What's your budget? Size boat? Max depth?

for what your describing I'd be happy with a combo unit. 

I've recently been through this same debarkle myself and done a LOT of research. All depends on your price range mate but I found separate units the way to go, instead of having to press a bunch of buttons for info, you can just look at two screens but then you have to learn two different units haha. Price wise, the combo's are a bit cheaper but like i said, easier to look at two screens but if you do get a combo, make SURE you get a big screen so it's not super crammed like the Lowrance elite 4.

As for models mate I'm a bit of an advocate for lowrances for some reason, they just seem to have some great features for their price range.

The biggest advice I can give is to listen to what guys here have to say, then do some research on particular units people reccomend but most importantly, don't buy anything without having a play with it first, even if it's only in the shop when it's on simulate mode, you'll soon get the feel for the right sounder for you :)

I'd go for separate units, once you have a few marks in your GPS you can still go fishing if you sounder packs it in and the other way round if you GPS dies. It means you will have to go old school using a marker buoy when you hit fish and using landmarks and compass bearings to get out and back.

 hey justo82, boat is 24ft, probably max depth 150-200 metres 

budget around $2000-3000

hey mate,

i was am in the same situation. i went to the boat show with the intention of getting a hds 7m and furuno sounder. i ended up with a raymarine e7d, i figured if i dont like combo i can add a sounder later on

not sure if its any good though but on all accounts it appears okay

 +1 e7d or in your budget e97

Hey Mate

We are a new site sponsor and have a full working display of Lowrance HDS / Lowrance Touch / Furuno / Simrad at our shop in Bibra lake, come down and we'll go through a bunch of units

Cheers

Michael

 Thanks chivers will try get down there 

Originally I had a combo unit, and found I was continually swapping from the chart plotter view (for accurately getting over spots) to teh sounder view.  The split screen just wasn;t big enough.  That was a number of years ago, and now I run two separate units which is fantastic.

Got a mate who asked my advice on split screens, which I gave as above.  He then went to the boat show (a couple of years ago) and got talked into a split screen.  Wouldn't have been 3 months before he bouht the second unit.

If you can afford it and have the room on the dash, I'd always go for two units.

Brand wise, I've always run Lowrance, and they've been superb, but I'm looking at upgrading to Furuno for deepwater work (up to 400 metres).

I Agree two units all the way!!

 Gday mate,

Going through the same thing at the moment. I was set on getting the lowrance HDS10 until i spoke with the boys from Mandurah Marine Communtications who are technicians and not just salesmen. They explained to me the ins and outs of this system and why its miles in front of the others. Lowrance and Simrad have both been bought out by Navman which has changed its name to something else (cant remember what). Raymarine along with Garmin is now owned by FLIR, they are a giant company world wide that look after a range of electrical intruments that expands as wide as the defence force.

Just another avenue for you to explore!

Lowrance and Simrad are owned by Navico.

FLIR bought out Raymarine in 2010, the other likely bidder was Garmin, but whos said FLIR owns Garmin? Pretty sure that is wrong.

You know, I wonder if you start with any sized single device, you end up wanting a matching one, rather than splitting it.

The number of people that said they had one 5 or 7 or 8", and just bought another one!

Mate I just finished my boat build and already thinking about another screen, I have the unit flush mounted into the dash which is a combo but really am thinking of the 2 x stand alone units (i Had this in my last boat).

I have to say though I am more than happy with the Lowrance gear as I have the VHF radio, sonic hub and combo unit as a full Lowrance package- lots to learn...

Plenty of second hand hI END Lowrance, Furuno, Garmin, Hummingbird, etc. units for sale all around the place.

Hi Tech Marine in Wangarra could help you getting hold to a lot of these as their clients have these now spare due to the upgrades these people are doing to the SIMRAD Broadband systems.

Ask for Tony or his off sider on 93092888.

I have very little, next to no experience with plotters -  When using a plotter are you able to zoom in on your mark, to the point where you can see the drift of your boat in relation to the mark? - if that makes sense. If it is not a standard feature, are there particualr models that allow you to do this.

Cheers  

I have two seperate Lowrance HDS 5's and am quite happy with them both.  I'd buy another lowrance.. (and may do this soon to run structure scan on it).  Definately with everyone else on the 2 seperate units rather than a split screen.  Also better to get the same brand or at least ones where you can link the GPS to the sounder to mark spots from the sounder reading.

Cheers

mate i would go 2 units as well and i did, i went with hds10+8 both are combos though,

i now have a back up gps/sounder if one shits itself, trust me they do, i lost gps while out night fishing and its a differant world out there at night.

love having the knollege i have back ups on hand at any time.

but either way you go i would stick with 2 units and the biggest sounder you can afford, gps can afford to be a little smaller.

The new Lowrance Hds 9 Touchscreen combo 4 sure  not sure on price tho

http://www.lowrance.com/en-AU/Products/Fishfinder-Chartplotter/HDS9-Gen2-Touch-en-au.aspx