Floating sifters

How many of you water hunters use a floating sifter? Are they practical? Is it just easier to have a scoop with wire back and shake it? I was curious why people use them and was thinking its just one more thing hanging on you. If you have the proper scoop are they worth while.

Dew

I've never used a sifter before, but, would love to try it one day. I think most of the water hunters that go pretty far out (upper chest to neck deep) use the sifters the most. Quite difficult (and tiring) to raise a heavy sand filled scoop above the water & shake it out at that distance & depth, so, they pretty much HAVE to use a sifter. And YES, make sure and get a GREAT scoop. Preferably one with a big 'bucket'. The bigger the bucket - opening in the scoop - the easier & quicker it is to retrieve the target. If the water is rough, it is VERY helpful & advantageous to get the target on the first attempt if possible



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2011 01:09AM by njnydigger.

Maybe Tom & some of his NASA buddies (retired?) could design the ultimate floating sifter. NASA has plenty of experience with flotation devices
IRT (Mercury/Gemini capsules). Hey, its a thought.

Floating sifters seem like a good idea but......they seem to always be in the way or not where they are handy to get to. I tried one and wasn't real happy with it. During a discussion at a club meeting the general concensus was they weren't worth it. It seems that being able to dump the scoop and rummaging through to find your target.is a very good idea. I used a Garrett gold sifter with a noodle cable tied to it with about 4 foot of tether. Didn't like it but I can imagine some people do and maybe you'd be one.

Wally

I use a sifter everytime I get wet. It serves 2 purposes:

1. I can "dump everything" in the sifter. I'll look in it occasionally when it fills up.
2. It can be a lifesaver IF I happen to step into a hole that's over my head, especially while wearing waders in the springtime.

Here's my scoop built for less than $10.00


[im1.shutterfly.com]

Good luck with whatever you choose to do...............see ya yardhunter

Probably a dumb question, but what type of anchoring device is generally used with floating sifters?

Got the stuff together to build one once & never got around to it.----Now I'm not water hunting. grin-----I still think it's a good idea, especially if you are in deeper water.---------Del

Tatter masher and duck tap.... i know it works but thats one ugly device . Ive always kept it simple. In parks and such i use a butcher knife and garden trowel, in the woods and fields i have a hand designed shovel. Im new to this but .... detector and a 4 lb plus scoop and then the sifter may be to much. However you have a great point about it being used as a floatation device. Exhaustion hits you when you least expect it..... neck deep good swimmer or not its nice to have a safety net. In the military we never used shorts for drown proofing.

Dew

All a matter of preference and are commercially made and many hand made also. Pro's and cons for sure but those that use them regularily swear by them and again whatever works and make sure you have a big scoop with a strong handle lest the handle will snap or bend as lots of torque applied when recovering targets..

I don't do any deeper water detecting , but I do use a floating sifter when searching creeks for fossils, etc. I have a shopping basket , like those in grocery stores, etc., with a double folding handle . I have pieces of a " floating Noodle " wire-tied to it for floatation . I added a short length of rope & use a sand scoop to scoop out creek bottoms & dump the material in the floating basket. Works fine, but make sure the mesh is as small as you want it. You could also make a small wood framed sifter & float it the same way.

dewcon4414 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In parks and such i use a butcher knife
> and garden trowel, in the woods and fields i have
> a hand designed shovel.
>

A butcher knife in the parks, Dew? I'd be VERY careful hunting like that. Doesn't look good to outsiders & is also a dangerous tool to be used for digging


> Dew

dewcon4414 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tatter masher and duck tap.... i know it works but
> thats one ugly device . Ive always kept it
> simple. In parks and such i use a butcher knife
> and garden trowel, in the woods and fields i have
> a hand designed shovel. Im new to this but ....
> detector and a 4 lb plus scoop and then the sifter
> may be to much. However you have a great point
> about it being used as a floatation device.
> Exhaustion hits you when you least expect it.....
> neck deep good swimmer or not its nice to have a
> safety net. In the military we never used shorts
> for drown proofing.
>

> Dew

Thanks for your comments. The straps are from a White's hipmount kit from 25 years ago. I just hook it around my waist & it follows along wherever I go. I do have lot's of success in chin deep water due to several posts in the water ( people constantly clmbing & jumping off them ) at one site I hunt. Fortunately...it's sandy at the site. Since the sifter is "eye" high when I'm in chin deep water..I scoop the targets, throw it all in the sifter until it gets full, then move to shallower water to see what's been found. The sifter is ugly but I don't care. It's made with 1" X 6" boards which hold a lot of material. It use to look geat when I 1st built it 10 years ago, but the water has worked the duct tape over pretty well.

Here's another pic where it's being used in an area with mud:

[im1.shutterfly.com]

I've removed the tater masher since the pic was taken. .It's just easier to break the mud clods in half & run them under the coil to find targets.

Here's one from my detecting scrapbook of it "in action"..........

[im1.shutterfly.com]

Good luck if you use a sifter. It works for me............see ya mark

You know i was yanking your chain about it being ugly. Im looking into making one our of a 5 gal bucket like the gold sifters for the GULF water. Ive been hunting with a butcher knife for years and i hunt a lot of the Indy parks where the police stations are. Ive never had an issue with the police or people. I dont dig with the knife lol, i cut the flap and it is sooo much faster than any tool ive ever used to go deep and fast.

Dew

All thats missing is a cup holder and a i pod dock .