Exotic tours / 22.08.2023

Cop in the water with a metal detector. Underwater search on beaches and its features. Stories from a cop

If you want to choose an underwater metal detector, then now is the time to choose a model and get ready for the summer. In this article, you will see a brief overview of the most popular and lesser-known models, which I will briefly describe.

There are two types of underwater metal detectors; this is an amphibious metal detector, with the ability to walk both underwater and on land. But, usually the maximum immersion depth of such metal detectors is up to 5 meters. And an underwater metal detector that has the ability to fully dive into water, 20-30 meters, and is not afraid of salt water. While an amphibious metal detector can detect salt water.

Amphibians have an LCD screen, which does not allow them to be deeply immersed, as there is a high probability that there will be damage from water pressure. And many devices were drowned in such a search. A new amphibian model appeared in 2012, the Minelab CTX 3030, which I described in great detail.

Whereas in a conventional underwater metal detector, you receive all the information through headphones, and adjustments are made through rotary controls.

Just a moment!!! I already have an article on our blog - in it I give simple and understandable advice to a beginner when choosing his first device.

Garrett AR Pro

Description: The Garrett AT Pro underwater metal detector is an amphibious metal detector, thanks to which you can submerge it completely in water to a depth of 3 meters. Its high operating frequency of 15 kHz will allow you to find even the smallest objects well, which makes this device an excellent beach companion

Manufacturer: Garrett (USA);
Model: AT Pro International;
Year: 2012;
Purpose:
Screen (Display): Eat;
Electronic circuit: VLF;
Frequency: 15 kHz;
VDI/TargetID: Eat;
Manual ground adjustment: Eat;
Auto ground adjustment: Eat;
Noise tuning: Eat;
Sound, number of tones: 3;
Volume adjustment: No;
Pinpoint mode: Eat;
Headphone Jack: Eat;
Coil: Garrett 8.5×11 PROformance DD;
Nutrition: 4xAA;
Assembled weight: 1.4 kg;
Adjustable size: 106-129 cm.

Price: 17000 UAH

GARRETT AR GOLD

Description: Initially, this device was created to search for gold nuggets. Thanks to its high frequency of 18 kHz, it is perfect for finding small objects. It has a huge advantage on the beach, thanks to the “salty sand” function.

Manufacturer: Garrett (USA);
Model: AT Gold;
Year: 2012;
Purpose: Ground and underwater metal detector;
Screen (Display): Eat;
Electronic circuit: VLF;
Frequency: 18 kHz;
Search programs, quantity: 3;
VDI/TargetID: Eat;
Manual ground adjustment: Eat;
Auto ground adjustment: Eat;
Noise tuning: Eat;
Sound, number of tones: 3;
Volume adjustment: No;
Pinpoint mode: Eat;
Headphone Jack: Eat;
Coil: Garrett 5x8 DD PROformance;
Nutrition: 4xAA;
Assembled weight: 1.4 kg;
Adjustable size: 106-129 cm.

Price: 20944 UAH

Garrett ATX

Description: This device operates at a very low frequency of 0.73 kHz. That is, you can’t count on finding coins, only large objects. Well, it’s not for nothing that this device was created on the basis of mine detectors. So as a beach goer he is also weak. But as a device for war it is superb. Not afraid of dust, moisture.

Manufacturer: Garrett (USA);
Purpose: Ground, beach, underwater search;
Screen: No;
Signal processing type: PI;
Frequency: 0.73 kHz;
Search programs: 25;
Discriminator: Eat;
VDI/TargetID: No;
Ground adjustment: Eat;
Threshold adjustment: Eat;
Audio response: multitone;
Volume adjustment: Eat;
Pinpointer: Eat;
Coil: Garrett AT 10x12 DD;
Headphone Jack: Yes, 6.35 mm;
Nutrition: 8 pcs. AA;
Weight: 2.5 kg;
Size: 51-172 cm.

Price: 66367 UAH

Minelab CTX 3030

Description: In brief, I will tell you that this device is suitable for any type of search, it does not require any additional sensors (coils), etc. Works both underwater and on land. I reviewed it in more detail in the article

Manufacturer: Minelab (Australia);
Model: CTX 3030;
Year: 2012;
Purpose: Ground and underwater metal detector;
Screen (Display): Eat;
Electronic circuit: FBS2;
Frequency: 1.5...100 kHz;
Search programs, quantity: 20;
VDI/TargetID: Eat;
Manual ground adjustment: Eat;
Auto ground adjustment: Eat;
Noise tuning: Eat;
Sound, number of tones: Multiton;
Volume adjustment: Eat;
Coil: Minelab CTX 11 Smart;
Nutrition: Accumulator, Li-ion;
Assembled weight: 2.36 kg;
Adjustable size: 94-140.5 cm.

