Hi SunPilot,

I used the SD 2100 on a salt lake covered in water for a few hours and it didn't do it any harm. It was only just skimming on the surface though - we don't get much water here in the desert.

As SDs are the best currently available detector for this area (highly mineralised) , very few people use anything else here, so I can't really comment on the 18000. From what I've heard though, the 18000 is good for chasing small pieces in areas which aren't heavily mineralised. If your creeks are like ours, they will be noisy, in which case the SD would be better. If you're able to find someone on this forum who's familiar with both the soil conditions in your area and the two detectors you mention, you'll have your answer. I personally can't bear the thought of passing over gold and missing it. In my opinion, anything but the best machine for the prevailing conditions is false economy.

Steve.