Beach Technique question.

[drver]

Beach Technique question.

This has happened to me a couple of times now and I was curious if I’m wrong or if this is just another style.

I’m detecting a section of beach and another or group of hunters catch and quickly over take me than are gone. Last Thursday a group of three over took me so fast, man I didn’t even see them coming. It was like I had a wrecked car in a NASCAR race, they caught me, passed me and left me in the dust two laps down.

I usually select a section about a hundred yards long starting just above the wet sand, the Ace 250 doesn’t like wet sand, walk one pass than turn and move up about three or four feet and come back. I keep doing this until I’m against the dunes or run out of light.
The others I’ve seen seem to just pick a line and go, very fast. Some times we stop and talk a bit others we just wave and one guy... well guess he didn’t like my yellow machine, Ha ha. Funny thing about this guy is I was heading south against the dunes and he was coming north in the same line. After we passed, I moved over, he turned and went south just above the high tide line so I figured I’d finish my line by the dunes even though he had already hunted there. I found a penny about ten inches down.

 

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[willie d]

Re: Beach Technique question.

I don't see anything wrong with your technique. I normally walk parallel to the water until I get to one end. I then change it up and walk from the wet sand to the rear of the towel line and work my way back to my car. Different strokes for different folks. If you have doubts then try it the way the other MDers are doing it. Whatever works.

 

[gold-digger]

Re: Beach Technique question.

I hear ya... I hunt that way too and as Willie mention. Depends mainly on how big the area I want to cover is.

Somedays I see hunters practically running (fast walking for sure). Its a wonder that they find anything at all. When you watch, it looks like their detector makes a "Z" pass over a 3 foot area. Maybe they just dont have the time to spend out there.

Ohh well, "too each-there own".

Just want to add another reason to take your time:

 

[drver]

Re: Beach Technique question.

Ok thanks I was just wondering if I was doing it wrong.

The fast walk or slow run is what I saw a group of three doing and man they were swinging so fast it looked like a happy dog’s tail, can the detector respond that fast?

 

[surfrat96]

Re: Beach Technique question.

Overlap and swing slow. Those guys could be missing a lot of good targets. I also listen and dig the faint sounds. I've been doing ok using this method.

HH 8) surfrat

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Re: Beach Technique question.

I will work a section of a beach several ways depending, but none of then include fast walking or fast swinging.

During the daytime I usually start off working the sand bars if I can get to them, working the back side of them.
If that is not productive, I will then move in some and work the shallow water and wet beach in a set patteren.

I then start walking the beach from very shallow water to dry sand dragging my beach scoop behind me so it leaves a line, I will walk then move over a few feet from the line and make sure the sweeps over lap and walk the same line again working a pattern in front of the hotel or time share.

Now if it is night time I dont wade out to the sand bars, things that go bump in the dark in the waters here
are known to have large teeth.

I am a newbie at this and my way could be all wrong, it just seemed like the way to do it to me.

It sure wasn't productive today. I went to Daytona Beach and it was really clean. I ended up with .96 cents in change. But on the side note there was a lot of eye candy.

 

[buscadero]

Re: Beach Technique question.

Drver: Just like cookin' BBQ, Low & Slow! Move too fast & your MD can't keep up with you! Watch your Sweep too! Too Wide & your
Detector winds up 2-3' above the ground! Good Hunting!!


Joe

 

[Sandman]

Re: Beach Technique question.

Drver, there are many different ways to wave the coil around. The detector beeps if the target is in the field so the closer to the sand and over lap, the more chance you have of getting the field on a target.

The other hunters are doing what feels good to them, that doesn't mean its the best way. I once saw a guy dragging his detector behind him. When he got a beep, he'd turn around and sweep, pinpoint, an move on dragging. He covered area fast, but had to miss a ton of stuff, just like the ones that walk fast and swing like they are using grass whips.

That's OK too. It leaves more for the rest of us......LOL

HH,
Sandman

 

[drver]

Re: Beach Technique question.

Thanks everyone, I was worried this was a dumb question.
Now that I have some confidence I’d like to add another one. I saw a couple of hunters really jamming the coil into the sand and the cuts on the beach.
I understand checking these spots out but jamming the coil in can’t be good for the coil can it?

 

[Postalrevnant]

Re: Beach Technique question.

I hear ya... I hunt that way too and as Willie mention. Depends mainly on how big the area I want to cover is.

Somedays I see hunters practically running (fast walking for sure). Its a wonder that they find anything at all. When you watch, it looks like their detector makes a "Z" pass over a 3 foot area. Maybe they just dont have the time to spend out there.

Ohh well, "too each-there own".

Just want to add another reason to take your time:

Great reason

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

Re: Beach Technique question.

DR,

not sure, but they could be "jamming" the
coil into the sand and marking where they
have detected. Just a thought, I do it to
know where I have been and overlap.

have a good un...........

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Re: Beach Technique question.

When I work the ocean in front of the timeshares and hotels, I work from the high tide to the low tide line and I drag my sand scoop on my left side, it leaves a line in the beach and I then move over about 3 feet from that line to start my next sweep. I like working patterns, now if I could just get the tourists to drop more items.

 

[diggummup]

Re: Beach Technique question.

Ok thanks I was just wondering if I was doing it wrong.

The fast walk or slow run is what I saw a group of three doing and man they were swinging so fast it looked like a happy dog’s tail, can the detector respond that fast?

I watched a guy last weekend doing the same thing.I wonder what he finds,if anything,swinging that way.Speed detecting! I was still under my first "Tiki Hut",he already "detected" in about 20-30 seconds.I found 3 quarters, a couple pennies and an earring under it,after the fact.Slow and steady,that's what I do.Good luck

 

[GaBeaSwpr]

Re: Beach Technique question.

Slow and steady dude. I watch guys swingin their coils six inches above the sand and really moving as you mentioned. Any serious hunter could really clean up following guys like that. But again, that's their loss and our gain.
Nothing wrong with this either.

a lot of eye candy.

Jim

 

[drver]

Re: Beach Technique question.

Hay thanks everyone, on Saturday I tried opening up my pattern in order to cover more area and found the usual... some clad, lots of pull tabs, a few twist caps and some fishing weights, oh yea LOTS of trash. Than I went back today went back to my slow pattern where I don’t cover as much distance. Found the exact same stuff, only slightly more clad and less trash.

 

[Underground Economy]

Re: Beach Technique question.

I hunt Hilton Head Island. One summer day I met a tourist swinging a coil in the surf. He said he'd been metal detecting for over 30 years. He gave me 2 pieces of advice that really helped.
1) coil level and as close to the ground as possible
2) if you think you're going too slow go slower!!
I started water detecting in May of this year. Thanks to that advice I'm looking for ring #28. People with detectors pass me all the time...but I suspect that they miss more than they find because they go too fast.

 

[Sandman]

Re: Beach Technique question.

By swinging fast and covering the ground in a bunch of ZZZ's they miss a lot. However they are playing the percentages hoping to get the coil over a recently dropped goodie. They don't have the patience to slow down and give the detector to report on the targets.

HH,
Sandman