Which Depth Finder?

[Matthew P]

I need an inexpensive, reliable depth finder for use in tidal estuaries with narrow channels that shift with every season, or indeed every big storm.  An attractive but challenging estuary next to a well known boat builder comes to mind.   

For many years I had a Garmin 555s chart plotter with integrated depth sounder that worked well until the  cable sockets fell apart...again... and the card slot corroded so it was no longer water proof. 

I think there's a good argument for separate depth sounder and chart plotter displays because when it comes almost-to-the-CRUNCH there's not a lot of time for wet, cold finger jabbing to scroll buttons between chart plotter and depth sounder sharing the same screen. 

Purists will argue for fancy-knotted string with a tallow-loaded lead weight or shoving a stick over the side. These are good ways to distract crew except self-tangling string, shouty communications and near MOBs can fuel a mutiny at a time when maximum effort is required to get off the sandbank.

Here's my criteria - no surprise - not much different to my criteria for chart plotters:

a) Truly waterproof - can operate after being dunked in water, not just splash-proof.

b) Easy to operate with wet cold fingers in gloves by a wet, cold, tired eejit .

c) Bright and clear enough to read in strong sunshine.

d) Displayed big and clear enough to read with misted-up glasses.

e) Robust (including cable terminations)

f) Fishy displays are not required because I'm not a fish-botherer (unless seriously hungry) and I don't need intricate 3D displays when my eyes should mostly be outside the boat.

g) Self contained with 8 hour minimum battery life and re-chargeable (desirable, not essential)

h) Inexpensive but meets all the above

i) I don't have the brains, patience or inclination for deeply technical synchronisation between electronic gadgets, so stand-alone is good.


A quick internet search comes up with a multitude of options including this "Lucky" example at £44.  Too good to be true?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LUCKY-Portable-Fishfinder-Transducer-LUCKYLAKER/dp/B091GKH7XL/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?keywords=depth+sounder&qid=1702916800&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Suggestions backed by experiences please.

Matthew

[garethrow]

Matthew - for warning me of shallow water, I find my centreboard kept a little further down than normal is extremely reliable and infinitely rechargeable in said estuary - where I do most of my sailing in yes - some what variable channel location conditions. Sorry - not very helpful in your quest for reliable electric gadgetry.

Gareth Rowlands
BR20 GRP Halen Y Mor

[Rob Johnstone]

I agree with Matthew - the depth "sounder" must be a standalong instrument not inlcuded in a facny all singing and dancing chart plotter- the snag with putting all the electronics in one unit is you have a common point of failure and then you are truly b******d. I found the good, but old fashioned looking, NASA depth sounder to be reliable, fairly idiot proof and didn't need to be prodded with cold wet hands, or rely on touch sensitive buttons. The downside is that it doesn't have a self contained battery and is relatively expensive.

With bitter experience in a muddy estuary I have found the "traditional" half dropped centre board too insensitive (or perhaps my reactions are slowing down). It takes a few minutes for me to realise that Lockdown has gone from her usual one and a half knots to nothing and then I'm aground on a falling tide.......

Rob J

[Graham W]

Matthew,

That Lucky gadget appears to be one of those fishfinders that you cast away from the boat on a float to see what fish lurk beneath.  If you can fix the transducer to the hull somehow, it might work but I wonder for how long?

Nobody seems to do a robust freestanding depth sounder any more.  The sounder that a lot of people go for, the Nasa Clipper, looks like its display needs to be flush-mounted somewhere and it has to be wired to a battery.  I suppose that you could make a small box for it.  If you wanted to demount it regularly you could wire a battery and the transducer to a waterproof socket (eg a Bulgin Buccaneer) and the sounder display could connect to that with a cable and matching plug.  Or vice-versa.

The Garmin Echomap Plus 45cv is very much more expensive than the Nasa but does have the advantage of being small and on a pre-wired mount, so that you can demount it really easily and put it in your pocket when you go home.   It also has GPS, whether you want it or not.  The Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv is quite a bit cheaper but I’m not sure that it is easily demountable.

One other alternative might be the Echozilla, which displays over Bluetooth on to your mobile - a bit dodgy if the latter isn’t waterproof.  If you’re already using a waterproof phone or tablet for navigation, it could be a sensible add-on but I don’t know how robust it is.  The Echozilla website says that it is "out of stock", which might mean that it is also out of business.

Otherwise, it’s back to Gareth’s centreboard trick, insensitive or not!

[Sea Simon]

PLASTIMO ECHOTEST 11 HAND HELD DEPTH SOUNDER.
£190ish.

"Small handheld depth sounder, of extremely simple operation, particularly intented for pneumatic or dinghy sailors."
https://www.plastimo-pro.com/38074-echotest-ii-handheld-depth-sounder-1

I've  often wondered about these, but have never seen nor tried one. so not any form of recommendation.

Personally, more likely to use a stick/cane in the sort of small boats they advertise as suitable for. And as a (now retired) diver, more interested in the weight of water above me, than depth to bottom.

[Graham W]

Imagine sailing and at the same time leaning over the side to try to read the depth from one of those devices!

[Graham W]

I’m not sure how to get one in the UK but this device, made by quite a big US company, looks like a viable alternative to the Echozilla https://store.vexilar.com/sonarphone-w-hs-transducer-phone-not-included.html.  It uses wifi rather Bluetooth to send depth data to your mobile phone or tablet.  The free app works on both Android and Apple and also integrates to some extent with Navionics.

[Sea Simon]

I’m not sure how to get one in the UK but this device, made by quite a big US company, looks like a viable alternative to the Echozilla https://store.vexilar.com/sonarphone-w-hs-transducer-phone-not-included.html.  It uses wifi rather Bluetooth to send depth data to your mobile phone or tablet.  The free app works on both Android and Apple and also integrates to some extent with Navionics.

Looks good?
Their site shows Spares Marine in Torquay as UK agents. They've  been around a while I  believe, I seem to recall buying something from them a while back, but can't recall what? A local on here might vouch for them?