Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
- Thread starter Lasivian
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Sandman
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- Aug 6, 2005
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Re: Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
Suggest you look at the Tesoro Tiger Shark. It's rated to 250 feet, changable coils, saltwater mode. VLF with disc. and a lifetime warranty. Not pricey
Suggest you look at the Tesoro Tiger Shark. It's rated to 250 feet, changable coils, saltwater mode. VLF with disc. and a lifetime warranty. Not pricey
dahut
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Re: Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
The Excal is high at $1000 street price, but you get what you pay for, it seems. If you are going to search the "lane," where the water and sand meet, make sure whatever detector you get has a scuff cover for the coil. Otherwise you have to epoxy coat it yourself. The wet sand is murder on the coil bottom.
I have a Tesoro Tiger Shark and really like it. Most underwater gear has to be rugged, which often means clunky. Through a bit of decent design, the T-Shark isn't bad in this regard. If you are interested in short rod use, I guess you want to dive with it and I have read a few reports from divers about the Tiger Shark ...they loved it. I have not tried it in the salt mode, and hear mixed reports as to how well it works - mostly due to it's use in wet salt sands. At the surf line, it is said to be erratic, even in the salt mode. Lets face it, that isnt a friendly place for any mono-freq, VLF detector in your price range.
The White's Beach Hunter ID is a reported VLF exception, although it has a bouyant coil as it comes from the factory, so that will present problems in the water. As I understand it, you have to return it to the factory to have the coil changed to a non-bouyant type - which then makes the thing difficult to swing in the air and surf. I don't know.
I did try a friends CZ-20 sometime back, another VLF model. I liked it and it seemed to work well, although it WAS clunky. It is a gooder in the salt, but is sadly out of production and repair service on used ones is said to be spotty.
Another option in the dive environment would be a PI unit, like the Tesoro Sand Shark. I'd recommend this one because it has an available scuff cover - no epoxy needed! Submerged use seems to be the forte of the PI unit, from what little I know of the matter. Anyway , I can highly recommend the Tesoro brand. Good products and an unbeatable warranty.
The Excal is high at $1000 street price, but you get what you pay for, it seems. If you are going to search the "lane," where the water and sand meet, make sure whatever detector you get has a scuff cover for the coil. Otherwise you have to epoxy coat it yourself. The wet sand is murder on the coil bottom.
I have a Tesoro Tiger Shark and really like it. Most underwater gear has to be rugged, which often means clunky. Through a bit of decent design, the T-Shark isn't bad in this regard. If you are interested in short rod use, I guess you want to dive with it and I have read a few reports from divers about the Tiger Shark ...they loved it. I have not tried it in the salt mode, and hear mixed reports as to how well it works - mostly due to it's use in wet salt sands. At the surf line, it is said to be erratic, even in the salt mode. Lets face it, that isnt a friendly place for any mono-freq, VLF detector in your price range.
The White's Beach Hunter ID is a reported VLF exception, although it has a bouyant coil as it comes from the factory, so that will present problems in the water. As I understand it, you have to return it to the factory to have the coil changed to a non-bouyant type - which then makes the thing difficult to swing in the air and surf. I don't know.
I did try a friends CZ-20 sometime back, another VLF model. I liked it and it seemed to work well, although it WAS clunky. It is a gooder in the salt, but is sadly out of production and repair service on used ones is said to be spotty.
Another option in the dive environment would be a PI unit, like the Tesoro Sand Shark. I'd recommend this one because it has an available scuff cover - no epoxy needed! Submerged use seems to be the forte of the PI unit, from what little I know of the matter. Anyway , I can highly recommend the Tesoro brand. Good products and an unbeatable warranty.
Jason in TN
Bronze Member
Re: Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
I had a tiger shark it was a bit noisy in the wet stuff even with every thing turned down. I would not recommend it for the beach. Fresh water the tiger shark is great, salt not so good. I have a Whites Beach hunter it runs on two frequency's and works great on the beach less cash than the excal. I also have a Excal with the the 8in coil and it is starting to become my favorite beach and water machine.
