AT Pro in Salt Water and Wet Sand

[Lores]

Anyone have experience with the At Pro in salt water and wet sand? Hoping to up grade soon and $600 or less with a display is a must for me. Just keep reading conflicting reports on the ATP in salt environment. I live at the beach and plan to do about 25% in water, 25% beach and 50% other (schools, parks, ect.).

Thanks for your input.

 

[Boatlode]

I use mine very successfully on Floridas East Coast.
Some machines are a little deeper but frankly when targets are that deep I just go somewhere where the beach conditions are better and go back to the deep place when some sand has moved.
I never understood why somebody wanted a deep machine when they're Beach hunting

I hear you GB. Never dug so much sand until I got my PI machine this year. Right now I'm waiting for my long handled sand scoop to arrive, and as soon as it gets here I'm off to the beach. UPS truck should be here before low tide.

 

[GatorBoy]

Nice! Low tide is about 3:30

 

[Boatlode]

Nice! Low tide is about 3:30

I finally bit the bullet and ordered a scoop from RTG in Pompano Beach. My back got tired of digging 2 foot deep holes in wet sand with a garden trowel.

 

[GatorBoy]

Omg.. Yeah any scoop will be an upgrade from that.
It doesn't have to be a super expensive aluminum scoop just make sure it has some added: reinforcement and holes or mesh the size that you want and you should be good to go.. You'll find that the angle will make a big difference also.
It will take this first one for you to figure out exactly what you like and don't like and your next one you will have more info to make your choice with

 

[Fletch88]

Nice! Low tide is about 3:30

Wish I was there!!!!

 

[GatorBoy]

I'll take you with me in spirit buddy

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Lores: Observe what detectors, in the price range that you can afford, are being successfully used
By local treasure hunters.

If you look at the recent videos of metal detecting in Hawaii, you will notice that Pat and his sidekick are finding quite a few rings in the salt water at the beach using AT PROS. This surprised me as Pat has a lot of experience with White PIs as well as Garret VLF detectors. I would first watch Pats Videos, then follow up with PMs to determine what sensitivity he is using; Hawaii is a tough place to detect “Black Sands, Hot Rocks, Loads of Trash, and Heavy Mineralization”.
He is doing well enough, that I am questioning about the money I have invested and in maintaining expensive multifrequency detectors, which I use to cherry pick what I am searching for.

Anyone have experience with the At Pro in salt water and wet sand? Hoping to up grade soon and $600 or less with a display is a must for me. Just keep reading conflicting reports on the ATP in salt environment. I live at the beach and plan to do about 25% in water, 25% beach and 50% other (schools, parks, ect.).

Thanks for your input.

 

[Fletch88]

I'll take you with me in spirit buddy

Show us the Spanish treasure! There's a pretty strong gale out of the North up here today! Maybe it'll move some mush around.

 

[GatorBoy]

 

[Fletch88]

I long to do that! Haven't been ocean diving in 10 years and never tried a Hookah.

 

[Trent67]

My ATP works excellent in the wet sand and shallow water. Have found many targets 10" and deeper. Ground balance it correctly and get the sensitivity right and it works like a dream.....on the south east coast of Florida. It all depends on what coast you are using it and the mineralization at your beach. So many people dismiss the ATP in salt water and wet sand but the fact is it works GREAT here in sunny south Florida.

 

[lookindown]

My ATP works excellent in the wet sand and shallow water. Have found many targets 10" and deeper. Ground balance it correctly and get the sensitivity right and it works like a dream.....on the south east coast of Florida. It all depends on what coast you are using it and the mineralization at your beach. So many people dismiss the ATP in salt water and wet sand but the fact is it works GREAT here in sunny south Florida.

I think it has to do with people knowing that a single frequency detector wont work in salt environment. The AT pro is not like other single frequency detectors.

 

[slider66]

I was at the beach in Ft Pierce I found a big chain. It was not gold but in the wet sand. I have been to Daytona and found two rings there. I have had good luck with my AT pro in wet sand and water from Juno Beach to Sebastian. Today I ordered the NEL Storm for my AT Pro. I will provide feed back on that when I get it. I hope this helps you. I also hunt parks with my AT Pro and have really good luck with it there. I like mine and I am happy with it.

 

[CASPER-2]

Folks, I appreciate all the responses. I guess it tends to be a difficult choice based on general machines doing a generally good job or specific machines that do one thing very well. Well the good news is I am not ready to buy and have more time to research. Thanks again.

I WOULD SAY - GET THE AT PRO - HIT EVERY WHERE BUT SALT WATER - PARKS SCHOOLS YARDS FRESH WATER SPOTS IN AND OUT OF THE WATER -
HOPEFULLY YOU'LL GET SOME GOLD AND SOME NICE SILVER AND THEN PUT THAT TOWARDS GETTING A SALTWATER MACHINE - KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN
ON EBAY - I GOT A LIKE KNEW - NOT A SCRATCH ON THE BOX OR COIL CZ21 FOR JUST OVER $700 A FEW YEARS BACK (THEY GO FOR $1200+ NEW)
UNLESS YOU WANT TO GO THE PI ROUTE - WHICH IS WHAT I STARTED SALTWATER WITH - WHICH THERE ARE A FEW FOR $600 OR AROUND THAT PRICE AND YOU CAN GET USED FOR LESS

 

[Lores]

Going to give the ace 250 a go at a school yard this am. Thanks for all the input. I have read every word more then once.

 

[TORRERO]

I would look into a good used DFX. I have used one for years and it can be well used in salt water or parks. Great display, great depth. New is a little too pricy, but I believe you could get a good used one for what you have. I've used my DFX for more than 10 years and I only hunt low tide wet salt sand. Can be a little unstable but you can always adjust it out or to what you can live with. My 2 cents.

 

[walker614]

Mine works fine on the Florida West coast. It runs stable and is only two inches shallower than my CZ21. I used it one whole summer and made some nice finds. If you get one let me know and I will give you the settings I run. I run different settings than most people say to use. I have told several people the settings I use and they got back to me and said they worked for them. On some beaches in some states it doesn't work well. Ive heard people from your area say that it worked fine. Its a great land detector for parks, sports fields, etc.

What settings do you use? I'm going to Camp Gulf in Destin in a few weeks and I am taking my AT Pro with me. My campsite is right on the beach so I'm planning on spending as much time hunting as possible. Any info will help



Chris W.

 

[GatorBoy]

Just want to add that beach walking you cover a lot of ground and can walk from one condition into another many times so don't be afraid to ground balance several times as you go it's so easy an automatic on that machine it often helps.. If you noticed you start to get more chatter then you had previously.

 

[Sandman]

GatorBoy is correct in conditions can change within feet on the beach. You can't make a blanket statement that the ATP or any single freq detector works fine in the wet salt sand, everywhere. Where one guy has trouble with a chatty detector it could quiet down with the same settings at another location. Your only safe with a PI or dual or more frequencies.

 

[squiggy]

All depends on beach iron content..I live on West Coast, lots of it here!

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