I Love EVERYTHING About This Hobby

[bigscoop]

I love nearly everything this hobby, even the numerous scars around my ankles, shins, and feet from those runaway sand scoop buckets. I mean, what’s not to like? Nine laboring scoops in the deep soft sand with the surf knocking me around and the target suddenly disappears – no problem, I just smile, laugh it off with a few harsh words and resume the enjoyable hunt. I’ve always got a bottle of Advil in the truck.

Stainless steel scoop over my shoulder, metal detector strapped to my arm, I’ve walked at least a mile from where I parked the truck and now that unexpected lightening storm is right overhead and violently painting the sky. Every time those bolts of blue fire streak across the sky my butt cheeks get so tight it’s a wonder I can walk at all. By the way, where, exactly, did I park the truck?

Three hours of swinging the coil without so much as a solid chirp and the nice lady says to me, “Looks like you’re enjoying yourself.” The first reply that comes to mind is, “YOU HAVE NO IDEA JUST HOW CORRECT YOU ARE!” I don’t think I actually screamed that reply. Maybe I did since she didn’t seem to stay around long? I enjoy the challenge - of trying to control my frustration.

Fatigue. It’s a word I never knew when I was younger. During my mid-years I simply considered the hobby to be good exercise, a great way of staying in shape. This year I’m starting to realize it didn’t work. If I hunt too long these days I often leave the beach feeling like one of those stiff scarecrows you see standing in the edge of someone’s garden or cornfield. Upper arms pointed out, forearms hanging straight down. Luckily I can still get the cap off the Advil.

Foolers. Nothing I love more then to see the glitter of gold in the bottom of my scoop, no real letdown when I notice upon closer inspection that the gold is flaking off. That’s the one nice thing about pull tabs – they present a good mid-tone, they’re easily identifiable to the eye, and there’s no big surprise and no let-down in the end. Sounds like a pull tab, looks like a pull tab, yep, it’s a pull tab. Success all around!

Rough surf & late midnight hunts. I’ll wait to comment on these two issues the next time I’m so bored or so overly motivated that I decide to encounter either of them. Wasn’t always like that but I’ve convinced myself that I’ve just gotten much smarter in recent years. Sort of helps me make sense out of that old saying that with age comes wisdom. Really it simply means; if you’re getting too damn old to handle it then don’t do it. But I like the age and wisdom excuse much better. Low tide is around 2am this morning. Are you kidding.

Yep, I love everything about this hobby.

 

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[Fletch88]

im 45 and in as good of shape as ive ever been, no aches or pains, 6 3 210, work out a little, but seems like detecting i go for hours and keeps me in the best shape. detecting started in the late 70's with my dad when I was just a pup. The fresh air and usin muscles you dont always use is great for me, love it. first silver i found when i was like 10 or 12 was a mercury dime i nearly cut in half digging it out with a hunting knife haha. first lesson learned. first gold found scuba diving in 20 foot of water in like in 1993. favorite finds are my large cent and my ring collection. hh all!!

I'm 43 but feel like I'm 63. A life of heavy repetitive lifting and some football can injure the heck out of vertebral discs! Thank goodness for pharmacology!

 

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[bigscoop]

im 45 and in as good of shape as ive ever been, no aches or pains, 6 3 210, work out a little, but seems like detecting i go for hours and keeps me in the best shape. detecting started in the late 70's with my dad when I was just a pup. The fresh air and usin muscles you dont always use is great for me, love it. first silver i found when i was like 10 or 12 was a mercury dime i nearly cut in half digging it out with a hunting knife haha. first lesson learned. first gold found scuba diving in 20 foot of water in like in 1993. favorite finds are my large cent and my ring collection. hh all!!

I have been active all my life - sports, kayak touring, hiking, camping, etc., etc., - I was in fantastic shape up to about 50, then suddenly the eyes needed glasses, all the old bone breaks started to stiffen, etc. Honestly, at 55 I'm still in good shape - I'm just not in great young shape anymore.

 

[Tucson Dan]

Bigscoop, your initial thread authorship was very enjoyable to read. I had a smile the whole time. I look forward to the continuation of your beach story and escapade. I am 42 and will be hunting my first beach in October (San Diego). I hope to have half the fun you do. All I dig is dry dirt!

 

[bigscoop]

Bigscoop, your initial thread authorship was very enjoyable to read. I had a smile the whole time. I look forward to the continuation of your beach story and escapade. I am 42 and will be hunting my first beach in October (San Diego). I hope to have half the fun you do. All I dig is dry dirt!

Fun is the name of the game, when it becomes too much like work then some of the best aspects to this hobby are allowed slip right on by. Never quit enjoying every moment of every thing there is to enjoy. And besides, who says we have to be all stiff and rigged to take things seriously?

