Hi there I'm looking to buy my first machine for the beach,wet sand and shallow salt water.
Would the fisher f22 be a good one to start with?
Thanks
Nope.
Multi frequency machines like Minelabs and Pulse Induction units are generally the norm plus maybe a couple of others.
In short, any detector will work in the dry sand. Getting detectors to work in the wet sand or submerged in salt water is the challenge that becomes expensive.
Single frequency detectors will work in the wet sand by decreasing the sensitivity. This means you'll lose depth and/or sensitivity to small targets. Additionally, it is common for these detectors to give random erroneous signals and noisy chatter.
Multi-frequency detectors will compensate for the conductive salt and mineralization without losing depth and sensitivity. The benefit is they (usually) are quiet and give an honest signal, if it beeps, there is something there. M/F detectors consequently cost more and the price goes up if you want them waterproof. The main advantage to a M/F detector is that you can discriminate unwanted targets like iron. This means you can cherry pick targets and make the most use of limited time.
PI or pulse induction detectors are the cost efficient alternative to MF detectors. They work great in salt water, but the caveat is they do not discriminate (well).
Multifrequency detectors would include the following:
Fisher:
CZ-3d (older models were the CZ-5 and CZ-6) not waterproof
CZ-7, 7a, 7apro & 70 (all are older models that are splash proof)
CZ-21 (older model is the 20) completely waterproof
Minelab
Safari (older model was the Quattro) not waterproof
Explorer (all are older models... X, XS, II, Se, & SePro) not waterproof
Sovereign (older model not waterproof)
Excallibur (waterproof)
CTX-3030 (waterproof)
Whites -
Beach Hunter ID (waterproof)
DFX (not waterproof)
VXi and variants (not waterproof)
PI units...
Garrett Sea hunter, Infinium, ATX
Tesoro Sand Shark
Aquasound/pulse
JW Fisher
Fisher Impulse
Detectorpro pulse (note only the pulse model, not the diver, wader, or pirate)
Note: there are others but these are the common ones.
That should get you going..... be sure to ask forum sponsors. They often have preowned models that have been thoroughly gone through and may have warranties. Its a great way to get into the hobby, much better to get a good used machine than a so-so new machine!