What would be a good detector for diving?

[LadyDigger]

I know...this has probably been posted before, but I have to leave for work in 45 mins and I'm really too lazy to check each topic out...sorry, I deserve a lazy day once in a while LOL

Hubby loves to dive. Due to work, his diving experiences have halted for a bit, but I thought it would still be nice to get him an underwater detector he could use for diving.

We are in Va Beach and they do alot of diving in the Chesapeake Bay and he brought home an old bullet casing, I guess you would call it...lots of green stuff all over it...I'll have to take a pic to show ya'll...anyway...

For Christmas, I would love to get him a good detector to use underwater. Would any of you Ol' Salts have any ideas and/or suggestions on what would be good to use?

Him and his fishing and diving buddy have been going over maps and such, looking for wrecks, but have yet to go search for them. Thought this underwater detector would get him going again...if his boss would give him some time off already!!!!

Thank you all for any inputs, suggestions, ideas, etc you may have....it is greatly appreciated.

HH,
Annmarie

PS: I think it would be neat if he put on his diving suit and went to the beach and walked out and detected too!!!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Minelab Excalibur.

 

[LadyDigger]

Minelab Excalibur.

Thank You Very Much Treasure_Hunter!!!

 

[Kut2TheChase]

My choice=Excalibur.

You might also consider a PI Pro from whites, ask Old GrubStake, if he's going after wrecks.
Old wooden wrecks, the PI, if newer iron and steel wrecks, go for the excal.
Especially for walking into the surf from the beach then definitely the Excalibur.

 

[DaChief]

Go online and read the reviews about the following high end machines. Make sure you take into account the additional features available like interchangeable earphones, interchangeable coils, etc. I got my detector in mint condition off EBAY with accessorie for well under half price including shipping. MAKE SURE YOU BUY FROM A PERSON THAT HAS GREAT FEEDBACK and that you can see good photos of the machine.

______________________________________________________

Garrett Infinium - Pulse Induction Machine with Descrimination - There is a forum online about these outside treasurenet. Type in Garrett Infinium Forum on google and you should find it. Most people who use it like it including me. It is really deep and I found Platinum with it my first time out. You can use several coils with it and the earphones are interchangeable also from land to water.

Minelab Excalibur - Waterproofed Sovereign - Lot of Good Reviews on this one also but I have heard that the older models are better than the newest due to some issues with the knobs coming off.

Fisher CZ-20 and 21 - VLF Machine - Lots of good reviews about this one also.

I don't believe you can go wrong with either of these. The Pulse Machines are a little different to use but they are really good for salt water and highly mineralized ground.

There are lower end machines also that are good but you can find a used high end machine for reasonable money.


Hope this helps.

 

[desertfox]

Ann, the Minelab Excalibur is my first choice, too. However, how much are you looking to spend? The Excalibur will run somewhere in the neighborhood of 900 to a grand or better new. The Tesoro's Tigar Shark and the Sand Shark are both good machines, too. Somewhat less....And Tesoro has a life time warranty, new or used! Something to think about. What ever you buy for him I'm sure he'll enjoy it! Good Luck

Desertfox

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

It was the older model that occasionaly had a knob come off, not the newer ones, and even then you could just go to a Radio Shack and buy another knob. The newer ones do not have the knob problem.

I have 2 Excal's I bought used, one, off of EBay, paid $850 shipped to my home, and still has 2 years left on the warranty if I need it as long as I ship it through the gentleman I bought from who just happens to live close to my brother so that is doable. The other I bought from a posting on the "for sale" board here for $750 shipped to my door and had a new motherboard installed shortly before I bought it. The previous owner switched to the new AquaSound and no longer wanted it, he also changed the knobs on it and installed ones that are larger which I like.

Both units arrived working at my door, and both are still working perfectly, and no problems with any knobs. Both have the Blue headsets and so are not the newest ones which are shipped with yellow headsets.

The second one I bought, I bought as a back-up to my first one as the fear of not having an Excal to hunt if something happen was to my first one was causing my hair to fall out...LOL. Really I bought it because I wanted an Excal for a back up if I had to have repairs on one, and it also allowed me to loan one out if someone wanted to hunt with me.

I am strongly considering installing a WOT on the 2nd Excal, I love the Sovereign GT WOT combination I have now on one of my other detectors, but I want to be able to be hunt in the surf with a WOT with out fear of damaging the detector.

