Virgin beaches in Spain and no detector...I need help with buyng a new Detector

[chrisinspain]

Hi we live on the Sothern Coast of Spain. We moved to Spain 12 years ago from the UK but since being here have not been detecting!!
We are surrounded by literally hundereds of miles of beaches with thousands and thousands of tourists visiting yearly. Since living here I have never seen one person out with a detector. The Spanish just don't seem to get the hobby of metal detecting....so it would seem really stupid of me not too get back into the hobby I once loved. To do this I need to buy a good detector, which is where my problem is....
Since reading through various forums I am even more confused than I was before I started. Detectors have obviously moved on in leaps and bounds since I last swung one, so I am looking for advice about which detector will work best for me.
I am going to be searching dry sand, wet sand and in the sea up to around chest height. We have many different beaches around where we are from pure white clean sand to very highly mineralized dirty beaches. If a pi will do the job better, then I don't mind the digging, but if something else works better then advise me. I really do not know where to start. I am looking fr the best can get for the money that will do the job.
Because of the amount of people who use the beaches I am obviously hoping to find gold and coins, manily gold though which here in Spain is going to range from 9 carat to 22 carat.
I have made a list of the detectors I have been researchng alng with the approximate price I can buy them for here in Spain. To give you an idea the exchange rate at the moment is approx 1 euros to 1.35 dollars.
I want the best can get from the list I have written below or any suggestons of any other machines that will do what I want, which is search deep be sensative to gold and be relaible and strong.
Any help would really be appreciated... my list....budget will be 1400€ with a little stretch....
Garrett SEA HUNTER MARK II 600€
Garrett Infinium LS 1200€
Minelab Excalibur II 1400 €
FISHER CZ21X 1400€
Whites Surfmaster Dual Field 750€
Tesoro Sand Shark 550€

 

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[Midas_touch]

The detectors that you listed are very capable of finding gold, silver, and coins on the beach. And you will get a different reply from just about everyone who has used one of the ones that you have listed. It really comes down to preference and which model is more in tune with the way they like to hunt as well as the way the detector responds.

As much as I hate to say it in my opinion the detector isn't as important as knowing where to actually find the gold. Beach reading skills will be what really puts the gold in your pouch.

With that said and by what you've described I would aim for a vlf machine just because of the tourist beaches you plan to detect. They tend to be trashy and you are going to want to be able to have some discrimination to weed out the iron and trash targets. Also since you plan on going to some beaches with high mineralization you are going to want a detector that does well in those areas. If it was my choice it would be the Minelabs excal2 without a doubt. It really is a great detector that really doesn't have a steep learning curve to use. Once you figure out the threshold setting as well as sensitivity settings its quite easy to use. The only knock is the koss headphones that come with it. Personally I think they are the weakest part of the detector and badly need an upgrade. Unfortunately you won't be able to upgrade them for a year because doing so will void the warranty that comes with it. You could buy a used one and then you have options if you want to upgrade them. Find OBN on this site if you go this route. I also didn't like the s-shaft that came with it as it makes the detector very unbalanced and put to much strain on my lower arm. You can make a straight shaft for it or Anderson and plugger both make straight shafts for it to help balance the wight.

The fisher cz21 is also a great detector but I haven't used it at all but others here have and will give good reviews about its performance.

PI type machines work well in mineralized sand and the whites PI and Tesoro sand shark are good PI machines. I have the whites dual field PI surf and I really like it. That being said I would have bought the sand shark and liked using it as well. A bonus about Tesoros is I believe they still come with a lifetime warranty. I just got a better deal on the whites Pi detector. The whites PI is a sensitive machine and I have found more small gold with it than my excal2. It really hits on the small earings and pendants. The only thing about this machine is compared to the excal2 the threshold is really jumpy and it is hard to hear the faint threshold breaks as apposed to the excal2 threshold which is usually a solid tone so I can pick up deeper targets with the excal2. PI machines are good and do work. But your going to hate it some days on trashy beaches when you dig your 200th iron nail or bottle cap.

Thats my two cents and I'm sure opinions will vary.

On a side note there is a detecting club in Spain called adapt that is headed by a guy named Todd. He may be able to help you pick a detector since he actively detects there. And be aware I know for sure there are some areas that are off limits to detecting there. I almost ended up heading your way on a detecting vacation but decided to go to morocco instead. But may head back down your way this summer.

Good luck and I hope whatever you get finds you plenty of gold... Let me know how it goes and what you end up getting.

 

[chrisinspain]

Thanks for the feedback. I have e mailed the guy from Adapt as the club is not far from where I am. I'm planning on going to the next meeting to see what others are using and how they are getting on as long as they don't mind. Adapt do some good work here in Spain for lots of things including environmental issues, and have got permission to search certain areas so hopefully again they will point me in the right direction.
I am having trouble deciding about going the Pi route and digging everthing or going for Vlf and saving some of the work at the possibe cost of losing some deeper stuff. I have read good thngs about all of the machines, but have not managed to find out too much about the infinium..not sure if this is because it's not popular or why??

 

[DrJoePrime]

Yep, knowing your beach is the most important factor.

I love my Dual Field ... bought used for $650 and found $2000 gold in first two months. I don't go over ankle deep however and I'm n ot sure how the large coil works underwater. Latest find two days agi is a 6 gram gold ring from about 12" deep.

