Bad Economy = less gold

[petersra]

I went to the beach 2 days in a row. Had a late start yesterday cause my Dual Field detector cuff broke and I had to make a SS replacement. Set me back 2 hours so I chose not to water hunt, just do the wet sand. Found $0.77 (not pictured) and a toasted cell phone (my second cell). However, when I got to the beach the water was flat as a pancake. I sure wanted to be in the water and I had my wet suite, but I left the house in a hurry and forgot my dive boots. Oh well, do the wet sand in my sneakers, which I of course got wet the first ten minutes. Winds were the same direction today, so I went prepared to water hunt. The water was almost flat again. In the water I found 1-quarter, 1-dime, 2-lead weights & 4 pennies, + a bunch of iron junk. I am thinking the sand has buried any gold in the water. Sand is being pulled from the top of the beach and being deposited in the water. Finally worked my way back to the shore at a different section of the beach than I hunted yesterday and worked the low tide line. Found 3 silver rings and the rest of the clad + 2 more lead weights. Beaches are still producing rings, just not any gold for me The one ring has ice and I thought for a minute that maybe it was a newer white gold ring that tarnishes, but alas it is marked 925. I wish the tourists could afford to buy decent jewelry. I had fun and got some good exercise. Hope your hunt today were successful. HH, Ralph

 

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[seeker41]

looks like ya had alot of targets. better luck next time on the gold!!!! by the way......i think its more like,
"more detectorists= less gold."

 

[mlayers]

Just think your lead weghts is worth just as much as your silver rings. You did alright on your hunts....Matt

 

[FloridaBill]

looks like ya had alot of targets. better luck next time on the gold!!!! by the way......i think its more like,
"more detectorists= less gold."

LOL I think your right especially when I get to the beach and there is more guys in the water with detectors than swimmers...............

 

[Sandman]

looks like ya had alot of targets. better luck next time on the gold!!!! by the way......i think its more like,
"more detectorists= less gold."

That was a lot of digging that would have put me in the rest home. It is all the competition that I feel is soaking up the rings.

 

[seeker41]

looks like ya had alot of targets. better luck next time on the gold!!!! by the way......i think its more like,
"more detectorists= less gold."

That was a lot of digging that would have put me in the rest home. It is all the competition that I feel is soaking up the rings.

yes but, i always feel good when im finding tabs, foil, screwcaps etc: it shows the beach was poorly hunted!

 

[captain ack1]

the storm is still kicking up here and im plagued with work...the weekend looks promising...50s and a slight breeze...our fellow hunters in fla. would have a heart attack because its toooo COLD. Gold is coming your way ralph... patience is a virtue...HH

 

[Gator-Flea]

Good hunting....................................but gold does make it a lot more fun!!!

 

[Smudge]

Things are just as bad here in Florida, and we have 4-5 times the number of beach detectorists around here.

People aren't wearing as much gold jewelry due to the bad economy, and that means less finds overall.

I also think a lot of people are jumping into this hobby because of the price of gold these days, but when they find out detecting isn't as easy as it looks they'll jump right back out.

Gold is getting harder to find. If you want success, you either want to be using a PI detector or an Excal w/WOT coil because the easy surface hits are being scooped up by everybody else. Depth is now key at for beach success, IMHO.

But the gold is there. I'm just not swinging the coil in the right places...yet.

 

[gravediggermax-vabeachva]

Petersa - i look at it this way

man u had a nice spin and lots of targets and tickets................looks like u should go back and do it all over - fine results.

but

the first pic to me tells me.........u waisted almost 1 hr. digging pins and alike..........top half left side items......1 - 2 mins. per. each to retrieve............looking at the other pics, says u where on a nice area.......go back soon and find more.....spend more time there...............

nice results
good luck.

 

[petersra]

Re: Petersa - i look at it this way

man u had a nice spin and lots of targets and tickets................looks like u should go back and do it all over - fine results.

but

the first pic to me tells me.........u waisted almost 1 hr. digging pins and alike..........top half left side items......1 - 2 mins. per. each to retrieve............looking at the other pics, says u where on a nice area.......go back soon and find more.....spend more time there...............

nice results
good luck.

