Metal detecting on beach, in sea and in a heavily mineralized area

[Jagerfield]

Can you please advice me on a good detector for use on the beach and in sea in a heavily mineralized area? I have done a lot of reading, and in the beginning I thought the Garrett Infinium was a good choice as it looks deep on land and in sea, and has a balancing feature. However, this PI machine would have me busy digging up each and every signal as it has no discrimination, and that is a lot of wasted time and hard work. Then I thought the VLF machine CTX 3030 would be the answer, till I found out that it can't handle mineralized soil well.

 

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[bigscoop]

If you can be geographically specific as to a region you'll probably get more replies and help from folks who have actually hunted in those regions/environments.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

Welcome Aboard!!

You will require a PI Machine in HEAVY mineralization unless you like the constant sound of iron. In the dry sand you will scoop trash with a PI. In the ocean or on the slope of a beach with good wave action, most trash will be washed away. In fishing areas you will scoop lots of sinkers. Whatever machine you get, once you learn you machine, your trash ratio will drop.

With my ATX, I can hear the distinct sound of foil items. With the Iron Check feature, I can hear the grunt of bobby pins, screws, nails, and other iron items. So my trash scooping is limited ... Although fishing sinkers drive me nuts.

Some good choices for a PI would be.... (from mid-priced end to high end)

White's Surf PI Duel Field

Garrett ATX

Minelab SDC 2300

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

CTX 3030 works on all the beaches from Texas to Florida and all the way to Maine as does the Minelab Excalibur....

Posted From My $50 Tablet....

 

[Jagerfield]

Hawaii

 

[Jagerfield]

CTX 3030 works on all the beaches from Texas to Florida and all the way to Maine as does the Minelab Excalibur....

Posted From My $50 Tablet....

Yes, the CTX 3030 is impressive but does it have a balancing feature to cancel out the minerals in the volcanic ground?

 

[Jagerfield]

Welcome Aboard!!

You will require a PI Machine in HEAVY mineralization unless you like the constant sound of iron. In the dry sand you will scoop trash with a PI. In the ocean or on the slope of a beach with good wave action, most trash will be washed away. In fishing areas you will scoop lots of sinkers. Whatever machine you get, once you learn you machine, your trash ratio will drop.

With my ATX, I can hear the distinct sound of foil items. With the Iron Check feature, I can hear the grunt of bobby pins, screws, nails, and other iron items. So my trash scooping is limited ... Although fishing sinkers drive me nuts.

Some good choices for a PI would be.... (from mid-priced end to high end)

White's Surf PI Duel Field

Garrett ATX

Minelab SDC 2300

Thanks SoCalBeachScanner.

I found an article by "Steve Herschbach" recommending the White's, although recent article by Steve mostly favors using the ATX.
White's M6 in Hawaii


Please take a look at this YouTube video. The guy says that the ATX is not working well in "black sands" as the detector wasn't able to balance out hot stones :




I guess there is a limit for detectors in such extreme conditions.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

Thanks SoCalBeachScanner.

I found an article by "Steve Herschbach" recommending the White's, although recent article by Steve mostly favors using the ATX.
White's M6 in Hawaii


Please take a look at this YouTube video. The guy says that the ATX is not working well in "black sands" as the detector wasn't able to balance out hot stones :


I guess there is a limit for detectors in such extreme conditions.

That black sand is INSANE!! To try and cancel that sand out with ANY detector, the machine would be so de-tuned, you would be lucky to hear anything deeper than 4".

It's like metal detecting on top of an Aircraft Carrier

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

We have a little black sand here in Fl, down in the Venice area, I have no problem with my excal or ETrac. FBS and BBS detectors have little to no problem on black sand beaches

" Most of the latest manual and automated VLF detectors are good for detecting on dry sand beaches. Detectors of the BBS and FBS technologies are better choices as these machines ignore black sand and salt minerals and allow a detectorist to adjust Discrimination properly."

http://www.metaldetectingworld.com/beach_hunting_p6.shtml

Posted From My $50 Tablet....