I also have the Sand Shark and like it but it doesn't "speak to me" like the Dual Field does .... but that's jujst me.

I've visited Spain three times and ... fell in love with the country. I sure envy your living there. I'm sure there is a lot of non beach hunting available ...but very carefully as I'm not sure if you can detect around certain areas.

If you wouldn't mind I would like to know (perhaps from the Adapt members) about non beach detecting.

 

[chrisinspain]

I will ask the Adapt guys when I meet up with them. I am not sure about the laws for detecting inland, but it could be very interesting considering all of the history in Spain.
One of the places we are going to be detecting is the beaches around the Mar Menor which is a large salt water lagoon. No real tide movement and not much in the way of bad storms affect it. The Mar Menor has for many many years been a really popluar holiday destination and I know it pretty well so have got some ideas about where I want to search. The places I am really interested in though are some of the less kniwn beaches which are still well used, but not well visited by the tourists. There are also a couple of islands in the middle of the Mar Menor which used to have bars etc on, but are now deserted. The only way to get tere is by boat, so I would thik they are pretty much untouched...could be very interesting.
This is one of the reasons I want to ge it right with my choice of detector. At the moment I can't afford to get more than one really, so I want to make sure I get the best I can for the money. I also don't want to buy a lesser machine and find I am dissapointed with it.
Because of the price of machines like the sand shark, and sea hunter though, I could buy two of these for the price of an excalibur 2, then both me and my wife could detect at the same time covering twice as much ground....
Just not sure what to do which is why I want as much infi as possible from people who know these machines

 

[Midas_touch]

Just don't be surprised if your wife isn't as an avid hunter as you. I bought two and my significant other at the time hated it after two hours. Luckily I sold it on eBay and picked up a whites PI to use.

I know most people are sceptical of buying a used detector but there are some good deals on here and other detecting sites as well. Just be sure to check the seller out and don't be afraid to ask others for thier input as well on used deals. I would steer away from eBay as I have heard of others getting real clunkers.

For 1400 you could more than likely get two whites surf PI detectors so at that point it's really how much you want to dig.

Sorry I don't know much about the Infinium at all.

 

[chrisinspain]

Thanks for the info. I had almis decided on the Whites but kept reading about problems with t as in leaks etc. As I lve n Spain I don't know how good the local agen would be at sorting out any problems

 

[llanesnet]

Yo me compraría un garrett at pro y un garrett sea hunter, por el precio de un excalibur.

 

[chrisinspain]

Si, pero donde compra en Espana para precio bueno

 

[llanesnet]

No hay precio bueno en Spain

 

[worthy]

hi chrisinspain,i live part time in spain further north than you near valencia. i search the beaches and water with a whites surf pi. the beaches are quite clear of rubbish so i dont find having to dig a few bottle tops much of a problem. you mentioned there were once bars on an island ,this is where there may be a problem with a pi, on our beaches there are bars built in spring and taken down in autumn. the beach near those bars are littered with nails & screws so there is a problem with a pi, but it sounds like you could do well with the right machine. wish you luck HH

 

[chrisinspain]

No hay precio bueno en Spain

mejor precio que he encontrado durante los Whaite,s Surfmaster PI es de 750 €.

 

[chrisinspain]

hi chrisinspain,i live part time in spain further north than you near valencia. i search the beaches and water with a whites surf pi. the beaches are quite clear of rubbish so i dont find having to dig a few bottle tops much of a problem. you mentioned there were once bars on an island ,this is where there may be a problem with a pi, on our beaches there are bars built in spring and taken down in autumn. the beach near those bars are littered with nails & screws so there is a problem with a pi, but it sounds like you could do well with the right machine. wish you luck HH

We have a lot of the "part time" bars in the summer too, but I do know a few busy beaches that have no bars at all so these might be a good place to start. I am swinging towards the Whites but am just trying to find the best price at the moment. The best I've found is 750€ delivered, but it's from a company in Italy! I've aso just got the form through from Adapt so will be joining their club which will be a good thing. I also want to buy a good sand scoop or somethng suitabe for digging, but again am nt sure of the best thung to buy.

 

[worthy]

i`m sure the guys at adapt will point you in the right direction as they will know how and where to get the best equipment for your area. i would wait till then. we go to spain next saturday, the beaches will be getting quieter too. usually get a big storm in october ,it turns all the sand over near where the bars have been-loads of euros then, cant wait . Good luck Steve

 

[llanesnet]

Web of adapt, please?

 

[chrisinspain]

i`m sure the guys at adapt will point you in the right direction as they will know how and where to get the best equipment for your area. i would wait till then. we go to spain next saturday, the beaches will be getting quieter too. usually get a big storm in october ,it turns all the sand over near where the bars have been-loads of euros then, cant wait . Good luck Steve

Sonds good to me. We are due a storm in the next couple of days according to the weather forecast...

 

[chrisinspain]

Web of adapt, please?

I found them by putting in ADAPT metal detecting Spain, but they are a group that do lots of other things too so are not just a metal detecting group.

 

[DrJoePrime]

For those who may be Google challenged: Metal Detecting | Adapt San Pedro

 

[chrisinspain]

Sorry guys, should have done that myself...

 

[Midas_touch]

There's some really good scoops for wet sand I'd take a look at the T-Rex wet sand scoop. The 9.5 and 8 are both great.

If its really rocky and Shelly then stealth 720i is good.

And for a general all around scoop that is light check out the rgt scoops.