Water wings for AT PRO?

[jmorton04]

Another crazy question from the wannabe newbie.
I had a viral infection in my inner ears many years ago, and my sense of balance is not very good. I hope to go MDing in the surf. Of course, sometimes I just fall down when a wave pushes me off balance.

If you are carrying your MD in your right hand and your sand scoop in your left, and you finally pull up some gold, it seems that you would have to drop the MD or the scoop to put the find in your pouch.

If you drop the scoop, you can find it with the detector, but if you drop the MD, how do you find it? Do you tie it to your belt with a cord or ?????
How do you handle this?

Thanks,
John Morton

 

[khouse]

Most every machines control box floats. I know the ATpro does. But I don't know if in very deep water if it will lift the coil? So a float or cord may be needed? When you let go of the grip your arm strap will still hold your machine to you. Only some of the scoops handles float. Mine doesn't and I have dropped it and have to use my foot to bring the handle up so I can grab it. This summer I will slip a water noodle (kids foam water toy) over my handle so it will float. Just get out there and figure out what works for you.

 

[WaterWalker]

Welcome to the world of water walking! I have several thousand hours detecting to mustache depths and I have always had a life line between my scoop and goodies pouch belt. I personally know of two scoops that have gotten "lost" in the surf but never a detector. A piece of nylon rope with brass clip for easy release is cheap insurance for the scoop. As for the detector, I rely on the arm strap, Velcro closure. The Velcro holds fast, I have only had one strap fail when it pulled through the arm cuff slot and one that just did not hold any more as it just wore out. If you detector does not have a Velcro strap, such as the Garrett Infinium, you can put slots in the arm rest and buy the straps from your local dealer. One thing you need to recon with is what to do if you get tossed in the surf, you want to be able to move and right yourself without getting hung up in you equipments. Good luck and: May the ring of gold be in your ears and the glitter in your scoop!
WaterWalker

 

[John-Edmonton]

n/t

 

[GraveDiggerMax-VaBch-Va]

arm straps works good for me.

i use a strap on all my detectors when hunting the beach

f y i

 

[NamVetLesTreasureSeeker]

Hi John, I have been an AVID SALTWATER SURF HUNTER for over 10 yrs.!! A couple of yrs. ago, I found a CLEAR PLASTIC TUB that has Approx. 20 or SO 10"-12" BUNGEE STRAPS with
ORANGE PLASTIC CAPS, that the BUNGEE STRAP SLIDES THROUGH, and they WORK GREAT!! I have give some to my friends, and I have one on each of my WATER & LAND
Detectors. You SLIDE the BUNGEE END through the ARMSTRAP SLIT on the ARMCUFF. Then attach them to your BRASS CLIP on the WBBELT!!

 

[MickTwin]

Les,
Could you upload a picture of your water tub/bungee rig? A picture's worth a thousand pulltabs! Ha
MickTwin

 

[metalhead]

Lots of great advice given on this. There are several different methods for water/surf hunting and everyone chooses what works best for them.
I'm a disabled vet and I walk with a cane. I attach my long handled scoop to my belt with some nylon cord and a quick release "D-ring". That way it drags behind me as I walk with my cane in one hand and swingin' the detector in the other hand. Also, of course, it keeps the scoop from getting lost or washed away in the surf.
I use a chest harness/bungee cord to attach my metal detector to my body. That way, I can just let go of the detector and it will just float there(hangin' by the bungee cord)even on land. That leaves my hand free to grab the scoop and dig while still using my walkin' cane. The chest harness/bungee cord rig has a quick release, which is nice to have in case you need to drop your gear fast. These are available at KellyCo for about twenty bucks.
I also wear a life vest/PFD even in shallow water. That would be good for you to have, since you lose your balance occasionally. I do too!
Best of luck to ya!Happy Hunting!

P.S.
I use a wrist strap for my walkin' cane, so I don't lose it in the surf.

 

[skippers]

I agree with metalhead. I hunt alone so I bought one of those manually triggered, with a rip cord, gas inflated life vests. It doesn't get in the way or make you float in deep water like a regular PFD might, until you need it. I work about neck deep and a person could step in a hole and get strangled in the deep water. Sometimes there aren't even people on the beach that could help if you get into trouble. Skip