What kind of scoop do you get??????

[beachguy777]

Ok, ok, ok, I should know better. I've been at this for quite a while, but I'm seriously thinking of upgrading to a new scoop. The one I have is the "good old" hand scoop with the holes in it to let the sand run out, (we're talking beach here) and it works great in "dry" sand, but not too hot in wet sand, for me at least. I usually use a shovel to losten the wet sand, then "maybe" use the scoop to sort out the loosend sand, hopefully with water combined to wash the wet sand out of the scoop. I keep seeing these pictures of guys using that long handled scoop and have read good reports on it, but it seems like (if you standing upright) you couldn't get too much leverage with it and might defeat it's purpose in wet sand. Whattya think gang???? Any takers on that one, I'd really like to know where I'm droopping the ball here.

 

[beachguy777]

Right after I wrote the post on the beach scoop, I found my book called The Beach Bank, and they were talking about both type of scoops, and said you could use your foot on the longer scoops to force it into the sand. Sounds good so far, but I'm wondering if you have to go deep into the hole in wet sand, how good is it going to work???. Don't know for sure, but they also talked about getting an inner tube and putting some kind of screen in the middle of it to pour the wet sand onto and rinse it through with water and find the target. That sounds pretty good if your in the water. You could put multiple scoops of wet sand from the target hole onto the screen and if you set it up right , the inner tube would keep everything in tact til you washed it all through and you could sort through the shells and stuff to find that 4 carrot diamond ring, or lead sinker in (my case). Just being negative minded there, ha, ha. but it sounds like a winner. I'm still curious about what anyone has to say about the long handeled scoops. Maybe they're a winner too.????:O:|

 

[beachguy777]

Imagine that, I'm so lonely, I have to reply to my own post. Not too far from the truth, but I really am curious about all this. It could make beach hunting a whole lot easier if you had the right system.:|

 

[Golden]

as always, you've got me laughing again! You have a great sense of humour! So, I thought I'd better be at least one to answer your post! I bought a sand scoop from a dealer, and didn't like the holes in in. The holes were long and narrow, and I found the sand didn't sieve too well. So I had the mesh with the holes between the steel frame cut out, if you get my drift, and had new mesh soldered into place. The new mesh had square holes, which are just small enough not to lose a threepence, but large enough to sift sand really well. It has a short handle. I use it mostly up on the sand. With wet sand, I still like to put the sieve in the water, to sieve it. In the water, I've got one with a longer handle. I used to use a shovel and gold pan sieve, which was a pain to cart around with me. I buy my stuff from a dealer here, who imports some really great accessories from your way, so I should think you'll find something you'll be happy with. I know of one guy who uses a kitty litter scoop! But I wouldn't think it'd be strong enogh for wet sand. Don't know if this has helped, but at least you got an answer to your post!!!
Cheers Golden

 

[pinpointa]

Hi beachguy777,
Back in 1979 in MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA i started using a aquasport pi.
detector which there were only 3 brought in to the country from the u.k.
I then had a stainless steel scoop which at that time cost me $200.
There was 2 of us working Port Phillip Bay we then used a wooden pine
frame with a chicken wire base and a motorcycle tube around that to
keep it a float which was attached to our weight belts and towed behind us. Now i am on the other side of Australia in Perth and working the water here we do not use floats just scoops.There is 2 scoops i use both made of p.v.c. one with 10 inch pipe with a long
handle and no back in it so as you dig the sand just goes in to a pile
the other scoop has the back filled in and a water grate in the back
with holes drilled all the way round with a tappering front and the
handle has a wooden broom handle inside the p.v.c pipe to stop it flexing. These scoops work fantastic as you can put your foot on the back and force it in. In the states REILLY'S TREASURE GOLD has aluminium and stainless steel scoops. There are 2 books which i have what we call our bible they are written by BOB TREVILLIAN AND FRANK CARTER
DIAMONDS IN THE SURF, AND DIAMONDS IN THE SURF SECOND ADVENTURE.
I have had these books since 1983 i dont know if you still can buy
them but they have got a lot of clues in them. There is also a good site
on the net it is called THE GOLDEN OLDE in memory of NORMAN GARNUSH.
This deals with all facets of beach and water detecting.
Hope this helps a bit.


Regards Pinpointa from down under.

 

[beachguy777]

Dear Pinpoita, thankyou so much for the response, you know how it is for us "old lonely guys" out here that never get a response (just a joke), but honestly that sounds very interesting. I can't quite picture the scoop your talking about, especially the back part missing. You described it very carefully but I'm just not quite getting it, but maybe you could put a picture on there some time. So you don't use the inner tube thing much any more? It's probably a lot to cart around. I know when I'm out there on the beach, I don't just usually do water stuff alone, I like to dry sand hunt as well and carting an inertube deal around would definatly be a hassell. By the way, I love your post name Pinpointa. Very creative. Thanks again for the post and I'll re-read it some more and try and get the picture. I do like th PVC idea, for starters, because that's pretty light but strong stuff. Sounds like a pretty good scoop. Beachguy.

