A question about salt water machines.

[Scottyboy]

Hello all, I'm relatively new to this hobby, and I've been having a lot of fun learning and using my whites v3i.
The V3i performs wonderfully in the dry sand but it goes bonkers when I get in the wet sand/ shallow water.

So, I've decided to go ahead and purchase a dedicated water machine (either PI or BBS).

I do intend on going into waist/chest deep water so something like a sovereign or TDI is out of the question.

So, getting to my question, I've decided I'm either going with an Excal II or going with a Whites PI DF (and using what I save to maybe pickup a sand shark as a backup/loaner).... but I cant decided which. I live in Pensacola FL and Intend on using the detector in the water between Gulf Shores AL, and Panama City Beach. Our beaches are sugary white here and not very trash-filled. That being said, in this environment, would I see a great benefit in the Excal over the DF.

Should I go with the PI DF and use what I save to buy a backup sand shark, or should I put all my eggs in one basket and get the Minelab?

Thanks in advance,
Scott

 

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[bigscoop]

Go with the Excal. After the warranty runs out put a WOT coil on it. Once you achieve this you'll be hunting as deep as most stock PI's with the added benefit of disc. After a certain depth in the saltwater environment (10 - 12 inches) it's pretty much an all metal mode and/or a dig-all proposition anyway. However, what you gain with disc mode on the shallower targets is a HUGE, time saving benefit. The larger BBS WOT coil will also allow you to cover a lot more beach per sweep. Down side - uneven bottoms can be a bit tricky with the larger coil. Don't count out the Fisher CZ21 either, as it is another deep hunting machine with the advantage of disc and it's built like a tank. Just my two cents after wrestling with the same question for quite some time.

 

[dewcon4414]

I put all my eggs in one basket.... the Xcal and it paid for its self in a couple of weeks. It fit my style of hunting. I like to cover more beach area faster and figured if i got out there and the beach was trashy id at least be able to hunt it. The PI has a longer learning curve and not being able to read a beach could put you in a trashy area with nothing worth digging. Also, i felt when the troffs were producing picking thru the additional trash was a time waster. NOW.... if i want a PI ive found enough gold several times over to buy one. It just seemed like a faster method of ending up with the equipment. If i choose to buy a PI it would be as a back up because there are times you just need it.

Dew

 

[boris]

If you enter the food chain bring a tesoro stingray every time and you will find gold.

 

[Terry Soloman]

I have to disagree that BBS - even with a WOT coil, will shoot as deep as a PI. Go with the Dual Field or Sand Shark. I use the Sand Shark, and walk behind the Excalibur guys without fear. It really upsets them.. LOL!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Finding a stingray is like looking for hens teeth. You will dig no iron with the excal and with the 2004&2005 hurricanes you will have a lot of iron there i bet.

 

[Scottyboy]

Thanks everyone for the quick responses, I really appreciate the help of you veteran detectorists.
It's going to be a couple of weeks before I take the proverbial plunge, but the information gained here be will weighed heavily before making my final decision.

For now though, both the beach and my v3i are calling... so I'm off.

Thanks again and HH,

Scott

 

[Scottyboy]

A quick follow up to this.. I had not looked into the Fisher CZ-21 until now.
Now this seems to be a dual frequency machine, though I'm not sure what "Dual Frequency Fourier Domain Signal Analysis" really means.

My question is, would this machine be as plagued by false signals in the wet sand and water as my V3i is? I ask this because part of the reason I'm looking for a dedicated water machine is my inability to get the v3i to run stably in the wet sand and water.I put it in salt compensate mode, I set the soil type to salt, I've adjusted the sensitivity,ground filters, the SAT level etc. etc. I still get tons of beeping and bonking with even the slightest bump of the detector to the wet sand.. it's pretty frustrating.

Would the CZ21 simply be more of the same?

 

[MBbeachrat]

This is a reply I just made to another post. If you get a CZ 21 or Excal II you won't be sorry. If you dont like it ebay it and get 90%
back. The CZ 21 really does well in the surf. Both machines will false a little when the salt water begins to move(Excal more so), just the way they pick up siganls, but you can tell it from a target.


I hunt Delaware, Maryland and Florida, on the East Coast. The person I learned the most from has found much more then anyone I know or seen on forums. He has owned over 50 different detectors. He does it for a living and has for a long time. The only detector he uses now and for the last 5 years is the CZ 21 with the 8" coil. Regardless if he is diving, on the wet beach, dry beach, or looking for artifacts on land, this is the machine he uses. He finds silver and gold from shipwrecks on the beach and in the water. He finds gold and silver, modern jewelry and artifacts on the beach and land. He prefers this to any detector regardless of land, water or beach hunting. He does not need to look at a screen and can discriminate just with the sounds. He sells detectors also and has many choices. He will admit that on rare occasions the discrimination abilities of some detectors would be better. But he feels it is not even close to being worth the effort of learning another machine. I think if you hunt the beach and water and Excal or CZ 21 will be all you need. I have both and like both. I use the CZ 21 about 75% of the time. If your going to hunt the land also, the CZ 21 would be my choice.
​

 

[bigscoop]

I have to disagree that BBS - even with a WOT coil, will shoot as deep as a PI.

But of course you do. (I still love ya, man!)

 

[hamiddetecting]

Detecting on the beach, you need a paguet of metal detectors and if you use all types for to know.
Its my idea:
PI
BBS
Its great machines. Happy hunting.

 

[leprechaun]

I own a wihites V3 witch is same as V3I, when your machine goes crazy in the wet sand it's because you need to go to the frecuncy setting and turn on salt compensate.
You need to learn more about adjusting your machine, to go from wet to dry sand.When I go from wet sand to dry sand or dirt you need to adjust the gain down sometimes
and turn off the salt compensate.PM me if you have any questions.