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Need Input On Water Detectors!

What Water Detector Best Fits You?

  • Total voters
    37
JBEXPRESS

JBEXPRESS

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As you know I have my Whites Dual Field up for sale because I just dont like it and its just not for me.

I will be searching for a water detector that might fit me best, but I want to know your input on what water detector you think worked the best for you! I want to see my options.

Which detector would you perfer? and if not listed then post yours.

Minelab Excal 800 -1000
Tesoro Tiger Shark
Whites Surf Master PI Pro
Garretts Sea Hunter Mark II
Fisher CZ 21
Infinium LS

I just wish I could try them out before buying one I don't like
 
I didn't vote in your poll but I own an Infinium. This is a new detector to me but so far I'm having a BLAST with it-and I haven't even made it to the water yet! This detector has a language that I'm trying to learn, but so far I've managed to do pretty well with the coins and jewelry even on a tot lot. Sure PI may not be suited to everything but I'm making it fit pretty well so far.

Now.. Your list contains PI units and VLF units. This difference alone is probably bigger than anything else on whether any of these detectors are 'for you'. I plan on adding a VLF water machine a bit later, but for the purposes I had in mind, the Infinium is a perfect fit so far.

Probably not much help really! I say learn the in/outs of both PI and VLF before you make any further decisions!
 
I am new to the hobby but have a Minelab Excalibur II. Although I have not used the other machines in the list I am happy with my decision to go with the Excalibur. It seems to be a popular choice among beach hunters. There are a number of books written on how to use it, videos of hunters using it on youtube, and even an ear training CD that can be purchased.

Tony
 
Depending on what your complaint is about the Dual Field, you may be able to scratch a few off of the list.

For example, if you don't like digging iron, and don't want to spend the time to learn to recognize the sound of iron, then scratch off all of the PI's.

Also, what's the intended purpose of the machine, water hunting, wet sand hunting, dry sand hunting, ...?
 
hobbes_lives said:
Depending on what your complaint is about the Dual Field, you may be able to scratch a few off of the list.

For example, if you don't like digging iron, and don't want to spend the time to learn to recognize the sound of iron, then scratch off all of the PI's.

Also, what's the intended purpose of the machine, water hunting, wet sand hunting, dry sand hunting, ...?
Click to expand...

Well I dont have a problem digging everything, I just had a lot of trouble Pinpointing IN the water, I think cause the coil is so big.

Will be for wet and in ocean. I think I would be better at a smaller 8 and maybe 10 inch coil at the most. That 12 inch Dual Field coil is huge and I really dont hear a difference in the sounds.
 
I have a tesoro tiger shark

Hey there JB. I bought a tesoro tiger shark last march and i'll bet it has paid for itself 5 or 6 times over. Junk targets sound scratchy but when you locate a gold or silver target it sounds like a trumpet blast or a deep sounding car horn. I have only changed the batteries in it 2 times and it is built like a tank. VERY HEAVY, about 10 pounds.....DAVE in madison:goodluck:
 
I've never used any of the water detectors but your question was
which one suited you and I believe after using my Fisher coinstrike
in the water with ease and smoothness that the CZ 21 just might suit me.

I think your problem with the Dual Field was that gigantic coil. I remember
you got a signal on a target once, dug a hole and couldn't pinpoint the target.
I came over with the Detectorpro Pirate I was using at the time with
the 8" coil and immediately pinpointed it. The target was directly in
the center of your deep hole which I think says you pinpointed pretty well
that time my friend. :grin:
 
I love my Excal II it is a great machine , but if you want to stay with PI check out Minelab PI machines they have some really good ones.Good luck and HH
 
JBEXPRESS said:
Well I dont have a problem digging everything, I just had a lot of trouble Pinpointing IN the water, I think cause the coil is so big.

Will be for wet and in ocean. I think I would be better at a smaller 8 and maybe 10 inch coil at the most. That 12 inch Dual Field coil is huge and I really dont hear a difference in the sounds.
Click to expand...


James... the DF is one of the easiest detectors to pinpoint with and if you are having issues PPIng then my suggestion is to practice in the wet sand because PPing with the DF is right on... our waters up here are always murky and we can't even see the coil on the bottom and we don't have these problems... its not the detector James....
 
The Sand Shark is a nice machine also. The coils are changeable & comes standard with a 8" coil. Nice and easy to pinpoint with a decent water scoop.
Want to trade.??? :D
 
I am not a beach hunter but have done lots of research on beach hunting and water machines. If I were to get a submersible/land unit, I would go with the Excalibur from minelab. BBS technology(17 frequencies), deep machine, hipmountable controls, nicely balanced, discrimination abilities, lots of successful beachhunters use them, and I just like the way it looks too.

