Hobie Lowrance Cover - Sand

[bolocop]

I feared the same issue so I used a dremel to cut a hole the pattern of the transducer out of the plastic plate. Then you just mount the transducer a little higher so it won’t be damaged during landings.

Originally Posted by jkim0130

Discovered sand in the Lowrance cover when I was installing my fish finder today. Does this happen at launch or landing? I'm thinking it's when I land. I've seen photos of people taping mesh around the opening. Any tips on avoiding sand?

[TJones]

Originally Posted by bolocop

I feared the same issue so I used a dremel to cut a hole the pattern of the transducer out of the plastic plate. Then you just mount the transducer a little higher so it won’t be damaged during landings.

be careful with this approach. I would not recommend it. The plate will loose rigidity if too much material is removed. Also, it could add more turbulence which will add surface noise. Thanks for sharing the post and your experience. I would definitely return it if possible and think about upgrading to next model. That transducer looks weak, which would explain why it was having issues. The head unit is not putting out a lot of power. Looks more oriented for fresh water.

[JohnMckroidJr]

I had the same problem with sand and seashells getting jammed between the cover and the transducer. I cut out the cover and have been fine now for 4 years.

[rockoflajolla]

I noticed, early on, that sand was affecting my fish finder readings. It was from landing the previous outing. So, when I wash down my kayak after every outing, I always spray the sand out from the backside of the transducer cover and have never had a problem for years.

[monstahfish]

The original plate worked pretty well if you left a 3/8 gap per the instructions between the bottom of the ducer and the plate. Hobie later added vents in the face of the plate to increase flushing. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=...AAAAAdAAAAABAD

[JohnMckroidJr]

Originally Posted by monstahfish

The original plate worked pretty well if you left a 3/8 gap per the instructions between the bottom of the ducer and the plate. Hobie later added vents in the face of the plate to increase flushing. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=...AAAAAdAAAAABAD

The original plate works great if you have a smaller transducer, but if the length of the transducer forces one to mount it flush with the plate to keep it horizontal to the bottom, the cut out is a good solution.

Upgrading to the Guardian system is an even better solution.