A good detector for the beach/water

[JustKeepDigging]

I live on the east coast of florida and I'm looking to buy a new detector here soon. I'm looking to hunt close to the water and in the water. looking to spend 650 max! Maybe 700. Any suggestions ?

 

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[fireford10]

You have a larger budget than i, so youll have a lot more models to choose from. I dont even own one, or ever have. All i do is land metal detect. But im in the market as well, and i started with researching VLF and PI water proof detectors. Once you've decided on what type of those you need or want you can narrow it down from there and maybe be a step closer. But we've both had over 30 peeps veiw our posts with no input......im starting to think they dont want us on the beaches, lol. guess i have to be more patiant. good luck hope you find the right one

 

[Terry Soloman]

Tesoro Sand Shark - $600.00 with a lifetime warranty.

 

[jyt2017]

If you are clever, you can find a used excal II for that price, or just a little more.

Other options, cz 21.

Have you considered the cost of gear too? In your area, at the least good booties and a 100-200 dollar scoop?

You need to decide what type of machine you want. The sand shark is a pi unit. I mentioned two vlf units.

Look up difference of the two. You can most definitely get a used cz 21 for 600-700 bucks.


Dont leave out whites or tsoro. Spend a good few weeks doing your own research on types, brands, and models.

In the end, youll have more fun. hh an gl.

I live on the east coast of florida and I'm looking to buy a new detector here soon. I'm looking to hunt close to the water and in the water. looking to spend 650 max! Maybe 700. Any suggestions ?

 

[JustKeepDigging]

If you are clever, you can find a used excal II for that price, or just a little more.

Other options, cz 21.

Have you considered the cost of gear too? In your area, at the least good booties and a 100-200 dollar scoop?

You need to decide what type of machine you want. The sand shark is a pi unit. I mentioned two vlf units.

Look up difference of the two. You can most definitely get a used cz 21 for 600-700 bucks.

Dont leave out whites or tsoro. Spend a good few weeks doing your own research on types, brands, and models.

In the end, youll have more fun. hh an gl.

Thanks a lot, as far as gear I'm pretty much set. That would be great to find an excall II! I'm going to continue looking at different MD's to make my final choice. So far I'm very interested in the Tsoro sand shark.

 

[JustKeepDigging]

Tesoro Sand Shark - $600.00 with a lifetime warranty.

I'm about to get this machine! It seems to fit me well. How good is the Garett sea hunter? Their both in the same price range at a local metal detecting shop.

 

[JustKeepDigging]

You have a larger budget than i, so youll have a lot more models to choose from. I dont even own one, or ever have. All i do is land metal detect. But im in the market as well, and i started with researching VLF and PI water proof detectors. Once you've decided on what type of those you need or want you can narrow it down from there and maybe be a step closer. But we've both had over 30 peeps veiw our posts with no input......im starting to think they dont want us on the beaches, lol. guess i have to be more patiant. good luck hope you find the right one

Thanks man and good luck to yourself as well! Hopefully soon enough we'll be posting some awesome finds with our new machines !

 

[bigscoop]

Honestly, your questions are posted quite a bit and there's just no easy answer for either of you, and here's why; only after some experience at total beach hunting will you have a better idea of what machine suits each of your individual desires and requirements. It's for this reason that many hunters simply avoid recommending one machine over another, there's just a lot more to consider then you might think at first. Everyday I go to the beach, which is often, I see a lot of experienced beach hunters using a wide variety of machines and there is a reason for this and it is called, "user preference". Most of these guys have used a variety of machines and they've eventually settled on just one or two machines to fulfill most of their "personal" beach hunting requirements. So my suggestion is that you spend some time with a local club, or at the very least, at a metal detecting shop so you can try these various machines and get answers and info about each of them before you buy. Once you decide on a machine with a bit of prior confidence and knowledge you can always start trying to find a good used one to save some bucks. There is a huge difference between buying the best machine you can afford VS buying the best machine to suit your personal desires and hunting requirements. So, unfortunately, there just isn't an easy answer to this age old question.