I had a tiger shark it was a bit noisy in the wet stuff even with every thing turned down. I would not recommend it for the beach. Fresh water the tiger shark is great, salt not so good. I have a Whites Beach hunter it runs on two frequency's and works great on the beach less cash than the excal. I also have a Excal with the the 8in coil and it is starting to become my favorite beach and water machine.
spez401
Hero Member
Re: Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
The excal is a bit pricey, but dahut is right, you get what you pay for.
It really depends on what you intend to do with it. If you're going to be working the beach with a little diving, the excal is great. If you're going to be doing only diving with it, there may be a better choice.
I'm on my second excal (the first was crushed in a car accident). I've taken the excal diving with the short rod and never had a problem with it. It's probably the best water machine i've ever used. I have no complaints, diving or otherwise
steve
The excal is a bit pricey, but dahut is right, you get what you pay for.
It really depends on what you intend to do with it. If you're going to be working the beach with a little diving, the excal is great. If you're going to be doing only diving with it, there may be a better choice.
I'm on my second excal (the first was crushed in a car accident). I've taken the excal diving with the short rod and never had a problem with it. It's probably the best water machine i've ever used. I have no complaints, diving or otherwise
steve
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Re: Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
I'm using the Tesoro Sand Shark.
Reasonably priced. No need to buy anything aftermarket to make it better. The search coil is sealed just fine. The shaft is perfectly balanced. The Electronics Unit does not need to be relocated to the waist area. Its a well balanced and extremely easy to use machine. Insert 8 AA batteries, turn on, start digging. Works great, batteries last forever.
The Excal will give you an iron mask so you don't dig them extra 10 holes.
The Tiger Shark costs a little more than the Sand Shark and will work in dry dirt mode or salt water.
Your toughest decision will be what kind of long handled sturdy beach scoop to get...
.02
I'm using the Tesoro Sand Shark.
Reasonably priced. No need to buy anything aftermarket to make it better. The search coil is sealed just fine. The shaft is perfectly balanced. The Electronics Unit does not need to be relocated to the waist area. Its a well balanced and extremely easy to use machine. Insert 8 AA batteries, turn on, start digging. Works great, batteries last forever.
The Excal will give you an iron mask so you don't dig them extra 10 holes.
The Tiger Shark costs a little more than the Sand Shark and will work in dry dirt mode or salt water.
Your toughest decision will be what kind of long handled sturdy beach scoop to get...
.02
- Jul 27, 2006
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Re: Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
Being on the west coast, you might want to try beaches farther south sometime. Excal is pricey, BUT it is considered the best by many, and they hold their resale value. Any time you can get 65-80% of your money back years down the road makes it worth it.
Being on the west coast, you might want to try beaches farther south sometime. Excal is pricey, BUT it is considered the best by many, and they hold their resale value. Any time you can get 65-80% of your money back years down the road makes it worth it.
dahut
Hero Member
- Nov 6, 2004
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Re: Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
Everything guyinback says about the T-Shark is true. It is an excellent freshwater instrument. Eveything said about it falsing and being erratic at the salt sand is echoed a dozen times over by others. Since I live a long way from the coast, buying one was an easy decision.
I believe everything said about the Excal, too, although I have never tried one. It has gained near benchmark status - if it can do that with the surf pirates, it has to be good. I'd like to think it will be my next water machine.
You'll be in Puget Sound? Diving in cold water? Few bathing beaches, if any? I'd get the Sand Shark and spend any other money I had on plenty of long johns and the best dry suit I could get!
Everything guyinback says about the T-Shark is true. It is an excellent freshwater instrument. Eveything said about it falsing and being erratic at the salt sand is echoed a dozen times over by others. Since I live a long way from the coast, buying one was an easy decision.
I believe everything said about the Excal, too, although I have never tried one. It has gained near benchmark status - if it can do that with the surf pirates, it has to be good. I'd like to think it will be my next water machine.
