Several Questions on Depth

[fenixdigger]

I just started with a Sand Shark and was wondering if any long time users give me an idea of the depth in salt water that a quarter could be hit?
With the Excalibur it was 14 in. I know it will hit an aluminum can at over 3 ft.

How deep do you wade?

 

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[Hag730]

Sunglasses is another one.......Ive dug a few pairs that were 2 ft deep or so. I dug this hunk of stainless steel (pictured above the fishing lure) over two feet down......never did figure out exactly what it was.

 

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[fenixdigger]

Thanks for that input. Let me tell you about NOT digging an overload. I was in a place where pirates and outlaws held up and lived. I found an old home site and started hitting old pipes, barbed wire, and a lot of junk. One spot rattled the iron mask and since it was big (4x6) i figured it was an old cesspool lid. Went on hunting and went home. I came back 4 days later to hunt the same area and found a hole where the 4x6 hit was. A BIG HOLE!! I noticed that trees had been cut down and some sort of dual wheeled vehicle had come in and where it went out, the dirt was pushed up 4 inches. 15 years passes. I'm close to the same area and I come across a truck slipped off the road and hung up in a small ditch. A young guy around 25 and his girlfriend ask me to pull them out, which I did. As we talked And I told them I was detecting, he told me a story about his neighbors who had found something , used a wrecker to pull it out and promptly moved to Europe when he was a child. Now, do you think I dig overloads now.

 

[Hag730]

Um.....I need some closure on that story.......what the heck was it?

 

[trsrseeker]

Ouch!

 

[stevemc]

I have also heard what Ron Lord said, that Sand Sharks are the deepest PI on gold jewelry. I have also heard Infinums are deep also, but he owns both, so he should know. On your giant target thing, I have used big coil PIs and found stuff real deep and dug huge holes to find a crab trap, aluminum beach chairs, pipes, I am talking a 6 foot deep and wide hole. If you are using a smaller coil PI, you can and should dig to find what it is. I also have dug anchors and big things that a 10" coil has found 3 feet down. Lots of big, deep holes.

 

[Randyd]

Is the Sand Shark good in freshwater too? I am using a 1280X currently and would like more depth on rings. I dig most signals, so the extra iron from a PI would be OK.
Thanks!

 

[fenixdigger]

As far as the 4x6 story, I researched the area and found that a pirate had made underground bunkers in that area and had been killed and all hands lost or arrested. A steel bunker--4x6x4 deep. What can you put in 104 cu ft? They moved to Europe!!! Hard for me to even tell this again.

I did find a silver broach with all the stones removed.

 

[stevemc]

Yes, you can use a Sand Shark or any PI in fresh water or on dry land. They are very sensitive and go deep. Hope you can handle all the digging. But you will get the stuff that many cant hear.

 

[Octopulse]

Alot of people on here know I hunt with a Sea Huntter, but what you don't know is that I hunt with a sand shark also, because it is the deepest detector I have ever seen .I have dug Quarter as deep as 24",Gold ring as deep 26"I hunt in sandy ,shelly and rocky bottoms.I have owned an Excal 1000 for 7 years. I now own an Infinium LS, Sea Hunter , AT PRO and a sand shark.The thing I find that fine the most Gold is going slow and over lapping your coil even in the water.In person I will teach you to hunt better ,but not on any forum or sit ,there is just some things you can't teach or learn by reading it, so you all have fun diggin, the more you dig the more you will learn. HH

24" ?
26" ?

And all these years I can only get about 15" on an average gold ring. I guess that serves me right for using inferior machines such as Deepstar PI, Minelab PI's, Goldquest......Amped Sovereign GT. Been detecting for 15 years at 1000 hours a year in the water/beach and never anything past 15". Tried a Sandshark, nifty little machine but nothing past about a foot (buried naturally or planted).....maybe I only put half the batteries in.....please what can I do to double my depth !!

fenixdigger.....satisfy your own curiosity regrading depths and don't let others do it for you....only then will you be at peace.

 

[detectahead]

I have hit quarters as deep as 19" on wet sand with the Sand Shark. The real key to depth in my opinion is using NORMAL mode, a pulse width set at about 80-percent, and an audible threshold so that you can hear "negative" breaks (the threshold goes silent, or quiet over the deep target). The other VERY important factor is coil wire wrapping. DO NOT wrap the coil wire around the lower plastic rod as shown in the manual!!!!! Run it straight up the lower rod, and wrap it only on the middle metal rod.

That's a good point!

 

[dewcon4414]

Tony..... Rons in Fl we dont have a lot of mineralization, i can almost get your kind of depth with an Xcal here. Im finding myself having the same issue when i had to decide on the Xcal or a PI.... whats down there and how deep. I cant see myself digging 3 ft on what should size as a large target since thats not what im looking for. I know a can REAL deep gives a weak smaller signal.... but once you open that hole you have a better idea of what you are dealing with... IMO. I might miss a treasure chest or an anchor or two.... ill take that chance and keep on moving.

