I Have The Utmost Respect For All The Water Hunters Out There!!!

[Lifes A Garden...Dig IT]

Me and my wife just returned from a nice vacation to Florida. We had been living in Florida up to maybe 2 1/2 years ago and normally metal detected the dry sand at minimal three times a week, usually more. We found a generous amount of targets to keep us happy and hunting most of the time. At that time I did not have a good enough machine for the wet sand or water hunting. Since then, I have been blessed enough to obtain a Garrett AT Pro and and a Minelab Safari.
So we were pysched to try the Safari for dry/wet sand and the AT Pro for dry/wet sand and water. First challenge is the fact I think most of the beaches were recently sanded in. Second, OMG once getting a signal with the Pro in the water, it seemed close to impossible to retrieve the targets . The beaches I speak of is St Pete beach, Treasure Island beach, Sunset Beach, and Pass A Grille beach. We were there from May 1st-8th. Between the mild rolling surf, the shifting of sand (especially once you've disturbed the ocean floor) at the target, and the fact that nothing looks quite the same in the water as it does on the surface. I enjoyed being in the water and trying, but I can tell that this type of hunting is going to take a whole lot more practice and skill. There was another hunter in the water and passed right by us in a wet suit, he could have been a fellow TH'er from TNet, not sure. If so, wished we could have said hello and would have welcomed any tips . Most targets read 6"-8" and digging with scoop was not as easy as I assumed either. Once you penetrate the smooth top layers of sand, it seems to be a harder mixture of broken shells and coarser sand beneath. I do want to add that the beach scoop was homemade and that might be part of the culprit. Although, we did also have a true quality handheld beach scoop and my wife would try her best to scoop with that too and was getting tossed around like a dingy in the middle of a storm. Needless to say, I never even retrieved one single target from the water . Not even junk target signals. We looked like two drunk monkeys, or Laurel & Hardy out there trying to water hunt. AGAIN, hats off to all the guys and gals out there that water hunt. You are the $hit!!! You deserve any good finds you come across because it doesn't come easy, I know now you have to work at it with patience, skill, and due diligence.

 

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[WaterWalker]

Thumbs up to you and your wife for giving the surf a try. But next trip do yourself a favor and use a long handle water scoop. There are pictures of home made scoops you can build for very little money to the cadillacs costing up to a couple of hundred dollars. You just have to have one strong enough that you can push on the backside with your foot. Good luck on your next water detecting hunt.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Who says MD'ers don't work for what they get! They certainly do! Looks easy when a pro does it!

 

[fongu]

I've never water hunted in the ocean, but even in the river and lakes there are 1-2 foot waves when the wind is blowing out of the Northwest, but nothing like the ocean. The boats push you around with their wakes especially when you are chest to neck deep and not wearing a weight belt. The later in the day, the more alcohol enters the picture and some of those boaters and jet skis come mighty close. I would like to make a trip to Florida and check it out and some of the shore lines here in Ga, also.
Get a good scoop and post your finds. GL & HH.

 

[bigscoop]

Water hunting can be brutal at times. Here on the east coast there's rarely what you could call a calm day and whenever there is it's like heaven. It wasn't bad out there today but it still wears you down, always shoving you around, current always trying to carry you or your scoop & detector away. It sucks but if you want to hunt in the water then you just have to learn to deal with it. But like anything else, do it enough and it becomes something of second nature to you. The first time I tried water hunting over here I said, "Ain't no freak'in way!"

 

[Eddie Current]

I got into water detecting about two months ago down here in Florida (moved here in Jan from KY.) Today the water was mellow on Tampa Bay so split my time between the dry land and water. Digging in dirt is easier than water... but water is great exercise. I agree with the comment about getting a long handled scoop. Found a guy that sold me his old stainless fairly cheap. Filed the edges on the scoop so that they cut the wet sand better. Enjoy the water and the time you are having on the beaches.

Found mostly junk in the water today, and a few of the holes took 5-9 scoops to get the target.

BUT... over the last two months 1 small silver ring and 2 small gold rings.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Next to good detector a water scoop is your most important tool. If your going to hunt wet sand and in the water get a good water scoop, it is worth it's weight in gold.....







American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

 

[CASPER-2]

ALMOST ALL MY VACATIONS ARE DETECTING VACATIONS - AND WHEN I GET BACK - I TELL PEOPLE I NEED A VACATION AFTER MY VACATION CAUSE i WORK VERY HARD IN THE WATER WHEN IM ON VACATION

 

[CASPER-2]

A TRIP TO MEX. 2012 - I HUNT IN ALL METAL AND DIG IT ALL
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/members/29748-albums1651-picture677552.html
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/members/29748-albums1651-picture677554.html
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/members/29748-albums1651-picture677553.html
AND THATS NOT COUNTING ALL THE JUNK AND OTHER ODDS AND ENDS

HERES A TRIP FROM DOM.REP.
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/members/29748-albums1795.html

ONCE AGAIN WITHOUT THE TRASH AND OTHER KEEPERS
LOT OF TIME - LOT OF DIGGING

 

[G.I.B.]

...so your the guy that was poaching along my beaches!

Yep, already said, but the scoop is very important in the surf. It does take a bit of practice, but keep at it.

I finally got a stealth scoop and dig about a yard of sand with each scoop. I've put magnets inside it to capture the crap iron. You need to time your digs in-between waves sometimes, and wait for the water to clear a little after you dig.

I enjoy the surf the best.

