This lying depth sounder thing is one of my pet peeves.

Like others, I want to know the depth as precisely as possible. This is an aid to navigation! Sometimes the charter company thinks they are being smart by making the sounder read 1-2 feet less than reality. All this does is confuse me in times when I REALLY need to know the exact reading NOW. For example, crossing the shallow-spot on the way into Anegada. It's about 7 feet or so, and if the depth sounder starts telling me OH NO! it's 5 feet or 4.5 feet, it makes me immediately wonder if I'm out of the channel!

So to all the charter companies out there: please don't get cute with the depth sounder - please make it read as accurately as possible. Don't dial in a foot or two for a "stupid charterer" factor. You're already trusting us with your $500,000 boat, so this type of gamery simply serves to tick us off.