HELP! Solution to highly mineralized black sand in California?

[goldcruzer]

Friends,

I'm trying to purchase a mid-grade metal detector to use on the beaches of San Diego.
I'm looking specifically for some good detectors that will operate fully and well in beach combing the highly mineralized black sand of southern California beaches. Semi water proof (wading but not diving) is a must. Any suggestions?

[Rudy]

If you are looking for a well priced VLF (as opposed to a PI) detector that performs in our mineralized CA beaches, the DetectorPro Wader works quite well in that environment, plus it is submersible down to 6 ft underwater. The Diver with the same electronics but better sealing can go down to 100 ft underwater. The Pirate is a lower cost version but in my book is nowhere as good as the Wader.

Stay away from the White's Beach Hunter ID. It doesn't work well at all in most California beaches although east coast folks are very happy with it.

[SandHunter]

I'm a So Cal guy, have hunted from San Diego to Santa Barbara and have yet to run into black sand.

[Baja Vinnie]

Originally Posted by SandHunter

I'm a So Cal guy, have hunted from San Diego to Santa Barbara and have yet to run into black sand.

Ditto... I hunt from Oceanside to Bolsa Chica and all points in between, no black sand here either. Well,,,,, except for that thick sticky black stuff that washes up on Huntington Gotta love those offshore oil rigs

BV <")))><

[Golden]

Originally Posted by goldcruzer

Friends,

I'm trying to purchase a mid-grade metal detector to use on the beaches of San Diego.
I'm looking specifically for some good detectors that will operate fully and well in beach combing the highly mineralized black sand of southern California beaches. Semi water proof (wading but not diving) is a must. Any suggestions?

I use my Mnelab Quattro in heavy mineralized ground. Performs very well under these conditions, and in close proximity to other detectors of different makes and models. On turning the detector on I firstly noice cancel (ground balance) prior to detecting. I don't believe the Quattro is still being manufactured, but the Explorer 2 detectors also function well in these conditions. You might want to look into the Safari or Etrack models, and get some info from users on this forum who use them.
Both the Quattro and Explorer models have waterproof coils.
Golden

[Lowjiber]

Originally Posted by Rudy

If you are looking for a well priced VLF (as opposed to a PI) detector that performs in our mineralized CA beaches, the DetectorPro Wader works quite well in that environment, plus it is submersible down to 6 ft underwater.

I agree with Rudy on the DP Wader. I bought mine (on his recommendation) about a year ago and it works great...get the 10" coil option.

(I started to answer your question in the chatroom last night, but you got bumped out somehow while I was typing my answer.)

[SeabeeRon]

First off, welcome from another California sand digger!
You have gotten some great tips so far. Don't know how high in price you can go, but I picked up a used PI machine and love it! Just be ready to "dig it all"! For me, in the sand, it is not an issue!

[IntoIt]

Originally Posted by SandHunter

I'm a So Cal guy, have hunted from San Diego to Santa Barbara and have yet to run into black sand.

OH..You've hit black sand for certain.
On to the question. Most PI`s ignore black sand like no other detector.
If price is no object I recommend The Goldquest, Garrett Infinium ,Whites Dual Field PI.
Those three have one thing in common, They were Designed or partially designed by Eric Foster who advanced the PI detector to its current and best performance.
OOPS. I missed Mid grade part. A minelab, early whites PI, or other early Pi units will work Fine and are not to expensive.
Good Luck.

[YAKE]

goldcruzer,
I had the same question last September when I decided to get into detecting. I was planing to get a PI machine because the forums had me believing San Diego beaches where filled with black sand but because others loved their Minelab machines I went to Escondido our local Minelab dealer and he suggested the Sovereign GT would work great on our beaches and not have me digging hairpins and nails. To confirm his suggestion I checked out what members of the San Diego Coinshooter's were using on the beach the majority used Sovereign's. I purchased a GT and started detecting this year every beach from IB to Encinitas with no major problem. I haven't been able get out much lately but below is some of the stuff I've found. If you want to talk to some of us the San Diego Coinshooter's has hunt Sun August 9 @ 7:00pm at Coronado Beach (meet at the restrooms) our next general meeting is Fri August 28.

