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Getting SAND SHARK - which coil ?

P

pinenut

New member
Hey folks, it's been too hot up here where I live, so I'm heading down the hill and going to the beach. Decided on a PI detector, specifically a SAND SHARK. I'll be hitting the wet sand from Laguna to around Morro Bay. Already have an 8" T-Rex, and I'm just about ready to dig it all..

Question for those of you who have used both size coils on the SS - which one, the 8" or the 10½", and why did you decide on that size?
Would I be less happy with one over the other?

Thinking I'll cover ground a bit faster with the 10½, but it'll be heavier to swing all day.. Which one?

Thanks.
 
I do not know what your beaches look like but in my area they are large nearly flat areas. The Larger the coil the larger area you can cover and the more targets you can find for time invested. I swing an Xcal with the 10" coil and would not want anything smaller. The ten is a bit more work in the water.
 
I generally prefer the 10.5 inch coil. It balances very well if the detector box is behind the rod just below the arm rest. Because of the good balance it is not a problem to swing for long days. If you are going to be in the water a lot and there is a lot of water movement, I'd go for the 8 inch. With a lot of water movement the 10.5 inch coil gets flipped up. You can put a coil brace on to keep it from flipping, but I like to change coil position depending on conditions I'm hunting and a coil brace compromises that choice for me. I've got an older Sand Shark with connectors, so I pack both the 8 inch and 10.5 inch when I take it to the beach. Mostly the 10.5 stays on it.
 
And thanks one more time... :beers:

Ordered a new 10½ last night; should be here by next weekend. I actually have a 10½ Tesoro land coil (old, discontinued) and it's noticeably heavier to swing than the 8", but there's no counterbalance from the little MicroMax control box that coil gets used with. Should be better on the SS, with the weight of the box at the rear. Can't wait to dig those deep bobby pins.. :bouncy:
 
pinenut said:
10½ Tesoro land coil (old, discontinued) and it's noticeably heavier to swing than the 8"
Click to expand...

The printed spiral Sand Shark coil is not very thick and there is not a huge difference in weight between the 10.5 inch and the 8 inch. Being thin, if you can keep the coil properly lined up with the water flow, there is not a lot of drag with the big coil either; it is only when it gets a bit of a tilt and the waves catch it that you need to really hang on to the detector. These printed spiral coils are very nice working in the water compared to some of the thick coils on the VLF water machines that produce a lot of drag.

Hope to see reports of lots of jewelry!
Cheers,
tvr
 
I built a bras for mine out of Plexi glass. Stops 10.5 from moving in the surf. :detecting:
 
hunter12 said:
I built a bras for mine out of Plexi glass. Stops 10.5 from moving in the surf. :detecting:
Click to expand...

Bra? I need a picture of her.. :smoke:

I was thinking I could make a strut from a fiberglass arrow, bracketed at the leading edge of the coil, and at the lower pole. Should be easy to come up with something to help keep it in place..
 
I recall a post a while back where someone heated a plexiglass strip in the oven, then formed it into a brace for the coil. I'm not finding that post right now, but this link has a couple of different versions of coil braces:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?22,1112718,1112718#msg-1112718
 
Pinenut, did you get the sand shark? If so, how do you like it?
 
John (Ma) said:
Pinenut, did you get the sand shark? If so, how do you like it?
Click to expand...

I did!

I haven't had the chance to head out to the beach since it came, or even to do any local land detecting with my other detectors. Got family out visiting from South Carolina right now and I know they want to do a couple beach days, so hopefully I'll get to try it out soon. First impressions are good (I like Tesoros anyway), except for not liking the coil attachment on this model that's intended for use in surf and under water. Seems to me that the water models should have used a larger diameter end, with bigger rubber washers and a fatter attaching bolt. This 10½" coil wanted to move too easily even with the bolt as tight as I dared to make it. I was told by other SS users that after some sand gets in there to rough things up coil flop will lessen, but I went ahead and made a brace for it anyway. Brace weighs only ½oz, and is plenty stiff. Made from carbon fiber rod and carbon fiber angle, held in place with super-strength outdoor double stick tape. The coil isn't going anywhere. Only problem with this style brace, is that it's more difficult to pull the lower pole for a thorough fresh water rinse after the beach.
I'll post my thoughts of using the SS after I find my first gold ring.. :)
 
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