Side-scan, or side-imaging, sonar has always intrigued me. Perhaps that’s because I’m a scuba diver, and I’ve experienced the underwater world in three dimensions. So when I try to wrap my mind around what side-scan “sees,” I picture myself diving beneath the boat.I imagine how a sonar ping, focused along a sharp edge — like a slice through the water column on either side of the boat — would return a picture of structure and fish. Humminbird marketing director Mark Gibson puts it this way: “Say you’ve got a handful of BBs. Using traditional sonar is like slamming those BBs on a concrete floor. Imagine how many of those will bounce back up — lots. Side imaging is like throwing BBs down a driveway. Imagine how few would come back; maybe only one or two return toward you from hitting a rock.“Side imaging is all about how sensitive the ...![Side-viewing sonar]()
