Beach detecting vs relic detecting

[Moe (fl)]

Does anyone in this forum do both beach and relic detecting? Myself I switched to beach years ago but sometimes wonder about doing some relic hunting. The beach seems a lot simpler and it requires less preparation.

 

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[ARC]

Does anyone in this forum do both beach and relic detecting? Myself I switched to beach years ago but sometimes wonder about doing some relic hunting. The beach seems a lot simpler and it requires less preparation.

Yes.
Both have allure to me... as well as everywhere and anywhere.

I am the type I don't care where I detect as long as I can detect... I would detect the side of Mt. Everest if I was standing there and allowed to do so.

But if I had to choose... beach or relic...................... Both.

 

[traveller777]

I am overwhelmingly a relic hunter but if a beach had a lot of potential historical items, that would be good too. Just not many beaches around the mountains here. You should detect whatever gives you joy or satisfaction. Our friend Arc there sums it up best. It is all good.

 

[Moe (fl)]

The beach has not been as good as in prior years. It seems that a huge number of locations have been recently renourished including down the Treasure Coast.

There are a few relic hunting events coming up, but these aren’t cheap and I wonder how many good finds can you get with 200-300 other detectorists. Has anyone here done a relic event and what was it like?

 

[CASPER-2]

been detecting since 1975 = age 12
i am mainly known as a water hunter but hit cellar holes and farm fields when i can
last few yrs i have had multiple health issues that have kept me from doing either
hoping to break out this yr
ive done very good in water - on land

 

[brianc053]

Hey Moe. I started metal detecting on the beach with my son maybe 10 or 12 years ago, and we would detect on the beach every summer during our vacation in Delaware. Nevertheless I never felt like I got "good" at beach detecting and my finds on the beach have mainly been...lame.
My son and I only discovered relic hunting maybe 3 or 4 years back, and because of the history of where we live in New Jersey the opportunities - and the quality of the finds - were amazing.

But, like most teenagers, he got bored with relic hunting with his dad even though we were regularly finding 250 year old coins and similarly historic items. I was hooked on being able to recover & save such amazing history, however, so what started as a father-son activity turned into my favorite hobby and something I spent a lot of my spare time doing in 2021.

This year I plan to continue to relic hunt in NJ and Delaware as much as the weather and time will allow me to. I'll go out on the beach after big storms or when I don't have a field/historic homesite available, but I've done enough research into dry land sites that I'll probably spend most of my time on those.

I actually just had this discussion with another forum member and friend Scolino, and I told him that beach detecting feels like eating a veggie burger when I really want a beef burger with bacon (relic hunting). Scolino - who is a very skilled and accomplished relic hunter - responded that to him beach detecting is like eating a poop sandwich...

Finally, on that organized event question: I did one in 2020 on a 300 year old farm with about 100 other detectorists and it was fun. I found a tombac crotal bell (my first ever) and others found KG's and similar coins. I signed up for another one run by the same group coming up in April. Keep in mind that half the attraction of those events is the social side of detecting (seeing old friends, meeting "YouTube Stars", etc.).
- Brian

 

[Blak bart]

Often times in the keys....many relics are found on the beach. I just go to the relic beaches....and when I want gold drops I go to the tourist beach....in some cases you might get a cobb coin and 20 feet later get an iPhone. The island provides !!

 

[FloodcityTom]

I've done both, I prefer relic hunting for civil war artifacts as I have lived close to battlefields and campaigns all my life. But I do like beach hunting. Beach hunting is easiest . No need to worry about posion Ivy, snakes etc. Beach or woods/fields I do the same...dig EVERYTHING I hear.

 

[Moe (fl)]

I've done both, I prefer relic hunting for civil war artifacts as I have lived close to battlefields and campaigns all my life. But I do like beach hunting. Beach hunting is easiest . No need to worry about posion Ivy, snakes etc. Beach or woods/fields I do the same...dig EVERYTHING I hear.

Yeah. I agree. I just love digging but relic hunting requires more preparation. One time years ago I literally got disoriented while in woods. Couldn’t see the sky and tell which way was correct. It took 5-10 minutes to orient myself again. If I go now I would bring a compass.

