Think of yourself as an archer and the scoops as arrow(s) in your quiver. The arrow that you select depends upon what you hunt, where you hunt, and how you hunt.
- When I hunt on dry sand only, I use a non corrosive non conducting extra heavy duty plastic sand scoop with 5/8 inch holes for easier sifting. I prefer to use a composite garden spade to pull sand toward this flat bottomed scoop as forward motion in loose sand pushes targets away. I also use the edged side of a Garret Pro Pointer, while down, to speed recovery when there are multiple targets.
- I use an aluminum RTG 6 inch stand up water scoop as my go to beach scoop. It has served me well in recovering targets in dry sand, wet sand, and waist deep water. I nicknamed it old shaky as it works best to sift dry sand when one third or less full. I plan to add a stainless steel tip so that it will cut through wet sand easier, and a 1/4 in mesh screen on the bottom to keep smaller items from falling through, plus magnets to catch iron. The down side to this scoop is that it tends to roll, especially if it hits a rock. It is also corky in the surf, and I have been gently clunked by it several times.
- I use the stealth 720 when I need to work crevices with its pointed tip or when I am in chest to chin deep in the water. I am over six foot, and prefer the longer 52 inch textured wood shaft, which also helps to push you back to shallower water if you get to deep. if you need to dig deep on the first scoop, this is the scoop of choice, it is amazing on how easily and fast it drains with the one half inch holes. I found the basket surprisingly light- most of the weight is in the textured wood handle. It easily cuts though wet sand, and is very stable considering the length of its basket.
- I prefer the wider T Rex for wet sand and up to waist deep water, especially when detecting with a 10 inch or wider double D coil. I would have to custom order a 52 inch shaft for chest to chin deep water. Even though it has a round bottom, I have not noticed any tendency to roll. Nor have I noticed any flexing in the 48 inch wood shovel shaft.
Like the stealth 720, wet sand loads are heavy, and I have to pivot the basket and drag it out of the hole (poor technique) as it difficult for me to lift one handed. I would use this as my go to beach scoop where items of high value have been found. The one quarter inch grid would catch smaller targets such as ear ring studs. The only drawback that I have noticed is that wet sand tends to stick at the back edges and will build up, unless cleaned out. You have to dump the sand and spread it out to find target for other than fine dry sand