 

[Tucson Dan]

Fun is the name of the game, when it becomes too much like work then some of the best aspects to this hobby are allowed slip right on by. Never quit enjoying every moment of every thing there is to enjoy. And besides, who says we have to be all stiff and rigged to take things seriously?

Well put. Your quotes may end up as knowledge for upcoming generations. I too live life enjoying and don't believe in the alternative.

 

[Born2Dtect]

I feel your pains guys. I started water detecting at the ocean 3 years ago. Got an Excalibur II, harness, extra big scoop.

Here is what I have learned in three years at the beach:

The waves hate me! How can you get waves to your knees for 5 minutes only to have one crash on you head and roll you?

That extra big scoop is killing me, sold it and got a smaller one.

Right after a hurricane is the best time to go.

Cuts = finds.

Low tide is best.

I only go out about 2 feet deep. I live to hunt the rest of the day if I do this.

You can find gold in the dry sand too.

You can hunt all year round if the sand does not freeze where you live.

I could go detecting at the beach everyday for the rest of my life?

Ed D.

 

[Tucson Dan]

New issues are raised now with the scoops. What kind should I buy keeping in mind I will hunt water once a year? Don't think I want to spend very much but don't want junk either.

 

[Sandman]

Oh you poor lil children.... I am 71 and have bad knees from fighting the surf when younger. Had a stroke on a east coast beach and ended up in Michigan where I enjoy Max's video's about hunting the coast beaches. Missed hunting last year because of dialysis 3 days a week an enjoy the hunts this year.

 

[bigscoop]

New issues are raised now with the scoops. What kind should I buy keeping in mind I will hunt water once a year? Don't think I want to spend very much but don't want junk either.

Well Dan, I have an assortment. Keeping in mind that I'm a small guy, 138lbs soaking wet, which I often am - scoops are a lot like musical instruments. I say this because they each can play you. Take for instance the Classic Stealth, this is a large scoop that's great for the softer stuff, i.e., sand and crushed shell, etc. But, it can also be an unbalanced and out of tune tuba in the currents & surf when fully loaded. Nothing worse then having your shoulder ripped out it's socket by a heavy runaway scoop that's wanting to take wings with the current. But for soft bottoms and mild conditions it ain't all that bad and you might actually build some extra muscle in your scooping arm.

I got an aluminum large RTG, much lighter then the Stealth and a real pleasure to toss over your scooping shoulder once its back in its socket. This thing works really well in most conditions, however, this thing is so light it can take off in the current on you even before it's bearing a load. Now keep in mind that it won't hurt near as bad as the Stealth when it slams into your shin or ankle, which is an added bonus. The RTG also has one other issue that drives me crazy - if you really bury the bucket deep into the wet sand you may have to call a tow truck to get it back out if the sand collapses in on it, and when water hunting in those really soft sands of summer the hole nearly always collapses around the bucket. People on the beach are never really sure just exactly what my problem is when they can only see the upper half of me squatting and grunting and straining and wrestling so hard with something below the surface of the water. The RTG is my main winter scoop, once the soft sands of summer have been stripped away and targets are easier to get at.

And last but not least, I have a couple of homemade galvanized scoops with smaller buckets and Miller style handles, these are great when targets are fairly shallow and when hunting over fairly firm bottoms, but they aren't worth a darn out deep or in those soft sands that like to swallow everything back up if you miss your target on the first try. But these scoops are light, only about 5lbs, built like tanks, and they're absolutely worthless on those really deep targets in the firmer wet sand. They're not too bad in the shallow, calmer surf either, just keep them flushed with fresh water after each hunt and they actually last quite a while. However, about 80% of the time you use them you'll keep encountering situations when you'll wish you had a larger scoop. And if any of this helped in any way what so ever please tell me how because I've still not found the best scoop for all conditions. Sad but true, but I'll keep looking around.

 

[Mr.Excavator]

43 here as well, and yes the surf has been kicking my A_s also. I had spine surgery on 6/24/13 removed & replaced the lower two discs L-4,L-5. I can honestly say I have not felt this good and active in 10yrs. All praise modern robotics in surgery!!

I had a life of daily heavy lifting as well, probally moved 2 mountains or so of weight to date.

I also goy an Excal 1000 this week , cant wait to use it tonight.

 

[Fletch88]

43 here as well, and yes the surf has been kicking my A_s also. I had spine surgery on 6/24/13 removed & replaced the lower two discs L-4,L-5. I can honestly say I have not felt this good and active in 10yrs. All praise modern robotics in surgery!!

I had a life of daily heavy lifting as well, probally moved 2 mountains or so of weight to date.

I also goy an Excal 1000 this week , cant wait to use it tonight.

I'm glad you're better now! May cross paths tonight!