Snorkeling in Croatia with Equinox 600 and Nokta Pulse Dive

Swimsuit gowns, the sound of the sea, beer and relaxation... Finally summer! That's probably what a lot of us think about when we're planning our holidays. This year, like the previous one, has been marked by a pesky pandemic, and many of us are looking forward to finally relaxing and thinking different thoughts. After all, it's by the sea that things work best. Especially when you have the opportunity to earn some gold rings.
The ponds in Bohemia have dried up, so there is a good chance to make some money abroad by the sea. As always, I chose Croatia because I like to travel on my own. This time I packed two waterproof detectors in my suitcase, Minelab Equinox 600 and Nokta Pulse Dive. Each has a different advantage and each has something of its own. The first few days I hardly got to search at all, as I was mainly making trips inland or on rock cliffs where perhaps no one ever swam, so searching was pointless.

However, since we had promised Jakob an article, I did visit a couple of public beaches. Unfortunately, the trend in Croatia is for beaches to be littered with industrial rubble, so you won't find much old stuff in these places, but that may not be a bad thing either. If I'm looking for somewhere on my own, I have less of a problem with people. I get tired of the constant questions and the ever-present stares. In Bohemia it's not a problem, you just pick a day when there aren't too many people by the water, but that doesn't work very well by the sea. That's why I leave my sieve at home and pack mainly goggles, snorkel and fins.
I guess I'll get to the point of when and where to use which detector... It depends very much on what's on the bottom, whether it's pebbles, rocks or grit and especially what's underneath it all.

Industrial grit:

Don't expect old finds but rather things 2-3 seasons old. The advantage is that whatever falls on this bottom, the grit will absorb it almost immediately. The bottom changes a lot, both with the movement of people and at high tides and big waves. In these conditions, the Nox from which I take the centre pole off and make a short version of this has worked well for me. You can use a basic probe or a small one, but I probably prefer the basic one, you don't have to bother too much to find outthe grit is visually uniform and you can see any differently colored or shaped targets immediately. It's just important not to bury the target too deeply. Nox has better range in these conditions, handling is not difficult. But Nokta is not too far behind, you can drive it well into the gravel, there is not much slip, because the surface is stable. The range is also good compared to the small probe of the Noxa.

Pebbles:

Pebbles are quite common in Croatia and finding them is not much of a problem. Usually on the beaches you will find a layer of 10cm, which is quite easy to dig through. The search is similar to the gravel, except that the targets are usually quite high up, so the signals are clear and relatively obvious. Nox can handle this surface quite well, although it may be better to use a smaller probe that while the basic probe slides over the surface rather than following it. The Nokta probe is the ideal size, follows the surface and the detector is easy to use.

Sand, pebbles, rocks and rock outcrops:

Unfortunately one of the most common surfaces you will encounter at this site. The surface is not very comfortable and, combined with sea urchins on the outcrops, very difficult to find. It is important to mention that under the rocks there is usually hard black sand, which you have to learn to wash away a bit, otherwise you will unnecessarily cloud the place where you are looking. But everything has its bright side. It is the various large stones, rock formations and depressions that give the opportunity to find something that the sea has not managed to swallow. From my own experience, I have found the oldest things just stuck in the rock bottom or among the rocks. The Nox, even in its shortened version, is quite difficult to handle. The important thing is to use a smaller probe that follows the surface well and gets into tight places. In my opinion, the Nokta is the ideal machine for these conditions, which can be put down at the bottom if necessary, uncover the spot with both hands and then continue searching.

Pros and cons of each device:
Equinox 600
+ Separation and discrimination!
+ ID and backlit display that comes in handy underwater
+ Multiple probe capability
+ Shortening of the rod even in the basic version without telescope
+ Target tracking
+ Can be used with itm walk the beach
- Less dexterity
- More water resistance
- One has to hold it a bit
- Headphones
- Bulky to travel with

Nokta Pulse Dive
+ Easy to use!
+ Dexterity
+ No need to use headphones thanks to the speaker in the handle
+ Vibration
+ Good range for such a small probe (snout 10-13cm!)
+ Stackable
+ Robust design
+ Can be fitted with probe or didlo
- Separation
- Discrimination
- ID
- Can't quite use well on the beach unless you're a dog

In conclusion, I would like to write that both detectors have their quirks, but you definitely can't go wrong with either one at the seaside. You really have to have the Equinox in your hand and have some experience with it. The Nokta Pulse Dive is an intuitive, easy to use detector that doesn't take up much space and makes a lot of music for little money, especially if you already own a big Nokta and use it as a second tracker.