7 Must Haves For Using CTX In The Surf

diamondr

Greenie
Aug 10, 2011
10
6
1. A backup machine for when the CTX goes in for RMA. When not if.
2. Popeye like arms to swing it in the surf.
3. Magnified glass to inspect for sand on O-ring and groove after each hunt.
4. Can of air to blow sand out groove.
5. Extra O-rings.
6. Lots of duck tape to keep lower shaft from moving. Cam lock will wear out.
7. A good quality finds bag with hidden compartment to but your gold in.
 

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BOBBY PIN KING

Jr. Member
Jul 31, 2013
57
21
Grand Island Fl
Detector(s) used
excal2 and bhid
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
hmmm...was thinkin bout a ctx 3030 for beach and surf,:dontknow: now that I read that maybe ill save a grand and go for something else.....sooo many choices
 

63bkpkr

Silver Member
Aug 9, 2007
4,069
4,618
Southern California
Detector(s) used
XLT, GMT, 6000D Coinmaster
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thank you diamondr for the inputs on little things that make detecting with specific machines easy and/or difficult to frustrating...............63bkpkr
 

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diamondr

Greenie
Aug 10, 2011
10
6
Bobby Pin King The CTX is good on gold. But I cant recommend it for saltwater surf. I had mine since July 5 2013. I had to send it in for the second time on Aug 16. Minelab told me they were going to send it to the head of the line for repairs. They still haven't looked at it. I only had it 10 days when I had to send in the first time. So since July 5 its been out for repairs going on 7 weeks leaving me about 3 to 4 weeks of use. The bad thing about it I know if I continue to use it in the surf it will only be just a matter of time before the next RMA.
 

ron lord

Bronze Member
Apr 2, 2007
1,301
1,621
Zephyrhills Fl
🥇 Banner finds
3
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
6
Detector(s) used
excel 1000 with 8 inch coil, Garrett AT MAX and a silver U MAX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I think there is a few wimps on here. The CTX doesn't weigh as much as the excel. A good silicone will take care of the little gasket. I have never seen a cam-lock wear out. Working slow in the water will find more GOLD , You don't have to go fast as if you were on land, Slow steady and over lap your coil. And the GOLD will come !!
 

bigscoop

Gold Member
Jun 4, 2010
13,373
8,689
Wherever there be treasure!
Detector(s) used
Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I think there is a few wimps on here. The CTX doesn't weigh as much as the excel. A good silicone will take care of the little gasket. I have never seen a cam-lock wear out. Working slow in the water will find more GOLD , You don't have to go fast as if you were on land, Slow steady and over lap your coil. And the GOLD will come !!

:laughing7:....I don't know Ron....DiamondR is 6'3" 275lbs, works construction by trade. Not only this, but if there is one guy on my area beaches that I don't want to hunt behind, well, he's that guy....I wish I've found as much gold as he has and he's been without a machine a great deal of the time. Having said that, I know of about 5 CTX users that hunt my area beaches and all of them have had issues, even the same cam-lock issue. I'm convinced it's simply a matter of the rougher seas here as all of these guys routinely introduce their machines to some pretty rough conditions. You'd just have to hunt these beaches for a while to understand....there is nearly always a stiff current and chest/head-high breaking surf...very rarely do we see flat/calm seas. I've grown to love it and hate it. I love it because the beach/sand is always changing. I've grown to hate it because the water hunting is seldom relaxing and easy....I got blown completely off two targets today and I was only waist deep, the second time it nearly put me down. On this coast you simply need a true water machine if water hunting is your thing. I have no doubt that the 3030 is a good beach & water machine - but not here or in anyplace like here. When they first came out and I finally saw a picture of one there was no doubt in my mind that increased drag would be an issue here. I also think these same type harsher conditions are also responsible for most of the other 3030 issues as well. When you say "water machine - good to 10 feet" it better be designed to take a real beating because a lot of hunters are going to introduce that machine to some really harsh and punishing shallow water conditions. I think because of this it's simply a matter of an engineering oversight that I'm sure they're already hard at work trying to correct.
 

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saltwaterminer

Jr. Member
Jul 15, 2013
41
11
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Give me an AMEN to point #1.

Also, I was experiencing some elbow joint issues and splurged on the Pro Swing 45 by M.L. and went 5 hours yesterday! Easily could have kept going but the surf started chasing me up the slope. I started to feel some nagging tightness in my lower back area, but I had spasms earlier in the day.

