I have a new D20 Sundance Skiff. Love the boat but am having trouble with the depth finder as it does not read the depth at higher speeds. The dealer says it is because skiffs ride on top of the water and air bubbles keep the transducer from reading. Works great at slow speeds. Anyone had this problem and been able to solve it?
I have the same problem with my flats boat. Reads fine until I hit around 20 mph then the last depth read just blinks.
thanks, glad to know I am not the only one. They are going to put a transducer in the bilge area that reads through the hull. Maybe that will work.
Before you try anything drastic just rub dishwashing detergent, Dawn Liquid or equivalent on the bottom of the transducer before you head for the landing. It will break the initial surface tension when you launch and can keep it running well all day unless it is badly mispositioned. Somebody told me to start doing that on my old 16’ Sea Squirt and it always worked like a charm.
Try angling the transducer slighly foward. It works by sending out sound waves and then picks up the echo when it comes off the river bottom. when you move fast and the transducer is angled to far back the echo comes in behind he boat and the transducer can not pick i up.
You must have a fast boat! Do you really think you are outrunning your sonar beam? It’s traveling 768 mph 
Angling it down may help with turbulence, but that’s all. It can be hard to cure in light boats. The detergent is often a good fix.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Thanks for the suggestions I will try them all. Any thoughts regarding the transducer that is placed in the bilge area and then reads through the hull?
Dale, that’s what I have in my current skiff and it has the same problem. It’s caused by air bubbles getting under the hull. Along the same lines as detergent, I sometimes smear the bottom of the boat under the transducer with Vaseline. This helps for a while, until it washes off.
Also, that will only work with a solid hull. The sonar waves can’t pass through a wood or foam core.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
If your transducer has any adjustment mabe you can lower it just a little. just be sure it can breakaway and tilt back incase you get too shallow
1720 KW 110 Johnson
16’ Bonito 65 Johnson
Again, thanks for your suggestions. I keep the boat in dry storage in Georgetown and I already went down and angled the transducer down. I usually go fishing early so the boat is usually in the water when I get there. I would like to try the liquid soap trick. Do you think I can smear it on the transducer while the boat is in the water? I am going out on Thur. so I will let you guys know if any of this works!!
Angled back or forward will give false reading. I know this because mine got bumped back a little and it said it was deeper than it actually was. Most trans ducers have a joind line around them which should be lined up with the bottom of hull or a little below so when you are on plane it is below the surface and possibly the bubbles as well.
1720 KW 110 Johnson
16’ Bonito 65 Johnson
the only disadvantage (that i know of) with a thru hull is you lose the temp reading
The temp reading still works on mine, but there is delay time as it’s reading the hull bottom temperature rather than the water. It’s still accurate, but it might take it 10 minutes for the hull to match the water temp. Not good if you are trying to find a temp break line. Another disadvantage is that you lose some sensitivity. Not a problem in shallow water, but a bigger problem in deep water.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
I have had the same problem with my Whaler. Have not tried the liquid. Interesting solution. Thx
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
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