Newbie here needing advice on under-water detecting....

[RCMoonPie]

Greetings All!
I have been reading the forums for about a month now and have decided to activate an account and get into this forum and into the hobby as well!
I obtained my SSI open-water certification this past July.
Now I want to continue to enjoy diving....and I want to treasure hunt as well!
Because most of my funds have been wrapped up in buying scuba gear....my funds are limited at this time for adding an under-water detector to my gear.
I need to get the most bang for my buck and would prefer to keep the cost as low as possible but still have an adequate to great detector.
I live in Knoxville, Tennessee and know of several awesome "swimming holes" here in the state that have been used literally for centuries with great frequency!
Most likely a great deal of pocket change and class-rings available!
My mother also lives in Panama City beach down in Florida. I want to hit St. Andrews park around the "kiddie pool" at the jetty, and also be able to do a little deeper water around wrecks at around 30ft or so. Nothing much deeper than that until I become more confident and more certified.
Safety first!
So.......all that said, I need suggestions for an "adequate to great" detector that is moderately priced.
Also, if anyone is doing any TH on or off the PCB coast....I would love to hear from you as well.

I welcome all suggestions and all comments......thanks in advance for your time!
I also look forward to "meeting" all you "diving detectorists" here online now that I have registered!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[RCMoonPie]

wow.

15 veiws....

Not even one recommendation of a detector or even a welcome to the community.

Thanks folks.

 

[Nana40]

I'll be the first!!!!


Hey RC! Glad you decided to join us! Welcome to TNet!

I know nothing about water units...but there are a couple on here that do......and I hope they can help you!

Hey RCMoonPie!

ps...an RC cola and a Moon Pie was my Aunts favorite thing to purchase at the corner store!

Nana

 

[JakePhelps]

Welcome to the forum! I don't know anything about deep water detecting as i only do shallow water Don't worry 15 views is nothing

 

[weldermark]

just a guess but the folk's you want to talk with are/were probably under water at that time I'm sure you'll get some replies,hang in there and welcome to the forum.


HH Mark

 

[JohnNZ]

Hi there,

well- I am also a newbie out here in new Zealand.
I have 2 land detectors and have wanted a beach/surf machine for a while.
Heres what I have detemined from the forums (I will probably get shot down by some guys!)
You need to choose first a PI machine or VLF machine.
PI will go deeper and handle heavy iron mineralisation better than VLF, howevere they have little or no discrimination - ie you dig all tones - fine if you are young/strong/have heaps of time and a big box for junk!
VLF wont go as deep, BUT will offer discrimination, should you want to use it. Does not handel heavy mineralisatio as well. I chose VLF.
Then units :
fisher cz-20 (vlf)very nice - very expensive - very wel built, been around a long time
fisher 1280 (vlf)- good for fresh water - falses a lot in salt water
beach hunter ID - 2 frequency vlf unit - has lights to show range target falls into, adn tone discrimination - good reviews - depth only around 20 feet though, coild floats if not weighed down
minelab excalibur - (vlf)been around a long time - very good machine - costly, seems to require repairs frequently, lots of users out there. waterproof to around 200 ft i think.
other machines i dont know much about:
garrett sea hunter, detectorpor head units... have some good reports
garrett infinium - good but expensive pi unit
whites pi pro - good pi unit - good reviews
whites surfmaster ii - older vlf unit

best thing is read all teh forums - all teh beach/water ones (findmall.com/treasurenet.com/thetreasuredepot.com)
and make up your own mind..
search fro reviews a well - lost treasure has some good ones
good luck - let us know how you do!
John

 

[Monty]

I'm a newbie myself to water hunting and I just now caught your post. Let me welcome you to the forums and stick around you will learn a lot. I am a freshwater hunter only and don't dive but wish I could. When I got interested in beach/water hunting I studied the various types of detectors until my eyes hurt and my typing fingers were numb. Everyone seems to have a favorite and it's rare you can persuade them differently. Just human nature. I bought a cheap VLF machine to start with and after a couple of outings realized that cheap wasn't the way to go at least for me. So, I traded up to a mid-range detector and got the Garrett Sea Hunter MarkII. It is a PI machine and I do dig a lot of junk, but it does have some very limited means of discrimination which many machines lack. I can discriminate out most of those pesky pull tabs that seem to be everywhere. I say most because there is always a few that fool the machine no matter how much you paid for it! I read many articles and post by those who used this detector successfully and saw photos of their finds. So, that being said, these are the constants for underwater machines as I see it. Buy all the machine you can afford and then reach a bit if you have to. Stick with a well known brand name. Most of the very successful water hunters use a PI machine. (not just on this forum but worlwide). Spend hours if not days and weeks learning what your machine is telling you. It will talk to you and you have to learn its language. Don't be discouraged if you don't find gold and silver on every outing. Keep at it, as determinatin pays off. Do lots of research and write it down. I can't remember where I was yesterday half of the time! Adhere to all the safety rules....we lost a very fine and experienced water hunter just last week to drowning! Let us know what you select and be sure to post your successes and/or failures so we can continue to learn as you do. Good luck and hope to hear from you soon. JIM

 

[RCMoonPie]

Just checked in today.....
Thank you for all the "welcomes"!
I was starting to get discouraged for a second.....thought I forgot my deodarant!
JohnNZ and Jimmileo.....
Thanks for the suggestions!
I am comparison shopping with a few options I think.....

