At the end of 2025, we asked Argo users a simple set of questions.
- How do you actually use Argo?
- What features mattered most this year?
- And what would make Argo even more useful next season?
These responses came from highly engaged users. Most of them have been using Argo for over a year, many boat regularly, and nearly all had clear opinions about what works and what still needs improvement.
This post is a snapshot of how Argo fits into real boating routines today, and where you want to see it go next.
If you’re short on time, feel free to scan the section headers. If you want the full story, read on.
How people are actually using Argo
When we asked what people mainly use Argo for, the answer was clear.
Top uses of Argo in 2025:
- Navigation while boating: 82.5 percent
- Trip planning at home: 63.2 percent
- Safety and situational awareness: 21.1 percent
Much smaller groups mentioned:
- Exploring the map
- Boating with friends
- Finding boat ramps
What this tells us
Argo is not just a chart you open once you’re already underway. For most users, it’s part of the full boating journey.
People are planning trips at home, navigating on the water, coordinating with others, and using Argo to stay aware and confident while boating. Very few respondents said they were unsure what Argo was for, which tells us Argo is easy to learn and use.
For many boaters, Argo is already a tool they rely on before, during, and after a trip.
Curious about how Argo can help once you’re out on the water? Learn more here.
How often do people use Argo
Boating is seasonal and situational, so frequency matters.
Here’s how often respondents said they normally use Argo:
- Daily: 7 percent
- A few times a week: 33 percent
- A few times a month: 35 percent
- Only on trips: 19 percent
- Tried it but don’t really use it: 5 percent
What this tells us
Most users haven’t abandoned Argo. They keep it installed and return to it when boating is relevant. In 2026, our goal is to make Argo indispensable enough that it becomes the default app every time a trip is planned or a boat leaves the dock.
What prompts people to open Argo
We also asked what usually triggers people to open the app.
Top reasons:
- Planning a future trip
- Heading out on the boat
Much less common:
- Looking for a specific place or service
- Checking conditions
- Notifications or reminders
One respondent even mentioned opening Argo when another app dropped out.
What this tells us
Planning is the main reason boaters turn to Argo.
More people open Argo to think about an upcoming trip than because they are already on the water. That makes planning features, web access, and smooth transitions from planning to navigating especially important.
Learn more about how to use Argo to plan your next trip.
Who responded to the survey
This feedback came largely from experienced users.
How long respondents have been using Argo:
- Over a year: 63 percent
- 6 to 12 months: 25 percent
- Less than 6 months: 12 percent
What this tells us
These responses are not coming from brand new users still figuring things out. They’re coming from boaters who have spent time with Argo, compared it to other tools, and integrated it into real trips.
That makes both the praise and the criticism especially valuable.
Is Argo the main navigation app?
We asked whether people regularly use another boating or navigation app.
Responses:
- Argo is my main app: 48 percent
- I use Argo alongside another app: 32 percent
- Another app is my primary app: 20 percent
What this tells us
Nearly half of respondents already consider Argo their primary app. Another third use it alongside other tools.
That coexistence is intentional.
Many boaters use multiple sources for redundancy and safety. Chartplotters, mobile apps, and onboard systems all play different roles. Using more than one tool is not a lack of trust. It’s a smart boating practice.
Curious about whether you should be using more than one app for navigation? Argo advisor Dave Rowe dives deep into the question of “Chartplotters, Apps, or Both?” in this blog post.
What other apps still do better
The open-ended responses here were some of the most insightful (and encouraging). We’re already working on several of these issues right now and plan to debut some exciting new features and partnerships in 2026.
Common themes included:
- Tides and current data, especially in Canada
- More detailed and smoother depth contours
- Better offline performance
- Hardware and autopilot integrations
- Weather layers, bridge heights, and vessel logs
Some users mentioned long standing familiarity with other apps or hardware systems that came installed on their boats.
Others said they are actively transitioning to Argo but still cross check multiple tools for confidence.
What this tells us
Boaters aren’t asking for novelty. They’re asking for depth, reliability, and confidence.
When people talk about “better,” they usually mean more accurate data, better coverage, or tighter integration with the systems they already trust.
Favorite new Argo features of 2025
We also asked users to reflect on new features released in 2025.
Top favorites:
Also mentioned:
About a quarter of respondents said they didn’t notice new features.
Learn more about the 10 most useful features we added to Argo in 2025.
What this tells us
When a feature clearly solves a real problem, people remember it.
Routing improvements and better trip planning stood out most. Features that quietly improve performance or infrastructure matter too, but they’re easier to overlook unless we do a better job showing why they matter.
What boaters are excited about for 2026
Looking ahead, we asked what types of features people are most excited about.
Top responses:
- Weather, wind, and current layers
- Smarter routing and navigation
- More detailed charts
- Better trip planning tools
Additional write ins included:
- Anchor alarms
- Better inland and Canadian coverage
- Android Auto support
- Vessel logs
- Performance improvements
What this tells us
The direction is clear.
Boaters want Argo to go deeper. More data. More confidence. More integration. Less friction.
The excitement is not about flashy extras. It’s about making Argo the most reliable tool on board.
A note on sample size
We heard back from about fifty boaters and we recognize that fifty responses is not a statistically perfect representation of every Argo user.
But these responses came from highly engaged boaters who:
- Use Argo regularly
- Have compared it to other navigation tools
- Care enough to give thoughtful feedback
For product decisions and roadmap direction, this kind of qualitative insight is often more useful than a much larger but less engaged sample.
What this means for Argo going forward
The takeaway from this survey is encouraging.
Argo is already trusted for navigation and planning. It’s part of real boating routines. And many users are actively moving toward using it as their primary tool.
The path forward is clear too.
Focus on:
- Deeper chart and data quality
- Better weather, current, and tide layers
- Smarter routing and planning
- Stronger integrations and reliability
Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. Your feedback directly shapes what we build next. If you’re still interested in sharing feedback, you can find the survey here.
We’re excited to keep improving Argo with you in 2026 and beyond.
