MD In Orange County, 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
Visiting the In-Laws in Costa Mesa this week. Brought the AT Pro to detect their yard. Wondered if anybody knows if you can detect on the beach, city parks, and public schools? Thanks.

All the beaches, parks, and schools (whether city administered or county administered, or state administered) down there get detected routinely. Without issue.

I'm sure that all the schools probably have the "obligatory" fences around them, with the "visitors check in at the office" type signs at the open turn-style gates. And I'm sure there's open debate on that . And no shortage of md'rs who've simply gone @ Sat. or Sun. when school is closed . But as for the parks and beaches: historically fair game.

Obviously avoid obvious historic sensitive monuments. And don't be in highly manicured turf at high noon waltzing over people beach blankets crashing archie conventions. Normal "low key don't be a nuisance" md'ing rules-of-thum apply, like any park hunting. Ie.: someone could say you're running afoul of "alter" or "deface". So ... just use common sense discretion.

Every single So. CA beach has never been a problem .
 

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
And lastly: There is the rule I must inform you of, when coming to CA : You must send me 30% of all your finds. I accept paypal. Thank you. :occasion14:
 

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
That's after splitting it with me Tom!

Don't listen to Rusty-gold. He charges 40%, but I only charge 30%. Plus mine comes with a universal detecting permit that allows you detect anywhere. Yup, even private property. Just flash those credentials, and the private property will slink away embarrassed for having questioned you. You can just go yard to yard with impunity !
 

OP
OP
TxAg

TxAg

Sr. Member
May 7, 2017
423
413
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Good answers (and humor) Tom & Rusty. Searched the In-Laws small yard and had some deep cent target readings but did not want to mess up their manicured yard. Thinking about hitting the elementary where my wife went as a child, then maybe Huntington or Newport Beach. Heard they clean the beaches, anybody know the schedule? Thanks.
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,216
14,538
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The beach grooming/sifting/cleaning machines are very efficient at Huntington and Newport. They work them almost every day during the summer. Lots of detectorists to compete with also.
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,216
14,538
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Every single So. CA beach has never been a problem .[/QUOTE]

Mostly, that's true. However, I've run across a few over-zealous MP's on military beaches, and wildlife refuge officials all worried about "their" bird habitats. After assuring them that I was staying strictly on the lower beach area and not the dunes, they reluctantly allowed me to continue. Also, some beaches have a curfew.....I know Huntington does.....so you might get kicked out if you like to night hunt. I know some guys who hunt there and they kinda know the beach patrol schedule. They hide for a while until the patrol passes. Never heard anyone ticketed for it, but, your mileage may vary! :icon_thumright:
 

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
..... I've run across a few over-zealous MP's on military beaches .....

Well, granted, you're not going to be able to detect @ Coronado's Navy seal training beaches, Pendleton,or other such off-limits beaches. But , heck, that's not for md'ing , that's probably for any entry. You probably couldn't even park or walk on those secluded stretches. But it's sort of a non-issue, as those are the normal beach access points in the first place for the general public.

..... wildlife refuge officials all worried about "their" bird habitats. .......

Yeah, this is not unique to there. Up and down Ca and other states, there's ribbons and barriers to keep people from trampling the dunes. So that , I guess, you don't disturb the nesting snowy plovers. Or hurt the fragile dune grass (heaven forbid). But again: This has nothing to do with detecting, per se. It's for all persons to "stay on the paths", till you've out into the beach. And scores of So. CA beaches don't even really have "dunes" anyhow. A ton of them have had historical municipal sprawl all the way up, so that the parking lots and streets and beach-side homes literally touch the beginning of the beach "towel line" area, it seems. So on those, you would run into no such nonsense on that wildlife type issues of dunes.

