A metal detector must read

Your metal detector manual is the most important accessory that comes with your metal detector, you will learn more about your metal detector in the manual than anything you learn off any internet metal detecting forum. 
Many beach and water hunters ignore the metal detector manual, they go straight to the metal detecting forums for opinions from other people using the same metal detector.
No doubt, using generic control settings given by people who use the same metal detector in different parts of the world.
Cutting corners and trying to fast track the learning curve on an unfamiliar metal detector, has the same effect as people new to beach hunting told to go straight into the water to search for jewelry. 
Everything you need to know about how to use your metal detector is in the manual, everything else you need to know about your metal detector is discovered by experimenting with different settings.  
I have found that I get better performance out of some metal detectors by doing the opposite of advice recommended in the manual.
You can only discover what works best for you, by reading the manual many times and first using the basic recommended settings. 
When you know how your metal detector performs, you can fine tune it to get maximum depth and sensitivity to all targets on the beaches that you search on.
Nothing will set you back more as a beach or water hunter, than not knowing why you have your metal detector controls set the way they are.
Blindly following other peoples metal detector settings is lazy, just as lazy as chasing other peoples detecting spots, instead of finding your own.
I always feel awkward when other beach and water hunters ask me for my metal detector settings,  especially when they metal detect hundreds of miles away from me.
It is highly unlikely my fine tuned metal detector settings will give the same results on a beach hundreds of miles away, in who knows what kind of conditions.
Basic recommended settings can be found in any metal detector manual,  read your manual and experiment from there. 
When I go to the beach, the first thing I do after turning on my metal detector and walking a few yards, is adjust my metal detector threshold and sensitivity. 
I want to know that my metal detector is handling the ground and not behaving erratically, then I make any adjustments to other settings after I know my metal detector is running smooth. 
I tweak my settings, so I can operate my metal detector a tad hot but at a sensitivity range where I can clearly distinguish the occasional false signal from a real target. 
If you set and forget your metal detector controls, you are not getting the best out of your metal detector, especially using the same metal detector settings on every beach you search.