 

[JustKeepDigging]

Honestly, your questions are posted quite a bit and there's just no easy answer for either of you, and here's why; only after some experience at total beach hunting will you have a better idea of what machine suits each of your individual desires and requirements. It's for this reason that many hunters simply avoid recommending one machine over another, there's just a lot more to consider then you might think at first. Everyday I go to the beach, which is often, I see a lot of experienced beach hunters using a wide variety of machines and there is a reason for this and it is called, "user preference". Most of these guys have used a variety of machines and they've eventually settled on just one or two machines to fulfill most of their "personal" beach hunting requirements. So my suggestion is that you spend some time with a local club, or at the very least, at a metal detecting shop so you can try these various machines and get answers and info about each of them before you buy. Once you decide on a machine with a bit of prior confidence and knowledge you can always start trying to find a good used one to save some bucks. There is a huge difference between buying the best machine you can afford VS buying the best machine to suit your personal desires and hunting requirements. So, unfortunately, there just isn't an easy answer to this age old question.

This is actually my first question. I've spent numerous hours on the beach. I live 5 minutes away and I've talked to many detectors , and have gotten some ideas. Was just curious to see what the opinions were. The other 2 questions were just items I couldn't identify, but I appreciate the advice.

 

[fireford10]

I think Bigscoop was talking about your post and my post together when he said and the fact that both of our questions are posted quite a bit by other poeple getting into it too. Im sure he didnt mean that you in particular were asking the same quesions over and over. Basically hes helping both of us out at the same time, which is cool, but i didnt mean to tap into your post with questions of mine to thats why i started my own. But hes on both of them basically answering both of us.

This is actually my first question. I've spent numerous hours on the beach. I live 5 minutes away and I've talked to many detectors , and have gotten some ideas. Was just curious to see what the opinions were. The other 2 questions were just items I couldn't identify, but I appreciate the advice.

 

[bigscoop]

Well, in that case you should know if you want a PI or a VLF that has the ability to discriminate? You also said "East Coast" where water hunting is usually much different then the typically calmer West Coast. On the east coast, just as you are seeing right now, the beach is really getting stirred up and many area beaches will contain a scattering of iron junk items and pieces, with a PI you're going to have dig most of them just to determine what the target is. If you don't mind this then the Sand Shark is certainly a good buy for the money. On the other hand, if you don't want to spend a lot of time digging through all this scrap then you probably don't want a PI machine. PI machines can be a good choice for fairly clean beaches but when those beaches turn really trashy they can also be counter productive. Just more food for thought.

Water hunting the East Coast isn't easy as there is usually surf and frequent strong currents to deal with, coil size can become a concern as can the ability to relocate all the hardware on the detector shaft where it is more convenient and where it will produce less drag and hunter fatigue, yet another consideration that is seldom considered but always should be. I live and hunt on the east coast and in the water I want a small coil for the reasons already mentioned, however, over the wet sand I want a bigger coil for added depth and coverage, so do you also want the ability to switch coil sizes? These are just a few of the other considerations I was referring to in my earlier post. Just trying to be helpful.

Case in point; last year I bought a CZ-21 with the 10.5 coil, I bought this machine because I had a lot of past experience with them and I wanted the larger coil for the wet sand and increased coverage area. However, Canslaw (he's on the west coast) now owns that machine because the larger coil produced so much drag in our east coast currents that I couldn't use it a great deal of the time in the water. Great machine, but the wrong machine for my personal hunting requirements.

 

[JustKeepDigging]

Well, in that case you should know if you want a PI or a VLF that has the ability to discriminate? You also said "East Coast" where water hunting is usually much different then the typically calmer West Coast. On the east coast, just as you are seeing right now, the beach is really getting stirred up and many area beaches will contain a scattering of iron junk items and pieces, with a PI you're going to have dig most of them just to determine what the target is. If you don't mind this then the Sand Shark is certainly a good buy for the money. On the other hand, if you don't want to spend a lot of time digging through all this scrap then you probably don't want a PI machine. PI machines can be a good choice for fairly clean beaches but when those beaches turn really trashy they can also be counter productive. Just more food for thought.

Water hunting the East Coast isn't easy as there is usually surf and frequent strong currents to deal with, coil size can become a concern as can the ability to relocate all the hardware on the detector shaft where it is more convenient and where it will produce less drag and hunter fatigue, yet another consideration that is seldom considered but always should be. I live and hunt on the east coast and in the water I want a small coil for the reasons already mentioned, however, over the wet sand I want a bigger coil for added depth and coverage, so do you also want the ability to switch coil sizes? These are just a few of the other considerations I was referring to in my earlier post.

