What Is The Simplest Good Beach Detector?

[Steve Herschbach]

I tested the original TDI in Hawaii both on the beach and wading. I immediately started trying to get White's to make a waterproof version - it worked that good. The first machine I used in Hawaii that ignored the black sand and basalt cobbles. White's just never did it.

The only reason I did not mention it is I am biased towards waterproof detectors when they spend any amount of time in a saltwater environment. However, the original TDI and TDI Pro (TDI SL not so much) are perhaps the best all around beach PI detectors you can lay your hands on, although the Minelab's would be in the running. The Minelabs cost so much I would not be getting one near salt spray myself, and the standard TDI hip and chest mount options lend it well to being put in a protective bag and used while wading.

The secret of the TDI for beach use is the "ground balance off" mode, which is as close to an Eric Foster Deepstar as you can get without having a Deepstar. More powerful than the Surf PI. And you have the ground balance for really bad stuff, like in Hawaii.

If I lived nearer a beach I would have kept my TDI just for the beach.

You might try to contact U.K. Brian on TNet. He knows his stuff.