[SandHunter]

A fellow pirate that I ran into last Sunday was using a Sovereign, he told me that the Excalibur is the same machine in a water proof version. If that's true it would make sense to get the Ex Cal giving you the option to get wet.

Originally Posted by YAKE

goldcruzer,
I had the same question last September when I decided to get into detecting. I was planing to get a PI machine because the forums had me believing San Diego beaches where filled with black sand but because others loved their Minelab machines I went to Escondido our local Minelab dealer and he suggested the Sovereign GT would work great on our beaches and not have me digging hairpins and nails. To confirm his suggestion I checked out what members of the San Diego Coinshooter's were using on the beach the majority used Sovereign's. I purchased a GT and started detecting this year every beach from IB to Encinitas with no major problem. I haven't been able get out much lately but below is some of the stuff I've found. If you want to talk to some of us the San Diego Coinshooter's has hunt Sun August 9 @ 7:00pm at Coronado Beach (meet at the restrooms) our next general meeting is Fri August 28.

[goldcruzer]

Originally Posted by YAKE

goldcruzer,
I had the same question last September when I decided to get into detecting. I was planing to get a PI machine because the forums had me believing San Diego beaches where filled with black sand but because others loved their Minelab machines I went to Escondido our local Minelab dealer and he suggested the Sovereign GT would work great on our beaches and not have me digging hairpins and nails. To confirm his suggestion I checked out what members of the San Diego Coinshooter's were using on the beach the majority used Sovereign's. I purchased a GT and started detecting this year every beach from IB to Encinitas with no major problem. I haven't been able get out much lately but below is some of the stuff I've found. If you want to talk to some of us the San Diego Coinshooter's has hunt Sun August 9 @ 7:00pm at Coronado Beach (meet at the restrooms) our next general meeting is Fri August 28.

Thanks for the great advice Yake! I'd have to save up a while to buy the Sovereign GT($900), and at that point, is it worth it to just spend $300 more and get the Excalibur($1200) so I can dive with it? If its gonna be that much I'd prefer to just save up a bit longer...

Also, if I'm saving up for a less expensive one to use in the meantime, have you heard anything good about the Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II ($637.50) and would it work well on San Diego beaches?

Lastly, did you mean 7 "AM", not "PM" in Coronado for August 9th?

[goldcruzer]

I appreciate it!

[YAKE]

The hunt is at 7:00pm no real good tides in August. Hope to see you.
Jerry

[SeabeeRon]

Hey Yake! Nice bunch of finds you made buddy! Congratz!
Good luck on your search for the machine that is right for you goldcruzer! If you guys ever get up north a ways, give me a buzz!

[IntoIt]

The Garrett sea hunter has been said to be weak on gold.
Best detector would be a whites surfmaster PI , Fisher Impulse Anchor Electronics barracuda (If you can find one).

[seismic wonder2]

I have a White's dual field, and it works wonders in the sand all over San Diego.
BUT
You almost have to dig every signal.

They sould make a law to ban hair pins at the beach....I'm just sayin...

[redlance]

I hear what your saying about the PI machines and hairpins. I'm running a "fire sale" on them, by the pound. However, the PI machines do go deep on everything including deep gold. Redlance

[hssea]

Nice finds !!! I would love to detect Coronado Beach

[Burbank Bob]

Minelab Sovereign - you can get a used one and convert it for water hunting. I'm invested less than $450 in mine, enclosure and all. Handles Cali beaches great.

See http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=88982 for details.

Lots of iron trash everywhere here. I think a PI Detector would make you crazy.

[DualFieldBandit]

I don't no why everyone says with a PI you'll dig every hair pin / bobby pin on the beach? When you first start learning your machine maybe? Once you got your machine down you shouldn't dig them to often unless their pointing straight up and down? The definition of being insane is " Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result " I'd recommend the DF it's a great versatile machine with the best audio charastics of a PI for identifying objects under the coil....HH