I have owned a number of fish finders for my 17 foot rigged for serious fishing. It has been my experience that the Apellco 265 has served me better than any that Ive had. It is compact, well made and so accurate that it scares me at times. I not only use it for fishing both in shore and off shore when the chop isnt too bad, but I also use it to find some real good holes for my lobster pots. The price is also right, and it installs easily. There may be a new model this year, and the quality should be as good as my model. I did not feel it necessary to have the side looking unit for my purpose. Good luck