If you’re an avid metal detectorist, you know that there are a lot of options on the market. In this article, we’ll discuss some things to consider when choosing your next beach metal detector as well as product reviews of our top picks. You can also find out more about what makes one model better than another and how to use them properly.
One of the best places to detect, hands down is at a beautiful beach. You can expect to find coins from decades ago in great condition and even pieces of jewelry that have been lost in the sand for a long time. This makes it an extremely popular destination for detectorists these days because you’re also likely going to come across some nice finds along with other people who are metal detecting already!
You might be wondering why beaches make such good hunting spots. It’s due to what has washed ashore over thousands of years which includes ancient history items like old weapons, tools, pottery and so much more! In fact, if there was ever one place where you could potentially uncover something substantial or exceptional , it would surely be on the coast by the water.
You’re also not going to have to deal with the inconvenience of having the ground painted red or orange like you would if you were metal detecting in a field because there’s no overgrowth which makes it very easy for people who are new to detectoring and don’t want something so complicated.
Best Beach Metal Detectors Reviews
The Excalibur II is one of the best metal detectors for beach and it comes in both waterproof and non-waterproof models. The controls are easy to understand because there aren’t many different settings but you can still get very precise with what type of items you want to dig up which is definitely a plus!
It’s got an excellent discrimination level so most trash won’t be detected unless your threshold control knob is turned all the way down while simultaneously having high sensitivity and depth capabilities . This makes it great if you’re searching through dry sand or dirt since almost anything will set this unit off whereas wet mud, silt, or other similar substances may cause false signals.
Even though its coil size only at around 11 inches like cheaper models it still has great value overall because of its incredible performance for the price. With an easy to use design that’s also very lightweight you can take this detector with you on long trips without your arm or shoulder getting tired at all!
- Easy to use and understand
- Great discrimination capabilities for trashy areas
- Excellent depth and sensitivity settings
- May not be as effective in wet conditions like mud or silt since it could cause false readings with the threshold control knob turned all the way up.
The Fisher CZ-21 Quick Silver is another great metal detector for beach and it’s one of the best ones that you can get at this price range. It doesn’t include a waterproof design but it does come with an excellent coil size; 18 inches in diameter, which makes up for this by far!
This unit has outstanding performance when it comes to detecting targets, even ones that are deep underground. It has a high-resolution display screen with ground tracking technology and pinpointing system which enables you to work it well in all conditions!
The only downsides of the unit is its weight at around four pounds, but this isn’t much compared to other units out there. Another thing worth mentioning is that due to its larger coil size, it can be difficult for children or small adults to use properly. For these reasons Fisher CZ-21 Quick Silver metal detector becomes our best choice for beach hunting as an entry level device without breaking your bank account!
- Outstanding performance
- Great ground balancing
- Adjustable sensitivity control
- Weight of around four pounds
The Minelab Equinox 800 is a metal detector that perfectly fits the needs of any professional treasure hunters or serious beachcombers. It’s one of our newest models and it has been considered as an evolution to the already popular X-Terra series, with better ground balance and more efficient search coil!
This device includes a waterproof design which makes it possible for you hunt in water up to three feet deep without worrying about damages or malfunctions. This also means that if you want, you can use this unit when hunting on dry land where there might be some wet grassy places too; just make sure not to press the button by accident because then your warranty will become invalidated and repairs won’t be covered anymore.
Another great feature of this device is the fact that it can be used to identify various types of metal. If you’re looking for silver coins, gold rings or other valuable items such as old historical artifacts and so on; just switch to Coin Mode and let your detector do all the work!
When you first receive your unit there will only be a certain amount of pre-installed programs available but don’t worry: more than enough can be added later on through updates via USB cable connection. The Minelab’s website includes detailed instructions if needed. The best part about these modes is that each one has its own frequency (ranging from 14 kHz up to 100kHz) which makes them operate individually without any interference between them whatsoever.