Wow, honestly thank you so much. I have a much better/clearer idea now.

 

[fireford10]

And that yall, is why i love this site. Sure beats FB anyday!

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Fireford and Just Keep Digging, I have several suggestion(s) but they may not be for you as some are way out of the box.
But before I start each of you needs to honestly answer my questions to your selves:

1) How bad do you want to a successful treasure hunter and be proficient in hunting each of the below salt water beach domains:
Dry Sand, Wet Sand, Shallow Water, Diving?

2) How confidant are you of being able to find enough treasure so that at minimum the equipment you buy pays for itself?
This is very difficult to do, especially when you are learning?

3) Are you flexible enough to change course and strategies when your approach(s) is wrong?

4) Are you disciplined enough to stay with it and do what is necessary?

If your answer(s) are affirmative to the above question(s), and you are committed to being a serious threat to the competition,
my final question is why you have set your budget so low?
Surely, you can cut your spending to buying only essentials, getting more value for every dollar spent, earn extra money,
salvaging , returning refundable cans and bottles, selling what you know longer need,
sticking with what you got and continue to hunt the dry sand till you have enough money.
Over time, it all adds up.

Even though I spend more time hunting in shallow water and have found more treasure there
my most valuable items were found on wet and dry sand.

There is no need for you to answer any of the above questions, nor read my next replies if you are into metal detecting
just for good exercise and leisure.

Until then, I want you to carefully think about why am closing this post before making a suggestion
and the intended meaning of this statement: "If you cannot afford it in the first place, price is not a consideration."
If you want, feel free to post your replies to my question(s) on this thread as it may help more experienced detectorists better guide you.
Till we meet again!
Sir Gala Clad

 

[JustKeepDigging]

Fireford and Just Keep Digging, I have several suggestion(s) but they may not be for you as some are way out of the box.
But before I start each of you needs to honestly answer my questions to your selves:

1) How bad do you want to a successful treasure hunter and be proficient in hunting each of the below salt water beach domains:
Dry Sand, Wet Sand, Shallow Water, Diving?

2) How confidant are you of being able to find enough treasure so that at minimum the equipment you buy pays for itself?
This is very difficult to do, especially when you are learning?

3) Are you flexible enough to change course and strategies when your approach(s) is wrong?

4) Are you disciplined enough to stay with it and do what is necessary?

If your answer(s) are affirmative to the above question(s), and you are committed to being a serious threat to the competition,
my final question is why you have set your budget so low?
Surely, you can cut your spending to buying only essentials, getting more value for every dollar spent, earn extra money,
salvaging , returning refundable cans and bottles, selling what you know longer need,
sticking with what you got and continue to hunt the dry sand till you have enough money.
Over time, it all adds up.

Even though I spend more time hunting in shallow water and have found more treasure there
my most valuable items were found on wet and dry sand.

There is no need for you to answer any of the above questions, nor read my next replies if you are into metal detecting
just for good exercise and leisure.

Until then, I want you to carefully think about why am closing this post before making a suggestion
and the intended meaning of this statement: "If you cannot afford it in the first place, price is not a consideration."
If you want, feel free to post your replies to my question(s) on this thread as it may help more experienced detectorists better guide you.
Till we meet again!
Sir Gala Clad

Well thanks so much for that. I really took the time to think about these questions. Reasons for why my budget is low, I'm a college student. Living on my own, bills suck . Im pretty determined also, while my buddies are out having a good time at a party, you can catch me out on the beach detecting. I recently got into the hobby due to my father coming home with a detector from an estate sale. He gave me a Whites PRL-1. Not really designed for the beach but I've been having some decent luck with the machine thus far on the dry and in some parks. Where I'm really looking to hunt is in wet sand and shallow water. The PRL can't get very close to the water lol, I'll go deaf. Honesty though you've made me reconsider and now Im convinced I rather save up, may take a while, but should be worth it. I'm very much interested in the CZ-21.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Sorry to be a buzz killer JKD as that was not my intention.
Your reason(s) for keeping your budget low are valid and prudent, as you are a student, most likely you are already over extended. However, you are in a good position having the Whites PRL-1 as you can hunt parks and Dry Sand. As long as you stay away from mineralized soil and Wet Sand at Salt Water Beaches, you should do well.

