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?

[Cfmct]

I leave mine attached to the shaft China because the machine is so well balanced... I just don't see the need to hip mount it... If you had a heavier detector I would hip mount it like the CZ20 or Excal...

I can swing in chest deep water 5 hours or so without any problem... A little weight is a good thing anyway to help keep the coil down..

[Brian]

I always shaft mounted and never had a breakdown. A friend who insisted on hip mounting his Whites had to have the cable replaced. With his Fisher (that is rather heavy) he used the correct Fisher chestmount kit. He then had problems due to the cable and connector being flexed when he bent over to dig.
So I try to stick to shaftmounting even if it means buying a different shaft and rear mounting the control box. Your setup is perfect as it is.

[grinsebring]

Outside of abnormal or special circumstances shaft mount is best. The manufacturers tested these units extensively, the weight is right
and under water it is lighter anyway. Any time you separate the box from the shaft you run the risk of damage to the sealed cable ends.
Certainly it can be done but, with the unit apart, if you trip over it or stumble you can make a mess of your day.....Gil