Another "Which Detector Should I Get" Recommendation?

[Hotwire]

I live in southern florida. I'm "only" interested in wet sand salt water beach detecting. Here are my preferences;

1. Maximum five inch depth. Eight inch coil or less is fine.
2. Discrimination not important since i'm a "dig everything" person.
3. A simple detector that uses four AA cells or nine volt batteries.
4. Waterproof housing not necessary. Will use a plastic bag in case
of saltwater spray or rain.

What can i get new for under $500?

 

[Hank68]

Mark 2 sea hunter it's not much over 500 good for beaches and can be hip mounted , salt water beaches .

 

[tomcatpl]

the sand shark 8" coils is a bit over 500$ but a great machine

 

[Smudge]

Under $500.00? Nothing.

Between $500-$600? Tesoro Sand Shark or Garret Sea Hunter would be your best bets.

 

[ROBOCOP]

Detector Pro Head Hunter Pulse is $700.
Deeper than 5 inches but LIGHTWEIGHT.
Allows you to carry a big shovel.

 

[mouseman]

Hi, I'm just reading everybodys comments for my own personal education. But, they all have a point. If I was you, which am not. beach and water metal detectors aren't cheap. one that is 500 doesn't say alot for that purpose. you would be better off saving your money for one that's over 700. I live in crescent city, ca , and knowing a few people that work the beach and water would tell you that 500 isn't know where for bells and whistles. I'm not saying you couldn't find something with 500. but take the time and think about what you want to do. because, there is a lot of different beach and water metal detectors out there. anyway what ever you do I wish you the best of luck. like I said I'm not an expert but I know what metal detecting is like. I don't have beach and water. I have one for other purposes mxt pro and that one isn't for the ocean. good luck. mouseman

 

[dewcon4414]

He only wants M A X I M U M 5 inch depth????? On a beach with no mineralization??? You can use about anything that says metal detector if you dont intend on detecting WET sand. Now lets ask the big question..... what do you want to find in those 5 inches?

Dew

 

[Hotwire]

Dew......I stated "wet sand salt water" beach. My specific interest is finding "gold rings". I chose 5" because from reading various forums "5" or less" appears to be the approximate depth for the "majority" of rings that are found. In reference to mineralization, i can only assume that all salty wet sand will have various degrees of mineralization. It also appears that i will have to spend beyond my budget in order to purchase a new detector. So far i'm leaning towards a "PI" type. Some of the better quality PI detectors use eight AA batteries. Eight batteries is a turn-off for me but there is little i can do about it.

 

[hershey1]

Try and find a used Teknetics G-2 or Fisher goldbug. But you will get hooked and want more so go ahead and get an Excall. You will never regret making that decision. The Excall will pay for itself this summer +. HH

 

[ROBOCOP]

Follow up to my above post.
I use 2 rechargeable Lithium - Ion 9v batteries with my Detector Pro Head Hunter PI.
They are in series so you run on 18 volts. (8 AA batteries = 12 volts)
Be careful with Lithium Ion batteries near water but I don't even wade.

 

[Sailorman]

South FL beaches are known to be pretty heavy in the trash department. A PI will not differentiate between the trash and good stuff. You'll be digging it all.

A good VLF machine will lessen your digging load considerably. The bulk of the jewelry is going to be found wading as people lose it while swimming. Not that you won't find some on the low tide line but a wading machine will open up more possibilities. Don't worry about the number of batteries NIMH rechargeables are your friend. They aren't that expensive and have a decent lifespan.

In general you really might want to up your budget if you want to seriously hunt and also think deeper. My deepest find in dry sand has been 18" not 6". In wet sand it's still easy to go 8 to 10 digging like crazy trying to stay ahead of the surf.

 

[NamVetLesTreasureSeeker]

Hotwire, All those PI Detectors are going to go DEEPER than 5 inches, and you are going to DIG EVERY PIECE of IRON TRASH also!! You might consider
NEIL's $850 EXCAL-11 or go to page 2 and check and see if BLEAVER'S CZ-70 Pro for I believe $450 shipped is still available!! The CZ-70-Pro has a 8"
Coil and is a Multi-Frequency WEATHERPROOF and is HIPMOUNTABLE!! They work GREAT in the SALTWATER WETSAND!! Hope this helps, BEST
of LUCK, Les Robinson

 

[qicpic]

Try to find a used cz21 great machine I had a sea hunter 2 and sand shark good machine but dug a fishing weight well over a foot I also live in south fla and with a pi you will dig a bunch of hairpins and get frustrated very quickly best of luck with your decision

 

[dewcon4414]

Also..... if you are going to be digging in the oatmeal where targets disappear quickly you need a GOOD scoop.... more cash. If i was you try and find a used Sov.... those hooks, bobbie pins and light trash or surface targets are going to settle in the wet sand a PI will keep you busy and frustrate you. But they are cheaper.

Dew

 

[trhuntr]

Infiniam is also good.

 

[triplehooked]

Do they even make a decent water detector that is under $500 new? I don't think so. If you are on a budget I would recommend getting a good used machine. You are just asking for headaches if you go cheap, whether it's a detector or water scoop. Best of luck!