Description
Some machines earn their reputation in a lab. The Garrett AT Pro earned its reputation in creeks, plowed fields, and surf lines, and fifteen years of finds have not slowed it down. If you want one detector that walks from a dry park lawn straight into ten feet of water without a flinch, this is the machine that made that trick famous.
Why the AT Pro is still the all-terrain benchmark
The Garrett AT Pro metal detector is the workhorse of the AT family, and one ability keeps it unique in the lineup: it speaks both audio languages. Standard modes give you the full-strength beep that beginners read instantly. Pro Mode adds proportional audio and Tone Roll, so the tone swells and fades with the target itself, letting you judge size, shape, and depth by ear and pick good targets out of iron-choked ground. The AT Max and AT Gold dropped the Standard modes entirely; the AT Pro is the one AT machine that lets you grow from full-strength beeps into proportional audio on the same detector, which is exactly why so many hunters call it the smartest step up from an entry-level machine. It is a true waterproof metal detector, submersible to 10 ft (3 m) including the control box, and it handles saltwater beaches, freshwater creeks, and everything between them without stepping up to multi-frequency pricing.
At a glance
The Garrett AT Pro is an all-terrain metal detector running 15 kHz with 6 search modes, 40-level iron discrimination, and 0 to 99 digital Target ID. Fully submersible to 10 ft (3 m). Weighs 3.03 lbs (1.4 kg) with an 8.5 x 11 in (22 x 28 cm) PROformance DD coil and MS-2 headphones included.
Technical specs and what they mean in the field
| Frequency | 15 kHz, adjustable | Hot on mid-conductors: buttons, bullets, thin gold jewelry, hammered coins |
| Search modes | 6 (3 Standard + 3 Pro: Custom, Coins, Zero) | Learn on full-strength beeps, graduate to proportional audio, same machine |
| Iron discrimination | 40 levels, high resolution | Shave out nails one notch at a time instead of losing good targets in big blocks |
| Digital Target ID | 0 to 99 scale | Repeatable numbers you can learn per site: dig the 82s, question the 55s |
| Waterproof rating | Submersible to 10 ft / 3 m, control box included | Creeks, lake shallows, and surf wading, not just splash-proof |
| Iron Audio and Tone Roll | Pro Mode features | Hear iron masquerading as a good tone before you dig the hole |
| Ground balance | Fast Track automatic, plus manual | Settles fast in mineralized dirt and wet salt sand |
| Coil | 8.5 x 11 in / 22 x 28 cm PROformance DD, submersible | Deep, stable sweep in mineralized ground; the proven all-round size |
| Power | 4 AA batteries, included | Spares live in any gas station on earth; no proprietary pack to fail |
| Weight | 3.03 lbs / 1.4 kg | Light enough for all-day swinging without a harness |
| Length | Adjustable 43 to 56 in / 1.09 to 1.4 m | Fits kids sharing the machine and six-footers alike |
Audio and accessories that match it
The included Garrett MS-2 headphones connect by the 2-pin AT connector; they are land headphones, so for hunting below the surface add Garrett submersible headphones, which run the same 2-pin connection. Want to cut the cable on land? The MS-3 Z-Lynk wireless kit pairs its WT-1 transmitter to that 2-pin jack. And every AT Pro hole gets smaller with a Pro-Pointer AT in it, waterproof to match the machine.
Who it is for
Relic hunters working iron-heavy sites, coin shooters who want repeatable Target ID numbers, and beach hunters who refuse to stop at the waterline. It is the right first serious detector, and the right second detector for anyone who started on a dry-land entry machine and keeps eyeing the creek. If you want built-in wireless audio and a backlight for dawn hunts, step up to the Garrett AT Max; if your ground is gold country, look at Garrett's dedicated gold machines instead.
What is in the box
- Garrett AT Pro detector with 8.5 x 11 in (22 x 28 cm) PROformance DD submersible search coil
- Garrett MS-2 headphones (2-pin AT connector, volume control)
- 4 AA batteries
- Owner's manual
Frequently asked questions
Is the AT Pro fully waterproof? Yes. The whole machine, control box included, is submersible to 10 ft (3 m), and it is rated for saltwater as well as fresh. One honest caveat the spec sheets skip: the included MS-2 headphones are land headphones. For hunting with your coil and control box under water, use Garrett's submersible headphones.
Can the Garrett AT Pro find gold? Gold jewelry, yes: rings and chains are found with it every week, and 15 kHz is a good frequency for them. Natural gold nuggets are a different job. The AT Pro has no dedicated gold prospecting mode among its six search modes, so for real nugget hunting look at the Garrett Goldmaster 24K, or the Axiom pulse induction machine for serious gold country.
AT Pro or AT Max? The AT Max adds built-in Z-Lynk wireless audio, a backlight, more depth, and true all-metal mode. The AT Pro costs less, keeps the Standard audio modes the Max dropped, and hunts the same water. Buy the Pro to learn and grow; buy the Max if wireless audio and maximum depth matter from day one.
Does it come with headphones? Yes. The current package includes Garrett MS-2 wired headphones with the 2-pin AT connector. The same jack drives Garrett's submersible headphones and the MS-3 Z-Lynk wireless kit, so the audio upgrade path is already built in.
Why buy from History Seekers
History Seekers is a small American business where everyone detects, top down: gold, relics, coins, jewelry, even float copper. Field experience is a hiring requirement here, not a coincidence, and the person answering your question may be the one packing your order for the UPS run. We are an authorized Garrett dealer, and your purchase keeps everyday Americans working. Call 256-284-2247 and talk to someone who has actually swung this machine. The story is more important than the artifact.