 

[Moe (fl)]

Hey Moe. I started metal detecting on the beach with my son maybe 10 or 12 years ago, and we would detect on the beach every summer during our vacation in Delaware. Nevertheless I never felt like I got "good" at beach detecting and my finds on the beach have mainly been...lame.
My son and I only discovered relic hunting maybe 3 or 4 years back, and because of the history of where we live in New Jersey the opportunities - and the quality of the finds - were amazing.

But, like most teenagers, he got bored with relic hunting with his dad even though we were regularly finding 250 year old coins and similarly historic items. I was hooked on being able to recover & save such amazing history, however, so what started as a father-son activity turned into my favorite hobby and something I spent a lot of my spare time doing in 2021.

This year I plan to continue to relic hunt in NJ and Delaware as much as the weather and time will allow me to. I'll go out on the beach after big storms or when I don't have a field/historic homesite available, but I've done enough research into dry land sites that I'll probably spend most of my time on those.

I actually just had this discussion with another forum member and friend Scolino, and I told him that beach detecting feels like eating a veggie burger when I really want a beef burger with bacon (relic hunting). Scolino - who is a very skilled and accomplished relic hunter - responded that to him beach detecting is like eating a poop sandwich...

Finally, on that organized event question: I did one in 2020 on a 300 year old farm with about 100 other detectorists and it was fun. I found a tombac crotal bell (my first ever) and others found KG's and similar coins. I signed up for another one run by the same group coming up in April. Keep in mind that half the attraction of those events is the social side of detecting (seeing old friends, meeting "YouTube Stars", etc.).
- Brian

Brian - that is fantastic. I used to live in NJ but that was prior to when I started metal detecting. I wish I had started earlier.

 

[Moe (fl)]

Often times in the keys....many relics are found on the beach. I just go to the relic beaches....and when I want gold drops I go to the tourist beach....in some cases you might get a cobb coin and 20 feet later get an iPhone. The island provides !!

I have not done the Keys yet. I would like to do that some day. Is there a preferred time of year to go?

 

[Indian Steve]

I love to find relics and love to find GOLD! There is nothing like finding a piece of history except for finding GOLD! I live inland in Virginia so hunt freshwater swimming areas for treasure and old home sites for relics. Not much Civil War action in our area but have hunted a few sites that i was invited to in the past. My health has kept me from detecting this last year but i am improving and hope to be back at it soon. The thrill is in the hunt!

 

[smokeythecat]

I do both. Not so much last year as I dug a "glory hole" for bottles which took up a lot of the season. I like beaches for sport, relics for seriousness and the history.

 

[Blak bart]

I have not done the Keys yet. I would like to do that some day. Is there a preferred time of year to go?

Not for me moe, but maybe for you....I would get the hell outta there in winter !!

 

[OBN]

Gold is my weakness, and there is more to be found on the beach..

Things are sanded in bad here too but that's the challenge, finding that one little area that holds yellow.

As far as land/relics..you can have the ticks, I'll take my chances with the sharks.

 

[smokeythecat]

Still sanded in and its February?

 

[Dugk44]

Does anyone in this forum do both beach and relic detecting? Myself I switched to beach years ago but sometimes wonder about doing some relic hunting. The beach seems a lot simpler and it requires less preparation.

I do both, beach mostly on the weekend's. Relic, and coin hunting on the week days on way home from work. Love it all, though...

 

[OBN]

Still sanded in and its February?

I checked it last week, still about 18 inches of sand in the wrong place. How I can tell ........... I have a stray crab pot marking a area I got most of my gold from last year. It's almost covered.... my concerned, if the pot starts to break down it is going to leave a trail of bad in that whole area.... if it is not cleared out by spring I will have to dig it out and move it close to shore..

 

[FloodcityTom]

Yeah. I agree. I just love digging but relic hunting requires more preparation. One time years ago I literally got disoriented while in woods. Couldn’t see the sky and tell which way was correct. It took 5-10 minutes to orient myself again. If I go now I would bring a compass.

That happens to a lot of us "Civil war Diggers" we get so focused on finding relics and looking for Hut sites, old trash pits, trenches etc we get "turned around" happened to me twice. Was able to find my way back to the road but had to walk a stretch to find the truck.

 

[Calabash Digger]

Well I really have started to love the Beach....but relics are my true game...