San Diego Detecting

ironarmknives

Full Member
Nov 13, 2013
102
112
San Diego CA.
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS ,whites v3i, excalibur 1000 blue,
put to rest CTX 3030 ,MXT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
depends where your staying mission beach is always fun but we have ten beaches to play on any one will not give you much this time of the year because i found everything ,, no the beaches have been hunted day in and out by all the old retired people , and no ones going in the water there doing sun bathing but not dropping much …. slow part of the year …. your best bet is to find a soccer field close by alway good stuff there…. the AT pro don't like our wet sand much dry is fine but the soccer fields are better for the at pro …… just my two cents ……..
 

redcobra8u

Bronze Member
Jan 24, 2014
1,221
1,336
Los Angeles
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal II, Garrett AT Pro, CTX3030
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hit the dry sands at Coronado. Not much in the wet right now
 

jeepGold

Hero Member
Sep 7, 2014
585
579
Vegas
Detector(s) used
CTX3030, Nox800
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
To be honest, the beaches of SD aren't popping off right now. No storms, lower than seasonal people and no erosion. As said above you'll be better at a soccer field or community parks. If your visiting SD then by all means, hit the beach but it'll be more for the beach feel than the beach find. I live in SD and hit the beach EVERY week on sun mon and tues. 8 hrs ea day. I havent found a gold ring in over 2 months. Found a silver on the dry walk path at Coronado and found a gold hoop earring at Encinitas. That's it!
I use an excalibur 1000 and go from top of dry to about waist deep in the water. Simply put, it's close to sterile right now.

Last week I went to a park and with in 1 hr I got about 4.00 in coins (big deal right) and I found a sterling ring near a tree. If you want instant satisfaction hit a park. If you want to get burnt, get tennis elbow, and limp back to your car after 8 hrs of disappointment, go to the beach. That's the truth right now.
With the AT Pro you'll do better on the dry sand. The finds at the beach are about a foot deep right now minimum. On the upside, the weathers great the water isn't hot or cold but just right and the women...... oh the women......
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
Captain Kirk

Captain Kirk

Jr. Member
Dec 27, 2014
68
109
Western Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks for the replies everyone. As a pilot I picked up metal detecting as a hobby to keep me from staying in the hotel on these longer trips. Plus I've always wanted one! Coming from Minnesota it will be nice to hit some ground that isn't frozen solid even if I don't find anything at all. We're flying into Brown Field down near Tijuana (Boss is headed to a resort near there) Any parks I should steer clear of? I'm a 6'3, 230lb guy with a big metal pole and an 8" shank, but I don't want to run into any trouble if I can help it!
 

ironarmknives

Full Member
Nov 13, 2013
102
112
San Diego CA.
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS ,whites v3i, excalibur 1000 blue,
put to rest CTX 3030 ,MXT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
imperial beach is right there take palm ave west its safe and only a few miles …. or the silver strands its all beach to Coronado all within 10 or so miles from u ,your right on the border … and 6'3" aint gonna help much if your white so just if your at any parks just keep a low profile and eyes open LOL LOL hope i didn't offend anyone but its the truth ….. lived there most of my growing up times …… the beaches are safe … the bad guys run in packs if confronted just walk away there packing so don't act tuff be humble and get the hell away …. i ve never seen the gangs mess with detectors most i confronted are intrigued and think its cool but some just want to mess someone up just to do it …. just have fun but …. keep that third eye on guard …. the news won't report any mexican gang stuff they don't want to scare the tourist away … its here and big lots of them … just have fun and good luck theres aways stuff on the beaches
 

556baller

Jr. Member
Sep 22, 2014
22
3
Oceanside, CA
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace250
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've been hunting in North County: Oceanside, Carlsbad, and Encinitas, and it's been terrible. It's starting to pick up though.
 

jeepGold

Hero Member
Sep 7, 2014
585
579
Vegas
Detector(s) used
CTX3030, Nox800
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
stay out of the beach area's of Imperial Beach as hinted above. Two reasons. One they are a bust. The beaches Of Imperial are used mostly for fishing types and no one really goes there to lay out and have fun. I've tried it a few times and only found about a dollar hunting from the pier to about 1 mi north of the pier. Second reason, they are gang infested. Lots of cholo types looking to start crap. It's not worth it.
If you can head over to Chula Vista. Better communities and nice parks. I found TWO gold rings in the same park on the same day. It was a soccer field side line.
El Cajon is also iffy. Either white trash types and or cholo type low lifes.
Glad to see a pilot is into detecting. I'm an AMT for Delta at Lindbergh Field.
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
one thing all these CA folks have forgot to mention: the duty-tax is 20% goes to me, right off the top, for the "permit" required to detect in CA. I accept paypal :)
 

OP
OP
Captain Kirk

Captain Kirk

Jr. Member
Dec 27, 2014
68
109
Western Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks everyone, I'll let you know if I find anything good.

