best value beach/surf detector??

wallhanger124

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South Jersey
im looking to purchase a detector that i can use in wet beach sand(salt water) and in the shallow surf(up to maybe 5ft). i was looking at getting a garrett at pro so that way i could use it in land too, but how is it in the wet sand. also what machine would u guys recommend for the conditions that im talking about? do i really need a PI detector? any info would help. thanks Kyle
 
im looking to purchase a detector that i can use in wet beach sand(salt water) and in the shallow surf(up to maybe 5ft). i was looking at getting a garrett at pro so that way i could use it in land too, but how is it in the wet sand. also what machine would u guys recommend for the conditions that im talking about? do i really need a PI detector? any info would help. thanks Kyle

Craigslist!

I've seen several used Garrett & Whites PI detectors for $450-650. My Sea Hunter (PI) is great for the kids too, they turn it on and away they go without having to have dad make some adjustment or special setting. When they have a brain fart and set the thing down as a wave comes crashing over them -- no worries, its waterproof! Or if you just so happen to drive 15 hours to a civil war site to detect and arrive just in time for a thunderstorm -- no worries, its waterproof!
 
For saltwater you want a multifrequency vlf, or a PI. AT Pro is single frequency machine, and will probably be mediocre at a saltwater beach compared to the multifrequency vlfs.

PIs are normally lower price than multifreq vlfs, but you can find good deals on use multifreq vlfs sometimes.

There are only a few waterproof multi-freq vlfs on the market (Excal, CZ21, BHID300). If you can live with non waterproof you have a lot more options (Any BBS/FBS minelab, Any Fisher CZ series, Whites DFX/V3i/plus a few more I think)

Shop used and you can find a good beach machine for around $500.
 
I'd look for a used dual field. And then after your first gold ring find, buy a VLF detector for the sand/land.
 
up to maybe 5ft

Jersey Shore.. I only know of one that hunts that deep, water is ruff as bricks there, plus it is a shallow beach with a good percentage of the hunting on wetsand. I would say ask santa for a sovereign and stay very shallow.

Does anyone there hunt 5 feet in?



Terry hacked Aquaman's account... sneaky Terry, sneaky....
:thumbsup:
 
Maybe terry is a MOD and he used this little secret hack..:?:
 

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Hunting at about 5 feet you are going to run into very rough surf conditions.

You options are sandshark for cheap. Amphibian for consistant.

The at pro is iffy with saltwater, sometimes is will let you sometimes is chirps like a hungry bird.
 
I own 2 Excals (8"&10"), 2 DF's and a Sand Shark 8". I bought the Sand shark based on reports that it was good on thin chains (which I have yet to validate). In all honesty though, it has found it's fair share of rings and at a pretty good depth. I was very skeptical at first but my little SS has paid for itself many time over.

wallhanger asked and I'm just giving him my real world results. I have nothing to gain by stearing him toward a Tesoro detector. My Sand Shark is simply another detector that has proven itself to be apart of my quiver.
 
I like Excalibur II, so its my opinion you need PI and VLF(BBS).
Detection on the beach as like playing golf( many shaft).
Hamid
 
thanks for the replys guys. it looks like i have alot to think about. i guess 5ft is deep in the rough shore off south Jersey. so if i only plan on detecting in the wash(ankle to knee deep water) then i only need a detector that has a waterproof coil as long as the control box doesnt get wet? also if i could get a detector that can do good on dry land like parks and on wet sand/shallow salt water, then that would be great. would a detector like the minelab etrac or the whites v3i be good choices? im still very new to this(only been detecting for 3 days lol) but from what i have heard and read it is better just to buy the best detector u can afford. when i get my income taxes in Feb, i think i want to buy the best unit i can afford(between $1000-$2000) i know there are so many choices at that price range, but the advice i get from here is going to really help my decision. even tho i have only been detecting for 3 days, im hooked lol. once again thanks guys, Kyle
 
wallhanger asked and I'm just giving him my real world results. I have nothing to gain by stearing him toward a Tesoro detector. My Sand Shark is simply another detector that has proven itself to be apart of my quiver.

Was just messin with you bud. :D
 
Water and wet sand maybe a PI.... depending on your patience to dig everything... and there are a lot of everythings out there. But using a PI in land would be nuts for a lot of reasons. I think OB has the best idea to meet you needs in a Sov.... unlike the ET you can neck mount it away from the water and cover it better from the salt. No TID, but seriously, you arent looking for a reason not to dig on a beach and NOTHING IMO nulls out iron like a Sov/Xcal. There are going to be trade offs. Dirt and beach digging honestly requires a couple of machines if you want the best of both worlds. If you plan on doing more water hunting than dirt and dont know your beaches a disc machine is the best way to start.... dig it all for awhile if you want and see just how much trash you really dig and how much beach you cover.

If you spend more time in the water a machine will pay for its self. Have you looked at the CTX? Pricy.... but flexible as they seem to keep working out the bugs. BUT.... water hunters pay for their equipment much faster than dirt hunters and the CTX meets all your requirements.

Dew
 
Find a used sov gt and waterproof it when you go in the drink.You can make an extended shaft and mount the controls above your head on the shaft if need be.That way you got the likes of having an excal,but can switch out coils.Over the head mount you best put it in a bag and tape it off.A quick drop in the water and it will survive.Then you can use it inland as well.A pi isn't for just anyone.Mine sees limited action.
 
thanks for the replys guys. it looks like i have alot to think about. i guess 5ft is deep in the rough shore off south Jersey. so if i only plan on detecting in the wash(ankle to knee deep water) then i only need a detector that has a waterproof coil as long as the control box doesnt get wet? also if i could get a detector that can do good on dry land like parks and on wet sand/shallow salt water, then that would be great. would a detector like the minelab etrac or the whites v3i be good choices? im still very new to this(only been detecting for 3 days lol) but from what i have heard and read it is better just to buy the best detector u can afford. when i get my income taxes in Feb, i think i want to buy the best unit i can afford(between $1000-$2000) i know there are so many choices at that price range, but the advice i get from here is going to really help my decision. even tho i have only been detecting for 3 days, im hooked lol. once again thanks guys, Kyle

Whatever you buy I would strongly suggest a machine that can support some disc control. The further out you go in the wet salt on this shore,the more hot-rock you will dig. My PI was great,went deep, but I could never find a happy medium between sensitivity and frequency, and in the dry sand digging got insane...never sure if worth digging. My modded tesoro found more in the semi-wet-dry sand than the PI as I could cover more area by having a better idea what was below...and it never failed my guess when I dug. I'm on the bay side now and going to target a hot area that has hundreds of people partying every weekend and only 3-4' deep :D
 
not many guys use them, but I love my Whites BeachHunter 300 id. Its a low frequency machine with two frequencies. Great in salt water and paid for itself the first month I bought it. Whites has great customer service. I just had my coil replaced for free after two summers of use. New they run about $900. Good luck and enjoy whatever model you decide to go with
 
I agree with the Multi-freq vlf first before a PI. I can hunt any of my beaches at any time with my CZ21, but some of my beaches, especially in the winter when the sand is low, have an insane amount of targets and a PI would drive me nuts.

PI when sanded in, VLF when not sanded in/on unhunted beaches.
 
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