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I agree w Cadillyak. HDS 5 has served me very well. I also had the Elite 4 (non DSI) and that did the trick for LJ where I fish. It worked much better when the transducer was directly in the water with the mad frog arm (vs through hull, which I used initially). Mostly, I use my finder for GPS, depth, and finding bait. The HDS 5 is better, but I got what I needed from the Elite 4 at a cheaper cost. You might consider that if you're starting off and want to save some money. West Marine frequently puts the HDS5 on sale down to $450. Thats how I bought mine and got one for a buddy too. I suspect labor day will be an excuse for a sale and you'll see it marked down at least $100. The extended warranty, as Cadillyak also said, is the way to go. Like any insurance, it's priced to reflect the costs West Marine expects to pay out in repairs on average, plus some profit. Basically West Marine prices the warranty for boaters who make up most of the buyers. We yak anglers have a much higher risk of using the warranty for obvious reasons. We're in direct contact with salt water, making surf launches and landings, etc. You pay the warranty price for the average person but have a much higher likelyhood of using the coverage because you're on a kayak. Its a good deal in my opinion. Also, dont forget the dialectric grease!
Pat
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