AT Pro in the Ocean

[tomnkari]

Hi all. I'm rather new to metal detecting; I bought my Garrett AT Pro about this time last year. I really enjoy detecting in the water at the all the fresh water lakes in Michigan. However, I'm planning a trip to FL this summer and I'm curious whether the AT Pro is suitable for salt water. I've read that the PI detectors are best for this. Does anyone have experience using an AT Pro in the ocean?

 

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[lookindown]

I'm no pro and I wish I had one of these AT Pro wizards to show me some things on the beach but my experience with it at the beach is that it is great in the dry sand but once you get to the wet sand and in the water its useless. I have tried all kinds of settings trying to make it work but once you ground balance it to where its usable, you have no depth. If I don't ground balance, its so chatty that I can't hear a good target from the chattiness. When its ground balanced for the salt water I noticed that it doesn't even see my RTG scoop until its right up on it so I know I'm not getting any depth. In fresh water it works wonderful...so I know there's not a problem with my machine. I just got back from the outer banks using it and this once again was my experience. I'm going to Virginia beach tomorrow and try it again but don't see anything changing.

What state were you using it in? It may be too mineralized to work good where you were.

 

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[DnD]

DnD, that's interesting about mineral concentration. What were they mining during the war, phosphate? I know they mine that all over central Florida.

Titanium (ilmenite), zircon, and rutile.

The Florida Geological Survey has a detailed run down about how the US gov't started a nationwide search for minerals and concludes with the details about Florida. Don't have the link handy to give you the full "scholarly" article, but wikipedia sums it up as ....In 1914 minerals were discovered, and a community known as Mineral City grew up around the mining operations there. Titanium (ilmenite) extraction was significant, as well as that of zircon and rutile.[2] These minerals were recovered from beach sands by a private commercial firm called National Lead Company, directed by Henry Holland Buckman and George A. Pritchard. During World War I titanium was a component of poison gas, and therefore a strategic mineral

 

[DnD]

Hey, I don't want to be the one to turn this into an AT Pro bashing because I really like my AT Pro for what it seems to do well. And it seems to do well for me for in the ground hunting and fresh water hunting. But the OP wanted people's experience with it in the ocean and what I posted has been my experience. I really wanted a detector that would hunt as close to everywhere as possible...including the beach. When I researched I saw the video's by Garrett saying that ground balancing in the salt gives good results. Well, that just hasn't been my experience and I hate the thought of buying a machine that's just a dedicated beach machine but maybe that's what people do.

BVI and Doug.... Each machine has its place. Having also owned a SH2, I absolutely love the simplicity of its is ability to find a target in almost any ground condition. However, the ATP, is great for getting up in the high sandy dunes to find targets among the trash. The ATP's target ID is very effective and helpful in making the most of your available hunting time, i.e., digging probable good targets.

 

[BVI Hunter]

Hey, I don't want to be the one to turn this into an AT Pro bashing because I really like my AT Pro for what it seems to do well. And it seems to do well for me for in the ground hunting and fresh water hunting. But the OP wanted people's experience with it in the ocean and what I posted has been my experience. I really wanted a detector that would hunt as close to everywhere as possible...including the beach. When I researched I saw the video's by Garrett saying that ground balancing in the salt gives good results. Well, that just hasn't been my experience and I hate the thought of buying a machine that's just a dedicated beach machine but maybe that's what people do.

My at pro HATED the beach , that's why I got my SH 2

 

[Doug H]

Well I just came in off the beach... Been out there most of the day. AT Pro does awesome in the dry sand. But couldn't do anything in the wet sand and water. Tried lots of different things but I just don't know how to use it in the wet. Lookindown please tell me how you set yours up for the salt so I can maybe try it tomorrow thanks. I tried to just concentrate and listen through all the Chatter but I just cant separate the chatter from a target unless the target is laying on top of the wet sand

 

[penzfan]

Well, all I know is when I'm playing golf (2-3 times per week), I use a Sand Wedge when I'm in the bunker, not a Driver. And I use my Putter to putt with on the Green, not my 2 Iron. These decisions give me the best chance of producing a good round of golf. So when I go MDing in the Salt Water I use a MD built for salt water use...just saying...

