comparison of Humminbird and Raymarine (thru hull and guardian mount)

I have been using a Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP DI GPS G2 for a few years and really like it. I recently had to send it in for service (too many dunks) so I hooked up a Raymarine Dragonfly 5 that came with my last kayak purchase. Glad I held onto it as a backup. After I got my Humminbird back I hooked them both up at the same time to see how they compare on the water. As an aside, Humminbird service was great. They sent me what looks like a brand new unit for a flat repair fee of $92. Last weekend I got out on the water with both units hooked up. After a few odd looks from PBers eyeing dual ff on a kayak, I turned them both on. The sonar images were virtually identical, both DI and CHIRP. I went from 6-30 ft over eelgrass, rocks and sand. Interestingly, the Humminbird was mounted on the Hobie guardian plate and the Raymarine was mounted in the hull using duct sealing putty. Previously, when I switched from thru hull to the plate mount with the Humminbird I didn't notice any difference, but that was not side by side. So, sonar wise they were equivalent.

As far as ease of use the Humminbird was much easier for what I wanted to do. Specifically:

The Humminbird display was brighter and easier to see in the sun.

To mark a waypoint on the Humminbird I just hit one button. On the Raymarine it is necessary to hit a button and make some additional selections.

The Raymarine does not display labels on the waypoints and Humminbird does. This is important for me when I'm tracking pots etc. I couldn't believe this wasn't an option so I confirmed online.

The Raymarine allows you to use more characters to label your waypoints, but since they aren't displayed on the map this is of limited use.

The Raymarine has a lag when you move the cursor on the map which makes it frustrating to select a waypoint to start navigation. The Hummibird has no delay.

The SD card slot cover on the Raymarine is shaped such that you can't really seal it with tape. That may increase the likelihood of water damage.

Overall, I was very happy to switch back to my Humminbird.

Hope this helps anyone shopping for a new ff.

 

Thanks for that comparison!

I'm making my choice of FF a long and drawn out process. I was just about to pull the trigger on a Humminbird Helix SI when I realized that it doesn't allow viewing of maps, side imaging, and traditional sonar at once, unlike most other units. If I'm posted up on topography jigging away, I need maps and traditional sonar, and if I'm paying for SI, I'd like to know what's a hundred feet on either side of me as well. Same goes for trolling contours or reefs: I need maps to help me stick to my intended troll, down imagining to estimate where the fish be at, and side imaging to give me better awareness of what's going on off to my sides.

Anywho, back to the drawing board!

Thanks for the info!
I had a Garmin striker 4, which I liked, but I upgraded to Humminbird Helix 7 (mega scan, down and side scan, Navionics). Excellent service (got a new transducer for free after cables of original got damaged). Unit works perfect.