How do I install Miami charts on my Garmin if Quickdraw is the only map option?
My Garmin only gives me a Quickdraw map option, and I can't find any charts for Miami or Biscayne Bay. How do I get the proper maps onto it, and do I need a chart card?
Answer
If your Garmin is a STRIKER Plus or STRIKER Vivid, you cannot install Miami navigation charts because these units support Quickdraw depth mapping but do not accept navigation chart cards. If it is an ECHOMAP or GPSMAP chartplotter, Miami charts may already be installed, or you can add compatible Garmin charts after checking the exact model and coverage.
Check your Garmin model
Find the full model name on the front bezel or the identification label on the back. Garmin is the manufacturer; the model determines whether you can add charts.
- STRIKER Plus and STRIKER Vivid: fishfinders with GPS, waypoints and Quickdraw Contours, but no support for Garmin navigation chart products.
- ECHOMAP: chartplotter and sounder units which generally support compatible navigation charts. Supplied coverage varies with model, age and sales region.
- GPSMAP: chartplotters which support specified chart products, with compatibility varying between generations.
A STRIKER Vivid 7sv and an ECHOMAP UHD 73sv both have seven-inch screens, for example, but their mapping capabilities differ substantially. A software update cannot turn the STRIKER into a chartplotter.
On many Garmin displays, model and software information appears under Settings > System > System Information, though the wording varies. Record the full model designation, including its letters.
What Quickdraw shows
Quickdraw Contours creates depth contours from sonar readings as you travel. Supported devices can also use shared Quickdraw recordings, but these provide depth mapping rather than a complete navigation chart.
Quickdraw does not provide the full charted picture of navigation marks, channels, restricted areas, cables and other information needed around Miami, Government Cut and Biscayne Bay. A blank Quickdraw screen may simply mean there are no depth recordings for that location.
Do not use a Quickdraw-only display as your sole navigation reference through Miami's channels and shallow water.
If yours is a STRIKER, there is no chart installation menu to find. Keep it as a sounder alongside a separate chartplotter, or replace it with a chart-capable unit. A charting app can provide another reference, but consider sunlight visibility, power supply and waterproofing before relying on a phone afloat.
Check the installed charts
On an ECHOMAP or GPSMAP, return to the home screen and look for Charts, then Navigation Chart. Quickdraw may just be the selected page.
- Open the navigation chart and pan to south-east Florida. If the unit was bought elsewhere, its starting position or supplied charts may be for another region.
- Zoom into Miami and Biscayne Bay. A basic world map may show the coastline but lack detailed soundings and navigation information.
- Check the chart information or installed-map list for the product name and coverage.
- If a chart card is fitted, check that it is seated correctly and recognised by the display.