Deeper Start Fishfinder

How well is it built?

The Start is a compact teardrop shape, orange on top and black underneath, and it's built to be simple rather than fancy.

The model weighs 65g, so it's light on the line and should be easy to cast on most carp, feeder or spinning rods, and the bright orange top is easy to follow on the surface.

Power comes from a 3.7V 850mAh lithium polymer battery, which charges through the supplied custom magnetic USB cable. There's an inbuilt LED as well, which should make it easier to keep track of as the light fades.

Is it as well made as the Deeper Pro+ 2, with its titanium inserts and silicone gasket? No, it's a more basic build, and that's why it sits at 7.9.

For a budget sonar that'll be cast out and wound in again and again, though, I think it's sensibly made, and there's very little on it to go wrong. To be fair, that's pretty much what most first-time anglers need.

Sonar & Features

The Start uses one 120 kHz sonar beam with a 40° cone, and it scans ten times a second. That's a fairly wide single beam, so it covers a decent patch of bottom under the sonar, while a three-beam castable like the Deeper Pro+ 2 adds a narrow 7° beam for finer detail.

It reads from 0.5m down to 50m, which is plenty for most UK lakes and gravel pits.

In the Fish Deeper app, fish show as icons with their size and depth, and you can switch between Basic mode and Raw mode. Basic keeps the picture clean and simple, while Raw shows the detailed, unfiltered sonar data for when you want to read the bottom yourself.

Scans are saved too, and you can open them again in the app or through Lakebook.

For finding depth, drop-offs and weedy areas in a swim, it does the job. If you want proper bathymetric maps, the Deeper Pro+ 2 has built-in GPS to build them, and I think the 7.7 is fair for a single-beam sonar.

Ease of Use

Ease of use is the Start's real strength. It powers up as soon as it's in the water, and it links to your smartphone or tablet over Wi-Fi at up to 50m. That matches its 50m casting range, so you can scan as far out as you can sensibly throw it.

Battery life is up to six hours, and a full charge takes 2.5 hours on the magnetic cable, so charging it the night before should cover a session. Basic mode keeps the screen easy to read for a beginner, which is exactly what you want from a first fish finder.

Do you really need anything more complicated for a few hours on the bank? For most casual anglers, I don't think you do.

Do check your fishery's rules before you cast it, though, as some UK venues ban fish finders and castable sonar. Overall, I think the 8.4 is well earned for a sonar that's this easy to pick up.

Is it good value for money?

It's one of the cheapest ways into castable sonar, and that's what lifts its value mark to 8.3.

You still get a sonar that reads to 50m, saves your scans, switches itself on and comes with its own magnetic charging lead, which covers what most bank anglers need for finding depth and features.

Next to the Rippton HydroBat, it reads to 50m rather than 120m and has one beam instead of two, but it's lighter and costs a good deal less. The Deeper Pro+ 2 is the step up if you want three beams and GPS maps, and I'd only make that jump once you know you'll use them.

For me, starting with the Start makes a lot of sense, as you'll soon learn what you actually want from a sonar.

Overall, I'd recommend the Deeper Start to beginners, younger anglers and anyone on a tight budget who wants a simple castable to find depth, drop-offs and weed from the bank.