Help finding scoop

[bluesky]

Hunting on the beach in mostly dry sand....From what I've read on here I've decided on a long handle stainless steel scoop. Does any of them have a foot pad to help push into the wet sand?
Any tips on where to buy a good brand? How long should the handle be? 24inch's? Any other features i should look for on one? Thanks....

 

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[desertfox]

Firdt of all, Welcome to Tnet. Spend the most money on a scoop that you can. That way you won't be buying one every two years or so. Check out KellCo.com
they have a good selection of scoops.
If your looking for something in the 24 in. size you won't need a foot pad on it. Don't waste your money. A good scoop like you're looking for will run about 50 or more bucks so don't be shocked. Good luck and Happy Hunting.

Desertfox

 

[Highwater]

Bluesky,
Which scoop you need has to do with what kind of beach hunting you are going to do. If you are going to stay in the dry sand then you will need a scoop with a screen. If you are going to hunt went sand or in the water then you want a bigger heavy duty scoop that have holes punched into them. If you are working in sand any well built scoop would work. If you are going to work in rocks, gravel and shells a lot then it is a good idea to have a point on the end of the scoop and go stainless.
A long handle is best unless you want to do a lot of bending. Also, a long handled scoop is much quicker. Stainless steel is heavy and they are much more expensive than steel or aluminum. Aluminum works well in the sand and will last for a long time if you take care to rinse them off after using them. They don't hold up too well in gravel as they will wear out to quickly. A steel scoop will rust out around salt water no matter how much you rinse, paint or oil them, but you can get two or three years out of them before the welds start cracking.
Whichever scoop you decide on be sure to get a well built quality scoop. You really get what you pay for when it comes to scoops. A good stainless steel scoop will cost between $125 - $200. You can get a good steel or aluminum scoop for around $125 or less.
Below are some links that you can take a look at for ideas. HH Highwater

NOTE: After reading your post again I see that you will be working dry sand. You will need a wire mesh basket scoop. Get one with a reinforced strap on the back that you can kick down on. You can find a good basket scoop for $60 - $100 delivered. Check out the last link below.

http://www.sunspotedm.com/beachscoops/thescoop.html

http://my.net-link.net/~prostock/proscoop.html

http://www.nuttallenterprises.com/servlet/StoreFront

http://www.rtgscoops.com/

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Good replies above, but I might add just be sure before you buy that you will always only be hunting dry sand. There are a lot of good targets to find in the wet sand with out ever going in the water when you hunt beaches where there is a tide. Unless your beach is real steep we are talking about 30 to 50 yards of wet sand where people play.

Mothers with gold and diamond rings play at the waterline with their little kids and rings come off, I know I have found them in sand castles. Couples horse around in shallow water and lose jewelry every day, what was shallow water, becomes wet sand when the tide goes out. I have found jewelry at the waters edge, it is one of the first places water hunters look when the surf is too rough to get in.

It is just my own personal opinion, but if it was me I would buy a good long handle scoop at least 48 inches. Remember, you can always use a heavy duty beach scoop in the dry sand, I do it all the time, but a good sand scoop is still not going to work well in the wet sand.

I first started with a good $50 stainless steel sand scoop, handle was maybe 30 inches long. I broke it with in a month digging a target in the wet sand.

I have a good sand scoop now, but the only time I ever use it is when I am at a competition hunt at the beach, and targets then are only buried in dry sand a couple inches deep.

 

[Sandman]

Highwater and Treasure Hunter made excellent posts and great advice. There isn't much I could add except you may need two different types, one screen sifter for the dry sand and a heavy duty stainless like the Sunspot for the wet. I like the Sunspot for the wet because it has many holes for drainage unlike some you see for sale.

 

[philbees]

Try this bad boy

Try this mother of all scoops. Eight pounds of stainless. You can stand on the back of this scoop and not have it bend. It dwarfs the average scoop, but does take a toll on your arm after a three hour day.