Vaqero in wet sand

[cary]

I`m going to buy my first good detector. Since I will be using it approx 50%
at the surfs edge or wet sand, would a Vaquero be OK or should I be looking at
something else?
Cary

 

[RichW]

I would suggest something else for wet salt sand. Maybe a Fisher CZ or if you don't have a lot of iron on your beach maybe a Whites Beach hunter ID or even some of the PI units.

 

[cary]

Thanks for the info. What do you think of the Shadow X5 for wet sand?

 

[Val ID]

It would be a good idea to check out Tesoro's Tiger Shark.

Hunting, Val

 

[RichW]

The Tigershark is a great fresh water machine but not very good in salt water. I've never tried an X5 but maybe some X5 users would like to comment here. I think the CZ and Minelabs seem to be the favorite saltwater machines. Tesoros are fine in the dry sand but not so good in the wet sand. I tried a LST once on my saltwater beach and it worked pretty good in the wet sand. All saltwater beaches are different and what works well in one might not work so well in another. Try to get with some folks in your area and see what most of them use. HH

 

[John in Florida]

Cary..

The X5 works real well on salt water beaches. Which beaches are you thinking about hunting?

Another possibility is getting a Minelab Sov. They are a bit heavy but are super on beaches..


JOhn

 

[cary]

John, I only hunt in the panhandle area.Gulf Shores, Perdido Key,and PC area. Pretty clean
sand. I`m getting up in age and was hopeing to get something that was not too heavy. It seems
like most of the good beach detectors are heavy. I would really like to be able to hunt the first shelf which is only in about a foot of water. Is the CZ20 also good on dry land?
CK

 

[Anonymous]

I come to the Gulf coast at least twice per year. Rarely do I metal detect, but when I do I generally have success. You asked about the Vaquero, and having field tested this unit, it has proven itself to be an excellent detector. Having manual ground balance is a big plus on the beaches, however is not intended for saltwater per se. Many times I have people call me that accidentally dropped their land unit in the ocean. That usually spells disaster. I rarely encounter heavy iron trash on the PC beach, so pulse induction (Sand Shark) would be a consideration. PI's ignore saltwater minerals, that's why you get the depth. You have no discrimination so everything's a dig. The big plus is, you'll find deeper targets; smaller gold that many other detectors miss. Other brands and models can do very well on the beach, but some have problems in wet sand, and you mention weight. If you have problems with swing weight, I recommend getting yourself a Model B or Model S harness. This inexpensive harness with reduce swing weight by 80% or more. You'll be able to hunt all day without the heavy swing weight. Tesoro's new Vaquero has shared Lobo S/T and Tejon circuitry. It is sensitive enough that I dug a #4 lead pellet this year. But as I mentioned, getting near the water can be risky. Tesoro's carry a lifetime warranty, but it doesn't cover detectors that get dunked, especially in saltwater. You might consider the Tiger or Sand Sharks. If I can answer any questions, just send me an email or give me a call. Good hunting, David @ Dixie

 

[Anonymous]

I'm a tesoro fan. I have owned a bunch of different models since 1997. I have found more treasure with tesoro detectors than any manufactor. But I dont hunt the beach much.

I've have tested the tesoros over and over on the wet sand in NC. About all I can get is 6" on a nickle. That's pretty poor when you compare to a CZ or Excal. The Excal beats anything, including the cz.

50% is alot of detecting. If money is a factor, start with a tesoro and save for an excal. Very rarely can one detector do it all.

 

[Anonymous]

I would invest in a Vaqero before the X5. they would be on par on the wet sand.

 

[John in Florida]

I'm getting a good 8"-10" on a Nickel down here on wet salt sand with my 'X' machine... Unless the difference is in the soil, then he should forget a Tesoro for the wet salt sand.


John

 

[cary]

Thanks to everyone for responding to my question. It has sure changed my line of thought.
I think now I will go with a Z-20 or Excal for my main unit even though they are a little
heavier. Like David said I could use a strap. Maybe a Vaquero for inland hunting later.
This was my first question here and I`m very impressed. Cary

 

[John in Florida]

Cary:

If you get a new CZ-20 with 8" coil you can easily hip mount it and make it a dual use machine. New Fishers have a lifetime warranty which I thnk is important for water machines. I had a CZ-20 with the 10.5" coil and it was a bit to big for easy pinpointing...

The Excal has better electronics but can't be hp mounted, construction is shoddy, and warranty is only 2 years. Good luck and bring home the gold!


John

 

[cary]

thanks John, Looks like the CZ 20 for me.

 

[BuckeyeBrad]

The Ex can be hipmounted. ML sells the part and actually includes it sometimes depending on if there is a promotion. . BUT if one does hipmount it, they would be wise to do something to protect the coil and headphone wires from being pulled on directly. Sorry to be discussing non-Tesoro detectors here but just wanted to make this correction.

 

[John in Florida]

You are absolutely correct! Thanks for the info...

John