Buying guide
Best beach metal detectors
Pick a detector with a beach or salt setting and a body rated for the water you will wade. The Manticore has both: a Beach mode with a Surf & Seawater setting, and an IP68 rating to 16 ft.
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The picks
Seven detectors whose makers list a beach or salt setting. Six are rated submersible as a whole.
1. Minelab Manticore
For the surf line: Beach mode in General, Deep, Surf & Seawater and Low Conductors settings, on a body submersible to 16 ft (5 m).
Sold as a bundle: the listing names a PRO-FIND 40 pinpointer, an M9 coil and a backpack with the detector.
2. Minelab Equinox 900
Two beach modes, Beach 1 and 2, among Park, Field and Gold. It is IP68 to 16 ft and weighs 2.8 lb.
Sold as a bundle: the listing names an EQX 15 coil and a case with the detector.
3. Garrett Vortex VX9
Garrett lists Multi-Freq. or single 5, 9, 13, 18 and 25 kHz settings, plus Multi-Salt and a Beach mode. The whole detector is submersible to 16 ft (5 m).
4. Minelab X-Terra Pro
Single frequency with a beach setting of its own: 8 kHz in Beach, against 5, 10 or 15 kHz in Park and Field. It is IP68 to 16 ft.
Sold as a bundle: the listing names a case and a Pro-Find 35 pinpointer with the detector.
5. Nokta Simplex Ultra
The lightest published weight here, 2.6 lb, with a Beach mode on 15 kHz. Nokta rates it IP68 to 16 ft (5 m).
6. Garrett ACE Apex
For dry sand above the tide line, not the wet beach or the surf. Garrett lists Multi-Salt and a fully waterproof Viper coil, but no rating for the control box.
7. Minelab SDC 2300
For gold on salty ground: Normal and Salt modes, pulse induction and a body rated to 10 ft (3 m). It weighs 5.1 lb.
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Side by side
The same facts for every pick, read on each maker's page. Open a model for its full spec sheet.
| Model | Technology | Frequencies | Waterproofing | Weight | Coil | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minelab Manticore | Multi-frequencyMulti-IQ+ | 5-40 kHz5, 10, 15, 20, 40 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.9 lb1.3 kg | 11-inchM11, round, DD | 3.7 V 6800 mAh internal lithium-ion |
| Minelab Equinox 900 | Multi-frequencyMulti-IQ | 4-40 kHz4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.8 lb1.27 kg | 11-inchEQX11, round, DD, plus 1 more | 3.7 V 5100 mAh internal lithium-ion |
| Garrett Vortex VX9 | Multi-frequencyMD-MF | 5-25 kHz5, 9, 13, 18, 25 kHz | 16 ftDetector, 5 m | 3 lb (1.38 kg) in the comparison table2.9 lb in the page textGarrett publishes both. | 11-inchDD | Not published |
| Minelab X-Terra Pro | Single frequencyPRO-SWITCH | 5-15 kHz5, 8, 10, 15 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.9 lb1.3 kg | 12 x 9-inchV12X, elliptical, DD | 3.7 V 5100 mAh internal lithium-ion |
| Nokta Simplex Ultra | Single frequency | 15 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.6 lb1.2 kg | 11-inchSX28, round, DD | 2300 mAh lithium polymer, built in |
| Garrett ACE Apex | Multi-frequencyMulti-Flex | 5-20 kHz5, 10, 15, 20 kHz | CoilWaterproof part | Not published | 6 x 11-inchViper, elliptical, DD | Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion (micro-USB) |
| Minelab SDC 2300 | Pulse inductionMPF | Not published | 10 ftDetector, 3 m | 5.1 lb2.3 kg | 8-inchround, monoloop | 7.4 V 4200 mAh lithium-ion, or 4 x C cells |
Sources: Minelab (Oct. 16, 2026), Garrett (Oct. 16, 2026), Nokta (Oct. 17, 2026).
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How to choose
Above or below the tide line
On dry ground above the tide line, a waterproof coil will do. The wet beach and the surf line call for a body rated as a whole, like the Simplex Ultra, IP68 to 16 ft. A coil-only rating, as on the ACE Apex, keeps you out of the waves.
A setting made for salt
If you hunt the ocean, look for a salt setting by name in the maker's specs. Garrett calls it Multi-Salt on the Vortex VX9. Minelab lists Surf & Seawater on the Manticore and a Salt mode on the SDC 2300.
Several frequencies, or one per mode
Multi-frequency models can run several at once, or one frequency you pick. The X-Terra Pro runs one at a time: 8 kHz in Beach, 5, 10 or 15 kHz in Park and Field. The Simplex Ultra runs 15 kHz everywhere.
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What to know before you buy
Beach rules vary by owner. At U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes and projects, detectors are permitted on designated beaches or other previously disturbed areas. The District Commander can prohibit them, so ask the Manager's Office. Our beach rules page summarizes the state texts we read.
Rinse the detector in fresh water after salt water or sand, and let it dry before you store it. A rating covers the detector, not every accessory: Nokta says the supplied wireless headphones are not waterproof on its Gold Kruzer.
We checked every seller on Oct. 16, 2026. Three of the seven listings are bundles. Four were held by third-party sellers that day: the Manticore, both Garrett detectors and the Simplex Ultra. Check who ships before you pay.
We do not promise a detection depth in sand or water. Our depth guide explains why.
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Questions
Answered from the makers' pages, read Oct. 16, 2026.
One rated as a whole with a beach setting. The Manticore is IP68 to 16 ft (5 m) with a Surf & Seawater setting. For deeper water, XP rates the Deus II, its coils and remote to 66 ft (20 m).
Above the tide line, any detector with a dry control box will do. Below it and in the surf, pick one rated as a whole and with a beach or salt setting. Equinox 900 owners get Beach 1 and 2.
Only if you hunt below the tide line or wade. A waterproof coil is enough higher up the beach, as long as the control box stays dry. The ACE Apex has a fully waterproof coil and no rating for the rest.
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