 

[beachguy777]

Well bless your little pea-pickin heart there Golden. (that's an old saying from the south here in the states) that kind of means "your just the cat's meaow" I knew I could count on you to help an "old guy" out. You know I love to make you laugh, that goes for anyone for that matter. I know the "scoop police" aren't gonna lock me up for a while if I don't get the "latest greatest" but it's honestly nice to hear what some of the "real tigers" are using out there for equipment, (and you know I mean that) Your definatly in the tiger catagory. Well...., let's see here. I know what you mean, when the sand won't slide through the scoop. I'm trying to picture the way your old scoop looked before you re-sauldered the new mesh, but at any rate, the new square mesh seems to have done the trick. Boy this stuff get's scientific now doesn't it? As I'm writing this I'm thinking about the angle of the cup versus the handle in order to push it into the sand with your foot if it's a long handeled scoop. That's probably why these things cost 200 bucks, sometimes, the guy had to have an eneineering degree in order to design it. Just kidding, sort of, but I can see if we want a better "mouse trap" it would take some serious thought. Just trying to wrap up my "always to long" posts, it sounds like you use the shorter handeled one in the dry sand and shallow water, (where you can use the water to wash out the sand" and you use th longer handeled one in deeper water. Don't know if I got that right, but let me know where I blew it. My concern is that if I buy a long handeled scoop, would it go deep enought into the hole, (under water) to get the "goods", or would it keep caving in?
I know I'm pushing the issue again, but I'm kind of thinking that might be the case, but on the other hand, I would hate to cart around the big innertube thing, if I'm also doing dry sand hunting and it's a long walk back to my car. Boy, what laziness will do to you. I hope you get my drift here. By the way, God bless all of you for your patience with me.
Maybe I've got some kind of disease here where I always write too much. Sincerely, Marc (beachguy):|

 

[DonNWF]

I post on the Sovgt forum because I have a GT. I use a S-1 probe (Sunray) on the beach to search out my finds. As I have mentioned on that forum numerous times, with my shovel method of recovery a probe works better than a scoop and is a whole lot faster. I should add this is only for damp and dry beach. Although it works fine in water filled holes. When you compare prices on good long handled scoops with the probe you can see its not that much more in cost and if you also use it in dirt hunting you have all your search methods covered. You guys don't mind if an outsider drops in, do you??? I always find something interesting here.

 

[beachguy777]

Don, that's fascinating. I didn't even think of a probe as an alternative. I guess you've had pretty good success with the Sunray? Can you put it under water too? The other question I have is, if your using your probe in wet or damp sand, can you grab the object quick, or easy enough, without some kind of scoop with your hands. Not quite getting your drift here, but it sounds very interesting. In other words, are you using the probe "in conjunction" with a hand scoop, or just using the probe and your bare hands?

 

[DonNWF]

Nope. No scoop. I use a short handled shovel attached to my belt by a clip. I eather drag it behind me if I'm doing a search pattern (Marks area I have covered) or hung on a hook at my belt.
The technique with the probe depends on whether you are working wet (uncovered at tide change) or dry sand. Note -- I did not say wet sand being washed over by water, thats where a long handled scoop works best and the sand can be flushed from the scoop leaving the target.
DRY SAND - Find a target. Pinpoint- (Just get it under the center of the coil). Simply scrape the sand into a pile away from the pinpointed area with your foot. Two or three scrapes and you pretty much have it. Swing the coil over the pile. If its in the pile, detach your probe and run it through the pile in sweeping motion (not jabbing). When you get within a couple of inches of the target or on the target you will get audio and visual signal. At this point you can pretty much put the probe on the target and pick it out with your fingers or uncover it. This will get you most near surface items. If you swung the coil and it was not in the pile, swing the coil back over the pinpointed area to verify. Repeat the probe technique in the original area. If the probe does not make a hit, use your shovel to go deeper and repeat the hole-to-a-pile routine. If its not a deep target (say not over 6 inches of dry sand) the process takes just seconds.

WET SAND - The process is more of the same except you make all piles with your shovel. The probe and cable is waterproof and can be used to probe flooded holes.

The probe clips to your detector rod and you can probe from a standing or nealing position in a matter of seconds. Slow swing detectors and the SovGT is one of them work well on the beach, but if you want to speed up the process the only way is to speedup your target recovery. The probe works great in the dirt or on the beach. HH Don

 

[beachguy777]

Great stuff Don. I do a lot of that pile, then spread it out a bit, thing myself. It seems to work good because you can get at it better than when it's in the hole. Where your "rockin and rollin" here is you have that probe. Hmmmmm!!!!!, maybe I ought to look into one of those. Sounds like it speeds it up quite a bit, especially being able to kind of scan it over the pile unstead of jabbing it. I like the fact the probe is waterproof too. I guess that long handled scope is pretty much a water deal. Makes a lot of sense so you might not have to kneel in the water as much.

 

[stan_moto]

Hello Beachguy. This is the type of sand scoop I have been using for the last 18 years with out any problems at all. It works terrific in dry sand and very good in damp sand. Once you get the right shaking motion with damp sand it quickly drops through the square wire mesh and will retain our threepence (pre decimal coin) it is made of high tensile material allowing the scoop to be made of light weight material and the wire being made of narrow gauge wire mesh lets the sand to slice through easily. I dig constantly to around 10 to 14 inches in the damp sand chasing our $2.00. And $1.00. Coins. The only thing I did to it when I bought it was to weld a layer of hard facing material to the cutting edge so it would keep a sharp edge for a long time after a sharpen with a small grinder. Its one of the best digging tool I ever had. I have seen a few simular in your country made of stainless steel. Check out some of your sand scoop building people and you can

 

[Golden]

n/t

 

[beachguy777]

You know what gang. I'm almost afraid to say it, but it looks like mine too. That's about what I've been using for many years, so maybe that's the ticket. The one thing I like about the short handeled scoop is you get more leverage on the dig. I still use a shovel in the wet sand to speed things up initally but I always end up with the scoop to sort it out. I guess it's not that bad after all.:|