Tag: fish finder for beginners

Best Marine Electronics for First-Time Boat Owners

Congratulations on the first boat — now the electronics shopping list can feel endless. Here’s a sensible order to buy in rather than trying to kit everything out at once.

1. VHF radio — buy this first

Before sonar, before a fancy chartplotter — a VHF radio is the safety-critical item. See our VHF buying guide for fixed vs handheld.

2. A basic chartplotter/fish finder combo

You don’t need a flagship unit on day one. A 7-9 inch combo covers navigation and basic sonar while you learn your local water — see our Best Fish Finder guide for entry-level picks.

3. Safety gear

PFDs for everyone aboard and, if you’ll be venturing further offshore, a PLB — see our PFD guide.

4. Upgrade later, once you know your needs

Live sonar, GPS trolling motors and bigger displays are genuinely excellent — but they’re upgrades to buy once you know exactly how you use the boat, not before. Resist the urge to over-buy in the first month.

New to boating and want a straightforward starter recommendation? Get in touch — tell us your boat and how you plan to use it.

July 27, 2026
How to Install a Fish Finder: Step-by-Step Guide

Installing a fish finder yourself saves on fitting costs and isn’t as daunting as it looks. Here’s the process broken into clear steps.

1. Plan the mounting position

Choose a spot that’s visible from the helm, protected from spray where possible, and has clear access behind the console for cabling. Check swing clearance for any hinged panels or hatches nearby.

2. Mount the transducer

Transom-mount transducers need to sit level with the hull bottom, clear of propeller wash and any turbulence sources like strakes or through-hull fittings. Follow the manufacturer’s positioning diagram closely — a poorly placed transducer is the most common cause of noisy or unreliable readings.

3. Run and secure the cabling

Keep transducer and power cables away from other electrical wiring where possible to reduce interference, and secure every few inches to prevent chafe. Leave a small service loop at both ends.

4. Power and network connection

Wire power through a dedicated fuse, and if you’re networking multiple devices, a marine network switch keeps everything talking cleanly on one NMEA 2000 backbone rather than daisy-chaining devices.

5. Test before you seal anything up

Power on and confirm sonar returns and GPS lock before finishing any panel work or sealant — much easier to fix a placement issue now than after everything’s buttoned up. Not confident doing it yourself? get in touch and we can talk you through your specific setup.

July 27, 2026
CHIRP vs Side Imaging vs Down Imaging: Sonar Technology Explained

These three terms get thrown around constantly in fish finder marketing, and they genuinely do different things. Here’s what each shows you and when to use it.

CHIRP (traditional) sonar

CHIRP sends a sweep of frequencies rather than a single pulse, giving sharper target separation than older sonar. It shows a vertical slice of water directly beneath the boat — this is what gives you the classic “fish arch” and bottom hardness reading. It’s the best mode for tracking fish depth in real time while moving.

Down imaging

Down imaging uses a different frequency to produce a near-photographic picture of what’s directly under the boat — you can often make out individual fish, wood cover and rock piles far more clearly than on CHIRP. It’s slightly slower to interpret fish depth from, so most anglers run it alongside CHIRP rather than instead of it.

Side imaging

Side imaging scans out to either side of the boat rather than beneath it — brilliant for covering water quickly to locate structure, schools and drop-offs before you fish them. Think of it as a search tool, then switch to CHIRP or down imaging once you’ve found something worth stopping for.

Which do you actually need?

Most mid-range and above fish finders today include all three in one unit, so it’s less about choosing and more about learning to switch between them for the situation. Browse our full fish finder range or get in touch if you want help matching sonar features to how you fish.

July 27, 2026
How to Choose a Fish Finder: Beginner’s Complete Guide
Walking into fish finder shopping cold is genuinely confusing — screen sizes, sonar types and acronyms everywhere. Here’s what actually matters when choosing your first unit.

1. Screen size

Bigger isn’t always better — it’s about your boat and budget. A 5-7 inch screen suits kayaks and small boats. 9 inches is the sweet spot for most trailer boats. 12 inches and up make sense once you’re running split-screen views or forward-facing sonar regularly.

2. Sonar type
- CHIRP (traditional) sonar — shows fish arches and bottom structure directly below the boat
- Down imaging — near-photographic detail directly beneath you, great for identifying structure
- Side imaging — scans wide to either side, excellent for covering water quickly to find structure and schools
3. Do you need GPS?

If you want to mark waypoints, navigate home in poor visibility, or eventually add charts, get a GPS-equipped unit from the start — retrofitting later means buying a new unit rather than adding a module.

4. Budget guide

For a realistic starting budget, see our Best Marine GPS Under £500 guide. Ready to compare our full range? Browse fish finders in the shop, or ask us directly — tell us your boat and budget and we’ll point you to the right unit.
July 27, 2026