out for that
Immediately after choosing the binoculars, if we ignore the brand, we will come to the mysterious two numbers, which are separated by the letter "x". For example 8x50, 10x40 and so on. Both numbers are very important to us. The first indicates multiple magnification. For marine telescopes, we will focus on magnification up to ten times, i.e. a maximum of 10x... We ask why? We will no longer be able to maintain a larger magnification due to the unstable grip and the swaying surface. It's something else on a huge cruise ship, which is 250 meters long and doesn't even move at sea. We definitely cannot count on that on a small yacht. We would get a very unstable image that wouldn't tell us much. The optimal magnification can be considered to be seven times. The second number indicates the diameter of the lens in millimeters. This number is very important for aperture, i.e. the amount of light that can pass through the lens. Ideally, we should be around 50. 45 is still good, but 38 is not. In the dark or in bad weather, we might not be able to recognize the individual details of the observed objects. About the numbers in the telescopes. But let's pay attention to other problems as well.
Those who are more interested will choose better
When choosing such a specific telescope as a marine one, we must be interested both in rangefinders and compasses, as well as in the two numbers given for the type of telescope. But what about waterproofing? Binoculars designed in this way must be waterproof and ideally able to float on the surface. Let's believe that the telescope will meet the water countless times and it will easily fall into it. Therefore, these factors are critical. What can we think of next? A lot of polarized light is reflected from the surface of the water, what does this mean? Binoculars must have anti-reflection filters so that we can observe in any weather. At the same time, these filters have an effect on the sharpness of the image, which we will undoubtedly appreciate. Last but not least, let's pay attention to the lens caps that protect the lenses and the rubberized surface. A sure and firm grip saves us from unnecessary falls of a relatively expensive device.