New beachcomber...

[InkingHubris]

Hi ya!

Just curious if anyone is interested in helping out a new beach goer? I have zero equipment. I have always been a pen and paper solver (puzzles, ciphers, etc) and as I will be back in England in about 6 months and living very near the beaches on the SW of the land, I want to have a go.

I have never used a detector before, sad to say. I have spent my life on beaches but I was playing and surfing and popping jelly fish, never hunting.

So, I am looking for advice in general, on what equipment to get and use, as well as anything you wish you had known when you first started out. I do love the old "oh if I had known..." tales.

 

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[MrMikeJackie]

A waterproof multi frequency metal detector and a big stainless steel sand scoop. That's it. Have fun and enjoy all your firsts.

 

[RustyGold]

Welcome! The Minelab Excalibur II would be an excellent choice. Multi-frequency, waterproof excellent resale value.
Good luck!

 

[InkingHubris]

Thanks! I'll def look into that Excalibur II

 

[gamiller]

Maintain your equipment. Saltwater can be quite destructive. Regular rinse your equipment in fresh water.
Depending on what your looking do not over discriminate, your ears and most machines are not infallible.
I have had a deep signal change tone as I dug it.
Wear protective clothing for sun protection. Skin cancer doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Sunglasses etc.
Pay attention to tide charts, some areas that you might think are not easily accessible will be certain times of the year.
An otherwise bleak day with only a few finds can change dramatically . Patience and persistence and happy hunting.

 

[InkingHubris]

Great advice gamiller. Thanks!

 

[cudamark]

You haven't mentioned your budget, but, if I lived in England, land hunting would definitely be on my detecting list. If you plan on doing any, I'd get a CTX or two different machines. You don't need the frustration of using a machine not designed for the task at hand. At a salt water beach, the CTX, Excalibur, CZ21 shine. They have discrimination (so you don't have to dig so much iron) and are waterproof. On land, the CTX is also a good choice. So are the E-trac, XP Deus (nice and light too), Fisher F75 ( a nice relic machine), and many others. Keep in mind that since you have absolutely no equipment, you'll need all the accessories to go with them. Most dealers will include many of these items with your detector purchase. Check with our sponsored vendors here on Tnet. You'll need a good scoop for the sand. You don't want to go cheap here. A good quality scoop like the SunSpot Stealth series are worth the extra money. Also you'll want a pouch with sand holes in the bottom. On land, you'll also want a good finds pouch, digging tools, and a good pin pointer.

 

[Dug]

I have spent my life on beaches but I was playing and surfing and popping jelly fish,

.

Oh yea? What do those things taste like?

 

[InkingHubris]

cudamark... that is great. I wouldn't have thought of a pouch with sand holes!

Dug..... Ha! In Corpus Christi, TX, the PMoW would wash up on the shore by the thousands. I would run down the beach jumping from one to the next popping their heads. I was young and the stings were manageable.

 

[InkingHubris]

Cuda (or anyone else with an opinion)... I was looking up the CTX and found this one with the extras you mentioned. Is this a good deal/extras or should I keep looking? Mind, I won't be making a purchase for a few months, not until I return to England.

[edit]
Guess I should include the link... here it is I'm done being silly and forgetful now.

[/edit]

 

[MrMikeJackie]

If you're going to do any serious water hunting then I suggest the Excal or Fisher CZ21. If you're just going to play around on the wet sand and also dirt hunt then get the CTX.

 

[Dug]

Dug..... Ha! In Corpus Christi, TX, the PMoW would wash up on the shore by the thousands. I would run down the beach jumping from one to the next popping their heads. I was young and the stings were manageable.

If you are talking about the little Portuguese Man of War jellys you must have had tough feet. As a kid on a Florida beach I remember being a good Samaritan and burying one so no one would step on it. Unfortunately I had set my knee down on the tentacles. I remember my father stopping to get everyone ice cream afterward, instead of eating mine I had it planted on my knee in an effort to put the fire out.

 

[InkingHubris]

Hi Ya MisterMike, yeah, I don't plan on getting too wet, really. It is England after all, not the Southern Gulf. I don't like being cold.

Yes, Dug, those are the little *******s I am talking about. We learned that a baby wipe and meat tenderizer took the sting away immediately. I always went home covered in welts. The only one that ever bothered me was the live one in the water that got tangled between my toes and triple wrapped around my ankle. Horrible day.

 

[cudamark]

Cuda (or anyone else with an opinion)... I was looking up the CTX and found this one with the extras you mentioned. Is this a good deal/extras or should I keep looking? Mind, I won't be making a purchase for a few months, not until I return to England.

[edit]
Guess I should include the link... here it is I'm done being silly and forgetful now.

[/edit]

Without doing the pound/dollar exchange rate math, it doesn't look too bad. I would also look into the dealers here on Tnet to see if they can do even better for you. I'd get quotes from all of them and then decide. I've had good personal dealings with Bart at Big Boy Hobbies, Kellyco, and several others. Buying from a local dealer has benefits also. They'll usually give you in-person, hands-on help, which can be a real benefit when learning to detect for the first time. It might also be easier to get warranty work and problems solved.