Garrett AT PRO in SaltWater

Sep 8, 2010
11
0
Blount County, TN
Detector(s) used
Minelab X-Terra 705 & Garrett Pin Pointer
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Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,408
30,017
White Plains, New York
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Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Fortune Finder 73 said:
I have noticed some people starting to have some pretty good finds on the dry sand and wet sand of saltwater beaches with the Garrett AT Pro and there is even some youtube videos of some guys out in the ocean about 4 or 5 feet deep having some luck with it. Have any of you beach and saltwater hunters tried it out? or had any success in those areas with it?

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=931971#post931971

It is NOT, a saltwater machine.. In my never humble opinion. :icon_thumleft:
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
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1
Detector(s) used
ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Terry Soloman said:
Fortune Finder 73 said:
I have noticed some people starting to have some pretty good finds on the dry sand and wet sand of saltwater beaches with the Garrett AT Pro and there is even some youtube videos of some guys out in the ocean about 4 or 5 feet deep having some luck with it. Have any of you beach and saltwater hunters tried it out? or had any success in those areas with it?

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=931971#post931971

It is NOT, a saltwater machine.. In my never humble opinion. :icon_thumleft:
My AT pro keeps up with a CZ21 on a regular basis in saltwater......just imagine what it would do if it was a saltwater machine. :laughing7:
 

Can Slaw

Sr. Member
Nov 20, 2007
461
47
So Gulf Coast, FL
Detector(s) used
Excalibur, CZ-21 Sov. GT, Sea Hunter MK II, CZ-6a, Troy X5, MXT, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Terry Soloman said:
Fortune Finder 73 said:
I have noticed some people starting to have some pretty good finds on the dry sand and wet sand of saltwater beaches with the Garrett AT Pro and there is even some youtube videos of some guys out in the ocean about 4 or 5 feet deep having some luck with it. Have any of you beach and saltwater hunters tried it out? or had any success in those areas with it?

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=931971#post931971

It is NOT, a saltwater machine.. In my never humble opinion. :icon_thumleft:

I don't think a corroded fitting will stop the AT Pro from working in saltwater That looks more like owner error to me. Looks like the detector was put away saltwater wet more than a few times.
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
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ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Can Slaw said:
Terry Soloman said:
Fortune Finder 73 said:
I have noticed some people starting to have some pretty good finds on the dry sand and wet sand of saltwater beaches with the Garrett AT Pro and there is even some youtube videos of some guys out in the ocean about 4 or 5 feet deep having some luck with it. Have any of you beach and saltwater hunters tried it out? or had any success in those areas with it?

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=931971#post931971

It is NOT, a saltwater machine.. In my never humble opinion. :icon_thumleft:

I don't think a corroded fitting will stop the AT Pro from working in saltwater That looks more like owner error to me. Looks like the detector was put away saltwater wet more than a few times.
Yeah something is wrong because I have used mine in saltwater since April and it looks nothing like the one that guy has. When I saw those pictures I gave mine a real close look and it is fine.
 

jamiekeefer

Tenderfoot
May 27, 2013
8
1
Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030, Tesoro Silver uMax
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Looking at AT pro

Yeah something is wrong because I have used mine in saltwater since April and it looks nothing like the one that guy has. When I saw those pictures I gave mine a real close look and it is fine.

How does it work for you in salt? I am looking at many options, including the minelab ctx 3030, but spending all that dough hurts to think about. If I could get a AT pro for TID water and land and also a true water detector no TID for less, I have consider the options.

I wonder about depth for AT Pro both in water and land with that DD coil, any comments appreciated.
 

mustangpalmer1911

Sr. Member
Apr 12, 2011
335
159
Hop Bottom, PA
Detector(s) used
Garrett 250
SCUBA gear is made for salt water but when you get you you wash it down. It does not matter what it is made of, if you leave all that salt on it it will destroy it FAST.
 

dc426

Sr. Member
Aug 7, 2011
312
481
Largo, Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
sand shark, at pro, New CZ-21
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I did it and mine didn't last long. Had to send it back to be repaired. I do hunt fresh water without any problems though. Just buy a salt water rig and don't look back.
DC
 

Captain PopTop

Sr. Member
May 3, 2012
435
265
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excalibur II & Garret. AT PRO
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
you have to learn it good before you jump in the salt ,one suggestion bring a gold ring tide to a heavy duty string and practice in very shallow water and at different depths, got to adjust the settings to quite it down and get used to how it sounds in both modes and cancel out iron, it can be chattery , ive found gold rings with it in the salt you will get false signals but it will tell you when your on good targets, its my back up and land detector, ive always liked it but i like my x-cal way better for saltwater hunting, i took it for dry sand huntin the other day cause its lighter than my x-cal , had fun with it but my knees and feet have problems so huntin in sand is out for me, will do some land huntin in the cold months looking for old coins with it
 

GatorBoy

Gold Member
May 28, 2012
14,716
6,148
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Mine does great in saltwater.
I hunt almost exclusively salt with it.
Even black sand in saltwater.
No machine is going to compensate for user error or shortcomings in ability.
Personally I don't cancel out iron unless the site is completely trashy.. hearing all the signals gives a much clearer picture of what's going on below the surface... if you never dig any of those iron targets you are missing out on a lot of info on the age of items in the area in some cases.. more than once an iron ship spike was the first hint I got to grid an area very well... you will also miss good targets masked by iron and lose depth by using a lot of discrimination.
The AT is a very capable machine..
At some point it will always be the Indian not the arrow that is successful.
 

