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Beach Sand Scoop Advice


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I got myself a cheap poly-carbonate sand scoop.  It's kind of sturdy, but I already found that it doesn't work particularly well, especially in wet sand, for at least three reasons: it's not as sturdy as stainless steel and digging the gravel is not easy, the holes are not big enough for the wet sand to fall through easily (I think I need a mesh at the bottom somehow), and, for compactness, my scoop doesn't have a long handle, which makes it pretty difficult to dig quickly and often...

I was hoping that somebody could point me out to a better scoop that I could either buy online (Amazon, Lazada - the latter is better as there are no import duties in Thailand) or that could inspire me to ask someone here to make for me.  The ideal one would be:

  • small in size
  • with the mesh that allows the wet sand to fall through (but, which would also allow or the scoop to be pushed into the sand with one's foot)
  • with a longer handle, possibly removable (but not the full length as it won't be portable enough the way I do it - motorcycling...)
  • cheap... (I know, but one has to start somewhere...).

Cheers!

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Good place to start are these 26 Threads About Scoops. Focus on the ones with the most replies as having the most discussion and information. Lots of photos there you can look at. Aluminum can work if used with care in soft sands, but for almost anything else, you need stainless. Even soft sand creates a suction effect, and if you just want to pry sand fast as opposed to working the scoop, you need stainless scoops and a robust handle.

It can be a tough balance getting hole size right. Too small and they sift too slowly. Too large, and you end up chasing small items that drop through the hole - really fun if you think you are glimpsing an ear ring. Finally, always put a strong magnet in the inner rear of the scoop to help capture hair pins and wire wraps, which do have a tendency otherwise to get chased around.

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Looks like Amazon would be your best for starters.

But I would recommend going with one that cost more, I can remember making a few when I first started.. they were barbaric and I hate to say, a waste of my time. Then I bought a few sub-standards..lasted one summer..

Me .. I would recommend a Stav's from ukraine..contact him, give him a sad story..He may give you a better deal.. I've seen him run discounts of 10% before..

https://stavrscoop.com/en/15-sand-scoop-evroexcavator-2-v22.html

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On 1/14/2022 at 12:01 AM, mcjtom said:

I got myself a cheap poly-carbonate sand scoop.  It's kind of sturdy, but I already found that it doesn't work particularly well, especially in wet sand, for at least three reasons: it's not as sturdy as stainless steel and digging the gravel is not easy, the holes are not big enough for the wet sand to fall through easily (I think I need a mesh at the bottom somehow), and, for compactness, my scoop doesn't have a long handle, which makes it pretty difficult to dig quickly and often...

I was hoping that somebody could point me out to a better scoop that I could either buy online (Amazon, Lazada - the latter is better as there are no import duties in Thailand) or that could inspire me to ask someone here to make for me.  The ideal one would be:

  • small in size
  • with the mesh that allows the wet sand to fall through (but, which would also allow or the scoop to be pushed into the sand with one's foot)
  • with a longer handle, possibly removable (but not the full length as it won't be portable enough the way I do it - motorcycling...)
  • cheap... (I know, but one has to start somewhere...).

Cheers!

I don't think you can find just one scoop to meet all your requirements.....especially both quality and cheap. When you say small, are you referring to the basket size? If so, most of the aluminum ones have smaller baskets, but, they aren't as easy to push into wet sand and much harder to push into shells, cobble, and rocks. If you just need something that will break-down to carry on a motorcycle, you can get a travel rod that comes in sections. Carbon fiber is the way to go here, both for strength and light weight. For wet sand, stainless steel works the best. If you go with an aluminum one, have a stainless lip put on the leading edge for easier penetration. As Steve mentioned, the size of the holes can vary between manufacturers. Measure your smallest coin there in Thailand and get one with holes a bit smaller than the coin. You get too small and it won't sift as well. Some manufacturers make a scoop with smaller holes in the bottom to help catch tiny objects. This can help with stud earrings and chains, but, it also slows the sifting process a bit. Speaking of which, no scoop is going to sift wet sand well unless you dunk the basket in the water. In wet sand, just dump the clump and spread it a bit to isolate the target. In the water or dry sand, just about any scoop will sift there okay. In looking at quality, ones with braces and gussets will hold up much better than ones without those features. If you're just dry sand sifting, they'll all work okay, but working in hard packed wet sand, shells, cobble, rocks, etc. is very hard on a scoop. Ones without these added supports will fail a lot sooner than the ones with them. I've tried and owned many scoops over the last 51+ years, and find that currently the Sunspot Stealth series and the Xtreme scoops are the best overall in stainless. There are some others that are fairly decent for the money, but, IMO, they just aren't in the same class quality-wise.

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My suggestion would be Xtreme Scoops.  They are not cheap, but they may be the last scoop you will buy.  They are also made in the USA.  Sometime they have scoops on sale which reduces the price by 40 or 50%.  I own two, The Sand Shredder and The Surf Master.  Titanium scoops are light weight and strong.  Which makes a huge difference when you have been digging for a week on the beach.  I have learned the hard way, if you buy cheap, you will be buying again in the near future.

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CooB has a titanium scoop out now, it's pricey ($200) but SteveG makes carbon fiber handles for CooB.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09LR69CMQ

I have a CooB Shark V10, and while it's heavy 2mm stainless, it is awesome. I would love to get a titanium scoop!

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I've got one of these.. very well made.. they are available on ebay but I'm not sure if they'll post it to Thailand.. 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/334229364095?hash=item4dd19f5d7f:g:qoIAAOSwvwVe1Y5G 

s-l1600.jpg

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Many thanks for all these!

What would be the minimum useful thickness of a stainless steel plate (excluding rod socket reinforcement) of which the scoop is made?  Would 1.5 mm be the magic number, balancing the weight and sturdiness?

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