Looking for Specific Recommendations - Princess Cays - Bahamas 1-day hunt.

sexton

Jr. Member
Apr 8, 2013
52
21
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If it was me water the whole time depending on the ocean. I was in the Bahamas last January could only hunt the wet during low tide do to waves.
 

Captain Caveman

Silver Member
May 14, 2015
2,513
2,234
Madison, MS
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75SE, F44, F2 and CZ-20. Minelab E-TRAC and Go-Find 60. Tesoro Tejon. BH Quick Silver.
Primary Interest:
Other
All I can tell you is that when I'm on the coast, I prefer to hunt in the water. I stay between the water/beach line and about mid-thigh water level.
 

CASPER-2

Gold Member
Jan 3, 2012
17,153
19,933
NEW ENGLAND
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
6
Detector(s) used
WHITE'S XLT, PI PRO, GARRETT 2500, 3- FISHER CZ21s, JW FISHER 8X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If you are going to a spot that others live there and hunt or vacation there and hunt
don't think youre going to get advice on where to find gold there
that being said - I find way more gold in the water than I ever have on land or sand
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
In the water, in the water, in the water...oh, by the way, hunt in the water...good finds can be anywhere in the water but your best chance is where you see the most people in the water...hunt the people line, which is usually waist to chest deep and changes as the tide goes up and down...good luck
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,301
54,448
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
In the water, in the water, in the water...oh, by the way, hunt in the water...good finds can be anywhere in the water but your best chance is where you see the most people in the water...hunt the people line, which is usually waist to chest deep and changes as the tide goes up and down...good luck
Ditto...
 

PI PETE

Hero Member
Aug 10, 2009
550
291
Detector(s) used
Excal_1000 / Whites VX3 / Shadow 2-Troy / & Infinium L-S/Garrett / AT GOLD
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Find more time than 6 hours!
 

BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,307
16,929
Mountain Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I went in Sept, found me a gold ring, engraved "Rodrigo":laughing7:
I, like you, was locked in for 6 hours, and wanted to stay in the water the whole time, but....
At Cococay beach, there is a big lagoon, which was ripe and ready for me...as the morning progressed, the crowd stirred up the water, making it very murky, as well as there were so many rocks, that my scoop was pretty much useless...
By 11 am I was up on the beach, then I started finding US clad like crazy... Made no sense either, as the island was exclusively Seapass cards.... By lunch time, my wife was all hungry and bored, so I called "one more target" Bang! There's the ring...I quit after that.
I toted the Garrett Camo duffel bag with me at all times, never let it out of my sight. Sure I got a few looks, but mostly from guys who'd wished they brought theirs.

Good luck brother, and Bon voyage!
 

streetglide

Jr. Member
Aug 17, 2011
82
44
Santa Barbara ca.
Detector(s) used
Mxt, Excal. 800, 1000
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
The key to your day detecting is to be first off the ship. Get to the disembarking deck early. If your docked off shore, it takes more time to reach the shore on the ferry boats. If the boat docs on a pier you can disembark faster. Google map where the boat docs, and map out the beaches you want to detect. Get taxi on shore and of to the beach. Bring some energy bars to munch on. On shore ask the beach life guards if any one has lost any big ticket items .Have fun all day, you can rest when you get back on board. Good luck Joe
 

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BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,307
16,929
Mountain Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
The AT pro is solid in the water, just be sure to very thoroughly rinse off the machine before you ferry back to the ship.
I have been rocking the grey ghost amphibians for headphones, not just for h2o, but land as well... If you roll with the stock headphones, don't get them wet.

Call Bart at Big Boys Hobbies if you need any gear!
 

BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,307
16,929
Mountain Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
The Garrett stock headphones suck.
The foam falls off the headphone constantly, and the sweat here in FL, makes for them to clog up and act weird...
I only roll with the GG amph's, no matter where I hunt.
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I, like you, was locked in for 6 hours, and wanted to stay in the water the whole time, but....
At Cococay beach, there is a big lagoon, which was ripe and ready for me...as the morning progressed, the crowd stirred up the water, making it very murky, as well as there were so many rocks, that my scoop was pretty much useless...
By 11 am I was up on the beach, then I started finding US clad like crazy... Made no sense either, as the island was exclusively Seapass cards.... By lunch time, my wife was all hungry and bored, so I called "one more target" Bang! There's the ring...I quit after that.
I toted the Garrett Camo duffel bag with me at all times, never let it out of my sight. Sure I got a few looks, but mostly from guys who'd wished they brought theirs.

I figure I've got a solid 3.5 hours in the water, and then I'll give the sand a try as last ditch if I haven't found bling by then. I get to start just 2 hours after low tide... and high tide is 4 hours later. There's only a 2.5 foot difference this time of year, so I figure if I start at thigh deep to start with, I should be able to cover more water (easier to swing the coil with the box out of the water).