- Detects gold, silver and other valuable items
- Waterproof design (can be used in water up to three feet deep)
- Long battery life time (up to 16 hours with two batteries included)
- Can’t find coins if they are too close together or overlapping each other.
The Nokta Anfibio Multi metal detector is a product that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as other similar detectors today. The reason for this statement comes from it being made out of high-quality materials and having plenty of features every treasure hunter will find extremely useful.
If you’re new to using these machines don’t worry: operating one isn’t complicated at all! Just switch on the device, set it up according to your preferences (adjusting discrimination levels, ground balance etc.) and let your unit do its magic while you enjoy time spent with family or friends outdoors without any worries about false alarms! If you ever need assistance just contact their customer support team who are always there to help.
This particular model has a very high detection depth which makes it ideal for use on beaches where items are harder to spot due to the presence of various minerals. Furthermore, having a waterproof coil allows this metal detector to be used in wet conditions as well (be careful not to submerge the entire unit though). It has an advanced discrimination mode that helps you target specific types of targets; however, if something sensitive is detected don’t bother digging right away – always double-check your readings since these detectors aren’t 100% accurate!
- Very high detection depth
- Advanced discrimination mode which can be adjusted according to the type of targets you want to find.
- High-quality waterproof coil so it can also be used in wet conditions safely.
- None
The XP ORX is a metal detector that not only looks extremely stylish but also has several features which help it to stand out from the competition. The first thing you’ll notice about this unit is how easy it is to set up and use: just switch on, choose your preferred settings (adjusting discrimination levels and so on) and go!
What’s great about this model is its waterproof coil: even if you decide to hunt for treasures in wet conditions because rain caught you off-guard there won’t be any problems. Just don’t submerge the entire device though since it isn’t 100% watertight.
For all those who enjoy hunting for lost items like coins, rings or jewellery the XP ORX is an obvious choice. Not only does it detect metals (regardless of whether they are inside the ground) but also has several other useful features which make your experience much better. Such as its ability to alter tones accordingly with what you encounter below the surface: gold and silver items produce different sounds than nails or bottle caps do so that will help you determine what kind of object made a given sound without digging every single hole!
- Waterproof design
- Ability to change tones for different metal objects
- Disadvantage is that this particular model doesn’t feature a pinpointer which means you’ll have to follow the sound of your detector on your own without any extra help.
The Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II is another great option for beach metal detecting. With it you can easily search through sand, mud or shallow water without any problems at all since the device itself along with its coil are submersible up to 20 feet deep! That makes this unit perfect even if you’re hunting in conditions that regular detectors simply aren’t designed for.
Another thing worth mentioning about it is how lightweight and comfortable to use this particular model actually is: not only will your arms won’t get tired after a long day of searching but also you’ll be able to grip onto the device properly thanks to rubberized grips on both sides which help reduce slippage whenever hands become sweaty from too much effort exerted during digging. The control box design of this model is one of the best you’ll come across, allowing for easy access to main functions and simple controls.
As far as technical specifications go it uses advanced DD search coil with increased frequency of 28 kHz which allows for better detection of smaller objects than other models on the market today. The manufacturer claims that its performance in highly mineralized soils was vastly improved compared to previous versions thanks to iron Audio ID feature plus Iron Discrimination control.
- Lightweight and comfortable to use
- Submersible up to 20 feet deep
- Advanced DD search coil with high depth capabilities
- Lower frequency than other models reviewed so far
The Garrett AT Max is another great metal detector for beach hunting. It’s designed to be used in salt water as well which means that you won’t have any problems with corrosion or rust on the device itself if it accidentally gets wet! That makes this model perfect even during stormy weather where its competitors will fail since they can not withstand moisture like Garrett AT Max does.
This unit comes equipped with several useful features such as waterproof search coil, adjustable shaft length and easy-to-operate control box design allowing users of all skill levels to use it without encountering issues related to inappropriate usage of settings. The best thing about using this particular product is how customizable it actually is: depending on your preferences there are various coils available along with submersible search coils which increase the depth of your detection.
