Looking for a Water Detector Recommendation

[washingtonian]

Hey folks,

I've been considering getting a water detector and would love your input. I haven't ever actually hunted in the water before, but there are numerous lakes here in the Seattle area I would love to get better acquainted with .

I can think of one in particular that is enticing. There was a resort on this lake from the 1930s-1950s. I've found some silver coins and loads of wheaties on the land next to it, but I'm sure I wasn't the first person to detect there. One winter, when the water level dropped, I found a couple mercs on the part of the shoreline that isn't typically accessible.

Anyways, long story short, I'm considering buying a water detector. I've just gotten back into detecting this summer after a several year hiatus. My land machine is a White's DFX. I've always loved this machine. It might be a little behind the times but I'm happy with it.

Anyways, I imagine most of my detecting with the water device just being wading up to 5 feet or so to start. Scuba is a dream of mine but probably a ways out. I imagine doing primarily freshwater hunting, but saltwater is also a possibility someday (but probably not in the immediate future).

Anyways, my total budget would be around $1000. I don't have any of the gear so I'd need to purchase a wetsuit, waders, booties, headphones, and a scoop as well.

That said, do you have any recommendations? Like I said, I love White's but would be open to trying something new if there's a strong consensus in another direction.

Thanks so much for your time guys!

-Washingtonian

 

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[ROBOTCOP13]

Freshwater or saltwater?

 

[ron lord]

buy an Excal 2 good for all water and land, 200 ft. under water. 8 inch coil if you can find one .

 

[redcobra8u]

buy an Excal 2 good for all water and land, 200 ft. under water. 8 inch coil if you can find one .

Ditto.

 

[sprailroad]

Washingtonion, I had asked pretty much that same question recently, where as you and I are at that same place in wanting to water hunt. I received some really great feed back from fella's on this forum. It's in the sub-forum, beach & shallow water hunting, under the thread title "Garrett sea Hunter Mark II" I believe it was. Again, got some really good advice, gave me a pretty clear direction for me to go with what I want to do, may answer some of your questions as well. My edit, I just now noticed that you were already on beach/shallow water thread, was not paying attention.

 

[slider66]

Excalibur is the way to go. I love mine and have the CTX 3030. I love them both.


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[Indian Steve]

I just recently got an excal but used a Tesoro Tiger Shark for 3 years with great success. Tiger Shark is around $650 new with LIFETIME WARRANTY and you still have enough to get a Stealth 920 Scoop. If it is a Virgin Site, You could pay for the whole works in no time. Then get an excal if you want to salt water hunt.

 

[washingtonian]

Washingtonion, I had asked pretty much that same question recently, where as you and I are at that same place in wanting to water hunt. I received some really great feed back from fella's on this forum. It's in the sub-forum, beach & shallow water hunting, under the thread title "Garrett sea Hunter Mark II" I believe it was. Again, got some really good advice, gave me a pretty clear direction for me to go with what I want to do, may answer some of your questions as well. My edit, I just now noticed that you were already on beach/shallow water thread, was not paying attention.

Good call. That was helpful to read and thank you to everybody! These thoughts are really helpful. Has anyone done a write-up on what gear is nice to have out there? I imagine some sort of pouch for holding your finds, maybe a weight belt, a scoop, pinpointed, etc.

Thanks!

 

[sonnar28]

You may want to look at an AT Pro, a screened detector with interchangeable coils and headphones. In heavy trash, a screened detector can have an advantage over a "beep and dig" machine. And any beep and dig machine has a significant learning curve - but can be a very powerful tool once you really learn how to use it.

There is at least one metal detecting club in Seattle, as well as a physical metal detecting store in Seattle that carries Tesoro and Garrett products. It may be helpful to see what machines others are using and then actually compare them head to head. You can also check out the wet suits etc that others in your area use.

If you will be at rocky shorelines, a stainless steel European point scoop has a definite advantage. The stealth 720i is a good size scoop that would serve you well now and in the future. A zippered finds pouch/trash pouch is easier to use if you are wearing gloves.

Use caution when water detecting, especially if using waders. I never ever go alone, you can drown. A manual inflate PFD is a good idea.

BTW, the DFX is an excellent machine, I still have one and use it with a Bigfoot coil.

HH

Charles

 

[Xraywolf]

AT pro great in the water if you want to keep total under $1k.
I use a mesh bag and carbiner clips to store both finds and trash.
I use a 5mm wetsuit when it gets cold, pinpointer not necessary in the water.

Good scoop is mandatory, Steaths are great quality but a bit overpriced in my opinion, theres a guy from Ukraine on ebay that sells scoops of comparable quality for a fraction of the price.
Ships quick and you'll have saved $150+. Not knocking stealth, if nothing but the best will do and $$ no object, get it and the $170 handle why you are at it [I use a $10 home depot rake handle].

So you would be looking at [approximately]:

* At pro - $550
* Scoop - $80 [$250-300 if stealth]
* Wetsuit - $70-150 [prices,quality and fit can vary wildly, best use local store if able]
* Dive boots/gloves/mesh bag - $40

If you are Whites loyal they have water detectors, your total will go over $1k. Same for Excalibur, $1,500 just for the detector.
Worth it ? Probably so if you are very serious and want to find every metal scrap down to 1', you may not want to be digging bobby pins at 10" though. I am content getting everything at half that depth. Some bottoms are sandy and easy to scoop, some like rock and nearly impossible, and everywhere in between. A top of the line, very sensitive detector IMO is overkill for a beginner, and might even lead to more frustration than anything.
But also, something you can grow into, so it depends on your outlook.

Can obviously google for opinions and reviews, you will find good and bad about all of them.

