Welcome aboard!
I live near Orlando and have detected multiple beaches on both the east and west coasts. I'm going to assume you're new to FL beach hunting so I'll provide just a few basic thoughts. If you're already familiar with any of the points below, so much the better...
You'll find the Gulf side surf more calm than the Atlantic side with the difference between High and Low tide much less on the Gulf side.
Although I use my Excalibur and CTX 3030 on our beaches, I have taken my AT Pro to see how it would do and it did better than I expected. The key is to properly ground balance in the area you'll be detecting then adjust sensitivity to achieve the sweet spot regarding detector stability. The AT Pro, being a single frequency machine, works better on some beaches than others depending on the level of mineralization. I was able to stabilize my ATP pretty well on our beaches....even in the surf. Again, the key is to ground balance each time you change environments. Example, if you ground balance on the wet sand then go into the surf, you'll have to GB once again or the ATP won't perform as well at all.
Look for the low spots along the surf line...especially during low tide...go slow and grid search a smaller area thoroughly rather than trying to cover a larger area quickly.
Dry sand is best detected along the "towel line" and along the high tide line in the evening when beach goers have left or early in the morning before they get there.
I normally focus on beach entry areas as that is where most of the "depositors" hang out and where most of the activity takes place.
Invest in a good scoop. I use the Stealth 920iX or the 720i...pricey but worth it. If you stick to dry sand only, a good aluminum scoop from RTG works well. Suggest you get the widest scoop you can easily handle. My 920iX is 9 inches wide and the 720i is just over 7 inches wide. Kellyco in Winter Springs sells the T-Rex also...a scoop many use around here.
The Treasure Coast is best hit after a storm. We're pretty sanded in right now. Additionally, stay out of the water all along the treasure coast...that's all leased area. You can detect along the wet sand area up to the surf line and the dry sand with no problems.
Take alot of water with you and stay properly hydrated.
I wear long digital camo pants, long sleeve white evaporative shirt, flap hat, crocs with socks and use alot of sunblock. Why all the cover up? I had to learn the hard way regarding sand fleas, sunburn and jelly fish.
Good luck and soldier on...