Garret Infinium
Minelab Excaliber
Fisher CZ20
Tesoro SandShark

If anyone else has opinions on these models, please let me know.
Also if there are any other models out there that you feel I should also give its "day in court"....drop me a line.

Thanks!

 

[Monty]

Those are all top of the line machines and should serve you well, any one of them. They command big bucks except tof the Tesoro ....well, big bucks to me any way! Read all you can about them and let us know what you decide. JIM

 

[RCMoonPie]

Those are all top of the line machines and should serve you well, any one of them.? They command big bucks except tof the Tesoro ....well, big bucks to me any way!? Read all you can about them and let us know what you decide.? JIM

None of those are in stone yet....just my whittled down list.
I will certainly continue to shop......and once I decide on one.......I will spend lots of time getting to know it!
I will post any info I learn!

I spoke with a very nice guy this afternoon by phone who runs a detector buisness here locally in Knoxville.
His store is on the net at: http://www.detectordepot.com
He was very helpfull and super nice on the phone. I believe his name is "Terry". I am HORRIBLE with names.
Whlie carrying all the above models I listed....he spoke very highly of the Tesoro model.
Tesoro also offers a lifetime warranty while others carry only a one or two year.
I am beginning to sway that direction I think....anyone know differently about this model?

Please keep the info coming!

 

[DiggerDude101]

Welcome RCMoonPie!

I have trying to decided between the Garrett Infinium and the Fisher CZ20. Let use know which you decide on.
I have a Garrett Ace 250 now, a cheap Treasure Hunter AquaVision Pro,{which flooded on its first 22ft dive} and a very old Garrett Treasure Ray made in the 70 or 80's.

 

[Jimi D Pirate]

Welcome MoonPie!
The three I like MOST and own are:
MINELAB 1000 Excalibur $1,062.50 @ Kellyco
FISHER CZ20 Quicksilver $1,012.95 @ Kellyco
I use my MineLab most and My CZ20 as my backup
These two were money well spent
I am also looking to purchase an
AQUA-PULSE(most people have not heard of) they cost around
$1400.00
All these are submersible over 200' and are great on the beach in wet and dry sand!
Expensive ... but money well spent!
By the way I grew up in the panhandle. St. Andrews and St. Joseph, St. George Island, Cape San Blas areas were my old stoppin grounds!
Jimi D. Pirate

 

[southern gent]

Welcome RC! All of the detectors you have mentioned are very good but the most important factor is not the price. It's what kind of detector you will find the most suited for your needs/desires. I like my minelabs as well as my fishers. The infinium is a great detector but some people have a tough time learning it. I would probobly say, for a first underwater detector, the Tesoro would be the way to go. The main reason I say this is because of the great reputation that they have and the fact that you want an all-around
detector. Consider also the limited time that one can dive and the cost per dive and I think getting the best detector for the least green will tell you if you want to continue to dive hunt or not. Good luck & HH! Chris

 

[RCMoonPie]

Once I own a MD it wont be so bad....just the cost of tanks!
I am really leaning heavily toward the Tesoro Tiger Shark with its "Norm" and "Salt" settings.
I have two freshwater swimming holes here in Tennessee that I am really thinking will be a gold mine!

 

[Chicago Ron]

Hi RC welcome
For what it's worth I do a lot of fresh water hunting in Chicago, Lake Michigan. I have used the whites surfmaster freshwater machine for the last 5 years. Just purchased a Fisher CZ 20 and love it. in 3 weeks have found 13 gold and 20 silver. Fisher also has a lifetime warrenty with the CZ 20 purchased new. Kelly co had a specail for about 960.00 with a lot of extras.
HH, get some gold! Chicago Ron
found this last week! 14K

 

[RCMoonPie]

Very nice!

I am getting so "itchy" to get an MD now!

 

[wreckdiver1715]

RCMoonPie, welcome to the forum, and happy treasure hunting. I use the Minelab Excalibur 1000, and I treat it the same way I do the rest of my dive gear. When diving, the detector is tethered to my BC, this permits me to let go of the detector, anchor myself to the bottom with my dive knife with my left hand (important for close to shore dives in the shallows), and fan the bottom with my right hand to expose the target.
While I have not used many of the other underwater detectors, and can?t compare them, I will say that I have NOT experienced many problems with the Excalibur, and have never had to send it out for repairs. I did have a knob come loose, but caught it during the pre-dive inspection, tighten the Allen screw and we are all good. Oh yea! I also had to replace the rechargeable battery once. Not a bad record considering she is five years old, and has seen many an ocean floor. For my money, the Excalibur has paid for it self many times over.

Happy Hunting

Q

 

[Wayne from Maine]

I'm a big fan of Fisher. My CZ20 found it's first gold today. The 1280x is easier to use and cheaper . I've had one of those for years and it's paid for its self many times over.

 

[greggww]

I don't dive but I wade and for a freshwater machine I would reccomend The Tigershark, works great and sensitive to tiny objects. I am also very partial to Stingray I & II. HH Gregg