Humminbird Side Imaging VS Lowrance

I would like some feedback comparing the two units. I am going to buy a new unit and I am wondering which unit would be the best to buy. The comparison is between the Humminbird Side Imaging VS Lowrance. Thank you.

I sure love to have either in my boat!

Buy them both and try them out, then give the one that you don't like to me. I will take excellent care of your hand-me down.

What lowrance model are you looking at?

I have a 997 SI at the console and a Lowrance 537 up front. I would not give up the 997 for anything. I will tell you how I based my decision, I wanted to start fishing off shore structure. The SI unit lets you cover water fast to find ledges, brush bridges, underwater creeks, ect faster then a 2D unit. Do not let the phrase cover water fast fool you into thinking that the unit works at high speeds. Anything over 5 MPH is useless. You can however look at about 100 yrds of bottom at a time, 160 feet to the left and 160 feet to the right. That is where the true speed comes into play. Think of trying to find a brush piles with a 6 foot cone under the bottom of your boat verse 100 yrds on a new lake. No brush pile is “ secret ” with Side Imaging.

The 2D view with the Humminbird is not as clear as the lowrance, but I no longer use the 2D view. I mark my way points with the Humminbird and then transfer them to the Lowrance.

If you are going to be fishing ledges and off shore stuff then I would say to take a good look at it.

I have a pic of the sunken bridge at Cedar Creek that I can email you so you can see a real SI scan pic looks like. You will see that it is just as advertised.

I love my lowrance - but would trade it in a heartbeat for the hummingbird SI. I have fished with a few that had this, and it is awesome. I don't know how much longer they have exclusive rights to this technology before other companies can make their own version, but when that happens the price will drop a pretty good deal. However - if a good color sonar with GPS without the side image is already 650, I don't see them going too much lower. Basically, if I had the extra money I would buy one, for now i will stick with my lowrance.

If you have the dimes to drop on one of those H/Bs it is well worth it. It will blow your mind what it shows. Brush piles, logs, grass, ledges and the list goes on and on. any change that is under the water in contour you can see it and directly where it is at.

Its crazy. I don't know about the Lowrance but I have the 797 csi2 and it is great.

A big thumbs up.

Ah come on guys. Let us poor basstires catch a few with our pathetic old equipment.

[QUOTE=twparsley55;319926]I would like some feedback comparing the two units. I am going to buy a new unit and I am wondering which unit would be the best to buy. The comparison is between the Humminbird Side Imaging VS Lowrance. Thank you.[/QUOTE]

Theres a forum on yahoo dedicated to the sidefinder has a lot of pics, I would do a search on yahoo, you should find it if I run across the link I will post it.
It's a great piece of equipmemnt wish one of you guys would purchase one for me.
Stoner