Nokta across the range
Nokta Waterproof Depth Ratings: Every Published Figure
Quick answer
Nokta publishes 16 feet, 5 metres, for the Simplex Ultra and for both Score machines, which are rated IP68. The PulseDive is published as IP68 to 60 metres, 200 feet, and the Nokta Pointer as IP67. Wireless headphones do not work underwater on any of them.
Waterproof ratings are one of the few specifications in this hobby that are properly published, precisely defined and genuinely comparable between machines. IP68 means protection against total dust ingress and against continuous immersion under conditions the manufacturer specifies, which is why the depth figure always accompanies it. That makes this the most dependable table on this site.
The figures below are taken from each product's published listing. What the table cannot tell you is the condition of your own seals, and that is the part that actually fails. A rating describes a new undamaged machine with its covers correctly fitted, not one that has spent three seasons being dropped on shingle.
Top pick
Nokta Simplex Ultra
Published as fully waterproof to 16 feet on a carbon fibre shaft that retracts to 25 inches, which Nokta notes suits diving as well as transport.
Price was accurate when this page was compiled and changes often.
What are the published waterproof ratings for Nokta gear?
Every figure here comes from a manufacturer listing. Where a rating is not published for a model, the table says so rather than assuming it inherits the rating of a sibling machine.
The Simplex Ultra and both Score machines are published at 16 feet, 5 metres, while the PulseDive pinpointer is rated far deeper at 60 metres, 200 feet.
| Product | Published rating | Depth | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nokta Simplex Ultra | Fully waterproof | 16 ft, 5 m | Wading, surf and shallow diving |
| Nokta Double Score | IP68 | 16 ft, 5 m | Submersible, also protected from total dust ingress |
| Nokta Triple Score | IP68 | 16 ft, 5 m | Submersible, also protected from total dust ingress |
| Nokta Simplex Lite | Waterproof DD coil | Not stated in the listing | Confirm the machine rating in the manual before submerging |
| Nokta The Legend | Not stated in the listing | Not stated in the listing | Built for wet work, confirm the figure in the manual |
| Nokta PulseDive | IP68 | 200 ft, 60 m | Genuine diving depth, converts to a small scuba detector |
| Nokta Pointer | IP67 | Not stated as a depth | Splash, rain and brief immersion rather than diving |
| Thresher submersible headphones | Depth rated | 100 ft and beyond | Wired audio for a submerged control box |
| Minelab Equinox 900 | Fully waterproof | 16 ft, 5 m | Listed for comparison across brands |
| Garrett AT Pro | Fully submersible | 10 ft | Shallow water rather than diving |
Taken from published listing features for each product. IP67 and IP68 are defined standards, and the depth a manufacturer states alongside IP68 is the figure that matters.
What is the difference between IP67 and IP68?
Both indicate complete protection against dust. The difference is immersion. IP67 covers temporary immersion under standardised conditions, which in practice means rain, splash, dropping the device in a puddle and brief dunking. The Nokta Pointer is published as IP67, which is why it is described as usable on land and under the sea while not being a diving instrument.
IP68 covers continuous immersion under conditions the manufacturer specifies, and that is why the depth figure always travels with it. The PulseDive at IP68 to 60 metres, 200 feet, is in a different category altogether, which is what allows it to convert into a small scuba detector with a replaceable coil. If you are choosing between them, the question is simply whether you intend to dive.
What actually fails on a waterproof detector?
Not usually the housing. The failures owners report cluster around a few points: the battery or charging port cover left unseated, a headphone socket cover not screwed down, a coil cable that has been repeatedly flexed and pinched at the connector, and hairline damage to a housing from being dropped on rocks or dragged across shingle.
The maintenance that prevents most of this is unglamorous. Rinse the machine in fresh water after every saltwater session, including the shaft and the coil connector. Check every cover is seated before you enter the water, every time. Fit a coil cover so the abrasion goes onto something consumable, and consider a control box cover at $9.95, though the listing specifies fit for the Simplex+, so check it against your own machine.
Why will my wireless headphones not work in the water?
Because the radio signal does not travel usefully through water. This catches people out repeatedly: they buy a machine rated to 16 feet, wade in, and discover the audio drops the moment the transmitter or the headphones go under. It is a property of physics, not a fault in the machine.
The answer is a wired submersible set, such as the Thresher submersible headphones listed for Nokta Simplex and Legend machines with a depth rating above 100 feet. Note also that Nokta states Bluetooth headphones are not included with the Simplex Ultra in any case. The audio options across the range are covered on the tone profiles page, and the settings for wet ground on the Simplex settings page.
Sources
- Nokta Simplex Ultra, Double Score and Triple Score published listing features
- Nokta PulseDive and Nokta Pointer published listing specifications
- Thresher submersible headphones published listing specifications
- Minelab Equinox 900 and Garrett AT Pro published listing features
Frequently asked questions
How deep can I take the Nokta Simplex Ultra?
Nokta publishes it as fully waterproof up to 16 feet, 5 metres, and notes that the carbon fibre shaft retracts to 25 inches, 63 centimetres, which the company describes as useful for diving as well as transport and storage. That rating assumes an undamaged machine with all covers correctly seated. Confirm the figure in your own manual, and rinse the machine in fresh water after every saltwater session.
Is the Nokta Pointer safe to take diving?
It is published as IP67, which covers dust protection and temporary immersion rather than sustained depth, and the listing describes it as usable on land and under the sea without stating a diving depth. For genuine diving the PulseDive is the correct choice, published as IP68 to 60 metres, 200 feet. Using an IP67 device at depth is exactly how people flood a pinpointer and lose it.
Does IP68 mean I can dive to any depth?
No. IP68 means protection against dust and against continuous immersion under conditions the manufacturer specifies, which is why a depth figure always accompanies the rating. Sixteen feet on the Score machines and 60 metres on the PulseDive are both IP68, and they are very different capabilities. Always read the depth figure rather than the IP code alone when deciding what a device can survive.
Do I need to rinse my detector after beach hunting?
Every time, in fresh water, including the shaft, the coil and the coil connector. Salt crystallises as it dries and works into seals, covers and connectors, and it is the single largest cause of waterproof failure on machines that were rated perfectly well when new. Two minutes with a hose protects a rating you paid several hundred dollars for. Let the machine dry before storing it.
Is the original Legend waterproof?
The Legend platform is built for wet work and its coils are waterproof, but the product listing used to build this catalogue does not state a submersion depth for the machine itself, so we do not print one. Check the specifications section of The Legend user manual for your model. Where Nokta does publish a figure, such as the 16 feet on the Simplex Ultra and both Score machines, this page prints it.
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.