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treasurehound

Bronze Member
Jan 23, 2008
1,500
376
Morristown, Tennessee
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Minelab GPX 4500,
Minelab Equinox 800,
Garrett AT GOLD with NEL coil,
Garrett Sea Hunter
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Relic Hunting
I thought about the AT PRO for salt water as well then read about the Sand Shark. I am going to the beach later this year and want one for the salt water. They both sound good and I also want a machine that will work as a back up to my other machines. A friend of mine has the AT PRO and he said he uses his in salt water all the time with no problems. But the more I read I am beginning to believe that if you are going to hunt in salt water then you need a salt water machine which is why I am leaning more towards the Sand Shark or Infinium LS.
 

GatorBoy

Gold Member
May 28, 2012
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Then take the sandshark inland and try it in some packed mineral rich soil.. you'll wish you had something else.
If you are only ever going to hunt saltwater .. sandshark will be good.
It just isn't an "All Terrain" machine.
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
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ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
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Mine does great in saltwater.
I hunt almost exclusively salt with it.
Even black sand in saltwater.
No machine is going to compensate for user error or shortcomings in ability.
Personally I don't cancel out iron unless the site is completely trashy.. hearing all the signals gives a much clearer picture of what's going on below the surface... if you never dig any of those iron targets you are missing out on a lot of info on the age of items in the area in some cases.. more than once an iron ship spike was the first hint I got to grid an area very well... you will also miss good targets masked by iron and lose depth by using a lot of discrimination.
The AT is a very capable machine..
At some point it will always be the Indian not the arrow that is successful.
On the Florida West coast beaches my AT PRO does good and is only 2 inches shallower than my CZ21, in the water and wet sand...In some other states it may not work so well. I have to run in standard mode or it falses, but there is nothing wrong with running in standard mode. People that have trouble using the AT on Florida beaches just havent figured out how to set it up. Its not the best saltwater detector but it does quite well in the Florida surf.
 

Jay In NewKen

Sr. Member
Jun 24, 2012
465
130
New Kensington, Pa
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Ace 250, Pro-Pointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Took my ATP to Myrtle Beach 2 weeks ago. It does false some BUT, if there is a good target under the coil, you'll know. Good targets are repeatable (obvious but true). I was successful in hunting the wet sand and shallow surf, to my surprise. If i was going to detect the saltwater on a regular basis, i'd opt for a saltwater machine (pi). This isn't the case for me tho.

Some setting that worked: GB 11, sens 2-3 bars from max, discrim 30.

Conditions/settings will vary by beach...

Jay
 

s.c.shooter

Bronze Member
Jul 28, 2008
1,063
730
SC
Detector(s) used
Minelab Sov- AT PRO - AT Max - Equinox 600
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All Treasure Hunting
Mine falses constantly on the SC beaches I've used it on even with the discrim turned down. had to resort to the dry sand because the chatter was too much to listen too. I'm glad that others have better luck than I with it!
 

GatorBoy

Gold Member
May 28, 2012
14,716
6,148
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Are you ground balancing it properly? Try swinging your coil Parallel to the water Instead of crossing varieing degrees of compaction and salt content.
And ground balance each time you change the conditions your swinging over.
You shouldn't be getting constant False signals.. some is normal.. but they're easy to tell apart from repeating targets.
 

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svensken77

Jr. Member
Jun 29, 2012
44
6
westside
Detector(s) used
Garret ACE 350 (sold)
Garrett AT PRO
Garret pro pinpointer
Minelab Excalibur II
Mine didnt do good in salt. i have tryed all possible different settings and even changed the coil, didnt help so i bought an Excalibur II and uses the Garrett AT PRO for land and freshwater.
 

LifeNRA

Full Member
Apr 21, 2013
220
81
Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
Garrett ACE 350, Garrett ProPointer
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All Treasure Hunting
I don't think a corroded fitting will stop the AT Pro from working in saltwater That looks more like owner error to me. Looks like the detector was put away saltwater wet more than a few times.

Anything involving saltwater requires to be rinsed off at the end of the day! Otherwise you get this!
 

Sandman

Gold Member
Aug 6, 2005
13,398
3,992
In Michigan now.
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Excal 1000, Excal II, Sovereign GT, CZ-20, Tiger Shark, Tejon, GTI 1500, Surfmaster Pulse, CZ6a, DFX, AT PRO, Fisher 1235, Surf PI Pro, 1280-X, many more because I enjoy learning them. New Garrett Ca
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Not all saltwater beaches are the same as for salt concentrations and black sand. This can even change on the same beach whether in the water of on the wet sand. This is why many say it is not a Saltwater detector. Only the double freq detectors or PI's operate without falsing at wet sand saltwater beaches. AT Pro works on the dry sand and some of the wet stuff and is a good freshwater unit too. Though again somebody is going to complain about a leak and totally bad mouth it. It is not a water detector guys.
 

GatorBoy

Gold Member
May 28, 2012
14,716
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Well put.
I do routinely use mine in 1-3 foot depth saltwater with no problems.
 

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