LF thick silty sand beach digging tool

[undersc0re]

I have been digging in the shallow waters and on the dry sandy beach here....its a major pain in the but without the digging scoops that have a long handle with all the holes in the scoop....one of those would be handy....the mucky silty beaches and water bottoms are really hard to dig in compared to the nice sandy normal beach...I was wondering if anyone has a good suggestion on a strong scoop with a 3 or 4 foot handle on it that you could push into the mucky silt with your foot and be able to pull it out without breaking it! I guess it would have to be a thick gauge aluminum or stainless steel with a nice pointy v shaped end to dig into the muck. Most I look at seem quite flimsy and think....just looking for suggestions before i invest too much into something I break on my first outing....its a pain in the but bending over in the water with a normal shovel all the time! I am in southern bc canada if that helps with suggestions on where to buy one!

 

[Rainyday101]

I use a T-Rex scoop and it is excellent. I too am at silty muddy beaches at times and love this scoop. There are other good ones, but the ones with pointrd tip are great if you are in just sand. In harder areas or rocky spots when you step on the back to penetrate the soil, if you foot is not perfectly centered when pushing, they have a tendency to roll to the side. My T-Rex does not do this. I purchased the T-Rex based on opinions of several Great Lakes hunters. I am glad I listened to their advice.

 

[undersc0re]

Thanks, I originally thought those beefy looking aluminum scoops looked strong, and prob light....

I will most likely go with the t-rex....going to browse around for another week before making a purchase, I dig freshwater mucky silty sand beached mostly in the water....and also rocky rivers, so I need something strong and long lasting...maybe that aluminum chips and bends easily near the tips who knows...that t-rex looks pretty mean though!

 

[Rainyday101]

I just got out of a river with the T-rex that is sandy, rocky, and silt/mucky and it worked great. The nice thing about it is it drains the sediment in it very quickly with all those holes. In sand or silt, by the time you get the scoop up to the surface it is pretty much drained. With muck you have to shake it a few times to clear the scoop. I was digging in a rocky area and prying with ot to get a sweet sounding target and the scoop had no problems. After all that rock digging it was just an old bottle cap. The other nice thing about this scoop is that you supply your own wooden handle and I like the wooden handle because it floats. If you let go of the scoop its no problem because the handle floats. The only thing I can knock it for, and I am sure it is a problem with all scoops, is that in murky water with poor visibility getting the scoop oriented in the right direction to scoop can be a little tough. I had this problem on a beach about waist deep while I was getting pounded with 2 foot plus waves. This can be remedied by marking the handle or putting on lift assist so that you always know the orientation. What ever you choose I suggest stainless with plenty of drainage for the type of water hunting you said you would be doing.

 

[undersc0re]

Ok, I guess I have made my choice, this one seems like a good scoop for all situations! Little expensive, but looks like it will last a lifetime and dig big holes! Is there a shop in Canada to get these at? Thanks!

 

[gunsil]

The Stavr scoops are fantastic but you have to order them from the Ukraine. Just google Stavr Scoops and you can see all the models. Ruslan is a great guy to deal with, just ask him any questions you may have about his models and he'll get back to you. They do not come with handles but if you order one with the 32mm socket for the handle a fiberglass 1&1/4" OD shovel or post-hole digger handle fits perfectly and is unlikely to break with heavy use.

 

[Rainyday101]

I agree with gunsil that them Sravr scoops are nice. I have yet to hear anyone say anything bad about them. The main reason I did not get one is the waiting time and having to wire the money to him in Russia. He really needs to get PayPal or some better means of taking payment. Because I wanted my scoop right away I choose the T-Rex after several emails and phone calls to other freshwater detectorist. I am sure there are others that will work just as good and last a long time. I am happy with my purchase and it is serving my needs quite well.

I know a scoop is an expensive investment, but if you have to save and scrimp to get a good one right away, it will be money well spent. My first was homemade and cost about $60 to build and took too much of the time I don't already have to build. It worked poor to okay and took the pleasure out of water hunting. It's in the garbage now. Getting a good scoop was the best move I ever made.

 

[undersc0re]

I did it, I went with the T-rex 9.5, wow the guy I dealt with was absolutely great! Ron from gold digger metal detector shop was amazing, super fast replies and shipped it almost immediately! I didn't think anyone gave service that good these days lol. I can't wait to see what it can do! Shipping costs were decent for a coast to coast package so I couldn't resist the quality product! Thanks to the forum and its members for the assistance!

 

[Rainyday101]

Good choice and Ron is one great fellow to deal with. Not saying the T-Rex is the best thing since sliced bread, but it is definitely one great scoop.