Didn't even realize the time had passed so fast. Really made a difference where in the past two hours became my breaking point a three to four hours became an endurance contest.

Sadly those guns that I have been developing the last two months (and haven't seen in 30 years) might fade away... LOL

It has all but eliminated the joint issues and given me a place to hang a water bottle etc...

Downside... My CTX took on some water in the battery compartment yesterday. It never was dunked for any extended amount of time but was splashed by a wave or ten.

She is now being retired to beach/surf/relic duty only. Eventually to be sold.

Once I have my new Excal, the CTX goes in for service. I have issues with a burnout on the screen and the machine wont update the latest firmware when linked to the website. Now this...

I'm just kicking myself for not getting the Excal in the first place. I've spent two months marooned on land because of fear. Three times in the surf... two times with water in the battery compartment.

Make no mistake, the CTX is an amazing machine, but it's no ocean machine. Maybe in a lake or dead calm ocean, but not the surf where I was conscious of every wave and blocked them with my body.

Redesign the battery compartment and make it a plug in... please! This would resolve 98% of the issues involved with this wonderful machine.

The battery life is amazing so there is no need for clamps and seals that suck in sand. Stupid, stupid design!

After about 100 hours with the CTX, I've really become spoiled with some of the features.
 

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MBbeachrat

Sr. Member
Apr 1, 2011
361
79
Melbourne Beach and Bethany Beach-- Snow Bird
Detector(s) used
CZ 21, Whites DF PI, Excalibur II, CTX 3030
I think there is a few wimps on here. The CTX doesn't weigh as much as the excel. A good silicone will take care of the little gasket. I have never seen a cam-lock wear out. Working slow in the water will find more GOLD , You don't have to go fast as if you were on land, Slow steady and over lap your coil. And the GOLD will come !!

You should be swinging faster with the Seawater option on. At least that's what I get from my research. It is really, really, hard to just move it in the water. I kitesurf, paddleboard, kayak, and surf. I can not work the CTX in the water at the proper speed for more then 5 minutes. For the surf it is the biggest peace of junk I have ever used. In the wet sand it is the best I have ever used. Minelab should have just sold this as a water proof machine. If you use silicone you need to spend a lot of time cleaning the thing after every use.
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
1. A backup machine for when the CTX goes in for RMA. When not if.
2. Popeye like arms to swing it in the surf.
3. Magnified glass to inspect for sand on O-ring and groove after each hunt.
4. Can of air to blow sand out groove.
5. Extra O-rings.
6. Lots of duck tape to keep lower shaft from moving. Cam lock will wear out.
7. A good quality finds bag with hidden compartment to but your gold in.
So, do you like it? :laughing7:
 

saltwaterminer

Jr. Member
Jul 15, 2013
41
11
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
You should be swinging faster with the Seawater option on. At least that's what I get from my research. It is really, really, hard to just move it in the water. I kitesurf, paddleboard, kayak, and surf. I can not work the CTX in the water at the proper speed for more then 5 minutes. For the surf it is the biggest peace of junk I have ever used. In the wet sand it is the best I have ever used. Minelab should have just sold this as a water proof machine. If you use silicone you need to spend a lot of time cleaning the thing after every use.

I have a love hate relationship with the CTX.

There are a lot of great things about this detector to like! I've bonded with the beast and know it's quirks, sounds, and readings.

Agree with MB on this. I have a very hard time in the surf swinging due to the drag. Any current... forget about it.

I'm also falsing out a lot which could be user error.

Yesterday, I met an Etrac user and following him down the beach got me targets he either missed or ignored.

Part of it surely has to do with the expense and the likely fact that a Sovereign GT and Excal2 would have covered all my bases and could likely have done almost as well.

Part of it was the fact my competition was hitting the surf hard and finding gold and I was land locked... so love/hate sums it up.
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Ive never used a Minelab but from everything Ive heard it sure seems like a Sovereign GT and an Excal 2 would be a better choice than only having the 3030.:dontknow:
 

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diamondr

Greenie
Aug 10, 2011
10
6
So, do you like it? :laughing7:

Well lets just say it's kinda a love hate relationship. I love it when I have it. Hate it when I have to send it for repairs. I know I wouldn't buy another unless Minelab fixes all the current issues with it. But if they do that it will probably be $3500 :laughing7:
 

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