Detecting Fripp Island Beach

[chisel]

Hello, Does anybody know if you are allowed to metal detect on Fripp Island SC?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[liftloop]

is it a national park some are protected is it private-Ly owned never heard of such of place

 

[chisel]

It is a gated island which you have to live or rent on to enter. It's located between hunting island and hilton head

 

[liftloop]

do you plan on hunting it or just curios

 

[Tom_in_CA]

It is a gated island which you have to live or rent on to enter. It's located between hunting island and hilton head

then it seems like you just answered your own question. If you can't enter it, "unless you live there or rent there", then by logical extension, you can't detect there, unless you either rent or live there. I mean, you'd need to "enter" in order to detect, right?

But on the other hand, such obligatory language is ... no doubt .... on signs when you enter such gated communities, that is just that "obligatory". For example: So too do I live in a private gated community (an HOA). And there's just such a sign at the entrance to our place (the streets leading in). And so too would the answer probably be forthcoming if you were to ask the board president, etc.... Yet .... truth be told ........ there's nothing to stop anyone from entering our association and ... no, he won't be questioned. We have a park, a pond, etc.... and no one "cards" anyone. The park gets used for youth soccer leagues (I'm guessing a resident has a youngster in a league) so apparently guests too are allowed. Although, as I say, no ever cards the youngsters and asks "are you a guest of miss so & so ?". If someone were to enter our HOA and start detecting our park, ..... he'd probably never hear "boo".

 

[liftloop]

let's go tom _in_ca just invited us in
all bring the beer

 

[chisel]

Well I do go there 2-3 times a year on vacation thats why was wondering. But I called and they said no. I bet theres so much stuff there. Maybe one day

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

Well I do go there 2-3 times a year on vacation thats why was wondering. But I called and they said no. I bet theres so much stuff there. Maybe one day

Hold on ....... you "go there 2 - 3 times per a year on vacation" ? So your being their physically is legitimate, right? Ie.: you're a guest, or customer or resident, or whatever you want to call it. Right? So mere "access" is not the issue, right? So .... what would have happened if you'd simply metal detected the beach there? I mean, does a person need to ask to do that? Was it dis-allowed, hence needing to ask? I mean, is there really a rule that says "no metal detectors" that they cited you?

I could certainly understand a turfed lawn at a Bed-&-Breakfast, but ....... for the wide open beach, I'd have just gone. You're looking for your kid's boyscout ring he lost there the night before (or your keys, etc...) right? Maybe I'm not capturing the mental image of this place, but if it's anything like gated HOA type beaches along our coast, there's utterly nothing to stop anyone from walking down the beach and detecting (and no, there's no shipwreck or federal stuff where I'm at, I'm talking run-of-mill beaches, interspersped with beach side condo developements, etc... Maybe I'm just not capturing the image of your spot ?

 

[chisel]

It is a gated island that you have to rent or own to access. But yes the renting public is welcome. The island is like a community in the since that they make rules for that island like no flashlights at night because of the nesting turtles. I've been there 15 times and never seen anybody detecting. So a light popped on and thought this place has to be full of personal jewelry that people have left behind. There are no signs saying it can't be done.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

..... There are no signs saying it can't be done.

Then it sounds to me like you just got some arbitrary "safe" answer by a desk-bound bureaucrat. Who probably never gave the matter thought before, nor would ever have cared or noticed. So ... next time you go ...... didn't you loose your keys ?

 

[chisel]

Thanks

 

[MrMikeJackie]

I have entered many beaches both bay and ocean through public access entrances and detected right in people's backyards. As long as I was below the high tide line they couldn't bother me. I've had the cops called on me and when they arrive they already know what I'm going to say. Only once did I leave as the cops were actually cool and were tired of this one particular resident calling. Now if it's off limits due to nesting turtles, birds, etc then I believe I would be arrested.