Price: 67728 UAH

UNDERWATER METAL DETECTOR

Minelab Excalibur 2

Description: The Excalibur II metal detector is designed to search for treasures under thin water at a depth of up to 60 m. It works well in salt water, does not emit noise and there are no false alarms. There is a detuning from interference.

Manufacturer: Minelab (Australia);
Model: Excalibur 2;
Year: not known;
Purpose: Underwater metal detector;
Screen (Display): No;
Electronic circuit: BBS;
Frequency: from 1.5-25.5 kHz;
Search programs, quantity: 2;
VDI/TargetID: No;
Manual ground adjustment: No;
Auto ground adjustment: Eat;
Noise tuning: Eat;
Sound, number of tones: 1;
Volume adjustment: Eat;
Pinpoint mode: Eat;
Headphone Jack: Eat;
Coil: Minelab 8DD;
Nutrition: Accumulator, NiMH 1000;
Assembled weight: 2.1 kg;
Adjustable size: 82-122 cm.

Price: 42000 UAH

Garrett Sea Hunter Mark 2

Description: The Garrett Sea Hunter Mark 2 underwater metal detector is one of those that you can buy and you won’t waste your money. Immersion depth up to 65 meters. Judging by the video, the detection depth, as for underwater metal detectors, is not bad.

Manufacturer: Garrett (USA);
Model: Sea Hunter Mark 2;
Year: not known;
Purpose: Underwater metal detector;
Screen (Display): No;
Electronic circuit: Pi;
Frequency: 0.75 kHz;
Search programs, quantity: 2;
VDI/TargetID: No;
Manual ground adjustment: No;
Auto ground adjustment: No;
Noise tuning: No;
Sound, number of tones: 1;
Volume adjustment: No;
Pinpoint mode: No;
Headphone Jack: Eat;
Coil: Garrett 8 PROformance Mono;
Nutrition: 8xAA;
Assembled weight: 2.3 kg;
Adjustable size: 71-132 cm.

Price: 22000 UAH

Description: This model of the device is two-frequency, operating at a frequency of 5 kHz and 15 kHz. Immersion up to 75 meters. Supports two coils, one small for 8, the other for 10.

Manufacturer: Fisher (USA);
Model: CZ-21;
Year: not known;
Purpose: Underwater metal detector;
Screen (Display): No;
Electronic circuit: VLF+;
Frequency: kHz;
Search programs, quantity: 2;
VDI/TargetID: No;
Manual ground adjustment: Eat;
Auto ground adjustment: No;
Noise tuning: No;
Sound, number of tones: 3;
Volume adjustment: No;
Pinpoint mode: Eat;
Headphone Jack: Eat;
Coil: Fisher 10.5 Mono;
Nutrition: 4x 9V;
Assembled weight: 2.8 kg;
Adjustable size: 100-130 cm.

Price: 36000 UAH

Beach search is probably the only type of search where almost anyone can find high-value items within a short drive of their home. The most important thing is that you can look for jewelry on the beach regularly: after all, valuables are also lost with enviable consistency.

Techniques for finding jewelry in fresh water differ from those used in salt water. In this guide we will go into detail about searching in fresh water.

Freshwater bodies are usually much smaller in size than saltwater ones, and there are also fewer problem areas. There is definitely no soil mineralization. Often, swimming areas are limited by buoys, the very ones you “don’t swim beyond,” so the search area is conveniently limited to them. You can also lie on the beach and watch where people are swimming, so that you can examine the bottom with a metal detector early in the morning.

Metal detector

The two most important factors when choosing a metal detector for beach and underwater treasure hunting are: waterproof elements containing electronic circuits, as well as the ability to adjust discrimination. This last requirement is very important, as setting the discrimination helps to avoid unnecessary time and effort digging out bobby pins, corks, aluminum cans, nails and other junk.

Salt water speeds up the corrosion process on small iron targets, causing the debris to disappear within a few months. In areas with fresh water A hair clip lost in the 1930s is still waiting for you to discover. True, probably her appearance will cause you a severe attack of disappointment if your metal detector did not reject this target, and you still retrieved it.

