About us

C-MAX Ltd is based in Dorset, England and was established in 1992 to develop and manufacture innovative sidescan sonar systems.

The term 'sidescan' refers to the simple fact that this type of sonar looks to both sides rather than looking forward, and forms the image by physically moving the sonar head - the towfish - over the seabed. No other type of sonar can give such an easily interpreted picture of the seabed and objects on it.

Starting with the CM800 in 1994, and continuing with the CM2 in 2002, there are now over 500 systems deployed worldwide.

All C-MAX systems and equipment are designed by C-MAX staff. As well as the hardware, the display, recording and towfish software is also all designed in-house. If you talk to C-MAX staff you are talking to the people who really know the sidescan sonar they have supplied.

Portland harbour

We are located only a few miles from the coast, and our boat is based in Weymouth Harbour. We are fortunate in being able to test our sonars off the nearby Portland Harbour, an area with a variety of seabed textures, breakwaters, wrecks and other sonar targets. Every sonar that leaves our factory has been tested at sea.