Fish finder install without drilling

I stumbled upon a UK kayak fishing website and mentioned was the Tallon  Systems RAM Lowrance Elite Mount Pro. It is designed for the Hobie boats but I could see it easily mounted on many kayaks and it seems perfect for Ocean Kayak boats with the center hatch lids. With the lid mount the resale value of the kayak is protected as worst case the lid can be replaced at minimal cost.

Having to work with the very long power and transducer cables that come with sonar devices and designed for use by power boaters, this is a partial solution. The Tallon Mount Pro is designed to hold a Lowrance sonar on a pedestal mount and the kit includes a very short cable for the power and transducer connection.

This is where the Lowrance Elite sonar units are superior to the Humminbird as only one combo cable is used for the battery power and the transducer connections to the sonar instead of two separate cables. With the Tallon Mount Pro there is a socket for the short cable and from there to the back of the Elite 4 or 5 sonar.

There is actually the need to drill a large hole for the Tallon mount pro but when not in use the rubber covers seal the cable sockets and it can be ignored and used without a sonar attached.

With the newer Hobie boats the hole for the transducer feeds into the hull and with the OK kayaks a cable clam is needed for the hole above the scupper where the transducer is mounted. The Hobie is a much cleaner setup and a better design overall. In theory it should minimize the impact of the power module fins on the transducer. 

Hobie PA boats have had this Lowrance compatible design for two years but it works well for other kayaks as well as an installation option. I like the idea of having a socket with caps on the outside of the kayak instead of of a couple of cables poking out through a cable clam fitting when the sonar is off the boat.

Although Hobie and Lowrance have had this setup available since 2013 there has been surprisingly little mention of it anywhere, much less the Tallon Mount Pro.

I love drilling holes in my kayaks!
I'd recommend a $5 wire cap from West Marine. And a RAM Micro-Ram FF mount (about $25).
You'd only have to drill 6 screw holes and a 1/2" hole for the wire cap...instead of 3 screw holes and a 2" hole for the Tallon socket (that will eventually corrode and become useless anyways). Just my opinion, but less electrical terminals is better!

http://www.westmarine.com/west-marine--two-hole-wire-caps--P003_094_010_501
http://www.westmarine.com/gps-fishfinder-mounts/ram-mounts--ram-b-101-lo11-marine-electronic-mount-for-lowrance-elite-4-mark-4-series-fishfinders--14292593

I agree with Cen Coast---there's something special about drilling holes in kayaks. However, for routing wires and such, I prefer the Hobie "thru hull wiring kit":

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/12509/Hobie-Thru-Hull-Wiring-Kit.html

A bit pricey, but it includes 2 caps, and rubber grommets that fit any imaginable thing that you'd want to route. For example, I use one for my fishfinder cables and the other one for a water tube that plugs into a camelback (the latter so that I can store water below deck and drink without opening the hatch).

+1 on the Hobie plugs.  They are my fav.  I've even used them on non-kayak related projects.  Wish they were sold in "bulk packs".

I'm also a fan of the hobie thru hulls. I'll be using them to route wiring on my Native yaks as well.  a bit hard to find though with the exception of ordering online.

Drill baby drill!