Looking to buy an Underwater Metal Detector (help!)

BrettCo124 · Jun 2, 2015

Hey all,

I am looking to buy an underwater metal detector. My question is:

How does the Whites Beachhunter 300 hold up against the Minelab Excalibur 2000?

I'd love to own Minelab, as I enjoy their products very much....but does anybody have any advice
on a model that can compare to it, but not its price? I am looking to spend 1000 or under.

Thanks friends!

RustyGold · Jun 2, 2015

I prefer the Excalibur 1000 but I'm jaded.
Best of luck!

Treasure_Hunter · Jun 2, 2015

The excal will null on iron but still tell you if there is gold by the iron. I have dug gold and iron in same scoops. If you can't buy new buy used, there are good used one available for $600 to $1200...

BadM0nkey · Jun 3, 2015

Just to say, I had a Garrett Infinium for a few years and while I didn't dive, it was fantastic in the surf and on the beach. It was ground-balance and go. Didn't false even at the water's edge. And for what it was worth, I was living on the central California coast, loaded with black sands.

Sandman · Jun 3, 2015

Of the two the Excal is the better one as it will report on a gold ring under iron while the BHID will mask out the gold. Also the Whites is only good to 10 foot or less underwater. Not important if you aren't gonna dive.

cudamark · Jun 3, 2015

BrettCo124 said:
Hey all,

I am looking to buy an underwater metal detector. My question is:

How does the Whites Beachhunter 300 hold up against the Minelab Excalibur 2000?

I'd love to own Minelab, as I enjoy their products very much....but does anybody have any advice
on a model that can compare to it, but not its price? I am looking to spend 1000 or under.

Thanks friends!

Between those two, the Excal is the better machine overall, but, I realize it's almost $600 more. As Treasure Hunter mentioned, you might look into a good used one. In comparing them, both have discrimination but the Excal does a better job of it having 17 frequencies instead of just 2, plus, with the Excal you can adjust the discrimination whereas with the 300 you can't. The 300 has a bigger coil (12" vs. 10") so IMO that is a slight advantage to the 300. Excal has a double D coil, 300 is concentric....I like the DD better myself. The Excal is a bit lighter in weight. The 300 does have a target I.D. display, but, that's only a slight advantage at the beach as you should be digging everything that isn't iron (and even some that are!). The Excal has automatic ground balancing, the 300 is manual. That might be an issue if you have changing conditions at your hunt site.

Treasure_Hunter · Jun 3, 2015

cudamark said:
Between those two, the Excal is the better machine overall, but, I realize it's almost $600 more. As Treasure Hunter mentioned, you might look into a good used one. In comparing them, both have discrimination but the Excal does a better job of it having 17 frequencies instead of just 2, plus, with the Excal you can adjust the discrimination whereas with the 300 you can't. The 300 has a bigger coil (12" vs. 10") so IMO that is a slight advantage to the 300. Excal has a double D coil, 300 is concentric....I like the DD better myself. The Excal is a bit lighter in weight. The 300 does have a target I.D. display, but, that's only a slight advantage at the beach as you should be digging everything that isn't iron (and even some that are!). The Excal has automatic ground balancing, the 300 is manual. That might be an issue if you have changing conditions at your hunt site.

Good comparison CM...

TooManyHobbies · Jun 3, 2015

I bought a DetectorPro Headhunter Underwater this year. Hasn't been submerged yet, but I'm really liking it in dry sand and tot lots. It's in your price range at ~ $685. Electronics are in the headphones, rechargeable, submerge to 100'.
The only downside so far is it doesn't have interchangeable coils, or different tones, beeps, etc.
Yesterday I picked up 37 clad coins in less than an hour. Every target that was trash, I knew was trash before digging. Even bottle caps give a slight click. Haven't found silver or gold yet, so not sure how those will tone.
Water still too cold for me, but I'll be trying it soon in fresh water swim holes.

streetshark1966 · Jun 3, 2015

don't forget the Tesoro sand shark with the life time warranty

penzfan · Jun 3, 2015

Excal...period...

JackalopeZL1 · Jun 3, 2015

Good thread for me.. Contemplating my first underwater machine.. thanks for the info..

Metal Detecting Stuff · Jun 4, 2015

Great info in this thread! the BeachHunter 300 is a great detector, but the Excalibur II should give you better depth in mineralized black or volcanic sands.

Wayne

www.metaldetectingstuff.com

chriskellyco · Jun 4, 2015

I absolutely love the Excal. Straight up the only detector I take to the beach.

BrettCo124 · Jun 4, 2015

Thanks so much everybody. Sorry for the long delay in responding, I am currently in Aruba and have limited WiFi. This is where I began thinking of the underwater detector. It looks really fun and I think its more of an adventure (in my opinion) than detecting on properties and backyards - and less stressful trying to find places to detect and get permission.

I am now between the Whites Beach Hunter 300 or the Whites Surf Master PI Dual Metal Detector....

Can I ask you all your opinions on these two machines? If you were to choose one or the other, which would you choose if your primary focus is on beach detecting, underwater salt water detecting, and desiring discrimination or at least verification of trash or something good to dig (I loved the concept of the three lights on the beach master - I am not going hard-core with this hobby, therefore whatever is simplest to use and can do those things will work for me!).

Lastly, Thank You!

BadM0nkey · Jun 4, 2015

I have not used either but IMO nothing can beat a PI machine in salt water. A reviewer said he found a dime at 20 inches. Totally possible. Another said it would never false. I believe this too.

If I moved back to the beach I'd get another PI machine in a second. I used to hit heavily worked beaches and always leave with a pile of mixed coinage.

BrettCo124 · Jun 4, 2015

Thanks very much! But do PI detectors discriminate like the beach hunter would? Also, what if I didn't care much for finding coins, and primarily wanted to find jewelry? This is what I am looking for, but I definitely want to use it submerged in water so I can wade in the ocean. Thanks for all the advice everybody.

ARC · Jun 4, 2015

Heh... We ALL want a jewelry finding ONLY metal detector...

Forget those pesky coins... jewelry only I say...

Call it the "Jewelry hunter Pro 5000"...

Charge 10,000 each for it.

Brett... No such thing.
Sorry... it looks like ya gotta dig like the rest of us

BrettCo124 · Jun 4, 2015

lol I should have seen that one coming! But would you find one of those two machines to be better than the other, mainly to discriminate iron and trash from better finds? If it wasn't going to change my finds in any way, why wouldn't I go for the Garrett Sea Hunter Mark ii, which is a lot cheaper? Just trying to wrap my head around this all, lol. Thanks for the continued help!

flgliderpilot · Jun 4, 2015

If it was this easy, it wouldn't just be a hobby!

BrettCo124 · Jun 4, 2015

lol but ONE of these three detectors has to be more effective for me. Whites beachmaster 300, whites surf pi, or garrett seahunter mark ii. If there is no difference, I'll go with garrett for the price...that is unless the whites detectors do something better than the garrett. I'm told the garrett wont discriminate. There has to be a preference other than weight, appearance, things like that. Hoping to make a final decision by tomorrow afternoon based off of all of your professional opinions. If there is no opinions on the three, I'll go with the Garrett seahunter mark ii. I cant afford the minelab. Thanks everyone.