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Is there a good set of knee pads to recommend for detecting? I was thinking about carrying around a rectangular one to use or possibly buying a pair of Carhartt double front pants that are designed to put their knee pads into. Apparently you can wash the pants with the pads in place which would make things simplified.

Anyone have any suggestions on what pick is to use for detecting? I've used a few but apparently I'm too hard on them. The Fisher I have now is bent and held together with Gorilla tape. Hoping for a decent point that can be pried on at least a little bit, a good sized hoe on the other end that can move material efficiently, and a magnet (that can be added if not included). Any suggestions?

Been contemplating ordering Docs Swingy Thingy, and the Saga Swing arm, since I added the Axiom 16x14 Mono Coil for sure going to pick up the Swingy thingy and Queegle bungee attachment but was wandering if it is worth adding the Saga Swing arm also, does it give you more control of your detector and coil, and can the Swing arm be removed when I am running the 11x7 Mono and DD without to much trouble, just to remove the added weight the 16x14 throws the balance off quite a bit on the Axiom, and at my age it is a bit of a work out swinging those big coils Thanks for any replies

Hi all, I just bit the bullet and purchased a Nemo Blu3 portable dive system as another tool in my metal detecting arsenal. For those who don't know about the Nemo, here are a couple of videos that show what it can do: I'd love to compare notes with those here who are using a Nemo Blu3 with their Nox underwater. I haven't used it yet myself as I had to put it in my shipment to Vietnam, where I will be starting a new job in a couple of months. So I'm just doing a lot of research at this point. The only problem I am hearing so far is that the Nox can be difficult to hear underwater over the Nemo Blu3 regulator whether you use the Minelab "yellow" underwater headphones or don't use headphones at all. For anyone using the Nemo with their Nox (or diving at all), have you been able to find an alternative underwater headphone with better sound or another workaround? Thanks in advance!

I have been using a Bunks Hermit pick for a few years now, I find it to be one of the best picks I have ever used very well made pick for prospecting, I also have his burro Pick as well, which I do like but not as much as Bunks Hermit Pick, but the hermit pick always felt heavy to me and always felt to short for me so I modified it, it came with a 2 foot handle, i wanted a pick I could use for nugget hunting and also use it as a walking pick as well as one that I could use to get up of the ground after retrieving a target, what I did was remove the 2 foot handle and replaced it with a 40 inch handle, and honestly this 40 inch handle as strange as it seems made the Hermit pick to feel lighter and it accomplished what I wanted I now can dig while standing up and I can use it to help me get back up when I go down on my hands and knees to retrieve a target and it also made it a great walking pick,Bunk produces some fantastic picks and I would not hesitate to purchase another hermit pick again from him, and no this hermit pick you do not carry in a holder on your belt, even at the 2 foot length Bunk instructs you to never carry the hermit pick while hanging off your belt as that spike could do some serious damage if you fell on it, I always carried it in my hand where if I fell I could throw it side ways or away from me my recommendation for anyone wanting to purchase a Hermit Pick from Bunk just purchase the head only and then add a shovel handle which can be purchased from Ace Hardware,Home Depot or Lowe's and most likely any good hardware store

I miss the good old days when Gold Prospecting machines like the Goldmaster V-SAT. the Gold Bug 2, and Lobo Super-Traq didn't have screens. Models today are very top-heavy. On a recent trip to Northern California, I was plagued by my detector falling over while trying to isolate the target over its 5" coil. Can anyone recommend a good aftermarket stand? The Arm Cuff base just isn't cutting it. TIA!

I just replaced the handle on my Apex pick and am thinking of adding a magnet to the end of the handle. The handle is a 1" x 1 1/2". Oval What size and strength of magnet would i be looking for?

Charging batteries on nemo for first time, doesnt seem to matter how long charging for but still only showing 1 green light on battery, does anyone have this problem ?

Looking to replace my 18" Apex handle with a 24" and was on their website, went to order up the 24" @ $26+ and upon checkout they wanted $22 to ship...lol NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!!! Really didn't want to head to local hardware and start "sizing" axe handles then having to sand, etc. for a tight fit...blah blah, etc. Anyone know of an online dealer that might sell a handle for something reasonable? $50 for a 2 foot handle ain't happening. Long shot I know....but thought I'd try?

