Hi BO,
I use the vibra probe 580 and 4 different stainless scoops, each having better qualities in different situations, one though is best in the rocks. A lot of people don't want to deal with the chatter of a 580 when near various detectors (not all), but I use a floating sifter and keep the 580 hanging from it so it stays at a distance until I use it. Because of the chatter problem if you watch the classifieds here and at other forums you may pick one up at a reasonable discount on the 580, some folks just don't like them after they purchase it. The thing is built like a tank and has the almost unique characteristic of only detecting from the very tip, so it is much more accurate then other pin pointers, especially for finding stuff hung up in the side walls of your excavations and also for tiny stuff. I dump my scoops onto a metal free floating sifter and then use the 580 to find the stuff. This has cut my digging and recovery time in way less then half because you are not chasing around small stuff. It ends up in the 1/4 inch screened floating sifter and is quickly recovered by the 580. I have 5 other pin pointers including the highly praised Garrett but it is not water proof nor is the detection segregated to the tip, although it is a great pinpointer. It is deeper then the vibra probe 580 but in water detecting depth is not the essence, for me anyways. But then again I have not been doing this for that long, but I do have a test lake 15 seconds from the front door and a rocky flowing stream 20 seconds from the front door, so I am able to test this equipment quite a bit. I wish I had more time for actual hunting though! That should change near the end of after January 2010.
By the way go to CJ,s and other recent posts here on the 580:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?26,1098064
And search "scoops" in the beach scuba section. A lot of the posts have been butchered though because I am guessing forum rules were possibly broken so if some of the scoop threads you find seem to have garbled posts that is possibly why. The posts are not always deleted but the moderators scramble words in them especially names of other businesses that are legit in the real world but not on this site because they are not paying customers.
Also get Clive's books on water hunting, the books will help you advance fast if you actually read them then put the time in and think about what you are doing. There are 3 titles that have to do with the Excaliburs, and 2 titles about both fresh and saltwater water hunting combined. I purchased all 5. I bought the latest advanced book on the Excal, then went backwards to the older book on the Excal, then the newer book on the Excalibur, then the latest book.(I listed them below in chronological order from the older books to the newer ones in 2 different categories to make it easy for you.) It would be much better if you got the series and then work your way through from old to new. The 2 books on water hunting are also great! You can get the books from sponsors here (De Marco's) or direct from the author.
Here they are in the order in which I would read them:
For the Excalibur(they are in order from older copyright to the latest)
1 Finding Gold and Gold, Siver Coins with the Mnelab Sov and Excal
2 Advanced Field Methods for the Minelab Excal: Theory and Practice
3 Advance Methods for Finding Gold in the Water with the Minelab Excalibur
Then read and apply these two volumes by Clive which are not detector specific: (from old to latest again)
Water Hunting Books by Clive
1 Water Hunting Secrets of the Pros
2 Site Reading for Gold and Silver
[size=x-large]Remember though nothing is better then actual use of the detector bench testing with different objects and the best way? Actual time and use in the field![/size]
Best Regards,
Steve
...........new no sifter unless u just like using one