Hey all! Looking forward to starting this hobby!

Welcome aboard and good luck with the hobby....you should be in a great area for beach hunting.

I'm sure the saltwater hunters can recommend some machine that'll get you the goodies.

Regards + HH

Bill
 

Welcome from White Plains, New York! A "VLF" or very low frequency type metal detector works extremely well on dry sand and in fresh water. It does not work as well in saltwater, or on wet ocean-water beaches. In highly conductive saltwater conditions pulse induction or "PI," and multi-frequency VLF "BBS" metal detectors excel. The VLF metal detector sends 4,000 - 80,000 radio waves per-second into the ground. When the radio waves hit something conductive - like an iron nail, gold ring, coin or aluminum pull-tab, a magnetic field sets up around the object and a particular signal frequency is transmitted back to the detector's receiving coil. VLF metal detectors have the ability to "discriminate," or tell what type of metal they are seeing by "reading" the return signal frequency.

An iron nail for example, has a different frequency than a silver coin. The processor in the metal detector knows the difference between the two, and can be set to remain silent when seeing the nail. However, the radio waves bounce off everything that is conductive in the sand or water. This is why VLF detectors must be "ground balanced" to work effectively in highly mineralized soil, or on highly conductive saltwater beaches. You must tune or adjust the machine to see through the "fog," or white-noise created by the salt and iron in the sand or water you are detecting. Unfortunately, this usually leads to a loss of depth and stability with most VLF detectors.

Minelab has a fully submersible VLF beach machine that can discriminate out iron in wet sand and saltwater. The “Excalibur” uses Broad Band Spectrum, or “BBS” technology, and retails for about $1,300.00. According to Minelab, their BBS operating system, “simultaneously transmits, receives and analyses a broad band of multiple frequencies to deliver substantial detection depth, high sensitivity and accurate discrimination for a wide range of target types.” The key takeaway here is “multiple frequencies.” Unfortunately, radio waves regardless of their frequency still have to be filtered and balanced in heavily conductive wet-ocean sand and highly mineralized saltwater. That limits the systems depth capabilities.

The magnetic iron sands (“Black Sands”), salt, and high concentrations of other minerals in the water and sand conspire to bounce the radio waves away from the target. Conductivity and mineralization act like a shield around the target and create white noise that must be filtered electronically. Think of it as turning on your bright headlights in a heavy fog at night. All that powerful light is diffused and causes a complete white out – you can’t see anything three-feet past the hood of your car! However when you turn on your yellow fog lights, you can see a little further – not as far as you could in clear daylight, but further. That is why all radio wave machines must be “ground balanced” or tuned, to maximize their depth potential, and why BBS filters and multi-frequencies are so effective – yet still limited.

Unlike BBS and VLF metal detectors which constantly send and receive thousands of low frequency radio waves per second, a Pulse Induction (PI) metal detector fires high-voltage pulses into the sand several hundred times per second. If no metal is present the electric pulse decays at a uniform rate with no anomalies. When metal is present a small “eddy” current flows through it causing the voltage decay time to increase, which creates a measurable anomaly. Unlike VLF radio waves, electronic pulses are impervious to the effects of conductivity and mineralization, and are unaffected by salt or black sands.

Using the same heavy fog at night metaphor that I referred to earlier, pulse induction is like headlights that cut completely through the fog as if it were not there at all. The trade-off for that added depth and clarity is the inability to discriminate, or block out iron targets that you generally don’t want to waste time and energy digging. While a pulse induction machine detects all metals without discrimination, the minute differences in the signal tone and quality can give a skilled and experienced operator a clue as to what the target may, or may not be.

Beach and Water Hunting Equipment

Sand Scoop - Whether hunting fresh- or salt- water beaches, you need the right equipment to recover your targets. A good beach or sand scoop is a must. Choose your scoop based on the types of beaches you will be hunting, and the area of the beach. Generally, a long-handled large capacity sand scoop is desirable in the water. Aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel scoops come in a variety of shapes, lengths, weights, and prices. In the dry sand, a short-handled scoop is usually faster and easier to use. Do not buy a cheap scoop. This piece of equipment is essential - and just as important to your success as the metal detector you choose.

Finds Pouch - You will need a pouch to put your finds in. An inexpensive cloth nail pouch works great on the beach, but you will need something a bit more substantial for your wet sand and water finds. Large, open mesh, multi-pocket belt pouches with Velcro closures are ideal for the water. They allow the sand and water to rinse out, and secure your finds so they are not lost in the surf - again!

Waders - Waders are the least expensive way to get into the surf at low tide. In most ocean beach situations, waders will only be serviceable to depths just above the knee due to wave action. Important things to look for in quality waders include weight; fabric thickness; flip out storage pockets; high-density neoprene booties (rather than heavy rubber boots); and a good wading belt should be included. Lightweight slip-on beach shoes can be worn over the neoprene booties.

Wetsuits - Fit is the most important factor when purchasing a wetsuit. You must try on the wetsuit, as every wetsuit manufacturer's size chart is different. Thickness is also important. The thicker the suit, the warmer. 'Smoothie' neoprene stretches better and is warmer in windy conditions. Seams are also important. The types of seams used in a wetsuit differ greatly.

An "Overlock" seam is found on inexpensive suits. This type of stitch lasts forever but it is not watertight, and can cause skin irritation or a rash as it protrudes against the skin. A "Flatlock" seam is a flat stitch that does not push into your skin like the overlock. It is not watertight, but does not cause as much of a rash or chaffing problem. The "Blindstitch," is a flat stitch that does not penetrate all the way through the neoprene, so there are no stitch holes. It is watertight which makes a tremendous difference. Blindstich seams are found only on more expensive wetsuits.

Last but not least, wetsuit zippers - or closures, are extremely important. "Back-zip" suits are the most common type. Look for a sturdy metal zipper (rather than plastic), and thick flaps behind the zipper to prevent water flushes. You would look for the same qualities in a "Shoulder-zip" suit.

I use an 8" Tesoro Sand Shark (pulse induction $577.00) with great success. Good Luck!
 

Thank You Terry for the in-depth info! The Tesoro Sand Shark is the machine I am leaning towards! Because I am a very petite person, I do need a machine that is lightweight or at least has the ability to be hip or shoulder mounted. I doubt I will venture in the surf more than a couple feet due to the sharks, but I am not afraid to be out in the rain, so a waterproof unit is a preference. So far I have only shopped online at Kellyco. Are there other dealers you would recommend or are they the best? Thanks for all of your assistance!
 

Welcome and good luck at the beach, be sure and post the jewelry Picts
 

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