east-auck-fossicker,
i've just recently imported one of those suckers from gold n sand also.
did a lot of research first of course. cost about $340 by the time i bought a couple of extra bits and got it here. i also got the underwater viewing scope that clips on. i often use this seperately. also got a couple of the sluicebox adapters so i can suck straight into my box. the second one i use when my box it up out of the channel. i can run a bilge pump off a battery which pumps into the little crash box.
only complaint with the thing is it is a little too long. prob a good thing as it stops you drawing too far. great for cleaning up the bedrock and moves good volumes. i used to use a sniper of johns also but needed something that would move more material, ie. the whole river bed. well, not quite, i shovel most out that i can get with the shovel, then clean up with the gold n sand sucker.
if anyone wants to see it in action theres some utube clips online.
i might even get round to taking some of my own soon. i've got a nice little hd underwater go pro camera. usually too busy digging to set it up but its about time it gets some use.
go the great summer weather. rivers are running at a dribble down this way!