In addition, Garrett AT Max offers ground balancing to make sure you get precise readings even when dealing with difficult soil conditions present at beaches or other locations far from civilization where there is a lot of iron present in the sand and going undetected otherwise. With this feature turned on metal detector allows users to pinpoint their finds more precisely making it easier for them to retrieve items that have been lost previously without additional help!
- Can be used during stormy weather
- Customizable coil options available
- A bit pricey compared to competition
The Aquascan AQ-Pulse is a lightweight and durable metal detector which can be used to hunt for metals in shallow water due to its waterproof design. This unit boasts impressive depth capabilities making it perfect even when hunting at the beach or river where other detectors would not stand up well against saltwater corrosion.
This particular product works on two modes: pulse mode allowing users to get maximum performance from this device while scanning through deep sand, rocks and similar hard surfaces without any issues whatsoever; regular detection mode uses lower frequencies giving you accurate readings under normal conditions so that there isn’t going to be a significant difference between searching dry vs. wet ground – your results will remain consistent throughout!
What makes this model really special though is how customizable it is – users have a number of options to choose from when it comes down to the type of coil used for detection, so if you want better depth or improved ground coverage with this device all you need to do is switch coils and voila!
- Lightweight and durable design
- Excellent depth capabilities
- Waterproof.
- Non waterproof control box (not actually a con, but some people think it is).
Factors to Consider When Selecting the Best Metal Detector for Beach
The biggest thing to take into account when shopping around for the best metal detector for beach is definitely going to be what type of technology it uses. There are three main options, and all have their own advantages and disadvantages:
Single frequency (passive) – used by Garrett Ace 150 which has good depth but only responds to one target at a time; better than nothing though! A downside can be that many pieces might end up showing up as false readings because they contain iron or nickel.
An example would be junk like bottle caps or old rusty nails . This isn’t necessarily true with all models though so make sure you do your research on this before buying if possible.
Multi-frequency metal detectors are more advanced in the sense that they can detect all kinds of targets including iron, gold, silver and even platinum. The only catch is that you might need to turn off discrimination modes because otherwise it will reject anything made with these types of metals since most aren’t worth very much money .
This gives them a huge advantage though when trying to find hidden treasures at beaches or other places where there may be several items mixed together like an old shipwreck for example. It won’t get confused about what’s being searched for but rather just report everything so this makes it easier on your part as well! These tend to cost quite a bit extra however compared to single frequency ones.
This type of technology is used by the best metal detectors for beach and has some pretty cool features like being able to see an item’s shape underneath soil. This means that targets will show up on screen as “blips” or signals which can be good if you’re not quite sure what it actually is yet .
A downside though with these electronic marvels is that they might require more maintenance than other models since circuitry inside gets exposed when digging up items so this definitely isn’t something you want to buy before knowing exactly where you’ll be searching at.
As we mentioned before, all three of these technologies have their pros and cons so it’s really up to you in the end which ones are most important. You can always upgrade later on if need be but since there’s often a big price jump when going from one model to another just make sure that whatever machine you get is best for your needs!
For example someone who wants something simple with minimum bells and whistles might want an entry-level single frequency detector while others looking for more advanced features like preprogrammed hunting modes or manual ground balance will definitely need something different . This isn’t true 100% of the time though so give them all a try yourself and decide what works best according to your own standards instead.
This is another important thing to keep in mind when shopping around for the best metal detector for beach. Not only will this factor into your purchase but it can also greatly affect what type of terrain you’ll be searching at!
For example a non-waterproof unit might end up shorting out if submerged underwater whereas a waterproof one won’t . It’s especially useful to have something like this if you plan on hunting near salt water since corrosion could start taking place after just a few hours.
Water resistant options are nice as well and they may cost less than fully submersible ones so these would definitely be worth looking into before making any final decisions about which model to buy. Some people go with them because they’re more concerned with digging up items than swimming around in the water but it’s still a good idea to know exactly where you’ll be searching before making any final decisions.
