Beach Gold & the Need to Get Deeper?

bigscoop

Gold Member
Jun 4, 2010
13,438
8,840
Wherever there be treasure!
Detector(s) used
Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
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Beach Gold & The Need to Get Deeper;

Here it is, the question that everyone really wants honestly answered;
“Is the added depth of a P.I. machine really worth all that extra digging?” In other words, “How much additional gold do you PI users really find beyond that 10 or 12 inch range?”

Given all the machine choices and coil choices out there these days, I thought this might be a great topic of discussion & debate. So let’s weed out the truth here, “Does the increased depth of a P.I. machine really produce that much additional beach gold, or is it simply a matter of time spent on the beach and understanding the machine in hand and the beaches under foot?” Is all the extra digging really worth it?
 

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rehless

Jr. Member
Mar 23, 2008
94
1
Washington State
Detector(s) used
Dual Field, Surf PI, Tesoro SS, Cibola, Tejon, Troy X2
Don't know if it counts, but I use strictly a PI and hunt lakes. I dive and/or
snorkel with a 12" coil and find some deep gold. And some deep bottle caps.
 

seeker41

Bronze Member
Feb 18, 2007
1,706
368
spacecoast florida
Detector(s) used
fisher cz6a--teknetics g2 --cz20--minelab excal 800--discovery3300--original whites tdi--tesoro sandshark--whites dual field
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Beach Gold & The Need to Get Deeper;

Here it is, the question that everyone really wants honestly answered;
“Is the added depth of a P.I. machine really worth all that extra digging?” In other words, “How much additional gold do you PI users really find beyond that 10 or 12 inch range?”

Given all the machine choices and coil choices out there these days, I thought this might be a great topic of discussion & debate. So let’s weed out the truth here, “Does the increased depth of a P.I. machine really produce that much additional beach gold, or is it simply a matter of time spent on the beach and understanding the machine in hand and the beaches under foot?” Is all the extra digging really worth it?

i want to know as well!!! i have been considering a whites tdi or an eric foster machine if i can fid one. my thinking is i need to get deeper to deal with constant sanded in conditions. my concerns are that by digging so often you are loosing time and not covering as much area as you would with a vlf machine.
true or false.........
using any "disc" at all with a pi eliminates the depth advantage.
you have to dig it all with a pi machine.
everything from a bobby pin to a pop can will sound the same.


thanks for any of your honest answers.
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
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ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The beaches I hunt have enough iron targets in the water that I will never use a PI there. I dig an iron signal every now and then just to see what it is and its always iron. I dont think there is enough deep gold to make up for all the iron I would have to dig. I do it for fun and dont think a PI is for me.
 

DewGuru

Bronze Member
Jul 23, 2010
1,264
705
Gulf Coast Florida
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Tesoro Sand Shark
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All Treasure Hunting
I find quite a bit of deep gold. I hunt some of the most whored out beaches in the world. Depth = Advantage. I'd rather dig iron, than tin foil, which plagues vlf machines, so personally, I find it an even match ... At least on the beaches that I plunder.
 

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bigscoop

bigscoop

Gold Member
Jun 4, 2010
13,438
8,840
Wherever there be treasure!
Detector(s) used
Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I find quite a bit of deep gold. I hunt some of the most whored out beaches in the world. Depth = Advantage. I'd rather dig iron, than tin foil, which plagues vlf machines, so personally, I find it an even match ... At least on the beaches that I plunder.

But define, "deep". Is 10, 20, 50% of your gold finds beyond the reach of say, the SovGT & Excals with WOT's, or even the 10" CZ's? I don't really know, which is why I posted this thread. Do you find more gold because your hunting deeper, or do you find more gold because you know your beaches well and you spend more hours chasing it?
 

DewGuru

Bronze Member
Jul 23, 2010
1,264
705
Gulf Coast Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Sand Shark
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
But define, "deep". Is 10, 20, 50% of your gold finds beyond the reach of say, the SovGT & Excals with WOT's, or even the 10" CZ's? I don't really know, which is why I posted this thread. Do you find more gold because your hunting deeper, or do you find more gold because you know your beaches well and you spend more hours chasing it?

It's really a combination of everything. I know my machine and the beaches I hunt. I also spend more time than the average man chasing it down. Hard to say what a real-world ratio would be. I'd say probably a 70/30 split. Maybe 60/40 dependent on the beach. High numbers being avg. depth and lower being deep. I added an excal into the swing of things for about a month, and ran it in rotation. Based on this particular unit, with a 10" coil on it, deep with it was 6-8 inches, with 8" giving a faint signal that discrim wouldnt even pick up on. Those particular signals would have blown the phones off my head with my Shark on the 8" and the 10" coil.

Our current conditions are new, soft sand. It's hard to say what is a fresh/old drop in those conditions, as a ring lost yesterday can be 1 foot today... Especially with our 2 week beatdown of rough conditions. The deepest gold I ever dug, came off the Shark with an 8" coil, signal was one of those you couldnt quite tell was a signal, but you were taking a chance dig on. 15 grams with 366 diamonds, almost 2 foot deep.

Can't cast my vote on a wot, or the GT, not used either. Used a CZ20 too briefly to give a good assessment on. The machines you see in my area typically are excals on a 8/10 coil, handful of sharks, an occasional cz, and a rare whites, with a really rare aqua sighting.
 

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bigscoop

bigscoop

Gold Member
Jun 4, 2010
13,438
8,840
Wherever there be treasure!
Detector(s) used
Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I can see a possible advantage over areas that have more soft sand buildup, also maybe on the bars beyond the waterline. But I just don't know if the advantage is that substantial. :dontknow:
 

hamiddetecting

Gold Member
Feb 22, 2012
6,398
2,510
North Pole
Detector(s) used
Sovereign GT and Excalibur II, Whites, Garrett, Fisher, Alert, MD,Cscope,Tesoro, Compas, XP, Long Rs
Primary Interest:
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I like sovereign GT its best.
 

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