Finding adventure out on the ocean is a special kind of passion. While we’ve made tons of progress in exploring our earth and learning about its history, there is so much of the ocean that has yet to be discovered or explained. For that reason, we think that there’s something unique about the spirit of a sailor — and we admire it!

The team at Outfitter Sattelite has ensured that our product provides the channel of communication that sailors need while they’re out on the water. Each of our handheld satellite phones provides a reliable connection that the user can count on time and time again.

If you’re currently in the market for your next phone, then there are a few things that you should be aware of.

Cell Phones Aren’t Great

While cell phones have been the primary channel of communication for years, they have yet to find a reliable way to provide a quality signal to sailors while they’re on the water. Since cell phone towers are land-based, there is a small amount of water that will be covered by the signal. However, there’s no way of ensuring that you’ll have coverage to make a call across an entire body of water.

If you travel on the water for extended periods of time, then the one thing that you’ll want to recognize up front is that your cell phone probably isn’t cutting it when it comes to your needs. In the case of an emergency or to call home, you’re going to need a phone that was built to provide you with a better signal as a whole. If you realize this already, then it’s time to look into purchasing a satellite phone.

This is the first point that we want to make because it is one that most sailors don’t realize. When you’re out on the water having a good time, very little can seem worthy of ever needing a connection in the first place. Though this may be the case for most sailors, there are surely times where a reliable signal has been a need — and that's where we can help you.

From here on out, we’ll be touching on a few of the things that will either confirm that you need a satellite phone or help you determine what types of functionalities you should be looking for when picking out a phone.

How Often do You Travel

One of the first things that you should be taking into consideration is how often you’re traveling on the water. Some sailors live out on the sea, and there are some that make a daily trip that lasts for a couple of hours. The need for a satellite phone could vary drastically just based on how often you’re out on the water.

If you’re going to be traveling for extended periods of time on the water, we are talking weeks back to back, or months at a time; then a satellite phone would definitely be a good investment. When you’re on the water for longer periods of time, it’s always good to have a phone that you can use to get ahold of people in the case of an emergency or to stay in communication.

On the other side of this scenario, if you’re only spending time on the water for a couple of hours a day, then it may not be as crucial that you invest in a satellite phone. Going a few hours without a signal isn’t as difficult as going weeks or months without one. In this instance, you can always rent out a satellite phone for trips that go longer and save yourself some money by only renting a phone when you're sailing for extended times every now and then.

Size of Body of Water

Another component that you’re going to want to factor in is how large a body of water you’ll be sailing on. If the most that you’ll ever be sailing on is a lake or a small bay, then the need for a satellite phone won’t be as grand. Most of these bodies of water will be small enough that you should be able to pick up a signal for a majority of your sailing or be able to get help if you are in dire need.

On the other hand, if you’re going to be out in the ocean far beyond the shoreline, then it’s always good to have a phone where you can guarantee a quality signal — just in case.

Portability

This may not seem like one of the major things that you need to be taking into consideration, especially given that you’re going to be on a boat the entire time that you’re sailing — at least, that’s the hope. Sailing, like many other outdoor adventures, has some risks that could lead to emergency situations, like abandoning the ship or docking in an unfamiliar location. In these types of scenarios the one thing that you’re going to want will be a satellite phone that is also easily portable.

Take this into consideration as you browse the options that are available to you because it could make a big difference when you wind up in less than ideal situations.

Additional Features

One of the reasons that satellite phones are so great for individuals that are sailing is that there a lot of additional features that come in handy to those spending a majority of their time on the water. Learning what features are available is the first step, but after that, you’re going to want to find a phone that offers them.

Though satellite phones aren’t nearly as technologically wild as the cell phones that we carry are, they do offer quite a bit that you could benefit from out on sea. For example, GPS and SOS are two features that some satellite phones offer that all sailors could benefit from. Both are available to subscribe to and use on an as-needed basis, or a full purchase, while others are entirely available on the phone. How important are these features to you? Are they ones that you’ll use regularly? If so, it might be worth asking a professional about what type of satellite phone is going to be able to provide this to you.

Outfitter Satellite can Help

Whatever your needs may be, you can always count on our team to help. From renting to purchasing, a member of our team will always be able to provide you with the information and assistance to get you to the right product. Browse the selection of handheld devices that we carry and contact us if you have any questions or inquiries. Make sure to check out the other posts we have to learn even more about satellite phones and how you can benefit from them.