Boat marinas

[47thelement]

I've had a boat and I know how much stuff gets dropped off of piers in marinas. I also know the water can be 6-10 ft deep. Without a hooka or dive gear can anybody think of a way to search the area around piers. Maybe an excal secured to a long shaft and some kind of two handled scoop like a post hole digger.

[Smoogle]

I have such interests including below rope swings, popular bridge jumping sites, rips into deeper rivermouth honey holes etc all are at about 5-10ft - I have already picked out at least 8 sites, I don't think a long shaft on md /scoop would give you any leverage, I reckon you'll need to (as I'm about to) man up, get in, get some air down there and reap the gold.

[stevemc]

I agree, it would be almost impossible to get anything up. I have dove in many marinas to recover things. Most have mucky silt on the bottom, since they are usually in a protected area. And that can be deep and hard to actually get anything out. If there had been liveaboards, or just about any kind of onboard life, there will be beer cans all over the place. Plus old electric wires, rebar, iron things like bolts and nails, fish hooks and lead weights, old wrenches, screwdrivers, and who knows what else. I am sure most have something valuable, but it will be a hard find. If one is on a river, where the flow is good, they would be the best, since no muck, and anything light would be moved away. The best way would be a hookah.

[Sandman]

Stevemc is right about diving in marina's. Boaters don't wanna haul stuff away and just toss it over the side to "deep six" it. The bottom will be littered with old tools and beer cans, you name it. All good finds but not worth $$$. Hookah is the way to go as I've used them for cleaning hulls and changing props. Knew a friend that used a battery hookah to steal SS props from marina's. Many gold rings could be on the bottom from sailors cleaning the boats but the junk would make for a slow hunt. Make sure to use a good dive knife as you can't break fishing line underwater with your hands. Boaters toss this overboard too.

[NYwaterhunter]

Been there and done it. I'm talking freshwater, but same as previous guys mention - junk, junk, junk. There are many great targets also but they are near impossible to recover. Lots of muck and silt where you can sink your hands down in 2 ft easily (loose muck) Heavy targets sink through very fast.
And one more problem w/ freshwater - Weeds in as much as 30 ft depth. Can't swing the detector . Zebra muscles have cleared the water and now the sun is penetrating deeper and allowing more weed growth.
Some other thoughts - Watch for marinas that dredge - where do they take the material?
Can you get a permit to use a hobby dredge?
good luck
gg

[CASPER-2]

I own a hookah and a snuba - But have had friends in the past that wanted to hit
marinas and floating rafts - or deep water piers
other option is to make long rod for your machine
but team up with a good snorkeler - you get a good reading - hold coil still and have partner dive down with a hand scoop
another idea - if you are a good swimmer
just make a large sifter - either one that floats and you sink to bottom
or a large non floating one and drop to bottom - dive down with a good size
hand shovel and fill sifter (you can make a flating one and attatch string or heavy fish line to lead or other weights in such a manner that sifter floats a foot off bottom - when you fill it with soil it will sink to bottom but as material filters out will rise and hopefully items will be left)
I knew i guy when i was a kid that did this around swimming rafts in deep water and did real good

[Whitesmxt66]

Never used hooka gear or scuba, but in Michigan, at lake Huron at certain spots near public beaches I usually try to free dive ten foot is the deepest I can do, but usually on crystal clear days when I can actually see what I am try to bring up. I agree that the two handles will not give you the leverage. Good luck.

[Burldrives]

I believe most marinas will chase you away , I know mine will. The first thought is theft.
My marina has a good foot of silt with broken glass and any thing else you can imagine not to mention
barnacles and oyster shells . As mentioned earlyer the new braid fishing lines can not be cut easy with a knife, scissors are almost a must. As a diver and former dive instructor I can tell you it is almost impossible
to get your self free in zero vis without a buddy. Cant tell you how many golf ball divers drown in shallow lakes , please be carefull.

Burl

[Whitesmxt66]

I second Burldrives advise. Be careful.

[FLauthor]

Here is an idea I'm toying with, use a Clam Rake with an extension on the handle. Some clam rakes have baskets on them to hold clams and other treasures.
Check them out on these websites: http://www.clamout.com/; http://www.ribbrakes.com/commercial.html

Or build a Merkitch Sifter like I did. See my forum story from 2009: http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?topic=208850.0