What Is SeaDepth

The origin of SeaDepth dates back to the summer of 2016, when I began deep-dropping and daytime swordfishing out of Surfside, Texas. As someone who is color blind, according to both FAA and USCG medical examiners, I always struggled to distinguish seafloor features on traditional shaded relief maps. It was often unclear whether an anomaly on the screen was a peak or a hole—and the depth readings were frequently missing or inaccurate.

To overcome this, I started sourcing raw contour data and converting it into georeferenced maps that I could use offshore on an iPad. Those early charts were extremely basic and covered just 9 square miles at a time—but they worked. Over the years, I refined the process: improving the contour data, adding shaded relief, and introducing custom color bands to make the maps more intuitive and accurate for bottom fishing.

SeaDepth Charts was born from this effort, with one goal in mind: to help anglers fish smarter using better bottom mapping. What started as a personal solution has grown into a full-featured tool designed for serious offshore fishermen who want clarity, confidence, and results.

Unlike traditional shaded relief maps, SeaDepth Charts combine three key features designed to give serious offshore anglers a true advantage:

• High Resolution Shaded Relief: derived from high-resolution multibeam and single-beam survey data, providing a clear and accurate view of seafloor structure, ledges, and anomalies.

• Color Banded Depth Zones: Strategic color bands highlight key depth ranges to make reading bottom bathymetry more intuitive. This feature enhances visual separation of features like seamounts, depressions, narrow valleys, drop-offs, etc.

• Depth Labels & Contour Lines:
  • 1’ Intervals from the shore to 450’
  • 10’ Intervals from 450’-2500’
  • 50’ Intervals from 2500’ to the abyss

SeaDepth Charts are downloadable and designed to work offline. Once purchased, the maps can be installed on up to four of your personal devices. They are compatible with the Guru Maps app—an offline mapping platform available for both iOS and Android. Guru Maps uses your device’s built-in GPS chip to provide real-time location tracking and seamless offshore navigation without the need for a data connection.

Try it free: Download our sample chart “Western Gulf of America – Free Sample” to explore how SeaDepth works

Thank you for your interest in SeaDepth, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.