Something else to consider is the Excal holds it value on resale, especially if you buy used. Watch Ebay and see what they sell for used. I could get 90-100% of the money I paid for either of my Excals if I wanted to sell one, which I have no desire to do...... Just found a nice Gold and Diamond ring with one a few weeks ago, which just happen to fit one of my wife's fingers that had no ring.

Good Luck and Good Hunting......

 

[LadyDigger]

Thank You EVERYONE for your wonderful replies. I will definitely check into the ones ya'll mentioned. I figure what better way to find out which would be good (even though everyone has their favorites )...so I know where to look.

My price range would be anywhere from 500-1000 bucks....I want him to have a good one.

He bought me the Minelab Exp II for my birthday/Mother's Day present last year...but it's too big for me and I don't like the tones!!! Oh, and it was too heavy...so I gave it back to him and wanted the Garrett Ace 250, since my son had the 150...I love my little Ace...just perfect for my size!

With him being familiar with Minelab already, might check into those first and then check out the other ones....

I can't wait to get it for him, nor can I wait to take his pic opening it...I'm excited already and I haven't even bought it yet!! Oh, and all that beautiful jewelry and old coins he'll bring home to me...SWEEEEEEEETTT! LOL

Thank you again everyone....I'll let ya' know what I go with and post when he opens it Christmas Day!!!

HH,
Annmarie
PS: Thanks for the E-Bay tips!!!!!!!

 

[Sandman]

I am a diver and love my Excal's for the diving and beach wading. The problem with the knobs happened when they first came out years ago. You receive a short diving shaft when you get the Excal too. I liked the 1000 and 800 for diving and couldn't decide which one to take down. The Excal is deep and it has great discrimination and the iron mask feature. Iron mask allows the detector to ignore iron while still responding to gold underneath it. Rechargable battery packs, and comfortable head phones that give excellent volume underwater even thru a wetsuit hood. It's the water detector of choice for many of us divers. If he just wants more depth, a PI type will do, but be a poorer choice on the dry sand due to finding tiny bits of deep iron.

 

[LadyDigger]

I am a diver and love my Excal's for the diving and beach wading. The problem with the knobs happened when they first came out years ago. You receive a short diving shaft when you get the Excal too. I liked the 1000 and 800 for diving and couldn't decide which one to take down. The Excal is deep and it has great discrimination and the iron mask feature. Iron mask allows the detector to ignore iron while still responding to gold underneath it. Rechargable battery packs, and comfortable head phones that give excellent volume underwater even thru a wetsuit hood. It's the water detector of choice for many of us divers. If he just wants more depth, a PI type will do, but be a poorer choice on the dry sand due to finding tiny pits of deep iron.

Thank You Sandman,

I want to get him one strictly for diving....he has his Minelab Exp II for detecting land. He's been diving around these parts for some time, infact, he and his fishing/diving buddy found a wreck off shore, where he found this shell casing. They don't know what the wreck was nor have they investigated further on it...silly boys!

I really appreciate everyone's input...now it's just deciding what I think he would like....gonna' have him check some out too....without giving a clue to what I want to do (I hope he doesn't read this post!! LOL)...then based on what he picks and what others have recommended, I will go from there.

Thank you again...HH,
Annmarie

 

[DaChief]

I believe that if he is good at using the Minelab that I would go with that. I like the Infinium but I know what it is like to have to learn a new series of detectors and it ain't fun when you are accustomed to the features of a particular brand!

Everything I have read about the three I have mentioned was good. What I do like about the Infinium is the interchangeable coils. There are four that you can use with it and you can change the headphones also. I am not sure about the others if that is available but I do know that based on reviews by everyone that I have read, any choice you make out of the three that I mentioned will be a good one.

Still, if he is using a Minelab right now, I would go that route. I plan on buying a Sovereign when I can for a shore machine. I have used Minelabs in the past and they are great machines. Never really met a good quality detector that I didn't like.

Tesoros are nice also and they do stand behind their warranty for life. I have a Toltec 80 that I bought around 1989 and they are about to tune it up for free again. Just costs me shipping to them and they even pay the shipping for return. Can't beat that.

You will be able to pick up any of the High End three that I mentioned for 800 to 1000 if you watch EBAY. You can usually find them with extras also if you are patient. The Minelab 1000 is selling new at most placed for $1,062. Any of them can easily pay for themselves in a matter of weeks if you hunt enough.

