Minelab across the range
Minelab Waterproof Depth Ratings: Which Machines Submerge And Which Only Get Wet
Quick answer
Minelab publishes 16 foot IP68 ratings for the Manticore, Equinox 700 and 900 and X-Terra Pro, which means full submersion. The Vanquish and GO-FIND have waterproof coils with control boxes that are only water resistant. A waterproof coil is not permission to submerge the machine.
This distinction ruins a detector every season, and it is entirely avoidable. A waterproof coil means exactly what it says: the coil can go under water. It says nothing whatever about the control box on the end of the shaft, which on several perfectly good machines is rated for rain and splashes and nothing more. Fully waterproof means the whole machine is sealed and rated to a published depth.
Everything below is from published manufacturer material rather than from estimates. Where a depth figure is published it is given. Where one is not, that is stated rather than guessed, because an invented waterproof rating is the one piece of fabricated information on a detecting site that can actually destroy somebody's equipment.
Top pick
Minelab Manticore
Minelab publishes a 16 foot IP68 rating for the whole machine, which is the specification that makes surf and wading a normal part of the week.
Price was accurate when this page was compiled and changes often.
On this page
What do the published ratings actually say?
Read the middle column as the whole machine, not the coil.
Minelab publishes 16 foot, 5 metre IP68 ratings for the Manticore, Equinox 700 and 900 and X-Terra Pro, while the Vanquish and GO-FIND machines have waterproof coils on bodies that are water resistant rather than submersible.
| Product | Published rating | What that allows |
|---|---|---|
| Minelab Manticore | 16 feet, IP68, whole machine | Full submersion, surf and wading |
| Minelab Equinox 900 | 16 feet, 5 metres, whole machine | Full submersion, surf and wading |
| Minelab Equinox 700 | 16 feet, 5 metres, whole machine | Full submersion, surf and wading |
| Minelab X-Terra Pro | IP68 to 16 feet, whole machine | Full submersion, surf and wading |
| Minelab X-Terra Elite | Described by Minelab as fully waterproof | Check the current specification sheet for the depth figure before submerging |
| Minelab Vanquish 540 Pro-Pack | Waterproof coil, water resistant interface | Rain and splashes only, do not submerge the control box |
| Minelab Vanquish 340 | Waterproof coil | Rain and splashes only, do not submerge the control box |
| Minelab GO-FIND 44 | Waterproof search coil | Rain and splashes only, do not submerge the control box |
| Minelab Gold Monster 1000 | Waterproof coil to 3 feet | Creek edges and wet ground, not submersion of the machine |
| Minelab Excalibur II 1000 | Built for diving, published rating of 200 feet | Diving and deep surf work |
Figures are as published by Minelab in its product material and manufacturer listings. Ratings apply to an undamaged machine with its seals intact and its ports properly closed. Check the specification sheet for your exact model before you submerge anything.
What is the difference between IP68 and a depth rating?
An IP rating describes sealing against solids and liquids under defined test conditions. The first digit covers dust, and a six means total protection from dust ingress. The second digit covers water, and an eight means continuous immersion under conditions the manufacturer specifies. That last part is why the depth figure matters: IP68 on its own does not tell you how deep, which is why Minelab publishes a figure in feet and metres alongside it.
The practical rule is to treat the published depth as a maximum for a machine in good condition, not as a target. Seals age, charging ports get sand in them, and a machine that has been dropped on rocks is an unknown quantity. Rinse with fresh water after every salt session, dry the ports before opening them, and inspect the seals rather than assuming. The Manticore specification page covers the charging port question for that model specifically.
What about coils, pinpointers and headphones?
Accessory ratings are separate from machine ratings, and the weakest link decides your day.
Minelab publishes 16 foot ratings for its EQX coils on the X-Terra Pro and Equinox 700 and 900, 10 feet for the PRO-FIND 35 and 5 feet for the PRO-FIND 15, while wireless headphones do not work under water at all.
| Accessory | Published rating | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Minelab EQX 06 Coil (6 inch) | Submersible to 16 feet with X-Terra Pro, Equinox 700 and 900 | 10 feet with the earlier Equinox 800 |
| Minelab EQX 15 Coil (15 inch) | Waterproof to 16 feet with X-Terra Pro, Equinox 700 and 900 | 10 feet with the earlier Equinox 600 and 800 |
| Minelab PRO-FIND 35 | Fully waterproof to 10 feet, 3 metres | Ferrous tone ID and five sensitivity levels |
| Minelab PRO-FIND 15 | Fully waterproof to 5 feet, 1.5 metres | Audio indication only |
| Minelab PRO-FIND 40 | Full waterproof housing, Minelab does not state a depth in its listing | Check the specification sheet before diving it |
| Gray Ghost Amphibian Headphones for Minelab | Waterproof to 200 feet per the listing | Wired, made for the Manticore and Equinox |
| Minelab ML105 Wireless Headphones | Wireless, not a submersible product | Wireless audio does not pass through water at all |
| Minelab ML85 Wireless Headphones | Wireless, not a submersible product | Convert to wired or change sets before you go under |
The rating that governs your session is the lowest one you are carrying. A 16 foot machine with a 5 foot pinpointer is a 5 foot outfit as soon as you drop the pinpointer in the water.
