If hunting for pirates treasure has always been your childhood dream, we have great news for you. With specialized equipment you can achieve that dream of diving deep in the ocean for buried treasure.
Sure, you can also hunt for gold and other precious items on the beach or in your own backyard, but there’s an extra level of thrill and excitement that comes with venturing into the deep depths of oceans or lakes. If you’re looking for detectors specifically for Gold then check out this “all gold” article!
But instead of settling for any cheap off-the-shelf underwater detector, we’ve narrowed it down to best underwater metal detectors for you to consider.
Questions You Should Ask Yourself
Slow your roll there. Before you get started planning your underwater adventure, there are a few things you should consider before getting too far. What features are you looking for in a detector to help optimize your experience?
1. Detection Type
Metal Detectors of any type, be it land or water, fall into two categories: pulse induction (PI) or very low frequency (VLF) detection.
However, PI models are usually more expensive than the VLF models, possibly due to them not being as sensitive to the minerals on the ground.
2. Accuracy
Accuracy is another crucial factor to consider considering how deep what you’re looking for might be buried. However, this varies with each model, which is why you need to check the user reviews as well as product description before buying.
3. Depth
When buying underwater metal detectors, you should also consider how deep you can take it before it stops working. Some of the models that we have listed here come with a tiny portion of complete waterproofing. Some can be used for wading with only the coil right below the surface and others can travel much lower before they’re no longer working.
4. Freshwater Vs. Saltwater
Saltwater contains minerals that can affect your device’s detection capabilities, especially if you’re using a VLF detector. PI models will work better for saltwater hunts. You’ll have much better results using a VLF detector when hunting in freshwater as you’ll have fewer problems detecting unnecessary or unwanted junk.
5. Weight And Buoyancy
Another thing that you should be wary of when using a metal detector, is that it should have neutral buoyancy so it won’t sink quickly. However, you also don’t want your detector to float all the way to the top either. Finding the right balance in weight is difficult but crucial.
Product Recommendations
1.Garrett AT Pro
The Garrett AT Pro : Here you have a metal detector that is completely waterproof, comes with a variety of advanced features, all while coming to you at an affordable price.
The AT Pro can be submerged in water depths of up to 10 feet, making it an ideal hunting tool that can be used around lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds, as well as the ocean. The AT Pro is an incredibly versatile VLF detector that can be used on land beside the water.
Thanks to its 15 kilohertz operating frequency, along with rapid recovery time and manual ground balance, it’s also great for digging up jewelry, relics, and coins in virtually any environment.
Pros
- Excellent auto and manual ground balance
- Iron audio
- Completely submersible and waterproof
Cons
- Waterproof headlights need to be purchased separately
- Only one frequency
A versatile metal detector that works well for both land and water adventures at an affordable rate, deserves our top vote.
2.Garrett ATX
The Garrett ATX : When you move past the extra pricing that comes with this military-grade level detector like the Garrett ATX, you’ve got one of the ultimate all-terrain solutions. This means that it performs better in saltwater than the Garrett AT Pro.
The Garrett ATX utilizes a special kind of pulse induction technology that allows users to scan any location without changing coils or search mode. It even boasts an LED screen without any non-essential features, which means it will show you the strength of the target’s signal along with its current settings.
It even comes with large raised buttons that you can feel underwater in case your fingers freeze.
The detector comes with two ATX packages. One is the standard package that comes with a 10”x12” DD coil, which offers excellent sensitivity and depth for smaller items.
Pros
- Extra coils
- High quality
- Pulse induction
Cons
- A bit heavy
- Pricey
When ignoring the obviously steep price rate and a few minor issues, the Garrett ATX can be your go-to underwater metal detector any day.
3. Garrett Sea Hunter MkII
The Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II detector has been a longtime favorite of treasure hunting experts Bob Marks and Mel Fisher for a number of reasons.
For one thing, the Sea Hunter Mark II is versatile, working well for both fresh and saltwater. The intuitive design ideally suits metal hunting on the beach, diving, and also snorkeling.
The ‘Trash Elimination’ mode allows users to move past worthless junk, like pull tabs from soda cans, while hunting for their target. It is specially built to filter out highly mineralized soil and saltwater, which makes it an ideal tool for treasure hunting.
It also features several modes including Standard PI And Non-Motion All Metal discrimination. Not to mention settings for audio threshold and elimination.
Pros
- It is a top-quality and reliable product
- It’s built for underwater diving and treasure hunting
- Extended battery life
Cons
- Other search coils not included
- It lacks visual identification
If you aren’t bothered by that heavy price tag, the Hunter Mark II is what dreams are made of.
4. Fisher Underwater Metal Detector-CZ21-8
The Fisher CZ21-8 : We don’t mean to make this a competition, but the Fisher CZ21-8 is another quintessential underwater metal detector that is worth its price rate.
With capabilities to be submerged about 200 feet underwater, the Fisher CZ21-8 was made for deep blue sea exploration. What’s more, is that you can use this device in either fresh or saltwater.
The Fisher detector is a pulse induced device, which means it works effectively on two frequencies: 5 kilohertz and 15 kilohertz. It even comes with a Fourier domain signal, which makes it easier to use.
Another incredible feature is the control box. Its volume control allows us to boost the audio on weak signals from potential targets.
It even features 7 discrimination mode settings that intelligently filters out metal choices.
Pros
- Pulse induction
- Very easy to use
- Boosting audio signals on potential targets
Cons
- Quite heavy to use on land
Boosting weak signals? Works in fresh and saltwater? Excellent tracking capabilities? Say no more!
FAQs
Q. Can Underwater Detectors Be Used On Land?
Absolutely! A metal detector’s primary function is to work on either dirt or sand. Their goal is to scan the surface to see if there’s any precious metal hidden below. Of course, there are other hand held metal detectors which will be harder to use on land.
Q. Can Metal Detectors Be Waterproof?
Generally, metal detectors aren’t waterproof since they can’t completely be submerged in water or they’ll break apart. That’s why it is important to get a specialized underwater detector as it does have some level of waterproofing.
So our advice would be to buy products that are completely waterproof and can travel great distances underwater.
Q. What Is The Importance Of An Underwater Metal Detector’s Weight?
When it comes to an ordinary metal detector being used on land, you’d want to make sure that it’s as light as possible so you can move it around and handle it with ease.
Underwater detectors, on the other hand, need to offer the right balance of weight and buoyancy so they don’t end up sinking for being too heavy or rising to the top for being too light.
Q. What Type Of Headphones Are Required?
Whatever headphones you choose, depends on the model you’re about to buy. So it’s pivotal for you to examine the kind of headphones you’re getting with your underwater metal detector.
Q. Are There Any Underwater Metal Detectors For Beginners?
When it comes to underwater metal detecting, users need to possess two skills: diving and metal detecting. If you’re great at metal detecting but not diving, you shouldn’t consider this type of adventure as it could be very dangerous. Before embarking maybe consider taking some diving lessons to prepare yourself properly.
Overall Thoughts
There’s no denying that underwater metal detecting activities can be a fun, as well as rewarding adventure. But making it work requires purchasing the proper equipment for the job and not just because you’re itching to look for something valuable.
You’ll need to arm yourself with the right type of snorkel gear or a wet suit if you want to venture off to a shipwreck location looking for buried treasure. Use this article as your guide and take a dive into your next adventure.
