Minelabs for beach hunting

Here are a few opinions on which Minelab metal detector is best for beach and water hunting, I can’t believe Minelab users are now spoilt for choices.

In my opinion, your choice of metal detector should suit the areas you intend to search at the beach.
For scuba diving and searching deeper water the Minelab Excalibur is obviously the best option because of the 200 ft depth rating.
The Excalibur is also the best option if you are predominantly searching murky water with the control box submerged, where trying to look at a VDI screen for target IDs would be a right royal pain in the butt.
Shallow water and all other areas of the beach can be covered handily by the CTX 3030 or Equinox.
If you don’t intend getting your feet wet at the beach you can use any Minelab metal detector, although I always recommend using a waterproof metal detector at the beach.
The main difference between the CTX 3030 and the Equinox are the bells and whistles, search coil selection and of course price tag!
Coiltek make a variety of search coils to compliment the gaps in the Minelab search coil sizes on the CTX 3030, one of the reasons why I still lean heavily on my CTX 3030 as I do take advantage of the wide variety of search coil sizes available for the CTX 3030.
The Equinox is lighter and more travel friendly than the CTX 3030 which is a pro for people who travel on vacation to metal detect, Minelab is also releasing a couple of different size search coils for the Equinox soon. 
Your choice of Minelab metal detector for beach work comes down to your budget and where you are going to be using the metal detector at the beach.
I travel to metal detect, search deep sometimes murky water and I search all areas of the beach, so I use different metal detectors to suit the areas I search.
One thing I have noticed different metal detector companies doing is making lighter metal detectors that can be used on a wide variety of sites searching for different things, the CTX 3030 and Equinox are good examples of that.
So to answer the question I probably answer on a weekly basis, I do have a favorite Minelab, it’s the one best suited to detect what I am searching for at the sites I search.
For example, on an upcoming metal detecting trip to the Caribbean it is highly likely I will take my Equinox because it is easier to pack and travel with and I won’t need the extra bells and whistles on the  CTX 3030.
I metal detect for a living and I need a few different toys, for someone wanting the one Minelab metal detector for beach hunting I would recommend the CTX 3030 or Equinox depending on your budget.
If your budget does not stretch to either of those fine metal detectors, take a look at the GoFind series,  they are good bang for the buck and they work on saltwater beaches, unlike some metal detectors costing hundreds of dollars more.
Good luck my fellow and potential Minelabbers!  

Chasing the dream

This year I have had one heck of a year metal detecting, but I have also had some tough times as I’ve put time and effort into chasing down things I find attractive that perhaps wouldn’t be so appealing to others.
In 2018 I have tried a lot of new things in a wide variety of areas, sure I’ve returned home empty handed more times than I would like but I wouldn’t change a thing as you often learn something new even if you get skunked.
Normally I play a numbers game when it comes to treasure hunting, relying on a steady flow of easy to detect targets knowing what I am really searching for is often hidden in between easy to detect targets.
Staying true to my style of treasure hunting  I have been mixing it up and getting out of my comfort zone, sacrificing gaudy amounts of gold and silver for quality over quantity finds.

Ive gone after the spectacular find more than in previous treasure hunting years and all I can tell you is I have found some pretty amazing things in the most unlikeliest of places.

The rewards of taking the time to search a wide variety of sites and having the determination to stay the course until I recover what I am searching for. 

Hard work and determination are often overlooked in the hobby as people fixate on location, site conditions and of course the type of metal detector used.

If you have to rely on favorable conditions or the latest and greatest metal detector to find what you are searching for you are probably going to struggle.
Good old fashioned leg work and outside the box thinking overcome most obstacles a beach treasure hunter has to face in order to be successful on a regular basis.
Step out the box at a different site and you may be surprised at what you can pull out of the sand, but you have to be willing to do that.
The recent story of the Viking sword pulled out of a lake by a young girl in the news put a smile on my face, something so old just laying their waiting to be picked up.
There are so many amazing things at beaches around the world waiting to be picked up, you just have to be there at the right place at the right time.
Work hard chasing the dream and you will get to the right place when it is time.