Top 5 beach metal detecting machines

Finding permissions is always tough on fields so often the beach is a good place to start if you’re looking to get out with your new machine. Each county council has a list of which beaches you are able to detect on without permission. If you're looking for your local list and can’t find it online, get in touch with us.
We’ve put together the top 5 machines (in no particular order) for detecting on the beach outlining the pros and cons of each machine. 

Vanquish Series from Minelab

The Vanquish series stands out in the crowd with their bright red control boxes but the technology that’s featured within that box is perfect for the salty beaches! Minelab’s Multi iQ technology allows you to use multi frequencies all at the same time to find all different types of metals. If you don’t want to find the rubbish then the Vanquish has the settings to allow for this as well. The Vanquish machine is not completely waterproof but the coil is so detecting in the shallows isn’t an issue.
The Vanquish series consists of 4 categories, the 340, 440, 540 and 540 pro pack. They go up in price as the models gain more features but the entry 340 comes in at just £229. 

Shop Vanquish Metal Detectors here

Nokta Mini/Midi hoard

Got a mini detectorist who has taken an interest in finding treasure on the beach but don’t trust them near the water? The Nokta Mini and Midi hoard are the first waterproof kids detectors. Both the Mini and the Midi hoard are rated IP68 - so waterproof up to 1m. / 3ft. The two machines differ slightly with their features and size. The Mini hoard has a retractable Shaft 63 cm - 90 cm (25'' - 35'') whereas the Midi is 83 cm - 109 cm (32.5'' - 43''). The images below show how the mini hoard has a simple easy to understand picture system for good and bad metals whereas the Midi hoard takes the step up and displays sensitivity and depth indicators. 

Shop the Nokta Mini Metal Detector and Midi hoard here

Quest X10PRO

Quest has a reputation for having great entry level machines and the X10PRO is no exception. It is priced at only £219 so can often be seen as an entry level metal detector but is far from it. With the modern 3” LCD screen and USB rechargeable charging Quest have built a great waterproof machine for low cost. The X10PRO doesn’t feature beach mode or have saltwater settings but the internal technology is similar to the Quest Q30 so it performs very well on both wet and dry sand. The X10 PRO is waterproof up to 3M so perfect for shallow water hunting or underwater detecting in lower depths. 

Shop the Quest X10 Pro Metal Detector here

Minelab X-Terra PRO

The X-Terra PRO is a re-release from Minelab, they’ve bought back what was an INCREDIBLY popular machine but have elevated the machine with new features and technology.

The X-Terra PRO features everything that makes it a great choice whatever setting you’re working on. Park, Field and Beach search modes leave all the hard work to the detector and then as your skills improve, the X-TERRA PRO offers PRO-SWITCH (Switchable Frequency Technology), so you can set it to 5, 8, 10, or 15 kHz at the press of a button. Fully IP68 waterproof to 5 m (16 ft) and loaded with features like 5-audio modes, control pod flashlight, and handgrip vibration. All for just £299

Shop the X-Terra PRO Metal Detector here

Equinox series (600, 700, 800 and 900)

Minelab’s top selling machine … for the moment. The Equinox has proved itself to be a top treasure hunting machine on all grounds. Salty sand and water can be very conductive, causing salt noise to be detected which can cause problems when you’ve got single frequency machines. Multi-IQ is better able to reduce this noise allowing you to detect with ease. The Equinox is fully submersible, ideal for detecting at the beach (3m / 10-feet) and in the water if desired.

The Equinox 800 has 2 beach modes which you can switch between to get the most out of the machine on both wet and dry sand. The large 11” coil on the Equinox allows you to cover a lot of ground in one sweep with the option of upgrading to a larger 15” coil. Although at the higher end of the budget the Equinox is worth every penny and comes with Minelab’s 3 year warranty. 

Equinox 600 & 800

Equinox 700 & 900

Shop the Equinox range of metal detectors here