Dew

 

[Beach Papa]

I have not done it myself; but I was told by another detectorist that of the many really deep objects he has found, only one was a Rolex watch and most were aluminum cans, now he doesn't dig really deep ones any more. I haven't found my first Rolex yet, so I will keep digging deep just for the fun of it. I will have to try changing my coil wrap and see if there is any difference. Papa

 

[Octopulse]

Thanks Dew,
My beaches are very pure as well, some are like icing sugar and my results are as per my previous post.
I just hate to hear of people with expectations of coins/rings at 2 feet and thinking what are they doing wrong or is their machine faulty. To be honest, in the water or wet sand up to the high tide line, mother nature will often do the digging for me so timing is everything. On these really mineral free beaches, there isn't much in it between a good multi frequency VLF (such as Minelab Sovereign GT) and a PI.
HH,
Tony.

Tony..... Rons in Fl we dont have a lot of mineralization, i can almost get your kind of depth with an Xcal here. Im finding myself having the same issue when i had to decide on the Xcal or a PI.... whats down there and how deep. I cant see myself digging 3 ft on what should size as a large target since thats not what im looking for. I know a can REAL deep gives a weak smaller signal.... but once you open that hole you have a better idea of what you are dealing with... IMO. I might miss a treasure chest or an anchor or two.... ill take that chance and keep on moving.

Dew

 

[fenixdigger]

Hi Tony;

I'm not sure about that. My Sovereign with the butterfly coil hits targets the size of a can at over 4 ft, and the sound difference between gold, silver and aluminum lets you know whats there. If I could use it in deep surf, I would. The sand shark will have to really show me something to even get close to the Minelab. When 2 of us go, we separate into dry sand (Sovereign), and surf (Excalibur). Now with the change in methods, the sand shark is going to replace the Excalibur, or move both of us into the water.

 

[Octopulse]

Hi Tony;

I'm not sure about that. My Sovereign with the butterfly coil hits targets the size of a can at over 4 ft, and the sound difference between gold, silver and aluminum lets you know whats there. If I could use it in deep surf, I would. The sand shark will have to really show me something to even get close to the Minelab. When 2 of us go, we separate into dry sand (Sovereign), and surf (Excalibur). Now with the change in methods, the sand shark is going to replace the Excalibur, or move both of us into the water.

I'm after rings, not cans.

I am done trying to help.......permanently....adios.

 

[bigscoop]

This is a common question that always turns into a debate. Do yourself a favor, get your hands on the machines you're considering (barrow them if need be) and then do all the required testing yourself. Yes, it takes lots of time but it's worth it. Decisions are much easier to make when you're armed with the facts based on your own test in the areas you intend to hunt. As Dew pointed out, for the most part we have very little mineralization down here so I can take my CZ-21 with the 10.5 coil or the Excal and Sov and run them pretty hot (even with the WOT or larger butterfly on the minelabs). I considered a good PI machine for quite some time but after getting my hands on a few and actually doing the required testing I decided against it and purchased a used Excal 800 that I plan to pair with a WOT or 15 x 18 SEF and some better headphones. Realistically (generally speaking), this should allow me to detect average sized gold (5 to 9 grams) rings to around 14" - 16", perhaps a bit deeper on those beefy class rings, a bit less over all on white gold. I can live with that.

 

[vergador]

I dont use the SS, but i do use the Xcal. When talking depth IN the water you have to consider location, mineralization, type of sand density, and the biggest factor...... KNOWING EXACTLY HOW DEEP THE TARGET WAS. Its a best guess out there. Ive seen postings of people alleging unbelievable depths.... which more likely was a target on the side that finely fell in the hole. Now if you are doing controlled testing in the wet sand its a little more consistent..... but in the water there are a lot of variables.... which are mostly due to your PPing and target recovery. It will be a best guess.

Dew

Do the Excalibur 2's detect on dry land and if so how deep?

 

[fenixdigger]

Like the other posters said, the Excalibur works everywhere. I just can't use mine for what we are doing due to the coil config. Being new to P.I. machines I am getting advice from the pros. And let me thank you guys for the help. 30 years with Minelabs won't teach you anything about a Tesoro LAT

 

[vergador]

Thanks. There is always a lot to

Learn, lol. I'm learning as well

 

[Treasure finder]

Wow, great depths being qouted. How many of you carry a tape measure or ruler to actually ascertain those depths?
The first nickel I found with my Infinium in wet salt sand was at 18 inches. When I got home and measured 18 inches it
was nowhere near that. Not that it couldn't have been but let's not quote depths that aren't measured.
Rich