Portable. Powerful.
Built for the Sea.
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.
The helm that roams
One device. One screen. One clear picture.
Scout is a purpose-built rugged marine tablet that brings high-resolution satellite imagery, weather, navigation and your vessel’s live data together in one place. Keep it at the helm, take it below, or bring it along in the tender. Built for the realities of life on the water, Scout gives you a clearer picture of what’s around you and the information you need to make better decisions.
- Built to keep improving
Scout gets regular software updates, so your navigation, weather and charting tools can continue to improve over time. No need to replace the hardware every time the software evolves.
- Built for cruising
Download your charts, satellite imagery and weather data before you leave, then keep navigating when you’re out of range. Scout keeps the information you need with you, even when there’s no connection.
- Built for life on the water
Scout has a IP65 rating, with a bright display designed to stay visible in strong sunlight and spray. Physical buttons make it easy to use when conditions get rough.
Rugged and reliable
No case required.
Scout is built as a dedicated marine device, rather than a consumer tablet in a protective case. It is IP65 rated and MIL-STD-810G tested for drop and vibration, with an IK05 impact-rated screen. It’s designed for the conditions you encounter on the water, from salt spray and rain to everyday knocks and movement.
Online first
On the grid. In real time.
VortexNav is designed to make the most of an internet connection, keeping satellite imagery, weather and software updates current when you’re online. For passages and areas without coverage, you can download the data you need and continue using Scout offline.
Native Android support
Your favorite marine apps.
PolarisOS gives you the flexibility of using your favourite marine apps alongside a dedicated marine interface. The Polaris Launcher provides quick access to navigation, weather, communication and other selected marine apps, with an interface designed to be easy to use on board.
Wet hands and rough seas
Touch and Tactile Controls.
Scout combines physical buttons for key controls with a touchscreen for everyday use. The screen remains responsive in rain and salt spray, while active pen support makes it easier to mark waypoints and annotate charts when conditions are moving around you.
Sun-Proof. Lens-Friendly.
Uncompromising brightness.
Scout’s 1000-nit display and optically bonded screen are designed to remain clear in bright sunlight and reduce the effects of reflections. It is also tuned for use with polarized sunglasses, so you can keep your eyes on the display without taking your attention away from what’s around you.
Precision Satellite Charting
Swap abstract symbols for high-resolution imagery that reveals exactly what traditional charts miss.
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+
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.
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.
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+
Keep an eye on your boat, wherever you are. VortexAnchor draws your exact swing circle and drift history directly on the satellite basemap, while Anchor Watch lets you monitor your boat remotely from your phone, tablet or laptop. Arm it before you go ashore, scan the QR code, and check your boat’s position, anchor distance and swing from anywhere.
- Remote Anchor Watch: Arm on Scout, scan the QR code, and monitor your boat’s position, anchor distance and swing from anywhere.
- 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+
Polaris+
Scout is unrivaled out of the box. With a Polaris+ subscription it's exceptional. For a limited time get 3 months for $1.
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 months of Polaris+ Blue Water Edition for $1
Transparent pricing
Simple, affordable pricing
Simple, affordable pricing
Scout can function alone, or with a Polaris + subscription.
Vortex Scout
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.
Every new Vortex Scout comes with 3 months of Polaris+ Blue Water Edition for $1
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.
Built for the sea
Scout Hardware
Detailed technical specifications
- Key Specifications
- 10.1" full HD display (1920 x 1200)
- 1000 nit sunlight-readable screen
- Capacitive multi-touch (supports glove touch)
- Ccta-core ARM Cortex A73 processor (2.0GHz)
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB internal storage
- MicroSD expansion up-to 256GB
- 14,600mAh internal battery
- Anti-glare film
- Polaris OS
- Connectivity
- Dual nano SIM slots
- 4G LTE support
- Dual-band WiFi (2.4GHz / 5GHz)
- I/O Ports
- 2x USB Type-A
- 1 x USB Type-C
- 8-pin pogo pin dock connector
- Navigation & GNSS
- GPS
- GLONASS
- BeiDou
- Galileo
- Positioning accuracy: 2.5m
- Ruggedness & Protection
- IP65 (water & dust resistant)
- MIL-STD-810G drop tested
- Operating temperature: -20ºC to 55ºC
- 12 month warranty
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+.