A lot of people drag them behind them to make a line in the sand. That way you can see the crooked walking we do when detecting lol It gives you a good line if you want to grid an area. I was always surprised at the way we detect in the woods. When a light layer of snow hits, you can see your footprints. It shows just how many areas we miss that we think we hit well. It's an eye opener. Try it in the sand and you may be surprised how unstraight your walking is lol I would opt for the long handle scoop and a very heavy duty one too.