I have a Helix 5 DI/GPS that I bought for my boat when they first came out. When winter came, I bought an ice ducer for it, but to be honest I only use it in the flasher mode when I'm on the ice. I have no idea if DI works with the ice ducer. Worst case scenario you can use the regular skimmer transducer and just make a holder for it. I would think if you are primarily going to use it for open water, don't buy the ice model. You can make a case for it and a battery out of something. I had an old Piranha Max Portable that had a carry case, I bought a Ram Mount and made myself an ice model.As for the machine in general, I like it quite a bit. The menus are really easy to navigate. My new boat came with a Lowrance and it's been a real nightmare for me to learn.
So there is a flasher mode on the DI model? If there is, that's exactly what I'm looking for. I see two units in your picture, so not sure if you were referring to the separate flasher.