Tom, checks in the mail, better check the box often!
 

Last edited:

clv

Hero Member
Dec 23, 2012
714
1,101
santee, ca
Detector(s) used
Current Detectors; Minelab Safari, Equinox 600
TRX Pin Pointer, Fisher 1235x
Have owned; Minelab Eureka gold,
Tesoro Compadre, White's MX5, GMT, MXT Pro,
fisher cz7a pro, go fine 20, Garret Ma
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I don't know I picked up a pair (yes, a pair about 10 feet apart) of nice ear rings this morning on Coronado beach near the tower.
Dry sand should be good for the AT. Your best bet for coins is mission beach. Has a nice large and free parking lot just south of the roller coaster.
P.s. you can also get your southern CA detecting permit from me, (my are a lifetime permits).:occasion14:
 

jeepGold

Hero Member
Sep 7, 2014
585
579
Vegas
Detector(s) used
CTX3030, Nox800
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
If you buy from my you'll get the Buddah special. TWO lifetime memberships for the price of one. Can not be combined with other discounts, promotions, or special offers and only the original buyer is eligible for the double lifetime discount. (pray you don't become an ant in your next life as membership will become void since ants cant metal detect in Ca)
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
Captain Kirk, don't accept those sub-par imitation "knock-off" cheaper permits that other people are offering you. My permit-to-detect in CA .... even though more expensive, allows you unfettered access to detect private property and historic sensitive monuments! Yup, just show this permit, and the person will slink away embarassed for having accosted you.

ok, I'm checking my mail box now for your payment. Thanx!
 

mswarbrick

Greenie
Jan 5, 2010
19
4
Hunting pacific beach

My wife and I are at the Blue Sea Beach Hotel on Pacific Beach till Thursday Feb 19th. We live in Phoenix and came to detect the beach with my Minelab CTX 3030. Would love to hunt with anybody on the forum. Also any advice is appreciated.
 

mswarbrick

Greenie
Jan 5, 2010
19
4
JeepGold is right. Nothing on the beach. Hit it for several hours. Cleanest beach I've ever seen. Not even any trash. The beach cleaning machines got it all. And the waves are too strong to detect in the water. Even at low tide I found nothing. It's off to the parks today!
 

clv

Hero Member
Dec 23, 2012
714
1,101
santee, ca
Detector(s) used
Current Detectors; Minelab Safari, Equinox 600
TRX Pin Pointer, Fisher 1235x
Have owned; Minelab Eureka gold,
Tesoro Compadre, White's MX5, GMT, MXT Pro,
fisher cz7a pro, go fine 20, Garret Ma
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
JeepGold is right. Nothing on the beach. Hit it for several hours. Cleanest beach I've ever seen. Not even any trash. The beach cleaning machines got it all. And the waves are too strong to detect in the water. Even at low tide I found nothing. It's off to the parks today!


Was thinking about hitting mission beach today for the low tide this afternoon. I only found a hand full of clad in the sand and nothing in the wet a few days ago. I hate to do a 50 mile trip if you have already picked up everything that I had left.
 

OP
OP
Captain Kirk

Captain Kirk

Jr. Member
Dec 27, 2014
68
109
Western Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Which beach did you hit? I've got to hit at least one just for the experience, but then I'm headed to a park.
 

clv

Hero Member
Dec 23, 2012
714
1,101
santee, ca
Detector(s) used
Current Detectors; Minelab Safari, Equinox 600
TRX Pin Pointer, Fisher 1235x
Have owned; Minelab Eureka gold,
Tesoro Compadre, White's MX5, GMT, MXT Pro,
fisher cz7a pro, go fine 20, Garret Ma
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
mission beach next to roller coaster
 

mswarbrick

Greenie
Jan 5, 2010
19
4
At around 5 this morning I saw the beach cleaning machine working mission beach. Never saw one of those before. No wonder there is nothing (not even one pull tab) in the dry. What puzzled me is why is the wet at low tide devoid of any metal? The goodies must be too deep in the sand perhaps. My 17" coil couldn't find anything.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top