Portable. Powerful.

Built for the Sea.

Peace of mind, from helm to tender: Vortex Scout is your pilot that’s always on watch, giving you satellite-grade awareness in the palm of your hand.

Buy now

The helm that roams

Infinite reach. Total control.

Vortex Scout is the world’s most advanced rugged marine tablet: Combining high-resolution satellite charting, predictive weather modeling, and your vessel’s live sensor data into a single, trusted companion. Snap it onto the helm, take it down below, or ride with it in the tender. It’s not just navigation— it’s peace of mind, with the pilot that’s always on watch.

Built for the Ocean

Waterproof and built to take a beating: Scout features an ultra-bright display that remains crystal clear in blinding surface glare and heavy spray and has physical buttons for when the going gets tough.

Built to go anywhere

The ocean doesn’t care about your cell plan. Pre-load your cruising grounds, satellite imagery, and weather models at the dock, and navigate with absolute precision 500 miles from the nearest tower.

Built for the Future

Never get locked into obsolete, proprietary hardware again. With seamless software updates, your tactical tools, forecasting models, and charting data are continuously evolving to keep you at the cutting edge of navigation.

Product screenshot

Rugged and reliable

No case required.

Scout is a dedicated marine instrument, not a consumer tablet in a rugged case. Rated IP65 for dust and water-jet resistance, and MIL-STD-810G tested for drop and vibration. With an IK05 impact-rated screen, it is engineered for continuous exposure to salt spray, rain, and heavy shock.

Product screenshot

Offline first

Off the grid. On the map.

Scout is built to be offline-first, allowing you to pre-load full cruising grounds—charts, satellite imagery, and weather—before leaving the dock. When a signal is detected, smart syncing updates your route in the background using full, compressed, or minimal data modes to protect your metered connection.

Product screenshot

Native Android support

Your favorite marine apps.

PolarisOS provides the stability of a dedicated marine tool without the limitations of a closed ecosystem. The Polaris Launcher delivers a bridge-ready interface with oversized touch targets and streamlined access to curated marine apps for weather, communication, and essential onboard utilities alongside your primary navigation.

Product screenshot

Wet hands and rough seas

Touch and Tactile Controls.

In heavy conditions, "tap and pray" is not an option. We’ve paired dedicated physical buttons for critical controls with a frosted tempered glass touchscreen that remains responsive under rain and salt spray. For surgical accuracy, active pen support allows you to mark waypoints and annotate charts even in a rolling sea.

Product screenshot

Sun-Proof. Lens-Friendly.

Uncompromising brightness.

The open ocean is the ultimate stress test for a display. With 1000-nit peak brightness and an optically bonded screen, the Vortex cuts through direct sunlight and salt-spray reflections. We’ve tuned the display for polarized-lens compatibility, so you can keep your sunglasses on and your eyes on the horizon.

Precision Satellite Charting

Swap abstract symbols for high-resolution imagery that reveals exactly what traditional charts miss.

Comparison image one
Comparison image two

Forget outdated abstracts. Navigate over crystal-clear satellite views to spot reef edges, hidden sandbars, and anchorage shallows exactly as they appear from above. Layer traditional nautical charts on top, or strip them away entirely to trust your eyes. You aren’t just navigating the surface—you’re reading the water.

TrueHelm

Real-time wind, speed, layline guidance and more. Only available in Polaris+

TrueHelm transforms your Scout into a fully animated, dedicated wind and compass instrument. Track real-time heading, apparent and true wind angles, and layline guidance with a fluid compass rose with a 60-point wind history plot to reveal shifts before they become obvious on deck. Configure your port and starboard panels with dedicated tack timers, all powered by pure, unestimated data direct from your vessel's network.

With twelve customizable panels and 28 live instrument types drawing directly from your NMEA network, you get exactly the numbers you need—without the locked-down ecosystem.

TrueHelm is only available with Polaris+.

Live AIS Integration

Real-Time Vessel & Threat Detection

Instantly see every vessel in range, with automated collision threat color-coding. Only available in Polaris+

Gallery image 1
Gallery image 2
Gallery image 3
Gallery image 4

See the traffic, not just the icons. VortexNav decodes Class A and B AIS data in real time, projecting live vessel positions, speeds, and headings directly over your high-res satellite imagery. We continuously calculate the Closest Point of Approach (CPA) for every target, color-coding threats so you know exactly which contacts need your attention. No mental arithmetic, no guesswork.

  • Configurable Dynamic Threat Color-Coding: Targets automatically shift from green to orange (e.g. under 4nm CPA) to red (e.g. under 2nm CPA).
  • Custom Velocity Vectors: Project target movements minutes or hours ahead based on your preference.
  • Smart Clutter Filtering: Hide stationary or slow-moving targets so moored vessels don't drown out active threats.
  • Instant Vessel Details: Tap any target for MMSI, vessel name, destination, ship type, and dimensions.
  • Ghost Target Removal: Stale targets that stop transmitting are automatically aged out after a configurable timeout.

AIS is only available with Polaris+.

See the Weather, Don't Just Read It

Bring the world’s most trusted meteorological models to life directly on your chart.

Scout downloads raw weather data from the most trusted meteorological models and transforms it into stunning, intuitive visualizations. Watch animated wind particles flow across the ocean in real time, or scrub through the forecast timeline to see how weather systems will develop. With seamless, on-device parsing of GFS, ECMWF, and WaveWatch III models, you can download your forecast at the dock and carry it offshore—no cloud dependency required.

Layer your weather data directly over your satellite or traditional charts to make the safest routing decisions, whether you're coastal cruising or on a bluewater passage.

The Bluewater Toolkit

Built-In, Not Bolted On.

The essential offline tools every cruising sailor relies on, running natively on your device.