Metal detectors VLF have proven themselves as the best option for freshwater searchers due to their high sensitivity to jewelry and ability to ignore debris. Multi-frequency detectors such as Minelab and Fisher - too a good choice, unless you plan to look for jewelry at sea.

Experienced searchers often “upgrade” conventional metal detectors, making them waterproof, and conduct searches in water. But for beginners, it’s still better to immediately take an underwater waterproof device. "MDRegion" can offer such metal detectors from almost every major global brand. Choose in our online store.

Weight and balance may influence the final decision. Remember that the waterproof housing and fairly heavy non-floating coil add weight to the device. For such models, sometimes you need to take care of the fastening. It makes work easier if the control unit is removable and the coil is separate.

A very popular option is a metal detector with straight barbell. An S-shaped bar is not comfortable underwater, but a straight bar is balanced and easier to move. Therefore, a straight bar allows you to search for a longer time (the search engine does not get tired as much as with an S-shaped one.

Size search coil will depend on the location of the search. Large coils, as usual, cover larger areas and give greater depth detection, but in water they move slowly, and in littered areas they can miss standing targets. Small reels also have their pros and cons.

Accessories

After choosing a metal detector, you will need to decide on accessories. Your arsenal may include: digging tools, a mesh bag or finds bag, and a sand sifter. If you plan to wander along the shore, then buy a fishing suit with boots, and for underwater searching you will need either a swimming mask with a snorkel or scuba gear.

When searching on dry sand, you will need a scoop. It can be either metal or plastic. The plastic one is convenient to bring directly to the metal detector coil and check for the presence of a target.

To search in shallow water, a sand sifter with a long handle is required. This is a special device like a metal net.

You can bring a search magnet along with you on your search. It will help clear the place of rusty junk.

Search location

Now you are ready. The question is where to go to look. Well, the first thing that comes to mind is municipal beaches and, in general, all the famous beaches in the city/town. Then there are the private beaches. Then there are sand quarries - people also like to swim here.

You can also ask all your friends where they prefer to swim and whether they know any “wild” or abandoned beaches.

Here is a rough list of areas on the beach where you should look first:

Places where mothers splash with their children (“paddling pool”, shallow water). It is known that ladies love to use sunscreen or tanning creams. In combination with water, these creams do their dirty work - rings and bracelets slip off.
Places where people "go". Those who cannot swim usually go into the water up to their waists.
Dry sand. It is clear that sometimes when unfolding and folding blankets, towels and blankets, the rings get caught and “sink” in the sand.

Once you have established discrimination, do not increase the level of discrimination. Remember that corks give the same signal as jewelry.

Bottom line

If you want to enjoy successful finds, then searching in fresh water and on the beach is just for you. This exciting hobby can be indulged in anywhere in the country. Of course, with the right equipment from MDRegion.

Underwater search on beaches and its features

The idea of underwater searching was suggested to me by one of my old acquaintances. I don’t remember how the conversation even started, but this topic was touched upon. I literally heard the following: one of my acquaintance’s friends worked on the beach as a lifeguard and sometimes, as part of his duty, examined the bottom of the object entrusted to him for some purpose known only to him. As if casually, one fine day during a similar event, the guy found a gold chain. Naturally, with his eyes round with happiness, he climbed the entire beach and, strangely enough, discovered at the bottom several more products made of similar metal. After such a discovery, he began to steadily search and, as far as I know, not without success.

Naturally, the search was carried out without an instrument, fortunately the bottom of the reservoir was not silty or rocky, and the water was more or less transparent. I became very interested in this topic and literally fell in love with it. The thought of countless treasures lost by careless, sometimes simply drunk, bathers haunted me day and night. I began to slowly collect information, mainly from conversations with friends and acquaintances, and as it turned out, it was not in vain. Almost every one of them, either a relative or a friend, lost jewelry while swimming.

Closer to spring, I ordered a wetsuit, purchased scuba gear, and some equipment for underwater digging. But there was nowhere to get the most important link in this chain - a metal detector. At that time, in the Urals, no one really knew about such things and I had to make the device on my own. In old Radiotekhnika magazines I dug up a circuit for a metal detector using “beats”, which was not difficult to assemble and seal. And finally, my brother Alexander and I got out into the “field”, or more correctly, into the “sea”.

