Jacksonville Beach?

[Bum Luck]

Some years back I spent an afternoon detecting with my GTI 2500 at Jacksonville Beach, right off the parking lot.

I know it was January, but it was a great day for someone from Wisconsin, about 50 degrees (above zero), but there weren't any folks out on the sand except me.

So what - I sniffed around anyway. Bottom line - nada; well, maybe a few clad coins and I dug everything since it was so easy. A few pull tabs, bottle caps, wine caps (sound like the Titanic).

It almost seemed like the city sifted the beach for junk there was so little out there.

Can any locals tell me what was going on?

Do they add sand, sift it for junk, or what?

[Jon Phillips]

I'm not local to Jax...but I can tell you what happened.

The same thing that happens at all Florida beaches.

Your problem was, you hunted in the afternoon....but...that morning there were about five or six retired couples out there at the butt-crack of dawn cleaning the place out for you!

Back when I was a teenager, I could go to the beach ten times, and never see another detectorist. Now, I see one or two every time. And they are at it like it's their JOB!

It's just a much more popular hobby now, and there is a lot more competition.

I would find coins that had obviously been in the sand for a long time, and newer stuff by the handfuls at the volleyball areas, and picnic/swings/etc., so I know the beaches weren't that hard hit back then.

[Treasure_Hunter]

Not going to find many fresh drops in January on most Florida beaches north of Melborne. Too cold for the locals, and not enough tourists swimming..... Add on top of that the sand brought in by the tides and pickins are slim. If you can hit beach after a Nor'easter, or a storm with surf hitting the Eastern beaches at about 190 degrees you will find lots of targets.

[Diver_Down]

The area is picked clean by January. They do not sift or comb the beach. Also, the fact that there is no beach access for vehicles limits those that visit during the winter. Most will drive the half hour to St. Augustine where they can park on the beach. Most beach goers will utilize their vehicle as a wind screen and still enjoy the sun's rays on the southside of their vehicle.

[Bum Luck]

Well, I guess that explains that.

So, is there anything that you run across at St Aug?

I loved the Castillo since I was a kid, but I never was able to connect it with any decent leads, although when you think about it, the whole town has to be detector territory.

[Diver_Down]

Well, I guess that explains that.

So, is there anything that you run across at St Aug?

I loved the Castillo since I was a kid, but I never was able to connect it with any decent leads, although when you think about it, the whole town has to be detector territory.

That it is. Just need to know where to detect and what is legal to do so. In some areas, you can go down 4" and get to original 16th century finds. I just attended a seminar on recent archeological digs and the one area they had basically removed the turf layer and were down to the original settlement soil strata.

[Sapper23]

I'm wondering if any of the Artifacts, on that recent dig
will be shown to the public? .. To bad she didn't get into the First 1540's settlement site. now that's Florida History just the same old
"Fountain of Youth site".

[Diver_Down]

I do know that I plan on wading through the Hospital this coming year.