A question for you experienced water hunters out there.

[Night Hunter]

While detecting in the water do you find it more effective to detect in a strait line, parallel to the beach, or attempt to detect in a grid pattern, from the edge of the shore to chest deep water. In the past I haven’t given this much thought and have ended up detecting in a spaghetti like pattern, kind of all over the place. Not sure if I am retracing my steps and wasting time.

Does anyone hunt with a waterproof GPS to keep track of where they have been?

 

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[erikk]

What I do is take a bunch of ping pong balls, drill a hole in them and attach a line and a sinker. I have them painted different colors so I can keep track of the lane I am doing and what I have finished. When I have finished about 5 lanes I move the balls and continue 2 hunt. That way I can stay in a straight line. Usally takes about 10 balls per line.....

 

[finderzzs]

That I'd love to see. Ping Pong balls I work in and out, your finds will be drastically reduced walking in the "spaghetti" pattern. And go SLOW.

 

[erikk]

That I'd love to see. Ping Pong balls I work in and out, your finds will be drastically reduced walking in the "spaghetti" pattern. And go SLOW.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I hunt both ways, working a pattern from deep to shallow, and also parallel to the shore. I swing slow, and try to keep track as much as possible, when I decide to turn around I move either in or out about 3 feet and start working again.

No good dragging the scoop as waves erase the line. I tried leaving bread crumbs a couple times, but for some reason they always seemed to disappear.

 

[SusanMN]

I try to check out the other hunters I see - and then go the opposite way. Everyone has their own pattern, and even water depth preference. I pay attention to them, or signs that they've been there, and then use that info to search where they likely haven't.

 

[digum smacks]

dont care how anyone does it.the only rule of thumb that matters is the the area you cover,you cover every square inch "slow"of that area.coil has to go over it to find it! more area=more gold period.

 

[Sandman]

While walking along the shore I take a W pattern down to the water about knee deep and back up at an angle. If I notice a pattern in the location of the targets I will try to follow that along the shore as like weighted items tend to settle together. If I ran into shells or a rock sticking out of the sand that would tend to slow down the waves and deposit them there. The golden Olde mentioned all this on his web pages but the site is now closed.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

While walking along the shore I take a W pattern down to the water about knee deep and back up at an angle. If I notice a pattern in the location of the targets I will try to follow that along the shore as like weighted items tend to settle together. If I ran into shells or a rock sticking out of the sand that would tend to slow down the waves and deposit them there. The golden Olde mentioned all this on his web pages but the site is now closed.

I thought the same but was shown it is still up with a different address. He put it up in memory of Norman Garnush. I forgot the gentleman's name who is sponsoring it but many thanks to him...

http://www.nmhra.netfirms.com/pulltab/

 

[FLauthor]

I doubt if ping pong balls would work at Daytona Beach. I usually focus on a object in the distance and walk in that direction. If I'm not finding anything then walk a zig zag pattern or walk the cut at the base of the surf line. Granted you will dig a lot of trash but I found a 3/4 ct. diamond ring that way once. Good pair of Reef Boots keep the broken shells from digging into your feet.
I'd rather hunt the Gulf Coast on any day than one day at Daytona Beach. Even in my younger years when I chanced water hunting in Daytona's Surf, those rollers will pound you into submission. There will always be at least one Rogue Wave that will clobber you and knock you ass over tea kettle.
I can hunt the Gulf up to my neck and my biggest probelm is keeping kids off my floating sifting box.
Luck 2 U.

 

[fieldboy se va]

Yup the w pattern , Knee deep pass lo tide line to high tide line
Fieldboy