Precision offline planning

VortexTide

Harmonic predictions and clearance gauges, 500 miles from a cell tower.

Product screenshot

Plan your departure or bar crossing with absolute confidence. VortexTide calculates full 48-hour tidal curves on-device, automatically pulling the nearest station based on your GPS. Check solunar data for your next dive, and let the built-in clearance gauge answer the only question that matters: Will my keel clear at low water? One glance, no arithmetic.

  • Offline Harmonic Engine: Runs the same constituent math used by national hydrographic offices.
  • Smart Clearance Gaugeᵖ⁺: Instantly calculates keel clearance against low water.
  • Proximity Station Finder: Automatically locates the nearest tide station via GPS.
  • Solunar Data: Localized moon phase, lunar, and solar activity periods.

Sleep through the night

VortexAnchor

Built to cure 3am anchor anxiety, by sailors who have lived it. Only available in Polaris+

Product screenshot

Never rely on a generic GPS alarm again. VortexAnchor draws your exact swing circle and drift history directly on the satellite basemap. Monitor real-time scope ratios, track pressure trends with the integrated barometer, and rest easy knowing the persistent alarm features a two-second disarm hold—so a fumbling hand at 3 a.m. can't accidentally silence it.

  • Visual Swing Circle: Clearly defined boundaries overlaid on your high-res satellite map.
  • Real-Time Scope Ratio: Continuously calculates rode length against current water depth.
  • Drift History: Plots your last 500 positions to show exactly how you swung overnight.
  • Integrated Barometer: Logs pressure trends to warn you of changing weather before you wake up.
  • Anti-Fumble Alarm: A persistent alert protected by a two-second disarm hold.

Introducing

Polaris+

Scout is unrivaled out of the box. With a Polaris+ subscription it's exceptional: free for 3 months.

Every Scout tablet runs Polaris, our custom operating system engineered specifically for the water. From the moment you turn it on, you have access to the world’s most advanced marine multi tool —no subscription required.

For mariners who demand the absolute edge, there is Polaris+. Available in three flexible tiers, Polaris+ unlocks advanced, cloud-powered functionality across every app, seamlessly activating high-resolution satellite charting, advanced GRIB2 weather models, and extended AIS tools, and more...

Every new Vortex Scout comes with 3 free months of Polaris+ Blue Water Edition.

Transparent pricing

Simple, affordable pricing

Scout can function alone, or with a Polaris + subscription.

Vortex Scout

Every Scout tablet runs Polaris, our custom operating system engineered specifically for the water. From the moment you turn it on, you have access to the world’s most advanced marine multi tool —no subscription required.

You'll need Polaris+ for

Polaris+ unlocks advanced, cloud-powered functionality across every app, seamlessly activating high-resolution satellite charting, advanced GRIB2 weather models, and extended AIS tools, and more. See detailed feature breakdown.

Starting from

$1,850

NZD

Customize your Scout

Polaris+ Feature Comparison

Every Scout tablet runs PolarisOS - free forever. From the moment you turn it on, you have access to the world’s most advanced marine multi tool —no subscription required. For mariners who demand the absolute edge, there is Polaris+.

Features
PolarisOS
Polaris+ Subscriptions
Coastal Edition
Blue Water Edition
Expedition Edition
Ideal forFor weekend sailors and coastal cruisers who want reliable weather and navigation close to shore.For offshore voyagers and passagemakers who need advanced forecasting and tidal data for longer passages.For serious offshore adventurers who need maximum visibility, offline access and the most powerful tools onboard.
NZD (Monthly Price. Billed Quarterly)Included$26$61$173
Tokens Available-90,000 per quarter300,000 per quarter900,000 per quarter
Charts & Basemaps
Zoom Levels1-131-151-171-20
Online: Google Satellite
Online: Sentinel-2
Online: Bing Satellite
Offline: Sentinel-2
Offline: ESRI World Imagery
Offline Retention Period - (Esri)Subscription periodSubscription periodSubscription period
ESRI World Imagery
OpenStreetMap
NOAA Raster Charts (USA)
User MBTiles Upload
LINZ Nautical paper charts - Pacific coverage
OpenSeaMap Nautical Overlay
Navigation & Core Features
Waypoints & Routes
Track Recording
Man Overboard (MOB)
Route Sharing (GPX)
GPS - on device and remote NMEA network
Vessel Configuration
Track Library & Historical Tracking
Convert Tracks to Routes
Daylight / Night Modes
Cursor & Boat Position Tracking
NMEA Depth Gauge (with sparkline)
NMEA Speed Gauge (SOG, COG)
NMEA Wind Rose (true/apparent)
NMEA Systems Health Panel
Weather
Basic Weather Display
Advanced Weather
GRIB Downloads24 hours48 hours7 days10 days
AIS & Community
AIS Overlay
Integrated Apps
TrueHelm
Large Compass Rose
True & Apparent Wind
Port-Starboard Tack Timer
Select and display any available NMEA data
Auto Magnetic Variation
Wind-Plot History (5-120 min)
VortexAnchor (Anchor Alarm)
3-Step Setup Wizard
Tide-Aware Swing Circle
Catenary Chain Physics
Live Scope Ratio Display
Multi-Stage Alarm System
Track History Trail (500 GPS)
TideWatch
Anchorage History
VortexTide (Tide Tables)
Harmonic Predictions (100k+)
24-Hour Tide Curve
Tide Table24 hours3 days10 daysMax
Global Tide station coverage
TideWatch
Device & Operating System (VortexOS)
Cloud Backup
Eight-Tile Launcher
Live Navigation Readout (6 fields)
System Status Icons
Gesture-Based App Switching
Global Unit Preferences
Subscription Status Display
App Management