You can always buy something more expensive later on if need be so don’t stress too much about this especially if your primary goal is just finding hidden treasures that people have lost at beaches or other areas near bodies of water! These are usually worth inspecting no matter what because they could contain anything from coins all the way up to jewelry and even guns .
The coil size is one of the most important features to consider when trying to find the best metal detector for beach. Cheaper models often have coils that are around 11″ in diameter while better ones can go as big as 18 inches or even more .
There’s no right answer here but it really depends on what you want out of your machine since they each offer their own set of advantages and disadvantages. For example smaller options might be able to pin-point targets a bit easier than larger ones because there isn’t much overlap between signals whereas bigger coils will cover more ground at once which makes them perfect if you plan on searching large areas like beaches or parks.
How To Use A Metal Detector On The Beach
- Time of Day and Year
If you are wondering when the best time to use your metal detector on the beach is, it will depend. If you have a wet sand only machine , then anytime that there’s water over top of an area where people want to search will be fine! This could include rain or even just high tide during certain times throughout the year .
The biggest thing though is going to be making sure that if you’re hunting in saltwater areas for example , you need to make sure not too far away from low tide because other wise your battery might get damaged by being submerged underwater too long. The same goes for fresh water places like lakes and rivers which can become contaminated very quickly…
As mentioned earlier, dry sand detectors are ideal around dawn and dusk because this is when the temperature has gone down to a point where you can still detect treasures without worrying about burning up the coils. It won’t make much of a difference if it’s very early morning or late in the afternoon but these are good guidelines to keep in mind at least!
- Coverage Area
If you’re looking for a detector that can cover as much area as possible, then you’ll definitely want to look into those with large coils which are about ten inches in size. This will allow it to detect items at further distances while also getting good depth readings on smaller targets . Things like bottle caps or tiny jewelry won’t get missed when using one of these!
A standard coil though is five inches and might be just fine if you don’t need the extra coverage because this allows more pinpointing since there’s less ground being covered by your search pattern. Your main goal should be finding larger objects so even if it takes longer to sweep an area , remember why exactly did choose metal detecting in the first place.
- What Items Are You Trying To Detect?
Before you run out and buy a metal detector for beach , it’s important to know what kind of items are being searched for. If anything in particular is your goal, then make sure that the machine can handle detecting these things!
For example if someone was only searching for coins because they don’t want to spend much money on this activity but still wants something high quality… Then one with discrimination mode would be ideal so that trash metals aren’t picked up by mistake when there might not even actually be any real treasure at all . This isn’t always true though since sometimes other interesting pieces like old nails or random bits of hardware end up showing up which will require digging either way.
Benefits of metal detector for beach
- Most affordable detector
- Lightweight and easy to use. No experience required for using this machine.
- The search coil is waterproof, suitable for wet sand hunting . It’s also ideal to detect in salt water or fresh water because it floats!
- Perfect entry level metal detector that can be used by anyone regardless of age or gender. Can be upgraded with add ons such as headphones etc… if the user requires more than what comes standard with purchase.
- Backlight, depth meter and adjustable sensitivity.
- Low battery indicator so you don’t get stuck without enough juice to finish your hunt .
- Runs on one nine volt alkaline or rechargeable NiMH battery which can last up to 20 hours of use before needing replaced. This makes it extremely convenient for constantly moving around in search patterns when detecting the beach! Beach metal detectors are very user friendly machines that anyone can operate successfully with minimal training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Beach metal detecting is a hobby that has been around for decades. It can be done on dry or wet sand, and there are many benefits to it. One of the biggest advantages is being able to find treasures from other beach goers who may have lost them in the waves or buried deep under the surface. The best way to get started with this hobby is by reading our blog post about how you should choose your beach metal detector carefully so as not to waste money on something that does not suit your needs, like we did when first starting out! We hope you enjoy our article and learned some new things along the way; let us know if we can do anything else for you!