Choosing a Metal Detector for Beach Metal Detecting
The detector you choose will largely determine the outcome of your beach metal detecting hunts. The first choice you’ll need to make is usually between very low frequency (VLF) and pulse induction (PI) metal detectors. From there, it’s based on your budget and the features you want.
VLF vs. PI Metal Detectors
VLF detectors like the Garrett AT Max are the go-to detectors for novice as well as seasoned detectorists since they’re ideal on dry sand and freshwater. The downside is that wet, salty sand can cause false signals. Make sure that your detector has an adjustable ground balance that takes salt into account.
PI detectors like the Garrett ATX Pro are designed to ignore salt and can detect targets buried much deeper below the surface. The main downside to pulse induction models is that they can’t differentiate between trash and iron when searching for gold. PI detectors are also usually more expensive than VLF models.
Top Metal Detectors for Beach Metal Detecting
You can choose to use a metal detector with just a waterproof search coil as long as you don’t plan on getting the rest of your detector wet. With that said, accidents do happen. Choosing a waterproof metal detector can give you peace of mind when beach metal detecting!
If you don’t purchase a waterproof detector, make sure to get one that at least has a waterproof coil.