 

[Doug H]

Well, all I know is when I'm playing golf (2-3 times per week), I use a Sand Wedge when I'm in the bunker, not a Driver. And I use my Putter to putt with on the Green, not my 2 Iron. These decisions give me the best chance of producing a good round of golf. So when I go MDing in the Salt Water I use a MD built for salt water use...just saying...

Amen..I guess there's really nothing left to say after that

 

[lookindown]

Well I just came in off the beach... Been out there most of the day. AT Pro does awesome in the dry sand. But couldn't do anything in the wet sand and water. Tried lots of different things but I just don't know how to use it in the wet. Lookindown please tell me how you set yours up for the salt so I can maybe try it tomorrow thanks. I tried to just concentrate and listen through all the Chatter but I just cant separate the chatter from a target unless the target is laying on top of the wet sand

Auto ground balance. It should balance around 13 or so. Drop it manually a couple of numbers lower. Use STANDARD mode ZERO. Start with sensitivity at 5 bars of 8...raise it if it doesn't false and lower it if it does. Tape your coil wire to the shaft about three inches from the coil and a couple more places up the shaft. Taping the wire is VERY IMPORTANT....You may be in an area where the AT pro is not going to run stable unless you lower the sensitivity to a level that your getting no depth. Here in Florida I never have to go lower than 5 bars and I get decent depth at 5 bars. Good luck.

 

[lookindown]

Well, all I know is when I'm playing golf (2-3 times per week), I use a Sand Wedge when I'm in the bunker, not a Driver. And I use my Putter to putt with on the Green, not my 2 Iron. These decisions give me the best chance of producing a good round of golf. So when I go MDing in the Salt Water I use a MD built for salt water use...just saying...

Yeah, your missing out if your not using the best tool for the job. That's why Ive used my CZ21 in saltwater ever since I got it. AT pro will work where I hunt but its definitely not the best.

 

[lookindown]

Well I just came in off the beach... Been out there most of the day. AT Pro does awesome in the dry sand. But couldn't do anything in the wet sand and water. Tried lots of different things but I just don't know how to use it in the wet. Lookindown please tell me how you set yours up for the salt so I can maybe try it tomorrow thanks. I tried to just concentrate and listen through all the Chatter but I just cant separate the chatter from a target unless the target is laying on top of the wet sand

You probably know this but if you move from wet to dry you have to re ground balance.

 

[penzfan]

CZ 21 is a beast in the salt, especially if it's been tuned by NASA Tom...

Yeah, your missing out if your not using the best tool for the job. That's why Ive used my CZ21 in saltwater ever since I got it. AT pro will work where I hunt but its definitely not the best.

 

[Doug H]

Lookindown, here in Virginia beach its ground balancing in the wet sand and water at 16 or 17. I didn't manually lower it more than that because I was afraid of losing any more depth. At 5 bars of sensitivity it is fairly steady chatter. Once again I was worried about losing more depth going lower than that. Hot rocks are not nearly as bad here as in north Carolina. My coil wire is wound tightly but its not taped. So lookindown you say that if I manually lower the GB to say 13 or 14 and drop sensitivity to say 4, I should still have decent depth? Because where it was I had to almost touch the coil with the scoop to get signal

 

[gulfcoaster]

I've had my AT Pro out on the beaches here in Pensacola, FL, and of course it does great on the dry sand. I have pretty good luck in the water and wet sand, too, if I adjust the ground balance pretty low (9-12) and set the sensitivity to 5. When I remember to reset my ground balance as I transition the various conditions and if I swing smoothly and steadily, I generally do okay at the beach. I still want to get a SH Mark II or Infinium LS specifically for the beach/salt water, though...

