Finding treasure while diving?

[The Urban Prospector]

So ever since I took my first plunge into water detecting 2 years ago, I have thought about this particular location and it has literally haunted me every day up until a couple days ago. I have been a certified diver for 18 years but did not own any more than the basics for diving (gloves, boots, mask, snorkel, fins, etc) and of course my AT Pro which can only go 10' deep. So in the last 2 years I set out on a mission to acquire everything I would need to get down to this spot and collect all the years and years of loot. I since have purchased 2 wetsuits, regulators, BCD, bottles and a new Excalibur II for this occasion. Man I will tell you, I have had dreams of grandeur about this place. I could just imagine all the gold chains, rings and glorious treasure just laying on the bottom. I knew that if I was able to get down there, my finds from this one dive would surely make the banner.

Well the day came. About 30'-40' depth I reached the bottom with the Excal II in hand....beer cans EVERYWHERE! Along with every other type of trash imaginable. The detector was useless. It would take a week just to clean the visible trash enough to use the detector. Uggh, I was bummed.

Not letting this ruin my motivation, I hit another location near the first but before doing so spoke to a lady that lives in the area. She mentioned to me that the lake level gets dropped each year ALOT. So there went my dreams....I instantly knew that each year the local scavengers could hike down to these locations and simply pick the loot off of the ground. Man, was I bummed.

So in hopes of salvaging my sanity, I decided to go to a popular swim area and dive down and detect the swim float area as well as the end of the dock that many people dive from. Fortunately, it turned out a little better. The finds you see here are from those last few dives. All silver, no gold....I ain't done yet!

Take care everyone.

 

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[OBN]

I will gladly disagree with you. In fresh water which usually doesn't fluctuate much, gold and silver are mainly over the waders heads. I prove it year after year. Nobody can touch my finds or success here in Michigan while wading. Sure you find the newer rings and coins. However my finds speak for themselves I am in 6 - 8 foot of water finding silver and gold and lots of it. Every year the same results.

A lake last year I stumbled upon had absolutely nothing in wading water. Not a peep out of my detector. Waders with detectors have hammered it. Out deeper we pulled up 19 gold rings in one weekend. Didn't count the silver. My newest class ring out of that lake was 1911.

This year I have been hitting one spot almost exclusively. I promised the waders I would stay out of their area and I do. Look at my posts under Today's Finds. 37 pieces of gold and over 400 pieces of silver including 18 half dollars. This is all in less than three months. I will have a picture of everything after the season ends.

Back in the old days people didn't have TV, computers, or air conditioners. If they were around water they swam and went over their heads. Swim platforms were in most every lake state park. Now with lawsuits they are all gone.

You waders can have your spots. I will go over your head most the time and clean up big time.

IF I was the OP. I would go back down and clean up all the cans and bottles and play with the detector. Pick up everything and not be discouraged. Stuff is hiding under all that trash. And I could care less if it is muck. I love diving for what I am finding. My best year was 72 gold rings in inland lakes here in Michigan. I found 24 on one 4 day weekend again over waders heads.

I'm a wader...hehe

scuba
I go out relax and have fun, that's the secret right there..

Scuba you've been doing this for a long time and you see how these spots wear down over time, is there a end?

 

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[ScubaDetector]

One last post. OP, I hardly ever go to the lake bottom. i do when I find barrels that held down swim platforms and when I hunt drop offs outside swim areas. However, that is about it. I think you found some nice rings and there is more. HOWEVER, learn to be comfortable especially when you stir up the bottom and you can't see. Nothing was there to be tangled up in or attack you before you stirred it up and nothing is going to be there after. Learn to know exactly where your machine beeps and how far you have to reach to dig. I don't wear gloves and I dig in the muck. HOWEVER, I dig gently and never squeeze anything. I haven't been cut in a few years now. I carry two mesh bags. XS scuba P/N BG570. They are not made anymore but you can still buy them online.

Pick up a handful of muck and wave it in front of your coil. Do this until the target is in your hand. Put the whole handful of muck in one of the bags. Hold the top shut and swish it in the water. Reach in carefully and take out the target and put it in the other bag. FORGET trying to look at it. Plenty of time after you get out of the water and your air is gone to admire your finds. Don't worry about zero visibility. Keep detecting and keep collecting targets. ENJOY the dive and concentrate on your machine. You will find more targets, save on air and have a pleasant time.

 

[Squirrel322]

ScubaDetector Crazy? LOL crazy like a fox....

I would love to do some dive detecting someday. If I found a fraction of what he does I would be thrilled.

 

[ScubaDetector]

I'm a wader...hehe

scuba
I go out relax and have fun, that's the secret right there..

