First time at salt water beach with AT Pro

[togamac]

I took a little ride to the coast yesterday for a seafood festival and got to spend about a half hour on a beach, that was a popular hang-out in my younger days, at low tide with the AT Pro. I wasn't sure what to expect having never used the Pro for anything but fresh water and dirt up to this point. I must say, I was a little disappointed. Apparently, there are a lot of minerals in the sand at this beach. The Pro was falsing in mid-tones at the water line and in high tones at the high tide line. I did manage to score a couple of clad quarters but it was a chore.

What machine would work best in these conditions?

 

[togamac]

I think I found my answer!
www.diggersdilemma.com/2013/02/the-best-beach-and-saltwater-metal.html

 

[mudpuppy]

Well, you gave it a shot...Mmmmm...Steamas!
Mud

 

[JOE in MD]

I use mine at SOME salt water beaches and it works. Need to set ground balance around 10 to 15.( In my area) and Sens at about 4 bars. There is a beach up here where an AT Pro can't be used at all. I can say the AT Pro is hot on thin chains and broken gold rings. As I have dug them and tested them against other detectors that did not even a beep. This is in my area and not sure about others. JMO

 

[jim tn]

I've been to salt water beaches in Al, Fl and Ga with my A T and it ran quite decently on those beaches. Dry sand, no problem. Just like hunting turf. Over wet sand it can get a little bit sparky, but with a g b around 15 and 2-3 bars off of max sen it runs fine. HH jim tn

 

[Johnho]

I don't think my Pro would pick up those clams but I'll try harder next time. It doesn't hit on fish either, yet.

 

[ajaj]

I don't hit salt water beaches often, but when I do, I use an Excal II for the wet sand and in the water. The AT Pro can be finicky in the wet sand (dry sand...it's excellent, like the dirt). You must reduce its sensitivity significantly and ground balance often. Then, don't scrub the sand but keep the coil as close as possible without touching. Will it find targets?...yes, but not as deeply as a BBS, VLF, or PI machine.

aj

 

[MikeLab]

When in difficult conditions, bury a test target then use manual ground balance to tune it to the best response.

 

[dgruff]

Man that's a nice beach! And the food don't look bad either. Are they clams? We don't get anything like that down here, lol.

 

[togamac]

Those are soft-shell clams AKA Ipswich clams, belly clams, and I'm sure a host of other names. You dig'em on the mud flats at low tide with a short-handled tool with 5 or 6 tines at a 90 degree angle to the handle. They are sweet when steamed. You dip'em in the broth to remove all the sand and then into the butter so they'll slide down real good. When I was younger, they were $0.50 a quart. Those on the tray in the picture cost me $12! They are eaten steamed or fried with batter. The fried versions are pretty darn good too but all that breading will clog you up for a couple days.

Happy clamming and hunting!