The mistakes that actually flood machines
Three things account for most water damage. The first is submerging a machine with a waterproof coil and a water resistant body, which is the Vanquish and GO-FIND trap this page exists for. The second is opening a charging port or a battery compartment with salt water still on the machine, so the water goes straight in through the opening you just made. The third is trusting a rating on a machine that has been knocked, dropped or repaired.
Add one more for completeness: wireless headphones. Detectorists put a fully waterproof machine under the surface every year and then cannot hear a thing, because a radio link does not travel through water. You need a wired submersible set plugged into the detector socket. That is not a limitation of any particular brand, it is physics, and it catches people out on every make of detector.
A routine for salt water sessions
- Check the seals before you go. Ports closed, covers seated, no grit in the seal. A visual check takes thirty seconds and saves a repair bill.
- Plug in wired audio. Wireless will not work underwater. Connect a submersible set before you are standing in the surf with wet hands.
- Know your lowest rated item. Machine, coil, pinpointer and headphones each have a rating. The lowest one is your working depth.
- Rinse in fresh water afterwards. Every time, including the coil, the shaft and the headphone connector. Salt left to dry is what destroys contacts.
- Dry before you open anything. Towel the machine and let the ports dry before opening them to charge. Most floods happen on dry land.
Kit for going in the water
Three items decide whether a waterproof machine is actually usable in the surf.
Gray Ghost Amphibian Headphones for Minelab
$169.95A wired submersible set made for the Manticore and Equinox, rated to 200 feet per the listing, because wireless does not work under water.
Best for: anyone submerging a Minelab
Check price on Amazon
Minelab PRO-FIND 35
$99.00Minelab publishes a 10 foot, 3 metre rating with ferrous tone ID, which is enough for wading and shallow water work.
Best for: wet sand and shallow water
Check price on Amazon
Equinox Control Box Cover
$7.95Under ten dollars to protect the screen that scratches long before anything else on the machine fails.
Best for: any Equinox that gets laid down on sand
Check price on AmazonHow we chose
We did not test these machines in person and we publish no find claims. Picks are researched from manufacturer specifications and owner manuals, published listing features, waterproof ratings and warranty terms, and the recurring themes in verified owner reviews. We favour the established detector brands because coils, shafts and control boxes have to stay available years after a model is discontinued, and we place every pick in the tier where its price and capability honestly belong.
Sources
- Minelab instruction manuals and specification sheets for the Manticore, Equinox 700 and 900, X-Terra Pro and Elite, Vanquish series, GO-FIND 44, Gold Monster 1000 and Excalibur II
- Minelab published coil documentation for the EQX 06 and EQX 15
- Manufacturer listing specifications for the PRO-FIND 15, 35 and 40, ML85, ML105 and Gray Ghost Amphibian headphones
Frequently asked questions
Can I take a Vanquish into the water if the coil is waterproof?
No. The coil being waterproof says nothing about the control box, which Minelab describes as water resistant rather than submersible. Rain and splashes are fine. Submersion is how people destroy otherwise excellent machines. If you want to detect in water, buy a body with a published submersion rating such as the X-Terra, Equinox or Manticore.
What does IP68 mean in practice?
The six means total protection against dust ingress and the eight means continuous immersion under conditions the manufacturer defines, which is why a depth figure is published alongside it. Treat the published depth as a maximum for an undamaged machine with intact seals rather than as a target, and inspect the seals and ports before every water session.
Why can I not hear anything with wireless headphones underwater?
Because radio signals do not travel usefully through water, which catches somebody out every season. A fully waterproof detector still needs a wired submersible headphone set plugged into its socket once the machine goes under. Buy the wired set at the same time as the machine if water hunting is part of your plan, rather than discovering the problem in the surf.
Do I really need to rinse the machine after every salt session?
Yes, in fresh water, including the coil, the shaft joints and every connector. Salt left to dry corrodes contacts and hardens in seals, and the damage is gradual enough that people do not connect it to the cause. Dry the machine before opening any port or battery compartment, because most water ingress happens on dry land rather than in the sea.
Is the Excalibur II really rated for diving?
It is built for it, and Minelab publishes a rating far beyond its land machines, quoted in its published material as 200 feet. That is why it remains a reference point for serious water hunters despite being an analog machine with no target ID numbers. Check the specification that came with your own unit and inspect the seals before any dive.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published specifications, manuals and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Target ID numbers, depth figures and settings vary with soil chemistry, moisture, target size, depth, orientation and firmware version, so treat every figure here as a starting point and verify it against your own machine's manual and your own ground. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.