In my opinion, the best place to learn is in your back yard, if you have one, and then at a close by beach. I wrote this in a prior thread: Evolution of a shallow water hunter (Stage 1 from lawn to dry sand beach). I did not include parks as Hawaii only allows metal detecting at the beach.
The dry sand is the best and easiest place to hone your skills. First, you should focus on where people are as that is where you will find the most fresh drops. This is where you find the light silver and gold jewelry and clad coins before they sink below metal detecting depth. The time spent learning how to effectively treasure hunt in this domain is time well spent. I am talking about quality time of learning where to look, how to pin point, recover detected items, coil control, sweep speed, discrimination, trashy areas, work cuts etcetera, etcetera. This is the easiest place to learn and master skills that will be need for wet sand and shallow water hunting. Here is where you learn to be the hunter. The beach is vast while jewelry and coins are tiny. You have to know yourself, your capabilities and be committed to put the odds in your favor, before you can consistently find treasure. It takes time and effort to learn the above which should be master before hunting the more difficult wet sand then shallow water domains. I regret not buying an entry level detector to master these skills first as I wasted about one year of my warranty before I was ready. Your learning curve will probably be faster as hopefully you are open to alternatives and not set in your ways. " Old dogs take longer to learn New tricks".

Then there is karma which should never be taken for granted nor underestimated. The finds made by beginners with the cheapest of detectors on dry sand never cease to amaze me. I have seen newbie's find light gold and silver jewelry which look brand new - I even saw a newbie find a heavy platinum ring in soft dry sand, which is against all odds as it should of sunk like a rock.

As an alternative, You might consider allocating the amount of money that you are comfortable with spending toward metal detecting, rather than toward a detector, as this would give you more flexibility in purchasing stand up water scoops, finds bags, diving pin pointer, etc.
I would keep it if it worked well for me, but you could sell your White's metal detector through Members Classified on T Net or swap it for an underwater metal detector/equipment

If you do not customize and include diving, there are only two multifrequency VLF metal detectors with discrimination in production that I am aware of. The Minelab Excalibur II and the Fischer CZ21. So your odds of getting it right is one out of four. What? That does not compute! Four is correct as the search coils are hardwired and you have to choose between a 10 inch coil (wide field) and an 8 inch search coil (narrow field) which is actually 7 1/2 inch diameter on the Minelab. This is an important decision which you have to make. If I had to do it over again, I would of chosen the smaller coil as it easier to pinpoint with and is easier to use in strong currents . In Hawaii, you should never turn your back on a wave as you have to be agile and be ready to flee and survive.
As I have never seen or used a CZ21, I can only comment on what I have read. Norman Garnush, "THE GOLDENOLDE" preferred the CZ20 (earlier underwater model - CZ21 came later) over the Mine Lab Excalibur as he stated that he could cover more ground with its faster sweep speed. I have also read that it is good for finding larger rings deeper by other treasure hunters who use it. Which would be better for you would be determined by where you hunt, how you hunt, and what you prefer. I would not recommend one over the other, and would love to own both, as they have different tradeoffs.

 

[Terry Soloman]

The CZ-21 is a GREAT multi-freq machine, and at $1,125.00 a bargain compared to the $1,499.00 Excalibur. My point is for a college student, you can get a Tesoro Sand Shark for $600.00, AND a dry sand-dirt machine for LESS than one multi-freq machine that WILL NOT shoot as deep as a PI on sanded in beaches. Get the BEST machine YOU can AFFORD. The vast majority of beach hunters never pay for their gas and parking much less their machine - just keep that in mind, and Big Gold no matter what you end up buying!

 

[JustKeepDigging]

Sorry to be a buzz killer JKD as that was not my intention.
Your reason(s) for keeping your budget low are valid and prudent, as you are a student, most likely you are already over extended. However, you are in a good position having the Whites PRL-1 as you can hunt parks and Dry Sand. As long as you stay away from mineralized soil and Wet Sand at Salt Water Beaches, you should do well.

