Machine for dunking in fresh water

I'm wanting to water-hunt in lakes and smaller streams here in the Midwest, so I'm looking for a detector that is durable and reliably waterproof to, say, 10 feet. My primary targets will be coins, lead bullets and gold rings. I've considered a 1280-X. What other machines should I consider that will be fully submersible right out of the box? How about the Fisher AT Gold? I currently own a CZ-6a and an etrac for hunting on dry land, so this detector will be a dedicated water machine.

Garrett AT Pro.
You can probably find one with a regular and extra large coil , used for less than $500

[www.treasureclassifieds.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/14/2014 10:36PM by shoveler.

Bill B. Wrote:
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> I'm wanting to water-hunt in lakes and smaller
> streams here in the Midwest, so I'm looking for a
> detector that is durable and reliably waterproof
> to, say, 10 feet. My primary targets will be
> coins, lead bullets and gold rings. I've
> considered a 1280-X. What other machines should I
> consider that will be fully submersible right out
> of the box? How about the Fisher AT Gold? I
> currently own a CZ-6a and an etrac for hunting on
> dry land, so this detector will be a dedicated
> water machine.

Bill,
CZ-21 is great. Tesoro Tiger Shark is very good. 1280-x is a workhorse, (and cheapest) but the 21 is better IMO. I prefer the 10.5" coils.
Much as I like my CTX's I wouldn't submerge them...way too many reports of leaking. They're fine for hunting in the rain, but that's where I draw the line. Way too many paths for water to leak into the electronics.
(On the Fishers, the battery box is isolated from the factory sealed electronics, so if you develop a leak at the batteries, you just take them out and let it dry. On the CTX, you send it in with a credit card number.)
:-/

You could try the Fisher AT Pro route, just keep in mind the 10' limit is considered their MAX depth rating, and you'll need to replace the included dry phones with waterproof headphones.
(Unless you just happen to be 12' tall that is.)

mike



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/14/2014 11:33PM by Mike in CO.

AT Pros have the same problem the CTX's do

they "leak"

and then you're sending it in for a 3 week turn around and if it's beyond the 2 yr warranty = bust out the credit card

For fresh water hunting in lakes/streams in the midwest -- the Tesoro Tiger Shark with lifetime warranty is all you need (and it's a lot hotter on gold than the 1280x is) as it runs on 12 khz vs the 1280x at 2.4 khz

The Tiger Shark is IMHO the best buy for the buck for water hunting.

I've got a lot of water time in on my CTX , it's never leaked yet. I know of people who've messed around with the O-Ring and had that problem though.

Aaron

Bill B. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm wanting to water-hunt in lakes and smaller
> streams here in the Midwest, so I'm looking for a
> detector that is durable and reliably waterproof
> to, say, 10 feet. My primary targets will be
> coins, lead bullets and gold rings. I've
> considered a 1280-X. What other machines should I
> consider that will be fully submersible right out
> of the box? How about the Fisher AT Gold? I
> currently own a CZ-6a and an etrac for hunting on
> dry land, so this detector will be a dedicated
> water machine.

I use a chest mount for the CZ-6a Pro, makes a great water machine up to knee/waist deep. For deeper water, gotta agree about the Tesoro Tiger Shark.

Down and dirty just tough to beat a Tesoro water unit...especially for small gold items...

Thanks for the tips. I'll check out the Tiger Shark and the CZ-21. Appreciate it. The Garrett, too. I started hunting with Garretts in the late 1970s.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2014 10:30PM by Bill B..

Just checked them out online. I think the Tiger Shark with the 10-inch coil looks about right. I like the lifetime warranty.

If your using it in the water the 10" for depth and coverage is only way to go.

Aaron