Hello I wanted to share with you the sad problem I had with my Nemo device. During the summer months, I try to make a living by doing underwater photography with the device, traveling around the coasts of Turkey and searching for precious jewels with the detector, which is my source of income. That's why your sharing is very valuable to me. As the end of the season approached, I encountered the problem that my device could not pump enough air even under 1 meter, and I was very upset because there is no dealer belonging to the company in my country to send it for repair. I got this amazing hookah system through a friend residing abroad, but our ways diverged. I contacted the company for a fault record, I know that they will definitely fix the device, but due to customs rules, I cannot send the device from my country. The only thing I can do for now is to have the electrician open the device and perform the maintenance that can be done visually. If there is a similar event that happened to you dear forum members, please share the way I need to follow for its repair. Thank you.

I know this is a much heated debate - but what are your guys thoughts/experience on scoop slots - any preferences or situations you'd definitely want one versus another? And are the newer styles better or just hype? - Round (the oldest tech) - Hexagon (the most widely used new type now) - Slotted (just starting to see these added to scoops usually in the rear)

Today I went out for a beach hunt in the morning. (Just one silver band.) I switched back to my little scoop that I pull to me. It is an all stainless steel scoop with a 6" basket. It is a delight to use on a shallow target beach because I can dig the targets faster that my big scoop. My big scoop is of European make that I'll fondly call Godzilla. It is a heavy sucker with 8" basket and a step on back. It is twice the weight of my pull scoop but I can get the deep targets that are 10" or more. A couple of days earlier this week it came in handy. It does not bend or give. It will overpower ALL sand. Other than it being so heavy it also seems to make pinpointing harder. I think the presence of additional metal mass throws off my ability to use the tip of the 15" inch coil on my Equinox. I thought about that today as I was using the smaller scoop. Does anyone else note a difference in pinpointing with your different scoops?

I made up this crevice tool, it's for scratching the gold out of the cracks in the rocks and rock bars. The scraping part of the tool is hardened and tempered 5160 spring steel, and the basket twist handle is made from 6mm mild steel rods. I think it might just work ok, you know those little bits of gold that get jammed in the rocks that the pointy end of the pick is just a bit to wide for. The Crevice Tool cheers dave

It has yet to be tested on the field, but this xtreme scoop is huge! I'm definitely not going to be missing targets anytime soon, and those zincers that sink into pooled water will finally be able to be extracted! Easily 3 times bigger than my previous scoop and looks fairly durable! Carbon fiber handle makes it light weight and has a great grip compared to the iron rod I am currently using. I'm excited to try this out tomorrow!

Build quality of scoops from amazon are extremely poor. Xtremescoops has a 10 yr warranty on their scoops and I need something durable to last me more than 3 weeks of use. Main concerns are handle and weld quality.

On the right holes dug by shovels back in the 1800s On the left mining by machines recently. I always fill in my holes mainly to prevent others from knowing it has been productive. As far as detector holes go they pale into insignificant compared to the damage done by mining.

It seems carbon fiber handles are all the rage for sand scoops. I hunt inland lakes and the bottoms are a mixture of mud and clay. Have you ever broken a carbon fiber handle while pulling loose a full scoop? Also, I am replacing 2 year old scoop. What do you recommend for my kind of hunting?

Well it's my birthday, I can get hands on my new beach scoop and show it here. My fabulous wife bought me a Dune Titanium beach scoop, I have a great CooB stainless scoop too but wanted to try and build the lightest scoop I could but the most unbreakable. We will see how this plays out. A couple weeks ago I finally cracked the PVC shaft for my CooB scoop while digging at a local beach with notoriously heavy sand. @Jeff McClendon was right, but the laminated bamboo insert saved the day, and it's still not broken. However, the shaft flexes a lot more so I retired it. I've had great luck with @steveg's Detector Rods, I have one for the Deus 2 and my Equinox 600, they're excellent, so I figured he'd also make a heckuva shaft for a beach scoop. Since I got a new scoop, I ordered one for both. I was not disappointed. Here's the scoop, I sent pics of the welds to a friend who has welding experience, he said it looks good. 👍 For those of you who don't know, Titanium is extremely light, strong, and corrosion resistant. The grayish look is what you want to see, it's an oxidation that helps prevent corrosion. Water only makes it better. That's why you see airplanes that have been underwater for a long time still intact. The only downside is that using pure titanium is expensive, I hope this one is, it will cost you $250 for even a small one, and the price goes up to $600+ for other name brands. That's just the scoop, the shaft is additional, so expect to pay a minimum of about $400 for one. Expect to pay about $300 for a large quality stainless scoop and shaft. Above is my new dynamic duo, CooB stainless on the left, and Dune on the right. Both are 2mm metal, very strong. I've used the CooB for 2 years now and it still looks new, I just rinse it after it's been in the water. I was pleased that the Dune was the same thickness. On both of them I add a Raptor handle, they're cheap and really strong. They come with rubber inserts, and I install them just forward of the balance point (toward the shaft cap) once the scoop is attached to the shaft using a 2" 14/-20 stainless bolt with a stainless Nylock nut. Steve puts a plug in the bottom of his shafts to make that point strong, drilling a 1/4" hole made me a bit nervous, and he told me not to use a retaining screw that ships with the Raptor. You could use it on a wood handle but the torque would crack and split carbon fiber. The tough rubber inserts prevent slipping and cracking the handle, do not overtighten the bolts! Steve's shafts are 2.5mm CF so they're a little heavier, and would be less prone to crushing, but I can see that easily happening. Weight? The assembled CooB rig weighs 4.5 pounds, and the Dune 2.9. the Dune is also smaller. The Dune is a 6.5 inch scoop, and the CooB is about 9 inches. Each will have its use, and backs up the other. An expensive project but fun, I hope they will last a long time now.