In my opinion, the best place to learn is in your back yard, if you have one, and then at a close by beach. I wrote this in a prior thread: Evolution of a shallow water hunter (Stage 1 from lawn to dry sand beach). I did not include parks as Hawaii only allows metal detecting at the beach.
The dry sand is the best and easiest place to hone your skills. First, you should focus on where people are as that is where you will find the most fresh drops. This is where you find the light silver and gold jewelry and clad coins before they sink below metal detecting depth. The time spent learning how to effectively treasure hunt in this domain is time well spent. I am talking about quality time of learning where to look, how to pin point, recover detected items, coil control, sweep speed, discrimination, trashy areas, work cuts etcetera, etcetera. This is the easiest place to learn and master skills that will be need for wet sand and shallow water hunting. Here is where you learn to be the hunter. The beach is vast while jewelry and coins are tiny. You have to know yourself, your capabilities and be committed to put the odds in your favor, before you can consistently find treasure. It takes time and effort to learn the above which should be master before hunting the more difficult wet sand then shallow water domains. I regret not buying an entry level detector to master these skills first as I wasted about one year of my warranty before I was ready. Your learning curve will probably be faster as hopefully you are open to alternatives and not set in your ways. " Old dogs take longer to learn New tricks".

Then there is karma which should never be taken for granted nor underestimated. The finds made by beginners with the cheapest of detectors on dry sand never cease to amaze me. I have seen newbie's find light gold and silver jewelry which look brand new - I even saw a newbie find a heavy platinum ring in soft dry sand, which is against all odds as it should of sunk like a rock.

As an alternative, You might consider allocating the amount of money that you are comfortable with spending toward metal detecting, rather than toward a detector, as this would give you more flexibility in purchasing stand up water scoops, finds bags, diving pin pointer, etc.
I would keep it if it worked well for me, but you could sell your White's metal detector through Members Classified on T Net or swap it for an underwater metal detector/equipment

If you do not customize and include diving, there are only two multifrequency VLF metal detectors with discrimination in production that I am aware of. The Minelab Excalibur II and the Fischer CZ21. So your odds of getting it right is one out of four. What? That does not compute! Four is correct as the search coils are hardwired and you have to choose between a 10 inch coil (wide field) and an 8 inch search coil (narrow field) which is actually 7 1/2 inch diameter on the Minelab. This is an important decision which you have to make. If I had to do it over again, I would of chosen the smaller coil as it easier to pinpoint with and is easier to use in strong currents . In Hawaii, you should never turn your back on a wave as you have to be agile and be ready to flee and survive.
As I have never seen or used a CZ21, I can only comment on what I have read. Norman Garnush, "THE GOLDENOLDE" preferred the CZ20 (earlier underwater model - CZ21 came later) over the Mine Lab Excalibur as he stated that he could cover more ground with its faster sweep speed. I have also read that it is good for finding larger rings deeper by other treasure hunters who use it. Which would be better for you would be determined by where you hunt, how you hunt, and what you prefer. I would not recommend one over the other, and would love to own both, as they have different tradeoffs.

I really do appreciate your input! Thanks so much! So far I've ligitmently spent almost every other night or day detecting for the last month. So many hours spent out on the beach. I've seen countless sea turtles and leatherbacks! I can surly say that I've learned ALOT!! I can basically tell what I'm about to dig up before I do. I've learned the perfect swing, and speed. Everything I've found so far that's good, has been fresh drops about 6-7 inches deep or usually shallower. My PRL has also picked up things pretty deep, specially out in the woods. I actually recently brought a friend out with me, did a 5 hour hunt and only found trash. He thought I was crazy that I've been spending my time out here picking trash haha. My luck hasn't really hit but I know I'll find some really cool stuff soon enough. Actually today I found my first gold! Literally 2 inches deep at the beach. A small 1 gram gold cross. Also a few sliver pieces I found within my first month.

 

[JustKeepDigging]

The CZ-21 is a GREAT multi-freq machine, and at $1,125.00 a bargain compared to the $1,499.00 Excalibur. My point is for a college student, you can get a Tesoro Sand Shark for $600.00, AND a dry sand-dirt machine for LESS than one multi-freq machine that WILL NOT shoot as deep as a PI on sanded in beaches. Get the BEST machine YOU can AFFORD. The vast majority of beach hunters never pay for their gas and parking much less their machine - just keep that in mind, and Big Gold no matter what you end up buying!

