Find Your Hidden Treasure
At Tropical Treasure Detectors, we make beachcombing fun and accessible for everyone, from kids to seasoned treasure hunters. Look below for How To videos and answers to frequently asked questions.
FAQs
Who can be a detectorist?
Anyone may use our metal detectors but they are not toys. Please supervise young children.
Where can I detect?
Our detectors are perfect for beaches and the sandy areas nearby.
But please stay off of private property, protected wildlife areas and parks. Florida's public beaches are detector-friendly.
How long is the rental period?
Rentals can be for one day or multiple days, depending on your beach treasure hunting plans. There are no hourly rates.
Pickup is scheduled for the evening before the first day of use.
Do you provide instructions?
Yes, we can give a quick lesson to get you started.
See videos below for detailed overviews.
Is prior experience needed?
No experience is required; our detectors are beginner-friendly.
Here are some basic rules followed by all detectorists:
1. Always Always Always fill in your holes.
2. If you dig up trash, take it with you and throw it away.
3. Be courteous to other beachgoers, by keeping your distance from their blankets and keeping the volume low.
4. Stay out of private property, wildlife areas, and parks.
5. Never leave detectors unattended. Thefts do occur on the beach.
What if I find something valuable?
We encourage you to enjoy your find and follow local laws about reporting valuables. Click here for more info.
Videos
Mini Detector
Where are you?
We do not have a storefront. We drop off and pick up the detectors in the Siesta Key public beach parking lot. Our preferred spot is the sidewalk in front of the "Sun Deck at Siesta Beach" snack bar. You can search Google Maps for "Sun Deck at Siesta Beach" to find it.
What should I rent?
For ages 10 to 99 that want to go beach-detecting, the Minelab Vanquish 440 metal detector provides the perfect balance of ease-of-use with serious features such as multi-frequency discrimination, ground balancing, and signal notching. This detector was named the "Best Overall" detector in April of 2026 by Popular Mechanics.
When beach-detecting, it is highly recommended to also bring a pinpointer. A pinpointer dramatically reduces the time and effort spent digging, which leaves more time for detecting. Click Here for a pinpointer demonstration.
For snorkeling or for younger children a Mini-Detector is a fully submersible and durable option. It's designed for use by SCUBA divers, but it's also more manageable than a full sized detector for smaller kiddos. Click Here for a Mini-Detector demonstration.