Did you have any issues with the AT Pro in the water? My understanding is to just ground balance IN the water, and I should be good. I'm also considering NOT buying water headphones if I'm only going to be standing in the ocean. Thoughts there?
Swinging with the box above the water is much harder than swinging it chest deep with the box submerged...seems like it would be easier in shallow water but its not...when I get tired swinging in the shallows I head out chest deep to energize back up...you will see what I mean...shallow water swinging will wear you down quick....a regular hunt in the water is 7 to 9 hours for me...I put water proof phones on my AT Pro and never took them off...I don't have to worry about the rain when Im land hunting.
 

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biggmike

Hero Member
May 27, 2010
750
724
Florida
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
CZ7A Pro / CZ21 / F75 LTD
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks Lookingdown, I'm pretty much convinced that water hunting is the way to go. I found some videos of the swimming area, and it appears to be fairly walkable quite a ways out...

The swinging with the box IN the water being easier, seems backwards to me. Seems like the box out of the water would be easier. I'm looking forward to experiencing what you're talking about.

Which is faster, though?

Skippy
It's absolutely true Skippy. I'm not sure if it's buoyancy or what but the box underwater is twice if not three times easier. We always do marathon hunts (8-10 hours) and there is no way I could do that if it wasn't for chest deep water. I spend at least 75% of my hunt in waist to chest deep because of that but I find as much if not more in knee deep water but either way it sounds like you have about five hours to hunt so my advice to you would be to spend about five hours IN the water. Good luck and please let us know how you do.
 

MiamiFox

Hero Member
Aug 2, 2013
765
477
Miami Florida
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030. Excal II, Garrett AT Pro, Howie Scoop
Colt Python .357 6"
Winchester 94 30-30
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Hunt in the water. I have an AT Pro and my normal water setup is always the same Pro Zero mode, sensitivity as high as I can get it on Miami beaches about 3 bars shy of full then I do a manual ground balance in the water and that's about it. But keep in mind TAKE OFF THE COIL COVER (sand and air get's in and will cause noise) plus I use divers grease on all the O rings for the coil and head phone connectors and battery connector. Good luck and post photos of all the gold you find.
 

ken(Toronto)

Jr. Member
Mar 7, 2008
20
13
I've hunted the 2nd beach south of the channel (where the tender docks) for 2 hours or so in the morning, on a cruise. Got 3 rings: silver, stainless, and titanium....no gold. Another fellow who hunted all 3 south beaches got one gold ring, he was using a snorkle and did some fanning....there are lots of coral, and very hard to use the water scoop, so a snorkle and hand fanning would be best!
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks for the report...too bad you had no luck...sounds like that beach has been hunted out...I hate hunting in rough conditions...it just takes all the fun out of it for me.
 

sailaway

Hero Member
Mar 2, 2014
623
815
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I know its after you traveled but for those that may head that way here is some info.

I have sailed those waters, and there is a strong 6 knot current just offshore. Sailing vessels avoid that area because to the south is a large coral reef, the winds and current try and push you ashore. To the North is the reef known as the Devils Backbone. There is a dive operation there and most of the area has been searched. Castaway Cay would be a much better spot to detect. That island is the site of the oldest known shipwreck with gold and silver on board, 15 feet of water in sand over hard coral base. the two stacks of artifacts, one silver, one gold were found offshore to the south west where the reef drops off to hundreds of feet.
Tumbaga Bars - plundered Aztec artifacts
Be aware that the Bahamas have very strict laws regarding treasure salvage. Fox Hill Prison is no place to spend your vacation.

The Turks and Cacios are a great place to search for treasures (but be careful not to break the laws), as the oldest completely salvaged wreck in the new world was done by Texas A&M off of French Cay. (1515) Spanish ship wrecked at Molasses Reef on the Caicos bank, became known as the Molasses Reef Shipwreck
Turks and Caicos National MuseumMolasses Reef Shipwreck - Turks and Caicos National Museum

West of Provo out by the inner reef there were stacks of cannons found by Jacques Cousteau when he hired a friend of mine for a diving trip.

In 1687 $600,000 in gemstones, gold and silver was recovered from the Silver Shoals by Sir William Phipps.

In 1718 Anne Bonny and Mary Read capture Spanish treasure ship and settle on Parrot Cay.

In 1850 English Captain Delaney recovered $130,000 in pirate treasure at Big Sand Cay, where he claimed to have left over $10,000 face value at the site for someone to find. The stories that came from this were the inspiration for the tale of "Treasure Island". Many of the island landmarks in the story like the Looking glass arch and the underwater cave are really on this island.
The Turks Cays - Big Sand Cay, Gibbs Cay, Long Cay, Penniston Cay, Martin Alonzo Pinzon Cay - Turks and Caicos Islands
 

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