How many feet are in a fathom?

One fathom equals exactly 6 feet. This is a fixed, internationally defined relationship. So 10 fathoms = 60 feet, 50 fathoms = 300 feet, and so on.

How many meters is one fathom?

One fathom equals 1.8288 meters exactly (6 feet × 0.3048 m/ft). Equivalently, 1 meter ≈ 0.5468 fathoms.

Why do nautical charts use fathoms?

Fathoms are a traditional maritime unit dating back centuries. Older US and UK charts still use fathoms; modern metric charts (most of Europe, Australia) use meters. Many fish finders can display either unit depending on settings.

What units does a fish finder display?

Most modern fish finders can be set to display depth in feet, meters, or fathoms. The default depends on the manufacturer and regional setting. Use this converter when the display unit differs from your chart.

Is a nautical fathom the same as a regular fathom?

Yes. There is only one definition of fathom in current use: exactly 6 feet or 1.8288 meters. The "international fathom" superseded older local variants and is the standard everywhere today.

How do I convert 25 fathoms to meters?

Multiply by 1.8288: 25 × 1.8288 = 45.72 meters. Or just enter 25 in the fathoms field above.

Depth Sounder Converter

Enter a depth reading in fathoms, feet, or meters and instantly see the equivalent in all three units.

Enter a Depth

Fathoms (fm)

Feet (ft)

Meters (m)

Fathoms

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Feet

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Meters

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Common Charted Depths

Fathoms	Feet	Meters	Note

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Summary

Enter a depth reading in fathoms, feet, or meters and instantly see the equivalent in all three units.

How it works

Enter a depth value in any of the three fields — fathoms, feet, or meters.
The converter applies the exact relationships: 1 fathom = 6 ft = 1.8288 m.
The result cards below update instantly as you type.
Use the Copy buttons to copy converted values to your clipboard.
Use the quick reference table below to see common charted depths converted across all three units.

Use cases

Cross-reference a fish finder reading (feet) against a chart marked in fathoms.
Convert depths from a US chart (fathoms) for passage planning in Europe (meters).
Translate depth gauge readings when switching between vessels with different display units.
Verify anchor scope calculations when your chart and sounder use different units.
Teach new crew members the relationship between fathoms, feet, and meters.
Quickly check that a shallow-water warning depth threshold matches across unit systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-19 · Reviewed by Nham Vu