Whites Dual Field or Garrett Sea Hunter II

[UKDigger]

I'm struggling to decide between the Whites Dual Field and Garrett Sea Hunter II for the low tide and shallow salt water.
The Sea hunter seems the more robust of the two, with it's tough construction and isolated battery compartment, but I am wondering if the 8 inch coil is too small for depth and ground coverage compared with the Whites 12 inch?
I will be hunting in a few inches of water and the wet sand of the low tide area.

I would welcome any opinions?

Thanks

 

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[sonnar28]

I would go with the Dualfield for depth and ground coverage, unless the areas that you hunt are so trashy that a smaller coil, such as the 8 inch Sea Hunter, is needed.

Clive Clynick has some excellent books about pulse detecting/using the Dualfield that are well worth the purchase price.

HH

Charles

 

[UKDigger]

I forgot to add, that the Sea Hunter coil and headphones appear to be interchangeable which could be a big advantage.

 

[Pacific_Searcher]

I have a SHMKII and it works great for me. I have both coils which are interchangeable (8" and 10x14") I only use the 8 inch coil it just moves through the water much easier but most of my hunting is in the water. I have found the depth with the 8" coil more than enough. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[DnD]

I'm struggling to decide between the Whites Dual Field and Garrett Sea Hunter II for the low tide and shallow salt water.
The Sea hunter seems the more robust of the two, with it's tough construction and isolated battery compartment, but I am wondering if the 8 inch coil is too small for depth and ground coverage compared with the Whites 12 inch?
I will be hunting in a few inches of water and the wet sand of the low tide area.

I would welcome any opinions?

Thanks

I've used both. I like them both. I had my last Sea Hunter for a little over 5-years and it was rugged enough to let my kids and visiting family use it without fail. (How many detectors have you given to 5 and 8 year olds and not cringed?) The DF definately punches deeper than the SH's 8" coil, but I would contest it being deeper than the SH's 10x14. Both the DF and SH(10x14) have found coins over 18". The Dual Field pulse delay can make a positive or negative difference on your finds...it is a nice feature if you really enjoy tuning, tweaking, etc. Meanwhile the SH is just turn on and go!

Sea Hunter
- has connectors for the phones and coil so you can swap as desired
- has an 8" coil that works great in heavy vegetation, small ocean runnels, or fast currents / rough waves
- has a 10x14 coil to quickly cover wide open beaches and gain significant depth (at my beach it gains 50-70% more than the 8")
- no adjustable pulse delay
- no ground balance

Dual Field
- has an adjustable pulse delay that allows enhanced tuning, really comes into play when you want to hunt gold, or swap over to hunting iron relics.
- hardwired accessories - less chance of a connector failing, but swapping access would require a $ and a trip to the mfg or tuner
- only one coil
- no ground balance


Happy hunting! -David

 

[cudamark]

If you insist on a PI machine, I wouldn't go with either of your choices. I'd get the Infinium LS. 4 coil options and more good features than the other two.

 

[UKDigger]

I've used both. I like them both. I had my last Sea Hunter for a little over 5-years and it was rugged enough to let my kids and visiting family use it without fail. (How many detectors have you given to 5 and 8 year olds and not cringed?) The DF definately punches deeper than the SH's 8" coil, but I would contest it being deeper than the SH's 10x14. Both the DF and SH(10x14) have found coins over 18". The Dual Field pulse delay can make a positive or negative difference on your finds...it is a nice feature if you really enjoy tuning, tweaking, etc. Meanwhile the SH is just turn on and go!

Sea Hunter
- has connectors for the phones and coil so you can swap as desired
- has an 8" coil that works great in heavy vegetation, small ocean runnels, or fast currents / rough waves
- has a 10x14 coil to quickly cover wide open beaches and gain significant depth (at my beach it gains 50-70% more than the 8")
- no adjustable pulse delay
- no ground balance

Dual Field
- has an adjustable pulse delay that allows enhanced tuning, really comes into play when you want to hunt gold, or swap over to hunting iron relics.
- hardwired accessories - less chance of a connector failing, but swapping access would require a $ and a trip to the mfg or tuner
- only one coil
- no ground balance

Happy hunting! -David

Thanks for such a detailed and useful reply.

Having used both detectors, how do you feel they compare for sensitivity to gold rings and jewelry at depth in standard mode, both small and large coil in the case of the SH?

I am able to buy a new BH and a separate 14"x10" coil for the same price as the Dual Field, which makes it doubly difficult to decide.

I note that you also have the Beach Hunter ID 300, which I was considering along with the two PIs.
Can you tell me how it stacks up against the two PIs?

Thanks
Mike

 

[DnD]

Thanks for such a detailed and useful reply.

Having used both detectors, how do you feel they compare for sensitivity to gold rings and jewelry at depth in standard mode, both small and large coil in the case of the S
I am able to buy a new BH and a separate 14"x10" coil for the same price as the Dual Field, which makes it doubly difficult to decide.

