Need some advice from the salt water hunters here!

cntrydncr1 · Oct 19, 2008

Well now that i'm thoroughly hooked on this hobby I've decided I want to get a salt water detector. I will plan to use it mostly in Florida, gulf waters, and no more than waist deep or so in the water. I've researched the BHID 300 a little already and don't think I want to deal with the coil that wants to float! Other than that...what are your thoughts on what I should buy? Thanks in advance!

Dixie Digger · Oct 19, 2008

i dont know of anything that will beat the Excal. a PI can go deep but i dont like to dig 2' for a bobby pin!

Narthoniel · Oct 19, 2008

My first water machine is an Excal2. I think that if you get a good one, they work great! I recommend not buying a brand new machine, as they seem to have problems. I would personally ook into a used Excal 1000 or even and Excal2. I have only been hutning the water since July, and the excal has done me well for sure. In addition tot hat, you will need a good scoop. Don't buy a cheap one. Get a big quality scoop. Nutall makes a good one, and the Beach Brute at Kellyco is mammoth sized. Both will do you well.

rsc · Oct 19, 2008

Excal 800.......No question.... HH Gayle

txkickergirl · Oct 19, 2008

I ended up with the excal after the bhid and a cz, I did not like the bhid, doubt I would of liked it even if I had gotten the one where the coil doesn't float. The fisher was ok, I really could of came to like it, but I am glad I ended up with the excal, its a tough machine, and seems to work for me very well.

Loosemoose · Oct 20, 2008

I've had a BHID, which I would not recommend for salt water hunting due to the continual ground re-balancing and difficulty with the floating coil in the surf. It seems to me it would be better suited to dry sand or maybe freshwater hunting.

I now have an excalibur which is very good in shallow water, but be prepared for the weight, it's a bit heavier than some other machines. I have also found it to be limited when diving. Due to the denser salt water at depth, moving water, ten inch coil (the eight inch is meant to handle this environment better due to it processing a smaller area), and my local beach conditions I find that the sensitivity needs to be wound right down to obtain a constant threshold, which loses depth. While the excal is still a good machine, I just thought I'd add a bit more info for your perusal.

If there are any divers out there who know how to get around this sensitivity issue at depth, I'd love to hear your solutions (I hunt with the coil cover removed). Good luck.

cntrydncr1 · Oct 21, 2008

thanks all!

TheSleeper · Oct 22, 2008

Depending on how much you wish to spend you have a few options.

A PI machine will be cheap 200-300 will hit extreamly deep on ANY metal, no disc. So realistically you will hear each piece of metal under the coil.
Great machines but you dig and dig and dig, but great finds have and are still being found with them.
Detectorpro: pirate, wader
Fisher: 1280, CZ-21,6x, 8x
Garrett: sea hunter series
Minelab: excal 800 or 1000
WHites: beachhunter, surf PI

Depending on your skill level and your strength, a PI works great but as stated earlier you will dig everything, no disc. A disc machine helps you sort out the trash from the good targets, BUT not all trash is trash.
If this is something you are definetly going to keep doing my suggestion would be the excal, it is not hard to learn for beginners and will stay with you for future use.

There are many knowledgeable people on this forum more then ready to assist you with any info you might need.

cntrydncr1 · Oct 22, 2008

Thanks for everyone's advice here...I bit the bullet and bought a used excal II. can't wait to try it out!

Sandman · Oct 22, 2008

Ok, now that you have a Excal II, here are the settings you should use.
Volume all the way up.(place tape over the earcup drain holes to block wind noise in the surf.)
Threshold where you can barely hear it.
Disc. at zero or One.
Sensitivity as far to the right as you can go without the detector falsing. On a clock face this could be anywhere from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock. It might be easier to learn if you start out in Auto mode.
You won't really need to pinpoint either. When you get a beeb, back the coil up while moving it slowly side to side and then slowly slide it forward. When you again hear the sound, the target will be just off the tip of the coil. Try it on dry ground.
Make sure you can hear pull tabs as this is where 90% of the gold rings are.