For the first tests, we chose a lake located not far from the city, with a quite decent beach, often visited by townspeople. As usual, the first pancake turned out to be lumpy - the device turned out to be low-power, the sealing was unreliable, in general, to put it simply, nothing came of it. Later I tried to make a more advanced device, but after some suffering I came to the conclusion that I needed to take a branded product. My choice was the modern multi-frequency metal detector Excalibur1000 from Minelab, which allows searching not only in water, but also on land.

The desire to quickly find something was too great. The parameters of the device perfectly met all the requirements of underwater search. It was nice to realize that with this device you can search not only in water, but also on land. In general, I bought it.

Our second trip took place at the end of summer, to the same place.

We arrived early, Sanya helped us put on the equipment (you can’t do without an assistant in underwater work) - a wetsuit, weights, equipment and equipment for “excavation work”. For digging, I made a special scoop with a bottom made of large metal mesh to which I tied a scoop.

I go into the water up to my waist and immerse myself with all this stuff. From the very first meters underwater I encountered a problem - I found the target, but could not dig it out. Balanced underwater according to all the canons of diving, I could not even stick the scoop into the ground a centimeter, I was simply pushed out to the surface. We had to make additional weights so as not to hover above the bottom, but to crawl along it, which made it possible to dig normally in dense soil. At shallow depths, this method was fully justified; in addition, I equipped the belt with weights with special locks, which, if necessary, easily opened and made it possible to quickly emerge.

I dive again, set up the device, select the 4th level of discrimination, and begin the search. From the very first meters the device produces a clear signal. I'm digging, but not everything is as simple as it seemed at first. Firstly, in water the power of the device increased and even small objects, the size of a modern penny, were recorded by the device at a depth of up to 35 cm. It took a long time to dig deep. Secondly, the ground was constantly settling, and a terrible turbidity rose. As a result, we had to abandon the unfinished holes and start digging the next ones in the hope that the object did not go too deep into the ground. But, as they say, experience comes with time. After several dozen holes were dug, I understood what to do and how to do it: we must always complete the excavations we have begun. If there is a signal, if it is clear and matches the tone of gold or silver, the loot is one hundred percent yours, you just need to dig it up.

After swimming for about two hours, I was pretty cold and when the air in the tanks was almost running out, a “golden” signal sounded in my headphones. I start digging and do it until the target is outside the hole. I run the device over the place where I raked out the soil - there is a clear signal! With the help of a shovel, I clear the sand above the target with careful movements and here it is - the first find!!! An impressive gold signet with stones and splashes of white gold, very pretty and weighty. Underwater delight knew no bounds! The haul was, frankly speaking, very modest, but I still received a lot of stunning emotions and a powerful charge of energy for future searches.

Later, already being a fairly experienced search engine, I came to some conclusions. The success of underwater searches depends not only on experience, but also on many other factors. Naturally, you are more likely to find something worthwhile on well-visited “rich” beaches. Searching on pontoons is also good, where the concentration of lost things is greater than on vast areas of beaches. Resort areas and recreation centers are interesting for this type of activity. There are many difficulties in this matter, just like in the search for land. A lot of extraneous rubbish. Mostly these are beer bottle caps, aluminum foil and coins.

Coins need to be mentioned separately. Each dive brought me on average about forty coins different years release and different denominations. The problem is that copper and brass coins give a signal that is no different in tone from “gold”, so you have to put a lot of extra effort into extracting them.

Now a little about the search technique. On the beach, I use a white nylon cord to mark the work area and guide me underwater. The cord is stretched from the shore to a distance of 30-40 meters, depending on the depth of the reservoir. I follow the cord from the shore, examine the area to the right of the cord, reach the weight attached to the end and return back on the other side, thus capturing a strip of soil about three meters. After which the cord is moved three meters to the right along the bank and the process continues in the same sequence.

Over the past season, I made 12 dives and obtained 8 gold and 18 silver items. As it turned out, silver is lost much more often than gold. Considering that in Lately The weather in the Urals does not spoil vacationers, and the lakes are constantly replenished, which in itself complicates the process, and also the fact that we examined only two small beaches, we can safely say: the result is impressive.

Despite all the difficulties and failures, the world of underwater exploration attracts like a magnet, and yet there is so much unexplored! There are legends about treasures lost and hidden at the bottom of reservoirs, and, as you know, there is no smoke without fire!

It's winter outside, I'm looking forward to the start of the new season and new finds.

