How far can a person go out in the water at the Treasure Coast areas?

gold-digger · Sep 6, 2007

Looking to get the facts before one ventures out in to Pirate Territory.

seas1to2 · Sep 6, 2007

depends on were you go out, some places you can't hunt in the water at all , just the dry sand other places as deep as you want to go .I don't have the info you need sure someone here has it.

Bigcypresshunter · Sep 6, 2007

You cannot go in the water at all on the Treasure Beaches anywhere near a shipwreck site with a metal detector. You can swim out to the cannons if you leave your MD in the car.

erikk · Sep 8, 2007

Yup, under lease and they DO take it seriously

ivan salis · Sep 8, 2007

going in the water with a metal detector off the known treasure beaches with leased wrecksites? --nope not at all -- the lease holders are rightfully protective of their "paid for" lease sites --- now if you have no detector and plan NOT to take ANYTHING AT ALL from the wrecks you can go look at them -- but do not go in the waters with "treasure yeilding in mind"-- the beaches waterline to dune foot ---is a differant matter --

Ivan

re-tek · Sep 8, 2007

ok guys, so you cant even wade in with a metal detector to say 3-4 depth on the beach if its near a wreck? arent these wrecks further out like 15 feet of water or more?

ivan salis · Sep 8, 2007

with a metal detector in hand - do not enter the water at all --the water is leased -- you can swim and "look" but do not take any treasure in the water or off the wreck sites --it "legally belongs" to the folks who paid the state of florida for the right to harvest the sites and they are very protective of the rights they "paid" for --just like you would be --- ---on the beach its waterline to dune foot detect away -- it real simple -- no metal detecting in "leased" waters -- period-- Ivan

re-tek · Sep 9, 2007

ivan salis said:
with a metal detector in hand - do not enter the water at all --the water is leased -- you can swim and "look" but do not take any treasure in the water or off the wreck sites --it "legally belongs" to the folks who paid the state of florida for the right to harvest the sites and they are very protective of the rights they "paid" for --just like you would be --- ---on the beach its waterline to dune foot detect away -- it real simple -- no metal detecting in "leased" waters -- period-- Ivan

ok, i'm still not getting a very straight answer here...
let say wreck is 75 feet from shore. there has to be a boundary, a circle, some measurement to encompass the claim area. just saying "dont search near a wreck" isnt a good answer. whats considered "near a wreck" could be 100 feet or half a mile depending on who you ask.

somewhere there has to be an actual number as to how far a perimeter a wreck claim encompasses.

ivan salis · Sep 9, 2007

normally a leasee has a rather large "LEGAL" 3,000 yd radius around their wreck sites --which means all the way to the nearby shorelines ( the wreck sites tend to over lap basically closing off "water access" around the treasure beach areas from "free lancers") -- SO the simple "easy" answer is NO --you can not hunt in the water by the known "registered" and leased wrecks -- the salvors that have the wreck sites leased WILL have you arrested if you attempt to do so --- sadly I know thats not what you want to hear -- but its "just the facts" as joe friday said in dragnet-- now you can see why my answer is no itsnot allowed ( I'm just trying to keep you from getting in trouble with the law -- many folks who don't know find out the "hard way" sadly)-- now the waterline to dune foot on the beaches are a differant matter --have at em -- and good luck -- the somewhere you talk about is the state arch dept that issues the lease's --in the lease it spells out the distances "leased" -- once one "plots"all the the various leases -- "the facts" become quite clear -- Ivan

MoTwister · Sep 10, 2007

Boats can and do work right up near the shore line on their leases. This summer the boat that I was on and a sub contractor to the Fishers on the Nieves site at Douglas beach we were within 80 feet of the shore and finding coins in 8-10 feet of water after removing the overburden aka sand. And I have seen other contractors with deflectors even closer than that so the leases run about up to the shoreline.

spez401 · Sep 13, 2007

re-tek
essentially ALL of the water up and down the treasure coast is under lease. The leases extend in a radius, and cover right up to the shoreline. The practical result is that you can't go in the water at all with a MD. severe penalties result.

steve

FLauthor · Sep 17, 2007

Here is a plan, I haven't tried yet. At low tide, take a shovel and dig a hole about 4 feet square and 4 feet deep, hunt the sand mound and inside the hole you dug. Continue to dig in one direction, filling in the hole behind you and repeat using the metal detector. It's a lot of hard work but you'll be hunting an area that no one has hunted in years. Chances of finding something from the 1715 era are better then they are now. I've hunted those beaches for hours and find only modern coins and junk. My Excaliber will detect a dime at 18 inches so if I dig down 48 inches then that's over 5 feet. I may try this method when the weather is a little cooler.

In Nome, Alaska, they mine the beaches for the gold content year round. Why couldn't this method work along the Treasure Beaches. Stake out a claim and dig down. The advantages of digging below the high tide mark is obvious. When high tide returns, it refills the hole back in for you. Never leave an open deep hole on the beach after dark where someone may get hurt if they fall into it.
Be sure you are physically fit for such an activity too.

Bigcypresshunter · Sep 17, 2007

At night treasure hunters were digging six foot deep holes in the dunes and not filling them back. The Vero Beach caretaker told me he finds many shovels left behind. I dont know why.
For weeks after the storms you didnt need to dig and treasure was still hard to find. To find the right spot is key. I guess its better than not trying at all. You may also spot some emeralds this way.

joya_dorado · Sep 17, 2007

This may be a stupid question but in what state or states is this Treasure Coast area you guys talking about? Here in Texas there is absolutely no diving allowed on old wreck sites as I understand it. State claims ownership of anything offshore. Sad situation what with hundreds of shipwrecks off Padre Island and northward along the Gulf Coast.

Bigcypresshunter · Sep 17, 2007

joya_dorado said:
This may be a stupid question but in what state or states is this Treasure Coast area you guys talking about? Here in Texas there is absolutely no diving allowed on old wreck sites as I understand it. State claims ownership of anything offshore. Sad situation what with hundreds of shipwrecks off Padre Island and northward along the Gulf Coast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Coast

ivan salis · Sep 17, 2007

there is an area in florida called "the treasure coast" due to the large amount of treasure that has been found over the years from the 1715 fleet that wrecked in the area -- Ivan

ivan salis · Sep 17, 2007

the answer---if the question is "how far can a person with a metal detector go into the water on other folks "leased" known treasure sites?" -- the answer ---all the way to jail --- the known leased areas have about a 3,000 yard radius in the water basically to the waterline on the beach --- going in the water with a metal detector is a big no no --- they are off limits sites and the folks who "pay" for the lease will have you arrested -- for cutting into their action -- Ivan