 

[ARC]

My 2 cents...
Buy an Excal 2.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

We have a little black sand here in Fl, down in the Venice area, I have no problem with my excal or ETrac. FBS and BBS detectors have little to no problem on black sand beaches

" Most of the latest manual and automated VLF detectors are good for detecting on dry sand beaches. Detectors of the BBS and FBS technologies are better choices as these machines ignore black sand and salt minerals and allow a detectorist to adjust Discrimination properly."

TH ... we have black sand in SoCal also, but nothing like what is in that video in Hawaii.

The more iron your machine tries to cancel out by whatever technology or by you lowering the sensitivity or using discrimination, the more depth your machine will lose. When your machine ignores iron or anything, YOU LOSE DEPTH whether you have a VLF or PI machine.

Even when you ground balance to cancel out the magnetic particles (iron) and grains of iron you lose depth. Whenever you cancel out anything, whether using the ground balance or using the discrimination you lose overall depth.

I try not to ground balance my ATX or any of my machines unless I absolutely have to because they will lose depth. When I get into black sand, I only perform a partial ground balance as not to lose too much depth.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

We have quite a few members using Excals in Hawaii...

Posted From My $50 Tablet....

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

Not ALL beaches in Hawaii are like detecting on the deck of an Aircraft Carrier

I would opt for a good dredging machine to retrieve the gold out of the water of that particular Hawaiian beach

 

[CASPER-2]

I have hunted in black sand in New England for yrs with no prob with both Whites PIPro and CZ21s

That black sand is INSANE!! To try and cancel that sand out with ANY detector, the machine would be so de-tuned, you would be lucky to hear anything deeper than 4".

It's like metal detecting on top of an Aircraft Carrier

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

I have hunted in black sand in New England for yrs with no prob with both Whites PIPro and CZ21s

Hey Casper ... You must not have watched the last few minutes of the video. You do not have Black Sand (iron ore) like that in New England

That sand would kick any detectors ass.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Hey Casper ... You must not have watched the last few minutes of the video. You do not have Black Sand (iron ore) like that in New England ..

That sand would kick any detectors ass.

Northern New England states has black sand although not like Hawaii.

We have many members using excals in Hawaii. One way is to lower the threshold to just below where you can't hear it and set sensitivity to about 7-8, no discrimination, any targets will still tone through. I have hunted that way in water that was rough with a lot of black sand rolling in the surf.

Posted From My $50 Tablet....

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

Northern New England states has black sand although not like Hawaii.

We have many members using excals in Hawaii. One way is to lower the threshold to just below where you can't hear it and set sensitivity to about 7-8, no discrimination, any targets will still tone through. I have hunted that way in water that was rough with a lot of black sand rolling in the surf

TH ... obviously you didn't see the last few minute of the video either.

And yes! The East Coast has black sand in areas, and so does the Gulf Coast, along with the West Coast. But nothing like some beaches in Hawaii.

There is black sand in Hawaii ... and there is BLACK SAND in Hawaii

This particular beach in Hawaii would be considered untouchable with any detector on any settings.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

TH ... obviously you didn't see the last few minute of the video either.

And yes! The East Coast has black sand in areas, and so does the Gulf Coast, along with the West Coast. But nothing like some beaches in Hawaii.

There is black sand in Hawaii ... and there is BLACK SAND in Hawaii

This particular beach in Hawaii would be considered untouchable with any detector on any settings.

Not here to argue, just saying we have many members in Hawaii using excals....

My reply is based on the OP's original post and member saying only PI would work...


Posted From My $50 Tablet....

 

[CASPER-2]

when I used a magnet in my scoop - it would come out like a chia pet with iron on it - got sick of cleaning it off every hunt
and i have hunted in Hawaii - in the 90s

Hey Casper ... You must not have watched the last few minutes of the video. You do not have Black Sand (iron ore) like that in New England

That sand would kick any detectors ass.

 

[RustyGold]

The CTX has Auto GB and Manual GB features. I seldom if ever have to perform a GB on the beach.
I have zero issues using the CTX on any SoCal beach I've been to.
I believe, in the Beach mode the GB is automatic.

The Excal has an all metal mode as well. The Pinpoint setting.
Good luck!