I note that you also have the Beach Hunter ID 300, which I was considering along with the two PIs.
Can you tell me how it stacks up against the two PIs?

Thanks
Mike

The BHID is a multi-frequency VLF so this is a different ballgame. (BTW, if you are searching for a primary detector, I definatley don't suggest the PI). The BHID ergonomically is set up similar to the DF. The BHID has good discrimination, has LED target indicators, and features manual ground balance. The manual GB works, but its not as effecient has the Excal or CZ's auto GB... So in stables areas all three work great, but when you add in black sand or similar conditions, you'll have to frequently stop and GB the BHID. THe BHID's coil floats which makes it a subtle struggle to hold it down in the water. Overall, it is one of the cheapest discriminating detectors you can buy for salt water, but with the manual GB and floating coil, the extra few bucks for the Excal or CZ are worthwhile. Oh, as far as comparing its depth....nope, its the same as the CZ or Excal in auto mode (assuming each have a similiar size coil). The PI's will gain significantly more depth than all of them, with the exception of the Excal. The Excal has a P/P mode that is like depth boost. IMO its similiar to some of the 8" coil PI's. So you scan with P/P, and then when you find a target you switch back to disc mode to see if the target is good.

 

[UKDigger]

The BHID is a multi-frequency VLF so this is a different ballgame. (BTW, if you are searching for a primary detector, I definatley don't suggest the PI). The BHID ergonomically is set up similar to the DF. The BHID has good discrimination, has LED target indicators, and features manual ground balance. The manual GB works, but its not as effecient has the Excal or CZ's auto GB... So in stables areas all three work great, but when you add in black sand or similar conditions, you'll have to frequently stop and GB the BHID. THe BHID's coil floats which makes it a subtle struggle to hold it down in the water. Overall, it is one of the cheapest discriminating detectors you can buy for salt water, but with the manual GB and floating coil, the extra few bucks for the Excal or CZ are worthwhile. Oh, as far as comparing its depth....nope, its the same as the CZ or Excal in auto mode (assuming each have a similiar size coil). The PI's will gain significantly more depth than all of them, with the exception of the Excal. The Excal has a P/P mode that is like depth boost. IMO its similiar to some of the 8" coil PI's. So you scan with P/P, and then when you find a target you switch back to disc mode to see if the target is good.

More useful info, thanks.

I've just read somewhere that the Sea Hunter is a non-motion detector (or has a non-motion mode), whereas the Dual field is not.
Can you confirm this, as I have often thought about the merits of a non-motion.

 

[Wiganer]

Hi there. Me and my old lady have both, she has the seahunter and I have the dualfield, we sometimes get to a different beach, and the seahunter cannot cope with the mineralisation, and will she cannot hear a signal through the interference, but the dualfield had no problems. I tried the seahunter at the same beach and I could see what she means. In a nut shell, if something happened to my dual field I would buy a new dualfield, if something happened to the seahunter, she would buy a sandshark or a dualfield. Have fun on those British beaches, we used to love the ones down in Cornwall, when we lived in the UK.

 

[Wiganer]

Almost forgot to mention, the supplied shaft for the seahunter is junk, they tried to make it a Swiss army knife and failed, If you have it in the tall configuration which you will want for the shallow surf, there are too many joints in the poles that bolt together with nylon nuts and bolts and you get a lot of play in the shaft, and this will drive you nuts. Another thing to think about also is that the coil on the dualfield will put up some resistance when you sweep from side to side in the shallow and takes some getting used to. Have a look at some post on here from the tesoro god Terry soloman about the sand shark, and how it's the best thing since sliced bread, and how the ultra thin coil slices through the surf like a hot knife through butter, don't rule the sand shark out, it's a good performer.

 

[UKDigger]

Hi there. Me and my old lady have both, she has the seahunter and I have the dualfield, we sometimes get to a different beach, and the seahunter cannot cope with the mineralisation, and will she cannot hear a signal through the interference, but the dualfield had no problems. I tried the seahunter at the same beach and I could see what she means. In a nut shell, if something happened to my dual field I would buy a new dualfield, if something happened to the seahunter, she would buy a sandshark or a dualfield. Have fun on those British beaches, we used to love the ones down in Cornwall, when we lived in the UK.

Hi Wiganer,
Are you actual from Wigan in Lancashire? If so I am living just a few miles from Wigan in Ormskirk.

Regarding the Dual Field,
Can I ask you if you use the pulse timing, and if so how and to what effect?

Thanks

 

[Wiganer]

Hi Wiganer,
Are you actual from Wigan in Lancashire? If so I am living just a few miles from Wigan in Ormskirk.

Regarding the Dual Field,
Can I ask you if you use the pulse timing, and if so how and to what effect?

Thanks

Hi there. I know ormskirk well, and yes I'm originally from Wigan, but now live in Nova Scotia Canada. The pulse delay I only use to help know out outside interference from power lines, ect, hope this helps.