I have been avidly metal detecting for probably 35 years. I started out with another brand that Santa Claus gave to me when I was 15 years old which I still have today. When I got my driver's license at 16 years old, my parents rarely ever saw me until it was dinner time because after school I was headed to DETECT!!!! My late father also got himself a metal detector and he and I would hit the old Civil War battleground sites where I grew up in Clayton County, Georgia. We literally found buckets full of bullets, cannon balls, heavy artillery shell fragments, etc..... over the years. Needless to say, my dad and I were hooked. A few years later, around 21 years of age, I purchased a new totally waterproof underwater diving metal detector (once again, from a different manufacturer simply because I did not know that Minelab even existed). This was well before having the world at our fingertips, AKA: The Internet..... but I just knew I could find lost jewelry and valuables on the Florida beaches after reading the book titled, "Diamonds in the Surf". I spent more time each month camping on, or near, more Florida beaches than I can remember then being at home!!! When I found my first true treasure, a HUGE U.S. Naval Academy gold ring with a massive ruby stone, it sealed my fate in becoming a die hard detectorist!!! I've found more than my fair share of rings and jewelry over the years than I can remember. I continued to detect as I got older, but life's "fork in the road" took me in a different direction which limited my time in the field. I (thankfully and gratefully) fell in love with the woman of my dreams, got married, started a family, and.....well..... I'm sure a lot of you that are reading this can 100% relate so there is no need to elaborate any further. I continued to hunt when I could, not nearly enough though, as the passion of detecting never left my blood. Fast forward a few years, and after a half dozen more metal detector purchases, and my second dream in life came to fruition- SCUBA DIVING!!! Looking back on my life, prior to my first ever detector Santa gave to me as a teenager, I have always had a love and passion for the water. I was a member of my High School Swim Team and I was a Lifeguard during the summer months at some large water parks where I oversaw their "Wave Pools". About 6 years ago, my family and I went on our first 7 day cruise. We have actually been on several cruises since then to places like the Grand Caymans, Jamaica, St. Thomas, and a host of other major tourist attraction locations with the most beautiful waters and sea life anyone could imagine. After our last cruise, I told myself (more like I PROMISED to myself) that I was going to get Scuba Certified! Well..... I finally did. I loved Scuba diving so much more than I ever thought I would that I even got my Advanced Open Water Certification along with a few others. I purchase all of my own diving equipment and several Scuba tanks as well. However, one of the more "important" pieces of equipment I purchased in order to round out my love of Scuba diving, was a brand new MINELAB EXCALIBUR II. Now.... by this time, I had heard of MINELAB as the internet was up and running allowing us all to do our diligent research on the best metal detectors made. I bit the bullet so to speak and made the pricey purchase of the Excalibur II after doing my research. I can tell anyone reading this that this detector is THE BEST metal detector I have ever purchased, especially for the beach and for Scuba diving. Without going into all of the details of this phenomenal detector, I will just simply say that it is a breeze to operate and is capable of target recovery depths (as well as it's iron discrimination capabilities) that blows the competition out of the water!!! Yes, pun intended....LOL! After becoming Scuba certified, purchasing AND learning the different tones on my new Excalibur II, I started a side business. I have always tried to return lost rings and personal valuables to their rightful owner. It's not an easy task to accomplish, but at least I try. I joined a worldwide organization of metal detecting enthusiasts who have a passion for returning lost valuables to their owners. I would mention the organization here, but I'm not sure I'm allowed to do so. Many of you may know who I am talking about. Literally, overnight, my phone began ringing from people calling me to help them locate stuff they had lost in lakes here in Georgia where I live. I have been extremely fortunate with a nearly flawless track record of successful recoveries WHEN and IF (a big when and if here when it comes to underwater search and recoveries) a customer knows approximately (more like exactly) where they lost their valuable item. Scuba diving and metal detecting is strenuous. It is not even remotely close to being the same as a land based search. This is simply due to so many variables including the speed in which I can search an underwater area as well as zero visibility issues often encountered here in the lakes of Georgia. Well, I guess I've said enough here about me, my history, my passions, and how EFFECTIVE of a detector MINELAB makes! I can honestly say that I'm certain that I would not have been as successful as I have been, during underwater detecting searches, had I not of purchased my Excalibur II. I feel very confident in saying this simply due to the fact that I have a lot of experience, a lot of history, and a lot of years swinging metal detectors I have owned and operated that were made by an array of different companies. Keep up the great work MINELAB and I hope I'm fortunate enough to have my linked video added to your website. *** My video: This was a customer's necklace he lost in Lake Oconee, Georgia. It is a massive Cuban style gold chain necklace given to him by his grandfather. The customer told me he had never taken it off of his neck since it was given to him by his grand dad. The customer, who I will refer to as AJ, did a horrific "backflop" off of a well known jumping rock on the shoreline of the lake at which time the necklace slipped off his neck. The only access to this spot is by boat. I actually purchase a used boat in order to even get to the dive location! It took me three consecutive days/dives of searching the area to find AJ's prized and cherished family heirloom because I DON'T GIVE UP and I'm LIVING with stage 4 cancer at that. I was on my last tank of air when I got that all too infamous GOLD tone sound on my Excalibur II. I yelled so loud when I found it, I think I scared all the fish in the lake!!! Hahahaha!!! During the video, just fyi, when I scanned my camera on my detector, I said, "That's my BABY😂!!!!" I hope you enjoy watching the video as much as I enjoyed the adventure and ultimately finding AJ's beautiful gold necklace!!! Take care!!!!!