any body use a surfmaster ll

[miamidave]

Ive done alot of land detecting but have decided to try water hunting. I just bought a used surf master ll, a scoop and a wetsuit,anybody got any tips for me?
will it be much different than land hunting?
Thanks
miamidave

[Sandman]

Will it be much different, you've got to be kidding. On land for one thing you disc out some items, but on a beach you don't disc. out anything and scoop everything. The Surfmaster II is not really any different than the PI Pro in the way it is put together. Make sure it responds to a white gold ring on the sand for testing. Over lap your sweeps for max chance of "luck."

[miamidave]

Will it be much different, you've got to be kidding. On land for one thing you disc out some items, but on a beach you don't disc. out anything and scoop everything. The Surfmaster II is not really any different than the PI Pro. Make sure it responds to a white gold ring on the sand for testing. Over lap your sweeps for max chance of "luck."

nope not kidding a bit
dont know what to expect so asking for advice from the old hands
land hunting Ive never found any jewelery under foil range so thats normally where my disc is set
for the water I had planned on discing out a nickel,gold ring, and a pull tab then backing off the disc untill I had good signal on all three then adjusting in the water as needed.
Would this be a mistake?

[scrooge]

I have owned two surf master II for 20 years they are a VLF machines not PI . Mine have been and still are great machines.....

[cassbiz]

I just got my hands on a used Surf Master II. Have a possible target down in waters that are only 25' deep. I can detect the object consistently with the OKM Rover.

We dropped a cinder block with a float right above the approximate location. The bottom has a load of silt. I am going to guess around 1-3 feet worth, I only put the tip of a fin in it and the murk comes up quick.

How deep can the Surf Master penetrate?

I am finding on land that it only goes about a foot. Any tips or tricks to get better operation out of it?

Thanx in advance.

[Sandman]

How deep can the Surf Master penetrate? That depends on the settings and the size of the target and of course the area. If you are going to take the detector down 25 feet, you are definitely pushing the waterproofness of the Whites. They are not called sieves for nothing. With the addition of the orange o-ring this is improved some. At that depth you might be better off with a different brand, like an Excal, Sand Shark, or Sea Hunter, CZ-21. They are rated for 200 feet, deeper than I wanna dive.

[cassbiz]

Thanks for the heads up. I guess it is best for just beach hunting and very shallow ponds.

[arizonaames]

Miamidave,

Since I have been diving for 50 years and designed one of the first underwater cameras along with one of my diving instructors, Stan Waterman, I believe that I have a bit of credibility when I tell you that the surfmaster II plus is a well designed detector and is built to be able to take pressures up to and including 100 feet deep. Make sure the O-ring is pliable and not cracked. It is wise to use silicon to keep the O-ring pliable. If it is not, get a new one regularly from Whites. The Surfmaster II plus is a VLF detector and allows you to discriminate unlike a PI detector. However, in salt water, you will get some chatter from the salt and you will have to get used to that because it is a VLF detector. Also, it will not detect as deep as a PI unit. Your depth will be about the same as any other VLF detector. There are a lot of opinions on what is the best detector to use for the water but opinions are like Aholes and a few have more than one of each. Happy Hunting.....jim

[cassbiz]

Thanks for the comment. I was still planning on using it, because every time I look into a new detector, my wife cracks the whip. That is not always a bad thing, but she limits the amount of toys I can buy.

When I find something, she seems to change her mind.

I didn't get that much chatter but then again I am diving right off a location in Jensen Beach and just trying to pin point it out.

[scrooge]

The surf master II will work great in the dry sand at a saltwater beach but you will really have to adjust the sensitivity to get any where near the water. They work really well in fresh water. If you are searching a saltwater beach use a PI unit. I have just purchased a Whites Dual Field and love it.