Thanks terry! I'm very interested in the sand shark, was actually about to go buy one last week until I realized I shouldn't just go out and spend all that money right away. I wanted to hear more opinions. My PRL-1 works great in the dry sand and in the woods. Yeah I might have to dig alot but hey I'm 20 years old, I'm built for that! I'm very interested in getting into shallow water and the wet sand. One night I spent 5-6 hours on a beach. Saw some guy come out with the excall, and within minutes he showed me a men's gold wedding band he found in the wet feet away from where I was! But I congratulated him and was very happy for him.!

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Congratulations on your finds JKD: In my opinion, You are doing well and it will not take you long to find enough to buy the waterproof detector you will need to hunt all three domains: Dry Sand, Wet Sand, Shallow water and later the last frontier by diving.

Thank you for sharing about the leatherbacks and countless sea turtles, I would treasure seeing this the most.
You are getting great advice, as much as I would like to I can't argue with TS. Get the best machine, you can (there are alternative paths/steps you can take to make it more affordable). I would say, that it is easier to pay for your machine, than pay for the gas, parking, food, and lodging. It just takes one or two good finds to pay for the detector; You need to be consistant to pay for the rest.

As stated in prior reply, selecting a good VLF multifrequency detector is relatively easy as there are only two detectors in production which are suitable for diving: the Fischer CZ-21 and the Minelab Excalibur ll. So you have a one in four chance of purchasing it right the first time. Neither is a bargain as they cost twice as much as a Pulse Induction (PI) detector. You pay the big bucks for both detector(s) being able to discriminate. Which is the better bargain would be determined by its life cycle cost during the time that you use it and it's resale value (if you sell/upgrade later).

The selection of a PI detector is far more difficult as they are far more site specific than the more general purpose multifrequency VLF(s). Since I live in a remote location and return shipping cost(s) would eat me alive, I never make my decision based on price and warranty as it is a trap. If the lifetime warranty is only with the original purchaser, or the warranty is only valid within the US limits the price that others will pay for it used. As they would have a new detector with a lifetime warranty for only a few dollars more. Even if the warranty is honored, you could still have a lemon, which spends more time in repair than hunting. Let's hope it never happens, but the company could go out of business.

Before anyone/everyone spam(s) me with hate email, please be aware that this is my opinion and that these comments are generic based on terrible experience(s) with auto manufacturer. I am not knocking any metal detector manufacturer - my experience has been favorable with every MD manufacturer, I have done business with. The only caveat I have is that it is like road house " It is My way or the Highway" as most manufacturers will insist that the metal detector be returned to its stock condition to repair/warranty their work.

Selecting the best PI detector is far more difficult than selecting a general purpose VLF multifrequency detector as the selection of the PI is sight specific. In an earlier thread " Like a rat in a coffee can", I have described how difficult this is to do as each detector has a unique capability which I desire:

A. Do I buy the Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II, to treasure hunt in Hawaii. I like the flexibility of being able to use the small 8" mono coil for shallow water hunting and the larger 10"X14" DD coil for hunting on wet sand.

B. Then there is the Tesoro Sand Shark - I have read that it is good on small gold but does not go as deep. I think I would really like the VCO mode to home in on the target and it's hard to beat a lifetime warranty and its low purchase price. But: The spiral antenna is a concern as I have read that it tends to act like a rudder or flip up in strong surf.

C. Or is a White's Surf master PI Dual Field better? I heard the small coil is sensitive to gold and you can go deeper the larger coil. I saw one in action and it almost looked like you could walk on water with it, till I realized that the detectorist was just trying to hold the search coil down. The bright yellow color is a plus as it would be easy to spot if you floated out to sea with it.

D. Last but not least to consider is the Garrett Infinium LS. I think I would really like this beastie, as it is the most versatile = being designed to find gold nuggets, coins, gold, treasure caches, and relics and you can dive to 200 feet with it. But I have heard that it has a longer learning curve as you have to master ground balancing, adjusting the frequency, and get used to the LO/HI and HI/LO tone for target discrimination.

If you figure out which PI is best, please please let me know! The only answer, I can come up with is buy all four and experiment.