 

[Peter67]

Tesoro Tigershark (lifetime warranty!) when you only stay in fresh water. Excalibur if you want to go in salt water to. I have both detectors and both with very good results.

 

[flgliderpilot]

Hey folks,

I've been considering getting a water detector and would love your input. I haven't ever actually hunted in the water before, but there are numerous lakes here in the Seattle area I would love to get better acquainted with .

I can think of one in particular that is enticing. There was a resort on this lake from the 1930s-1950s. I've found some silver coins and loads of wheaties on the land next to it, but I'm sure I wasn't the first person to detect there. One winter, when the water level dropped, I found a couple mercs on the part of the shoreline that isn't typically accessible.

Anyways, long story short, I'm considering buying a water detector. I've just gotten back into detecting this summer after a several year hiatus. My land machine is a White's DFX. I've always loved this machine. It might be a little behind the times but I'm happy with it.

Anyways, I imagine most of my detecting with the water device just being wading up to 5 feet or so to start. Scuba is a dream of mine but probably a ways out. I imagine doing primarily freshwater hunting, but saltwater is also a possibility someday (but probably not in the immediate future).

Anyways, my total budget would be around $1000. I don't have any of the gear so I'd need to purchase a wetsuit, waders, booties, headphones, and a scoop as well.

That said, do you have any recommendations? Like I said, I love White's but would be open to trying something new if there's a strong consensus in another direction.

Thanks so much for your time guys!

-Washingtonian

For primarily shallow fresh water, I'd probably go with an AT Pro, since you can work land and water with one machine.

If you are going deeper than 10ft and/or going to be searching in salt water, I'd go with something else (Excal or CZ-21)

 

[sprailroad]

Good advice all.

 

[s.c.shooter]

If your budget is around 1k I would look at the new AT Max. It has upgraded features from the pro. The pro is an awesome machine so hopefully the new features of the max make it even better.

 

[bigscoop]

If it were me and I was only looking at freshwater I'd look for a used At-Pro and then I'd also buy a couple of extra coils from say 5" to around 15". With a good selection of coils you'll be able to cover most any hunting situation in a pretty efficient manner. No sense in buying new if you don't have to and that selection of coils will make you more versatile and effective. I'd also use that extra money on a decent long handled scoop.

 

[stewielouie]

You may want to look at an AT Pro, a screened detector with interchangeable coils and headphones. In heavy trash, a screened detector can have an advantage over a "beep and dig" machine. And any beep and dig machine has a significant learning curve - but can be a very powerful tool once you really learn how to use it.

There is at least one metal detecting club in Seattle, as well as a physical metal detecting store in Seattle that carries Tesoro and Garrett products. It may be helpful to see what machines others are using and then actually compare them head to head. You can also check out the wet suits etc that others in your area use.

If you will be at rocky shorelines, a stainless steel European point scoop has a definite advantage. The stealth 720i is a good size scoop that would serve you well now and in the future. A zippered finds pouch/trash pouch is easier to use if you are wearing gloves.

Use caution when water detecting, especially if using waders. I never ever go alone, you can drown. A manual inflate PFD is a good idea.

BTW, the DFX is an excellent machine, I still have one and use it with a Bigfoot coil.

HH

Charles

I use a AT PRO, shallow water, nothing higher than my chest, since at that height I am to buoyant to be able to dig. Target separation and having a screen that give me a target ID makes all the difference for me. I can skip all that junk if I so choose and just dig mid range numbers from 45 to 71, or dig it all.

 

[Wiganer]

I can't believe no one recommend whites mx sport

 

[Xraywolf]

I can't believe no one recommend whites mx sport

I think that lost its luster early on with all the leakage problems [which I myself was a victim of, didn't last 10 minutes in the water before dying].
Have heard that problem has been rectified, but still sticks in memory and comes up in search results.

 

[slider66]

AT pro great in the water if you want to keep total under $1k.
I use a mesh bag and carbiner clips to store both finds and trash.
I use a 5mm wetsuit when it gets cold, pinpointer not necessary in the water.

Good scoop is mandatory, Steaths are great quality but a bit overpriced in my opinion, theres a guy from Ukraine on ebay that sells scoops of comparable quality for a fraction of the price.
Ships quick and you'll have saved $150+. Not knocking stealth, if nothing but the best will do and $$ no object, get it and the $170 handle why you are at it [I use a $10 home depot rake handle].

So you would be looking at [approximately]:

* At pro - $550
* Scoop - $80 [$250-300 if stealth]
* Wetsuit - $70-150 [prices,quality and fit can vary wildly, best use local store if able]
* Dive boots/gloves/mesh bag - $40

If you are Whites loyal they have water detectors, your total will go over $1k. Same for Excalibur, $1,500 just for the detector.
Worth it ? Probably so if you are very serious and want to find every metal scrap down to 1', you may not want to be digging bobby pins at 10" though. I am content getting everything at half that depth. Some bottoms are sandy and easy to scoop, some like rock and nearly impossible, and everywhere in between. A top of the line, very sensitive detector IMO is overkill for a beginner, and might even lead to more frustration than anything.
But also, something you can grow into, so it depends on your outlook.

Can obviously google for opinions and reviews, you will find good and bad about all of them.

The Excal kills it and in the discrimination mode you won't dig bobby pins. The AT pro is a great machine and can be used in saltwater. I have one and have used it and found some great finds but having said that here in Florida you will get a lot of chatter. I have two Excal and the CTX. They both kill it in and out of the water.

 

[Xraywolf]

I will likely bite the bullet and get an Excal soon, upgrades are always nice and never hurts to have a spare machine.