Good luck everyone,

Sincerely, search engine-submariner

Oleg Belov, Chelyabinsk

Video film about beach gold searching with a metal detector

The nuances of searching on the beach. What equipment is used for beach search in the water with an underwater metal detector. You will learn: what equipment is needed for beach searching in water, what metal detector to buy for searching under water, a suit for a beach cop, gloves, a weight belt, a scuba (scoop for beach searching). Types of scoops/scubes for beach treasure hunting, gold. What can be found on the beach and in the water with an underwater metal detector. Setting up and operating principle of the Excalibur underwater metal detector from Minelab.

P.S. Many thanks to Alexander for participating in the film.

On my channel I will continue to post videos about treasure hunters, treasures, places to look for treasures, where to look for gold nuggets, metal detectors for searching for treasures, coins, metal detectors for searching for gold, underwater metal detectors, beach gold searching, underwater searching. Cleaning and restoration of coins.

Often many nice and valuable things are found under water, because the surrounding area has been explored far and wide. Sea and fresh waters still keep their secrets and treasures.

Since there aren't many treasure hunters searching underwater, your chances of finding valuables here are much greater. If you haven't tried underwater metal detecting before, it's worth a try. You can take a metal detector on vacation to the sea. There are many countries in the world where instrument search is not prohibited, and besides, it’s warm there all year round, and thousands of vacationers every now and then lose something on the beaches.

Here are some underwater searching tips that may help you.

1. Choose the right metal detector.

The decision, first of all, should be made by deciding where you will search - in salty sea water or in the fresh water of the surrounding rivers and lakes. If you are going to go to freshwater bodies from time to time, we recommend

The VLF device, for example, is a good submariner Tesoro Tiger Shark or Minelab Excalibur II. You can dive up to 3 meters deep with Minelab CTX 3030, and with the new Minelab EQUINOX 800. These metal detectors detect even small targets, such as rings or bracelets.

To search in seawater, you will need a pulse metal detector (PI). It behaves better on salty sands and in water, and easily tunes out interference. However, they are not as sensitive as VLF and there is a loss of depth. Here we can recommend one of the most affordable underwater PI metal detectors - Tesoro Sand Shark, and also performs well on land Minelab SDC2300.

2. Choose the right accessories.

For example, you should make sure that your headphones are waterproof and that your pinpointer can work in water without problems (or in salt water, like the XP MI-6). You will also need a bag for transporting the metal detector, and in it - rags or special towels for the detector. Well, most likely, you will need either a scoop or a special scoop like the BlackAda SandScoop. Working with such a scoop in the sand will save you a lot of time.

If you want to search at any time of the year, or in middle lane Russia (where there is almost no summer), then you will probably need a wetsuit.

3. Use the correct settings.

Set up a metal detector for each specific underwater hunting location. Select the target category you are going to dig and adjust the settings to suit it.

To check if the settings are correct, you can run tests on the type of product you are looking for. Before burying at the bottom, place the jewelry in a plastic bag and tie it with a cord - just in case, so as not to leave it to more successful treasure hunters.

4. Use the right search methodology.

How you search with a metal detector is also important. If on land you can swing the device’s coil quite quickly, then under water such movements will only raise the turbidity from the bottom. Work slowly, covering the target area one by one. Don't start frantically digging for a target if it sounds under the coil. Movements should also be calm, but be prepared for sand or silt to rise from the bottom. Sometimes you have to search for a target solely by touch.

5. Look in the right places.

When you decide where to go scuba diving, first consider the places where the most people pass or relax. The more people there are, the higher the chance of finding valuable things. There is an option with an underwater dig in historical places, since bodies of water even in busy cities are not considered an archaeological site.

6. Search at the right time.

Firstly, it is better to go out for underwater searches during the day; at night it is much darker underwater, and a flashlight - a light in the water - attracts too much attention.

And secondly, there is a time when it is more convenient to search on the beaches. On the sea coast it is low tide. Sometimes it’s a good idea to search after a storm, when the waves wash away large layers of sand or throw all sorts of things ashore. As for freshwater bodies of water, during a flood, for example, it is both cold and very pointless to search, because there is a lot of alluvial debris in the water.

If you're lucky and the timing is right, the finds can be stunning.

As with any other type of instrument search, underwater search becomes more successful with experience. But if you follow the suggested tips, I think you'll be off to a good start!

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Cop in the water with a metal detector. Underwater search on beaches and its features. Stories from a cop