You'll be in Puget Sound? Diving in cold water? Few bathing beaches, if any? I'd get the Sand Shark and spend any other money I had on plenty of long johns and the best dry suit I could get!
killerwine
Hero Member
Re: Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
Would the Tiger shark work in fresh water for nugget shooting? My dredge can support two divers and one could be dredging while the other detects...I'm also close enough to visit the ocean often so I would want the detector to work there also...
Would the Tiger shark work in fresh water for nugget shooting? My dredge can support two divers and one could be dredging while the other detects...I'm also close enough to visit the ocean often so I would want the detector to work there also...
dahut
Hero Member
- Nov 6, 2004
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21 years behind a coil
Fisher F70
Bounty Hunter Lone Star
Tesoro Tiger Shark
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Re: Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
Would the Tiger shark work in fresh water for nugget shooting? My dredge can support two divers and one could be dredging while the other detects...I'm also close enough to visit the ocean often so I would want the detector to work there also...
Many detector tests you see on the Tiger Shark offer extensive comments on the ability of the unit to find small gold. The instrument is renowned for it's sensitivity to this "small gold," even though that description is open to interpretation, in my opinion.
I do know it will find some mighty small items, and have chased more than a few tiny split-shot fishing sinkers around the bottom. Last weekend my Tiger Shark found a small lead seal about 1/4" in diameter without any problem and I have tested it on fired .22 bullets which it detects handily. If it will find this stuff, Im sure it will find gold nuggets.
In fact, most reviewers say it should be a decent enough unit to find nuggets, some even mentioning on the order of match-head sized pips. It is VERY sensitive and has a manual GB - in essence it is a Bandido II, according to Tesoro. This should go a long way to finding nuggets.
I recall one test by a prospecting club in California where they used a bucket full of black sand as a test matrix, and the only detector that could detect the itsy-bitsy nuggets they were using was either the the Tiger Shark or the Stingray II (please dont ask me to recollect this test verbatim - my memory isn't that good! Suffice it to say that I have provided the gist of the thing).
Is it a dedicated nugget shooter? No. Will it find nuggets? That's relative - any detector will do so if they are large enough. Try reading these reviews and see what conclusions you can draw:
http://losttreasure.com/fieldtests/ArchiveView.cfm?ID=lt20001236
http://www.tesoro.com/Tiger_Shark_Field_Test.html
Would the Tiger shark work in fresh water for nugget shooting? My dredge can support two divers and one could be dredging while the other detects...I'm also close enough to visit the ocean often so I would want the detector to work there also...
Many detector tests you see on the Tiger Shark offer extensive comments on the ability of the unit to find small gold. The instrument is renowned for it's sensitivity to this "small gold," even though that description is open to interpretation, in my opinion.
I do know it will find some mighty small items, and have chased more than a few tiny split-shot fishing sinkers around the bottom. Last weekend my Tiger Shark found a small lead seal about 1/4" in diameter without any problem and I have tested it on fired .22 bullets which it detects handily. If it will find this stuff, Im sure it will find gold nuggets.
In fact, most reviewers say it should be a decent enough unit to find nuggets, some even mentioning on the order of match-head sized pips. It is VERY sensitive and has a manual GB - in essence it is a Bandido II, according to Tesoro. This should go a long way to finding nuggets.
I recall one test by a prospecting club in California where they used a bucket full of black sand as a test matrix, and the only detector that could detect the itsy-bitsy nuggets they were using was either the the Tiger Shark or the Stingray II (please dont ask me to recollect this test verbatim - my memory isn't that good! Suffice it to say that I have provided the gist of the thing).
Is it a dedicated nugget shooter? No. Will it find nuggets? That's relative - any detector will do so if they are large enough. Try reading these reviews and see what conclusions you can draw:
http://losttreasure.com/fieldtests/ArchiveView.cfm?ID=lt20001236
http://www.tesoro.com/Tiger_Shark_Field_Test.html
killerwine
Hero Member
Re: Looking for a saltwater beach & underwater detector
Thanks, I will check out the links....
Thanks, I will check out the links....