My twoo...
 
I believe that the Excal II is a great machine but I've never used one. I only used the PI Pro a short time before I got the DF but I still have it as a backup machine. I actually found more gold with the PI Pro but that was just due to being in the right place at the right time.
It has taken me some time to get use to the DF but now I only seem to have a problem pinpointing if I get in a hurry and start digging before I have a good bead on the target. It also helps to have a "proper" sized scoop which I, personally, believe is 6" x 11" minimum. If you decide on a PI Pro I would recommend the neutral buoyancy coil for hunting in the water. Another thing about the PI Pro that I don't think has been mentioned is that it is easier to swing than the DF. If I want to cover a lot of ground quickly and there are a lot of shallower targets I will use the PI Pro. If there are fewer and deeper targets I prefer the DF.
I should mention that at this point about 80%-90% of my hunting with the PI machines has been in the wet sand at the beach and the balance of my time in the salt water. That will likely change as the weather warms up. HH!
 
JBEXPRESS said:
Well I dont have a problem digging everything, I just had a lot of trouble Pinpointing IN the water, I think cause the coil is so big.

Will be for wet and in ocean. I think I would be better at a smaller 8 and maybe 10 inch coil at the most. That 12 inch Dual Field coil is huge and I really dont hear a difference in the sounds.
Click to expand...

I think you need to step back and listen to what's being said here! Is it really just the pinpointing? Have you try closing your eyes when pinpointing and hearing the highest pitch and place the coil down on the wet sand and put one foot behind the coil and slide the coil away without moving your foot and put the scoop in front of it.....That's pinpointing your target....do the same in the water! The center 12' coil is where your target is, "But forget about that"....just go by the sound and place the coil down....you need to practice that......if you buy another MD like excal or Infinium, You will have to understand what it's telling you just like a PI! JB, We all here want to see you get better, But you have to put your time in....many many hrs, If all fails, I do have a DP PiratePro for sell!! :lol::lol:
 
love my excalibur 2

I love my Excalibur 2 Mine lab . Finding some great stuff. If I have the opportunity I would like to try a Df PI . I would like to try it for its depth characteristics.
 
I have the Excal II 800 and love it. Works dry & wet sand and also in fresh and salt water. A bit of a learning curve with the tones - but once you get the tones down - it is excellent.
 
To me its not the machine... like Joe says sometimes you have to take a step back... James... I let Joe try the DF last year and he couldn't believe how easy it was to PP with... I have hunted with both the Excalibur and now the GT and its no different than the PI as far as PPIng is concerned in the water... lots of people think its just like dirt digging, swing the coil and dig where the beep is and in the soil a target doesn't move... water hunters know there is a huge difference.. targets do not stay put all the time.. they flop around in the hole and being able to recover a target water hunting takes time and its my opinion you haven't put in that time yet... I also think you are used to a detector without a threshold, you are used to a beep and dig detector...I think the threshold tone is also throwing you off... as far as I am concerned a change of detectors is not going to help until you learn how to PP in the water and as I have said already practice on the wet sand...

The Excal is a very good machine but you are going to give up depth sometimes very important when the finds are not shallow... you also are going to want to buy a straight shaft because out of the box the detector is not well balanced and is very heavy without the straight shaft unless you hip mount it and doing so risks pulling on wires that don't like being pulled on...

Each machine has its benefits and each machine has its negatives... but the only negative with the PI is its lack of discrimination but a PI hunter who knows his machine doesn't dig much iron... and will find the deepest gold a VLF can't...
 
To Compass:

I am a rookie as far as PI machines go and I am currently waiting for my PI Pro to show up on my doorstep. I have heard in a few other places that the Pi pro is a deeper seeker than the DF. You have said quite the opposite on one of your above posts. i am confused as heck now...The consensus was that the DF uses the same power as the PI but spread it over the 2 coils making it a shallower seeker....

Thoughts? Anyone?!! :?:

Thanks.

Z
 
Sorry but I'm sure that I have it right. That is why many hunters have upgraded from the PI Pro to the DF- for a little more depth. True, the DF has 2 coils. My understanding is that the larger coil is for greater depth and the smaller coil is for sensitivity and I can say that I have found deeper and smaller objects with the DF than I could with any of the 10 other detectors I have owned. Prior to the DF, however, the PI Pro was the deepest machine I had ever used. HH!
 
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