..... some beaches have a curfew.......They hide for a while until the patrol passes. Never heard anyone ticketed for it, but, your mileage may vary! :icon_thumright:

I'm sure those rules are so that they can reign in late-night college keg parties. Or simply that the parking lots are what closes for the night . But you can still walk from further away. We too have some beaches here that ..... if you looked long enough and hard enough there might be a "closed at sunset" clause ? Yet you will routinely see late night romantic couple stroll, etc.... If such hours are actually enforced down your way, then ..... so be it. But it would seem to be sort of a joke, if their way of patrolling/enforcing it, is to drive up and down the beach in an ATV. Because you could see those headlights coming from a mile away. And then simply walk into the shadows somewhere till they pass. I think they have bigger fish to fry than a man with a metal detector.
 

trdking

Gold Member
Feb 28, 2015
5,139
7,923
Fullerton CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I would try beaches further south T street san clemente and the like. Huntington gets sifted and like said previously, every MDer and their brother hits that. I pulled two gold rings from one hole on T street and have recently found clad that has been there for a long time. Still lots of beach left to go
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,216
14,538
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well, granted, you're not going to be able to detect @ Coronado's Navy seal training beaches, Pendleton,or other such off-limits beaches. But , heck, that's not for md'ing , that's probably for any entry. You probably couldn't even park or walk on those secluded stretches. But it's sort of a non-issue, as those are the normal beach access points in the first place for the general public.

Actually, you can hunt some of those areas, as long as you can get on the base. (I.E. military I.D. or guest). You just need to know which parts are open and which are not. Half the time, the MP's don't know!


Yeah, this is not unique to there. Up and down Ca and other states, there's ribbons and barriers to keep people from trampling the dunes. So that , I guess, you don't disturb the nesting snowy plovers. Or hurt the fragile dune grass (heaven forbid). But again: This has nothing to do with detecting, per se. It's for all persons to "stay on the paths", till you've out into the beach. And scores of So. CA beaches don't even really have "dunes" anyhow. A ton of them have had historical municipal sprawl all the way up, so that the parking lots and streets and beach-side homes literally touch the beginning of the beach "towel line" area, it seems. So on those, you would run into no such nonsense on that wildlife type issues of dunes.

This is where we get run off because of ignorance and/or they just want to give you the easy answer (NO) and move on. Even though signs are posted to keep out of the dunes and nesting area are clearly marked, there are those who ignore those signs and hunt anyway. The rest of us get tarred with the same brush and denied even hunting the surf. They seem to tolerate the other beach goers though....even ones who walk into the dunes.

I'm sure those rules are so that they can reign in late-night college keg parties. Or simply that the parking lots are what closes for the night . But you can still walk from further away. We too have some beaches here that ..... if you looked long enough and hard enough there might be a "closed at sunset" clause ? Yet you will routinely see late night romantic couple stroll, etc.... If such hours are actually enforced down your way, then ..... so be it. But it would seem to be sort of a joke, if their way of patrolling/enforcing it, is to drive up and down the beach in an ATV. Because you could see those headlights coming from a mile away. And then simply walk into the shadows somewhere till they pass. I think they have bigger fish to fry than a man with a metal detector.

There's a difference between closing the parking lots and closing the beach. Most parking lots have signs posted to keep people from camping overnight. Beach curfews are to keep people off the beach totally. As in most areas of enforcement, there are zealots and slackers. That doesn't change the actual law though. As I mentioned, there are ways of avoiding the patrols.
 

boogeyman

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2006
5,016
4,399
Out in the hills near wherendaheckarwe
Detector(s) used
WHITES, MINELAB, Garrett
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Good answers (and humor) Tom & Rusty. Searched the In-Laws small yard and had some deep cent target readings but did not want to mess up their manicured yard. Thinking about hitting the elementary where my wife went as a child, then maybe Huntington or Newport Beach. Heard they clean the beaches, anybody know the schedule? Thanks.
Newport Harbor High out in the field towards the nature project. The front of the school between the parking lot & Beek Hall used to be pretty good. A lot of the small beaches down by Dover shore don't get hit that bad. Costa Mesa Park facing the library has always been fun. That is the side where all the rides for the Fish Fry were set up. The park on Victoria overlooking the bluff is ok. Oh! they do sift the beaches in Newport frequently, but if you hit the fire rings down by the Balboa Pier there's lots of goodies but! expect to dig tons of nails from burned pallets & tabs.
 

Last edited:

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,216
14,538
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
You are despicable. Repent :-*

No! :laughing7: I'll just stay down here in San Diego where we don't have such nonsense as curfews and paid parking. I might get in trouble up there an La La Land. :tongue3:
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top