My Scoop's handle length for snorkeling?

[Maui Mike]

Aloha, as for buying my scoop.. since i will spend about 95% of my MD'ing time snorkeling, in water from 3-8 ft in depth... and free diving is not a problem for me, i do it at work all day long... what length do you recommend for my scoop's handle?.. the just in hand length?.. or longer... how long?
Thoughts on this please, i bow to you who know.. Mahalo Maui Mike

[Chuckinmiami]

You might like it.

['E']

If you're md'ing I'd get a heavy duty long handled scoop, if you're snorkeling with the Vibratector I'd get a hand held scoop, that's what I'll be doing when I go snorkeling with mine.

[bdahunter]

If you are snorkelling you should try fanning first, a ping pong paddle, a childs swimfin or even those training mitts that marathon swimmers use would be helpful, though some prefer to just use their hand. I'm assuming you will be wearing swim fins so digging with a scoop would be problematic. If you are wading and just using the snorkel and mask to scan the bottom then a scoop would work for you, the mask tends to fog up though so I think it is more of an annoyance than a help when wading. Even when wading I tend to use my foot to fan out the hole once I get it started with my scoop, it saves a lot of time and effort, good targets either stay in the hole or pop up on the edge, light targets like pull tabs and dimes move further from the hole but are easy to retrieve with the scoop once they've been fanned up with my foot.

Cheers,

BDA

[Buster]

I was going to suggest the fanning idea also...I would think that it would work good..also they make a plastic small scoop and that might work out good..They don't cost a lot and It might be good...More sugestions will come forth I am sure...Last thing..Welcome to Treasure Quest...Buster....

[bdahunter]

I should have added that I don't fan while working the break zone when the waves are up over 2 feet. I don't care to work that area when the surf is crashing normally, but sometimes that's where the finds are when every place else is sanded in. The problem is that retrieval by scoop is hard enough in that much turbulence and zero visibility, if you fan then the target will take off on you, even if it is a gold ring. This can be very frustrating when your target develops legs and you can't chase it down; 'Was it a gold ring or a pull tab'? Finding it again is great unless you spend ten minutes chasing a pull tab in the crashing surf, the two targets sound almost the same in calm conditions so they are identical in rough conditions.(with an Excal of course)

BDA

[Maui Mike]

Aloha, thanks for taking the time to respond to my question.
I use a anti-fog liquid in my mask, so fogging is not a problem.
Your other ideas such as "fanning" sounds good.
A scoop will help....was thinking about getting a metal one.
The water is 90% clear and visability is almost excellant all the time.
I think i might get 2 scoops, one a in-hand kind, and a long handle too.
Thanks all, thats what i like about Treasure Quests forums, polite answers and helpful people! I am proud to be a new member here.

[EPC Guy]

Welcome, Mike!

[pris]

Aloha, Mike!!! Good luck in finding your scoop. I have the plastic handheld one, but I also have a metal one that is a 4 in one. You can unscrew the handle in two places, so you can have a hand scoop, a short scoop, a medium scoop and a long scoop. I think I spent around $60?

[Maui Mike]

Aloha pris, where did you get that scoop?.. i think i might buy one too, Mahalo Maui Mike