just wondering

[nick1curtis]

ive been looking into beach scoops lately, and i must say that they all seem a little over priced. any recommendations on the best bang for the buck?

 

[PowerDetecting]

I agree they seem over priced. I have been looking into the new t-rex its about $169 I think and it has the smaller holes so you wont lose any Studd earings. Also looking into the Stealth 8 scoop but its a bit pricey $255.

I guess it really depends on if your going dry sand wet sand or in the water also what you will want to choose. If you go dry sand I would prolly just stick to a light weight aluminum scoop and theyre pretty cheap. If ur going in the water or wet sand spend the money and get a good one that will last

 

[mudpuppy]

I thought so too when I got into this sport...so I tried to make a few of my own and have gained lots of respect for the scoop mfg's price now...anyway, you need the lightest long handle dry sand scoop with a small bucket, mines 5"...any extra weight while you are hiking miles on the dry sand is killer...you CAN use a water scoop on the dry, but they are built heavy for a purpose...you cant really effectively use a dry sand scoop in the wet, unless targets are shallow and you dont have to try to dig with it, and can use it like a hoe to just pull towards you...if you have rocks or gravel, mud or clay in your area, you will need to cough up for a tough scoop. Determine is you think you enjoy water/beach hunting...its not for everyone, and has gotta be one of the toughest styles of this sport there is. You can go for miles without a beep of any sort, unless you live really close to some great water hunting areas, it really takes the starch outta a guys shorts in a hurry!
Mud

 

[ROBOCOP]

Beach scoops are their own science.
Bucket size, material, lip, ability to drain, step on the back?
Handle, material, length, angle for leverage, angle to bucket, strength of joint, gussets?
Assist handle to help drain bucket, to aid in one hand digging, so you don't have to lay down the detector.
Type of material you're digging: wet sand, dry sand, sugar sand, shell, pebbles, clay, shallow water?
Overall weight of bucket and handle and balance.

A bucket full of wet sand can weigh 20 pounds.
If you are fairly good at pinpointing you don't need a giant bucket.

It's hard to pinpoint in chest deep water so you will need a giant bucket.

Compromise !

Think about a system that allows you to dig one-handed without doing a lot of bending with your back.

Here's a pic of mine.