Water units: hip mount, or shaft mount prefered, and why?

[china-clipper]

I was just wondering now the I've got my Surfmaster PI, what do most of you prefer, and why? Is it easier to sweep, dig, and lookover your finds if the unit is mounted on your hip? I imagine all you have to do is let go of the detector and then grab it when you need it. If the unit stays on the shaft you have to worry about losing it in the surf and chasing after it if you let go of it, that is, except for the fact that it's still attached to your head via the headphones. Any benefits of hip versus shaft?