For metal detecting on the beach, what is a very good beach scoop with a long handle that will not rust and is very high quality? It doesn't have to be extremely high quality I just don't want it to rust or break for a very long time. I bought one for $130 and the metal handle folded and the hardware was eaten up by rust, so I'm just trying to do some research before ordering one this time. Thanks in advance for your help! :)

Who enjoy's digging holes besides me? Using an excavator is lots of fun but sometimes it can be even better if you use a pick and shovel. There is something exciting about hole digging. You never know what is lying just below your feet. I'm always looking for gold but sometimes you fing unexpected treasures. Old coins, nails, buckets, tuttle tooth saws, jewelry, cans, bottles, gems, etc, etc. Besides the possibility of finding interesting and forgotten items it's also great exercise. So I say, if you are feeling bored, go dig a hole. You just might find something cool. Happy digging!

I consider myself very fortunate to be an early recipient of @kac 's new Devil's Tongue Park Probe. I took it to the beach for the specific task of hunting the campground tot lot. The lot is covered with miserable shredded pine, hard to dig in with anything. My Ranger shovel just bounced off it. 😀 The Probe popped out about $1.30 in change in less than an hour with ease. Gotta say I'm really impressed with this tool, it's like owning a very good knife at an extremely reasonable price. I liken it to this 1940's John Ek knife in my collection, full tang and very tough. I paired it with a scabbard I found on Amazon that cost more than the tool but fits it perfectly. 🤔 Scraping and digging are easy, the probe is very handy in any environment where you either do or don't want to leave any trace 🤣 it's rugged. I really like the maple handle. It blew right through the shred. It should be a great crevice tool as well, I'll try that when I need to, it will always be in my bag or on my belt. I also used it on the beach, it clicks when you hit a target. I believe you can get them now at Backwoods Metal Detectors, along with his incredible Devil's Tongue digger. 🙂 Great tools at a great price. https://backwoodsmetaldetectors.com

As most of you guys noticed I make and sell picks, this all came about from me making picks for myself and other detectorist wanting to know where they could get one. So I would like to know, What are you using? What do you like about it? What do you dislike? What handle length, inches? How about a picture of your pick. Ivan

Question for experts in water detection at sea... Detecting in the water while diving, or without diving but at low tide, when you find a coin or ring in the cracks of the rocks, some f them very deep and narrow, what tools do you use to get them out without dying in the attempt? When I dive I use the knife, although sometimes I get desperate and it takes many minutes, and maybe someone has already found some instrument for it. And you, what tools do you use for it?

For those that have been wondering if Ruslan is still shipping Stavr scoops…..the answer is yes. I ordered the EVROEXCAVATOR-2 v.33 on Sept 20th and got it today the 11th. Looks great, now just need to get a handle for it.

I recently bought a Tesoro Diablo II nugget detector on local Craigslist for a really great price. I wanted a nugget machine because I currently don’t have one and I had never seen, much less owned - a Diablo II. It comes after the Diablo and before the Lobo, Diablo Micro Max, and LST. It uses the same 20kHz coils as the original Lobo and is all metal only. The main reason I went for it was that included in the price was - A Hodan pick, a Faswing rock hammer, driving hammer, two drills and a pair of snake proof gaiters - plus a couple of loupes, a Keene “gold Magnet”. I was telling a fellow AZ Treasures Unlimited club member about this and mentioned that a while back, it was posted (here, I think) that these were no longer available because the company was no longer making them. If I remember the post correctly, it went on to say that it was because John Hodan had passed on. I am delighted to announce that while the company is gone, I am reliably informed that John is alive and well.