YES, you are a wader. HOWEVER, you have the tides in your favor!! We don't have water 20' deep one minute and dry land another! You do. If you were here with me, you would still find gold, but not as much as you can there. You are GREAT at what you do. I have seen your results. I might be wrong but I think if you were here with all the other waders, your finds might not be as plentiful as they are there.

Yes OBN, there is an end, if I understand right. I was in the lake I found 24 golds on a 4 day weekend in last week. I found a few new coins and that was it. I went to another lake I hammered a long time ago that was a CCC camp in the 30's. I pulled a lot of gold and silver out of it in the past. Absolutely nothing but new change. I am writing both those lakes off my list for a few years if not for good. As has been stated, most people refuse to swim in water over their heads now days.

However, with 11 thousand lakes here in Michigan and me being able to go where I want when I want. I will be able to find places that nobody has ever touched like where I am playing now.

With my new underwater drone, I will also be able to find where swim platforms were hiding without even getting wet!

 

[OBN]

YES, you are a wader. HOWEVER, you have the tides in your favor!! We don't have water 20' deep one minute and dry land another! You do. If you were here with me, you would still find gold, but not as much as you can there. You are GREAT at what you do. I have seen your results. I might be wrong but I think if you were here with all the other waders, your finds might not be as plentiful as they are there.

Yes OBN, there is an end, if I understand right. I was in the lake I found 24 golds on a 4 day weekend in last week. I found a few new coins and that was it. I went to another lake I hammered a long time ago that was a CCC camp in the 30's. I pulled a lot of gold and silver out of it in the past. Absolutely nothing but new change. I am writing both those lakes off my list for a few years if not for good. As has been stated, most people refuse to swim in water over their heads now days.

However, with 11 thousand lakes here in Michigan and me being able to go where I want when I want. I will be able to find places that nobody has ever touched like where I am playing now.

With my new underwater drone, I will also be able to find where swim platforms were hiding without even getting wet!

Yes I do play the tide game for sure...
I guess the good around here, like your area most of these spots have been forgotten and only can be got to by boat. I think I have about 83 beach's at hand.. much like the lakes.. Just hitting the right one at the right time is the challenge since all move constantly. And each day I grow younger....

Let me know when you go back to the ones you X'ed off the list, be interesting to see if things changed. If My area was not so plentiful I would visit, would be interesting if my concept of hunting would be different then the locals of the lakes. I do know my last trip there I shook the tree a little with a 32gram gold ring..

 

[Fletch88]

I have the CZ-21 hip-mounted. Both the 8 and 10.5" coil versions. I also have a Tiger Shark with interchangeable coils and I have both. Neither float and are very easy to use. I have been doing this since the year 2000.

I am sure it won't being hip-mounted. But it certainly will float like a cork when shaft mounted.

I do remember Fisher advised against hipmounting for diving in the owners but to each his own.

 

[ScubaDetector]

I am sure it won't being hip-mounted. But it certainly will float like a cork when shaft mounted.

I do remember Fisher advised against hipmounting for diving in the owners but to each his own.

Fisher advises against it for a STUPID reason.

"Caution: Hip-mounting the CZ-21 control housing is not recommended for underwater use. The search coil cable may become entangled with a submerged object, making it difficult for the diver to resurface quickly in an emergency"

Taken verbatim from the book.

What is down there? Absolutely nothing to get tangled in. I also have it on a weight belt so it can easily be released. I have been diving with one for 16 years now.

Why would anyone try to swing a machine like that on the shaft? I can swing a shaft all day with the coil and not get tired. I never change the settings, never need the pinpoint button. My results speak for themselves. That clause in the book is to protect them ONLY. Sue happy Americans.

I am not telling anyone how to use a machine. I am saying how I use the machine and I am quite happy with it. Do what you want and how you want. Just enjoy what you do and what you find.

 

[Taterade]

Just snorkeling in a lake I found an eagle talon the car in about 15 ft of water. Just doing some simple breathing exercises and you can stay down in 20 ft of water for more than 1 min. Cheaper than scuba.

 

[ScubaDetector]

Just snorkeling in a lake I found an eagle talon the car in about 15 ft of water. Just doing some simple breathing exercises and you can stay down in 20 ft of water for more than 1 min. Cheaper than scuba.

Might be cheaper but I guarantee a diver will find more and it is a lot less tiring. Swim up and down every minute, try to swing a detector and fan for your target? Good luck with that.

 

[Taterade]

Lol yea your probably right but Im going to try it this summer. Buying some weights to help me get down faster. The more I do it the longer I can stay down. (Helps me with my spearfishing addiction). Thanks but no tanks.

 

[Truth]

Was your location a rock or sand bottom? Reason why ask is there's an old river in my town but it's a all sand bottom.


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