What is the best metal detector for hunting underwater???

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,462
54,906
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Get a ML Excal 1000 and go hunting. ;D
 

divewrecks

Bronze Member
Sep 7, 2004
1,038
24
Down South - Marietta, GA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer SE (land), Aquapulse AQ1B (sea), Fisher CZ-20 (water, beach), Fisher 1266X (woods)
I would say a pulse induction unit for best detection and depth. If you are diving, the metal, discretion should not be important. Dig everything! Hopefully you are not diving in a trashy area. I actually have a machine that goes against my recomendation (Fisher CZ-20, discontinued). It is a great machine, biut I was thinking about getting another machine, likely a JW Fisher Pulse 8X or an AuquaPulse.The CZ-20 rules on the beach, but I am just refeung to underawter hunting.
Stabn Dilcher
 

ScubaDude

Bronze Member
Oct 10, 2006
1,326
2
Coastal, NC
Detector(s) used
Garrett Infinium LS, Garret Seahunter MK II, Geometrics 882, Marine Sonic SS
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Do want something to use in the surf or something made for use under water? I don't mean to sound like a wise guy but this should affect your decision. The last thing you want is to invest a pile of cash in a detector and have a leak.

For diving keep it simple, Garrett Seahunter Mk II or JW Fishers 1280x. Aqua Pulse is a great machine but there support is in the UK, not the US. The Minelab Excal is complicated to use. I can't speak to Whites as I have not used one. Like it was said above, for most treasure diving you really don't care that much about discrimination.

There are a lot of other threads on this topic search or scroll around a few pages and you'll find other "opinions".
 

ScubaDude

Bronze Member
Oct 10, 2006
1,326
2
Coastal, NC
Detector(s) used
Garrett Infinium LS, Garret Seahunter MK II, Geometrics 882, Marine Sonic SS
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Makahaman, I just noticed your in HI. With the black sand you might want to take a look at the Garrett Infinium. It has a very steep learning curve and is not a user friendly machine. It does however perform well in highly mineralized soil/sand.
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,462
54,906
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
What is complicated about using the Excal? I found it to be a very easy machine to learn and use.
 

rgecy

Bronze Member
Jun 14, 2004
1,910
59
Beaufort, SC
Detector(s) used
Garrett Sea Hunter Mk II
I use the Garrett Seahunter MkII as my sole underwater detector. For the price, it offers deep seeking, with discrimination (ie. you can tune out iron and other things like pull tabs) and easy to use. There are not low and high beeps or different sounds to learn. It either picks it up or it doesn't!

Also, it uses AA batteries, so no forgetting to recharge and they last forever! I have had my seahunter for several years and have changed the batteries maybe 3 times!

You can buy 2 or 3 Seahunters for a Fisher Pulse 8x!

Robert
 

diverlynn

Hero Member
Oct 25, 2006
699
155
New Smyrna Beach
Detector(s) used
Excalibur 1000
I have always used the aqua pulse, and still do when looking for targets deep. I have a new Minelab Excal 1000 and getting used to some of the noises it makes. Unfortunately the Fisher CZ-20 is no longer available. Our Archie has one and would not think of using anything else.

Diverlynn
 

ping

Jr. Member
Apr 6, 2005
35
1
Vancouver BC
If you are serious about detecting ferrous contacts underwater, definitely the best way is to use a 'differential gradiometer'. That is a type of metal detector that uses a balanced set of detectors in a 3-D or 2-D configuration, and can remove or eliminate most local/geological magnetic influence.

This will allow you to survey a large area quickly, with mostly only man-made contacts being detected.

Here's a URL to the website. I have used these specific devices with great success.

If you have any questions, ask them or myself.

http://www.marinemagnetics.com/
 

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