Review · By Metal Detector Nerd · August 4, 2026
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT Review
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The Garrett Pro-Pointer AT — the orange one everybody calls the Carrot — is the default pinpointer in this hobby, and it earns that: fully waterproof to 20 feet, three sensitivity levels, and bright enough that you'll actually find it when you put it down. Short version: if you want one pinpointer and no research, buy this.
A pinpointer finds the target inside the hole you've already dug. It roughly halves recovery time and stops you widening holes hunting for a dime — which is why it's the best accessory purchase in detecting.
The verdict
The industry default, and deservedly so. Waterproof, sensitive, and orange enough to survive being put down in long grass.
01Specs that actually matter in the field
Fully submersible, which matters more than it sounds — you will drop a pinpointer in a water-filled hole. This one doesn't care, and that's the difference between one purchase and two.
In iron-heavy ground a hot pinpointer buzzes constantly and tells you nothing. Being able to turn it down keeps it usable at trashy old sites.
It buzzes in your hand as well as beeping. Essential when you're wearing headphones, in the surf, or hunting somewhere you'd rather be quiet.
Sounds trivial, isn't. Pinpointers are the most-lost item in detecting, and a dark one in long grass is gone forever. Buy the visible one and use the holster.
Short by design. A pinpointer's job is to say exactly where the target is, not that one exists nearby — long range would make it useless.
02Who it's for (and who it's not)
Buy it if you want a pinpointer and don't want to think about it further. It's waterproof, it's sensitive enough for anything you'll dig in a park or on a beach, and Garrett's US support means a replacement is easy if you do lose it.
The one exception is serious gold prospecting. Chasing sub-gram flakes in quartz wants a specialist high-frequency probe — see our best pinpointer for gold picks.
03The honest scorecard
+What's great
- Fully waterproof to 20 feet, so creeks and surf are genuinely fine.
- Adjustable sensitivity, which keeps it usable in iron-infested ground.
- Vibration alert as well as audio — essential under headphones.
- Bright orange and supplied with a holster, which is how you keep one for more than a season.
- Ubiquitous, so accessories, spares, and advice are everywhere.
–What's not
- Not the most sensitive probe available to very small gold — a specialist prospecting pinpointer beats it there.
- Runs on a 9V battery rather than being rechargeable, which feels dated now.
- Priced above the budget probes, and the cheap ones do work — just not as reliably or as waterproof.
04How it stacks up
The full pinpointer field, ranked.
Best pinpointers for metal detectingIf tiny gold is specifically what you're after.
Best pinpointer for goldThe rest of the Garrett range.
Garrett brand hub
05FAQ
- Is the Garrett Pro-Pointer AT waterproof?
- Yes, fully submersible to 20 feet. You can use it in creeks and in the surf, and dropping it in a water-filled hole is a non-event.
- How deep does the Garrett Pro-Pointer AT detect?
- Roughly 1–2 inches from the tip, depending on target size. That's normal and intentional for a pinpointer — the short range is what makes it precise.
- Is the Pro-Pointer AT worth the money?
- Yes. It roughly halves recovery time, and the waterproofing plus adjustable sensitivity are the two features cheap probes skimp on. It's the accessory most detectorists say they should have bought sooner.
Bottom line
The Garrett Pro-Pointer AT is the safe answer, and for once the safe answer is also the right one. Waterproof, sensitive, adjustable, and hard to lose.
Unless you're specifically hunting tiny gold, this is the pinpointer to buy and forget about.