Two people detecting on the beach or in the surf and both of them thinking, 'I wonder if he is a TN guy' at the same time will never know if you don't say hello first.

I'm always happy to talk to (and lie about my finds) another detectorist.

HH

 

[Landlord Jim]

I also do very well with my Sunspot Stealth scoop. Built like a brick ____house!

 

[bigscoop]

I have a couple of scoops, find that each one seems to work better for me depending on what conditions I'm hunting in. I have the big Stealth which is great in fairly calm and fairly shallow water but in deeper water or in strong currents it sucks! The one I have has the 90 degree handle mounted in the back which makes a full load hard to balance, also requires too much bending forward to create enough scoop angle.

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

I totally hear that!!..I did some water detecting a couple weeks ago, and i swear i spent about 1-2 minutes on each target!!...Plus i found my sand scoop is completely worth in hard Clay bottoms....I ended up using my hand as a shovel...No bueno!!

 

[bigscoop]

A great deal of water hunting is blind hunting a lot of the time, can't really see where you're going, where you've been, and you can't see the bottom. These things become compounded when there's waves, currents, uneven bottoms, etc. Seasoned water hunters get really good at two things, using landmarks or points of reference to help keep them on course and mastering the art of pinpointed their targets. In the water you can't always count on drag marks from your scoop or footprints to keep you on course and you can't pinpoint targets by watching your coil. I always tell people interested in water hunting to practice these two things on land first, get use to locating your coil with your foot instead of your eyes. This will make your first few water hunting experiences much easier right out of the gate.

PS: I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the extra drag/resistance that is placed against their swing. Something else that has caused a lot of hunters to quickly head back to dry land.

 

[G.I.B.]

PS: I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the extra drag/resistance that is placed against their swing. Something else that has caused a lot of hunters to quickly head back to dry land.

Very good point. I mount my control box on my belt and have an Anderson straight shaft. Less drag without the box on the shaft.

I also have some 550 cord which attaches my shaft to the belt. I can drop the shaft without straining any of my cords and nothing washes away. Two hands are needed with the big scoop.

I've also attached a small rope to the top of my Stealth with a wooden dowel as a handle, which allows me to comfortably drag the scoop behind me.

My toe marks the heel of the coil for the hit and then the pointed tip of the scoop is then put at the tip of my toe. I usually get my target in the first scoop unless it's really deep.

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

A great deal of water hunting is blind hunting a lot of the time, can't really see where you're going, where you've been, and you can't see the bottom. These things become compounded when there's waves, currents, uneven bottoms, etc. Seasoned water hunters get really good at two things, using landmarks or points of reference to help keep them on course and mastering the art of pinpointed their targets. In the water you can't always count on drag marks from your scoop or footprints to keep you on course and you can't pinpoint targets by watching your coil. I always tell people interested in water hunting to practice these two things on land first, get use to locating your coil with your foot instead of your eyes. This will make your first few water hunting experiences much easier right out of the gate.

PS: I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the extra drag/resistance that is placed against their swing. Something else that has caused a lot of hunters to quickly head back to dry land.

Whats really hard for me, is to adjust BACK to dry detecting right when i get out of the water...Im so used to the drag in the water, when i get outt i feel like I'm swinging 1000 mph..lol

 

[fongu]

When I hunt the river, I pinpoint my target with my coil and put my foot against the back of the coil and slide the sunspot scoop to the side of my foot and pretty much stay on course. I can just guess how the surf would knock you off your target and cause extra scooping. Anytime I pull my scoop out of the wet sand to scan with my coil, I put my foot there to mark my place. I know if I ever get to the ocean, I will have to adapt my strategy to the surf. I would love to hit the beaches in Amsterdam if I ever get back across the pond.

 

[Un Da Da Sea]

Here in Hawaii it's especially hard...the freezing 76 degree water, the
frigid 85 degree average temperature, the usual crystal clear water not
to mention the mind boggling bikini's...I'll stop there. The list of hardships
go on and on. Bottom line is "it's a tough job but somebody has to do it".

 

[CASPER-2]

I always wear a mask and snorkel - recommend highly if you can do it - some aren't comfortable - I can dig 3 times the amount of targets than someone not wearing one - ask anyone ive hunted with - and I use a small coil cz21 - no drag at all on my coil

A great deal of water hunting is blind hunting a lot of the time, can't really see where you're going, where you've been, and you can't see the bottom. These things become compounded when there's waves, currents, uneven bottoms, etc. Seasoned water hunters get really good at two things, using landmarks or points of reference to help keep them on course and mastering the art of pinpointed their targets. In the water you can't always count on drag marks from your scoop or footprints to keep you on course and you can't pinpoint targets by watching your coil. I always tell people interested in water hunting to practice these two things on land first, get use to locating your coil with your foot instead of your eyes. This will make your first few water hunting experiences much easier right out of the gate.

PS: I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the extra drag/resistance that is placed against their swing. Something else that has caused a lot of hunters to quickly head back to dry land.

 

[bigscoop]

I always wear a mask and snorkel - recommend highly if you can do it - some aren't comfortable - I can dig 3 times the amount of targets than someone not wearing one - ask anyone ive hunted with - and I use a small coil cz21 - no drag at all on my coil

Mask and snorkel here wouldn't gain much, water is always too cloudy and stirred up most of the time. I use the 8" coil on my Excal a lot and even with the controls out of the water there's still a lot of drag quite a bit of the time. I guess it just depends on where you water hunt but there is generally always a noticeable current here. It sucks! But if you want to water hunt here then you just have to deal with it.