Your are dead on about wasting time on bobby pins. Oh the joys of owning a PI unit..... I hurt my digging shoulder 15 years ago building a dock. It was fine until 2 months ago when I threw a 8' cast net about 250 times for shrimp. Got lots of shrimp but now my shoulder is not liking the digging routine. I work through the pain looking for the yellow metal. If I had it to do over again, I would have opted for the Minelab with the SEF coil. Experience is a good teacher sometimes. I also think you guys are correct about the competition increasing and therefore less gold. Since the good targets are fewer, now the name of the game is being smart about your hunting. Be smart, find the gold and HH, Ralph

 

[Can Slaw]

[/quote]

yes but, i always feel good when im finding tabs, foil, screwcaps etc: it shows the beach was poorly hunted!
[/quote]

I wish that was true, today you have many "new" hunters that if it isn't gold, they put it back right where they found it.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Ralph, seems like times are getting tougher. Just the same it sure is fun not knowing what you might stumble upon. One just never knows Hopefully things will get better for all of us detectorists. Lord know we sure give it our best. I'm reminded of what made me finally decide to get into detecting this past spring. Some guy in the area where I hunt found a full set of uppers that were gold. Pretty disgusting eh? I know I tend to exaggerate, but that thing looked like it weighed a couple of pounds. (don't know for sure I wouldn't touch them.) Some dude must have really been toasted to not realize that was falling out of his mouth. Hope my next gold is not as weird, but would be happy with a toe ring at this point. Going again the end of the week. Wish me luck, HH to youl

 

[willie d]

You're finding silver and having fun. I've had worse hunts. You'll get 'em next time.

 

[S.S.Tupperware]

I don't know about less gold, I see people draped with it but is it in the sand? I know there is plenty for the takin, but I have a pole I watch, last year it was even with the top of my head, earlier a few months ago it was at my waist, now its nipple height , if I could get it a foot above my head it would be payday!!!!

 

[seeker41]

ahhh, the old pole height trick! beach re-nourishment= deep soft sand and no storms or even favorable sustained winds leads to poor hunting.

 

[petersra]

I posted my stove-top silver cleaning process under the "Tools" section. I used it to clean the rings. Here is the outcome. I am satisfied with the results. HH, Ralph

 

[Da Sand Crab]

I'm sure the gold is there. As you mentioned, its buried too deep because of the sand being dragged down from the top of the beach and covering the lower areas. Wait for the next deep cut in the beach and you will find the heavier deeper stuff. Keep the faith.

 

[Silver Surfer]

man u had a nice spin and lots of targets and tickets................looks like u should go back and do it all over - fine results.

but

the first pic to me tells me.........u waisted almost 1 hr. digging pins and alike..........top half left side items......1 - 2 mins. per. each to retrieve............looking at the other pics, says u where on a nice area.......go back soon and find more.....spend more time there...............

nice results
good luck.

Your are dead on about wasting time on bobby pins. Oh the joys of owning a PI unit..... I hurt my digging shoulder 15 years ago building a dock. It was fine until 2 months ago when I threw a 8' cast net about 250 times for shrimp. Got lots of shrimp but now my shoulder is not liking the digging routine. I work through the pain looking for the yellow metal. If I had it to do over again, I would have opted for the Minelab with the SEF coil. Experience is a good teacher sometimes. I also think you guys are correct about the competition increasing and therefore less gold. Since the good targets are fewer, now the name of the game is being smart about your hunting. Be smart, find the gold and HH, Ralph

I only used my Surf Dual 5 times, and I was to the point of not digging many bobby pins at all.... The double beep in only one direction was the key..
If it gave a double beep in both directions, then it was almost always a hoop earring... You checking both directions before digging?

 

[petersra]

[/quote]I only used my Surf Dual 5 times, and I was to the point of not digging many bobby pins at all.... The double beep in only one direction was the key..
If it gave a double beep in both directions, then it was almost always a hoop earring... You checking both directions before digging?
[/quote]

S. Surfer, You make a good point, I have NOT been checking in both directions. In the beginning, I would dig everything just to be sure I was not passing over a keeper, even the double beeps. I have found several double beep dimes and I have read that a gold ring on edge, which I realize is unlikely, could also produce a double beep. I have not found any double beep gold rings though...... When I am tired I do pass up on strong double beeps, that appear to clearly be small iron. Of course, I have also dug targets that had a strong single beep and turned out to be a bobby pin. Perhaps if I scanned them in the other direction, they would show as a double beep. I think I am in a "dig it all" rut, I appreciate the suggestion, and I will try scanning both directions before I dig the next hunt. I think I will also set some gold rings on edge and see if I can get a double beep signal from them, just to verify what I have read. Thanks, Ralph