Teach me about Sand Scoops.

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If you do ever graduate to a stainless scoop, get a solid stainless round scoop with welded on handle like the one in the second picture. They are much stronger than any of the scoops with brackets/clamps for the fitment of a handle, which in turn also become its main weakness when digging heavy wet sand or rocky ground. I eventually busted mine, SABogan also busted his (both had the same Indiana model).

Too many weaknesses in this design, they bend too easily, and eventually mine broke in three different places, including a split straight through the handle bracket.

1437463517_1-1000x1000.jpeg


Afterwards SABogan bought a round version with stainless handle and it was immediately apparent that it was a much stronger scoop when trying to lever out deep targets in wet sand. The Miami version is a particular example of this round scoop design, and it also has a lifetime warranty hence they obviously have confidence that it will last.

1437463595_dsc_0136-1000x1000.jpg


As for the plastic scoops, they are fine for shallow targets in dry sand, but get into the compacted or damp sand and you will find they are next to useless. I've got the Garrett plastic sand scoop, and it was solely used with the Ace 250 looking for recent drops in the dry sand. :)

1437464450_1361929228-1600971_plastic_sand_scoop__73249_zoom.jpg-original.jpg
 
If you have a bad back like I do then you need a long handle. Metal scoops with floating handles are the way to go in wet sand and in the surf, but, if you only venture onto the dry sand then they are not so great as they can be a bit heavy and dont really clear that well.
For dry sand, I use a modified plastic shovel one handed as you dont have to lift, just push down and slide it out the hole.
 
Running your fingers through the sand to find the target amongst the broken bits of glass is the cheapest way of all,...if you are worried about cutting your fingers, then just use your feet. ;) :lol: :D
 
They sure are great scoops for digging sand but beware of putting too much preasure on the back face with your foot. The combination of foot presure and load effort exerted through the handle caused mine to collapse.
There are some pictures of my reinforcement job on here somewhere (in case you need to do the same)
Mine is still going strong about a year on.
I like this scoop so much i have made my own version ... Only stronger(and a bit heavier :( )
Will post pictures when finished next week
 
Yep Nice scoops

Havnt got that type but a similar one same as Ramjets (On the Forum)

Totally agree with Santa Pressure is significant in hard packed sand

No problem in the dry or wet wet sand on or near the waters edge
But the stuff in between can be like compacted mud . Ive found it best
not to try and take a full bucket load out if this is the case just comfortable
amounts at a time even if it takes a couple of extra scoops
 
I got one of these not long ago. It's a short one, 26cm handle.

1450311983_lhs03_1_2.jpg


Used it quite a bit already. Seems to do the trick.

I have one of these Goldpick and it came with my CTX detector, never will use it again. Spend more time shaking it then anything because there's holes only on one side. That's why I like the basket type of scoop, one shake and all the sand basically goes through... ;)

Goldpick said:
As for the plastic scoops, they are fine for shallow targets in dry sand, but get into the compacted or damp sand and you will find they are next to useless. I've got the Garrett plastic sand scoop, and it was solely used with the Ace 250 looking for recent drops in the dry sand. :)

https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...astic_sand_scoop__73249_zoom.jpg-original.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Martin said:
I got one of these not long ago. It's a short one, 26cm handle.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/1934/1450311983_lhs03_1_2.jpg

Used it quite a bit already. Seems to do the trick.

I have one of these Goldpick and it came with my CTX detector, never will use it again. Spend more time shaking it then anything because there's holes only on one side. That's why I like the basket type of scoop, one shake and all the sand basically goes through... ;)

Goldpick said:
As for the plastic scoops, they are fine for shallow targets in dry sand, but get into the compacted or damp sand and you will find they are next to useless. I've got the Garrett plastic sand scoop, and it was solely used with the Ace 250 looking for recent drops in the dry sand. :)

https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...astic_sand_scoop__73249_zoom.jpg-original.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I also had the pictured scoop at one stage, though my version wasn't stainless (anodised) and didn't take long for the welds to rust out.

I agree that the mesh screen sieves through the sand faster than the "garrett type" plastic scoops, since then I have moved to long handled scoops, much easier on the back/wet sand. :)
 
G'day all. New to the forums :)

For those asking about the big green plastic Cyclone shovel scoops with holes in them I built one for myself for the beach and got the idea off Youtube.
If you search for HOW TO MAKE THE ORIGINAL AND BEST PLASTIC SHOVEL SEIVE there is a video showing how to make it. The uploader is a guy called Frederick Barnes.
He makes a coil and puts on it at the end of the video, but if you watch some of his other video's you will see the plastic shovel in action actually digging up coins and jewellery.

As someone else mentioned above you just push it into the sand and drag the sand out of the hole, wave the coil over it and off you go.

I haven't used mine yet, but from what I have seen on the vids it works well.

The shovels are around $50 at Bunnings. Drill a few holes in it and put a point on the end and away you go.
I will eventually get one of the proper metal scoops, but just forked out for my X-Terra 705 Dual pack so on a budget until I can dig up some coin. ;)
 
I also tried the Bunnings shovel and can tell you the metal sand scoops are superior in every way to the green plastic shovel - you end up digging much more sand with the Bunnings special ... Takes longer to recover target and no good to pry rocks away from the target ... ?
 
I want one of the metal scoops with long handle, but $200 is a bit out of my budget at the moment.
No rocks on the beaches where I live so thats not an issue.

I have a mate with a water jet and am going to have a go at making my own scoop out of thick Ali or stainless as soon as I can.

You are right about the plastic shovel taking too much dirt out of the ground. Don't have a pinpointer currently and it takes a while to locate the target in a huge pile of sand. It will do for now though :)
 

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