Well I am all talked out. Good luck!!!!

 

[rjnail]

for salt water the excalibur, i pick, been diving 34 years, used alot of detectors in the fresh water, all work well, but for salt i like the excal...

 

[LadyDigger]

First, ya'll really gave me some great ideas.....and I thank you so very much for your responses and assistances ...it's so hard to make a final decision!!! But I am keeping ya'll's suggestions in mind as well....just wanted to know if anyone had any familiarity with this Fisher brand Thanks!

I went to the Dive Quarters here in Va Beach this morning. They sell:

Fisher 1280-X underwater metal detector (Aquanut)

Controls and Features are as follows:
Power on-off/volume (dual function potentiometer and switch)
Battery Test/Sensitivity (dual function potentiometer and switch)
VF-Discrimination (full range trash rejection potentiometer)
Automatic (turn on and go operation)
Salt Water, Fresh Water or Land use
Leakproof (to 250 feet)
Up to 75 hours (of battery life)
Ignores small pieces of trash
Patented (quartz-crystal circuity)
Converts (to belt mount)
Audio and Visual Target Response
Back By Fisher's Lifetime Limited Warranty
U.S. Patent 4,514,692

This deep-seeking, sumersible, Aquanaut features atuomatic turn on and go operation for salt water, fresh water or land use. VF discrimination, target strength LED and our patentedquartz-crystal circuitry offers up to 75 hours of battery life. For added ease of use, the control box converts to a belt mount.

The price quoted depends on the size coil: 8 inch or 10-1/2 inch...I would get both coils regardless...but the range is $800-$830...

What do ya'll think?

Saw a nice underwater camera there too...but I think I will wait for his birthday for that one, which will be in February. He has one I bought him a few years back, will give the old one to our boys to play with when they snorkle!

Thanks for your input,
Annmarie

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I have never used one, but from what I have read it is great in fresh water, but a lot of hunters seem to have trouble in salt water with it falsing a lot.

I sure others will post soon who know.

Good luck and good hunting.

 

[LadyDigger]

Ok...I'm sold...Excalibur then

thanks so much for your responses....

Just had to see what ya'll thought of the Fisher.

I'll post pics when it's opened...

HH,
Annmarie

 

[camb1]

OK...I'm sold...Excalibur then

Great Choice. You will not regret it.

 

[Sandman]

The 1280-X is built like a tank. Excellent freshwater machine, but you have to turn down the sensitivity in saltwater to prevent constant chatter in the headphones. Even with the sensitivity turned down, it still finds gold. Just not as deep. I own two 1280-X’s, and they have more than paid for themselves over the years. Although, I do prefer my Excalibur 1000 in the saltwater for recent jewelry drops.

I also still own two 1280's, but just let family members use them on outings. They are good for freshwater like was mentioned, but will false in salt. Main problem with them is Fisher is not the same company it was. The company is owned by First Texas, the owners of Bounty Hunter. The lifetime warranty is no more and service has been questionable from the new owners. The 1280 makes one tone for all targets unlike the Excal.

 

[Crazy Greek]

I recently bought the Viper Trident from Kellyco in Florida.

It's supposedly water proof to something like 132 ft. and from my prior experience with scuba, unless you are a commercial diver, you don't need to be going anywhere near that deep.

Wouldn't hurt to check it out. Retails for around $900, but can be picked up from Kellyco for around $300.

Good luck!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Crazy Greek, I would check it out quickly, while you still have time to return it.

The $900 is only the MSRP, and it is just my opinion, I do not feel it is worth anywhere near the $300 they sell it for, much less the $900 price.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Greek, go with the Excal, you will never be sorry. Buy it used, or new, either way you will recoop you investment. After the sub-tropical storm tore up Daytona Beach in late spring this past year, there were a lot of us there hunting the waters, 9 out of 10 that were hunting were using Excals.

There is a reason when I go to a beach here in Florida that the majority of my competition is using Excals, and it's not because they don't work in the water.

I have seen both good and bad reviews on the Garrett Infinium, I have never used it so I am not qualified to say anything good or bad about it. I do know it's a PI, and I have no desire to dig deep holes for bobbypins and tiny pieces of iron.


Snooksion, you posted your complaint with the Excal and a Mindlab rep responded on this forum, now it seems that thread is gone.