Hey jjm,
Same here with the CTX. I found swinging slow was a bit more time consuming for me in the sand. Also, I was apprehensive about dunking it in the water with possible sealing issues? The surf can be a bit rough here in SoCal.
With the Equinox, since I don't dive, the light weight and low cost make it the perfect replacement for the my Excalibur.
This time though, it's going to get underwater.