 

[lookindown]

Lookindown, here in Virginia beach its ground balancing in the wet sand and water at 16 or 17. I didn't manually lower it more than that because I was afraid of losing any more depth. At 5 bars of sensitivity it is fairly steady chatter. Once again I was worried about losing more depth going lower than that. Hot rocks are not nearly as bad here as in north Carolina. My coil wire is wound tightly but its not taped. So lookindown you say that if I manually lower the GB to say 13 or 14 and drop sensitivity to say 4, I should still have decent depth? Because where it was I had to almost touch the coil with the scoop to get signal

Are you using standard mode instead of pro mode? I don't know why you would have to touch the target to the coil with sens at 5...it should get good depth at 5 sens.

 

[tcornel]

Perhaps there are differences between the individual units.

I have only used ATP at 2 locations, Ft. Lauderdale and Myrtle Beach. GB is generally around 13 with sensitivity at 5 or 6 bars. At Lauderdale at the Sea I was able to go to 7 bars waist deep in the water. Pro Zero with 35 discrimination. I had on the NEL 15" Attack coil.

I only found some coins in the water. Hard to say what depth it was reading to. On the sand it was picking up my waist high SS scoop on just about every swing. It got to the point that I set my the "swingy thing" to use the opposite hand from where the cord goes over the shoulder. Kind of side saddle but it did get rid of the signal from the scoop.

For me it fits the bill. I am primarily a land hunter and it is hard to justify another detector for perhaps 10 to 12 hours a year in the salt water.

If I did it more I would buy a machine designed for that purpose.

 

[tomnkari]

I love this site. You guys are great. Thanks for all the tips. Can't wait to get down there.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

tomnkari: For detecting on Salt and Fresh water beaches (Dry Sand, Wet Sand, Shallow Water) a rugged waterproof multi frequency metal detector would be my choice. If I only hunted in the water and on wet sand (both salt water) where there is less iron a Pulse Induction would be a satisfactory alternative as you will get maximum depth, however, you will not get much discrimination.

I have used single frequency VLF detectors on dry sand with considerable success, almost any of the popular lower cost detectors will do well.

If you watch the recent videos of metal detecting in Hawaii, you can see Pat and his associates using AT PRO metal detectors in the
water and on wet sand at salt water beaches with considerable success finding: Coins, and Jewlery (Gold, Silver, junk).
His success with the AT PRO at salt water beaches is surprising as a lot of beaches there have black sand, hot rocks, heavy mineralization, You might want to send Pat a personal message to determine how he is able to do so well with the AT Pro.

Hi all. I'm rather new to metal detecting; I bought my Garrett AT Pro about this time last year. I really enjoy detecting in the water at the all the fresh water lakes in Michigan. However, I'm planning a trip to FL this summer and I'm curious whether the AT Pro is suitable for salt water. I've read that the PI detectors are best for this. Does anyone have experience using an AT Pro in the ocean?

 

[Sandman]

The AT Pro is a decent all around decent detector if you can only afford only one detector. But as with vehicles, it is not for all terrains. Sure it can hunt in the rain and not flood when wading but salt is a mineral and some salt water beaches have black sand in various amounts. Choose your salt beach detector wisely.

 

[adamBomb]

Here is a video that sums it up. It compares the AT Pro to the top of the line Salt Water machines (CZ21 and Excal 2):



And here is a summary of the video taken from youtube. Remember that this will all vary based on the beach but I would assume its pretty standard and these guys seemed to really know what they were doing:

"Had a great time with friends CZ Bob, Synthnut Jim in Ocean City New Jersey. Had a nice learning session on deep Gold rings, with the CZ21 and AT Pro. Spent a few hours today just going thur the Jersey files and this is what I came up with...one interesting thing I noticed..the excalibur hit the 7.5 gold at 14 inch's, no problem, but struggled to find it at 15? Maybe you were right bob, black sand. But no matter, the CZ punched thur what ever held the xcal back. Also the AT Pro got none of the targets when first tested but nailed the 10 inch small gold when we tried it second time around...Well maybe we can line up again this fall, with more detectors. I learned alot from this meeting and for sure the CZ20 will be with me on the next trip."

 

[lookindown]

The original post didn't ask if the AT pro was the best salt detector, he asked if it would work on his trip to Florida. There are much better saltwater detectors than the AT pro. He already has an AT and was wondering how it would do on Florida beaches.