Detecting high tide vs. low tide

[Crunchyhippo]

I went out the other day at near high tide and went into the water at around waist high with my Manticore trash collector. I detected for about an hour and got only one hit - part of a crab trap. Talk about discouraged. I would have been glad to just get a hit from garbage. I noticed that the sand under my feet was rippled. I read that you want to see hard-packed sand when detecting, not rippled sand. True? Also, I've also heard some say that when it's high tide, your best bet is to search the edge of the surf and the dry sand, then wait to go in the water when it's low tide or thereabouts. What about it?

 

[Mackaydon]

When I searched regularly, I searched only at low tide in the water; found more jewelry than coins.
Don in SoCal

 

[Mike(NC)]

I went out the other day at near high tide and went into the water at around waist high with my Manticore trash collector. I detected for about an hour and got only one hit - part of a crab trap. Talk about discouraged. I would have been glad to just get a hit from garbage. I noticed that the sand under my feet was rippled. I read that you want to see hard-packed sand when detecting, not rippled sand. True? Also, I've also heard some say that when it's high tide, your best bet is to search the edge of the surf and the dry sand, then wait to go in the water when it's low tide or thereabouts. What about it?

At least you got out there. How are you liking that Manticore 2D mapping? Seems interesting but wondering if its worth the extra bucks over the Equinox 900?? I don't know how much I would actually look at it.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Low tide give you more area to search that had people traffic, high tide you are closer to shore.

When I go I try to be on the beach at least 2-3 hours before low tide then detect as tide goes out and as it returns.

If you are on the east coast the state renourishes the beaches and the gulf current carries that fresh sand north with the gulf stream. If you sink when walking in wet sand you are getting fresh sand from state resending the beaches. I know they were doing New Smyrna beach a few weeks ago.. The renoursh the Treasure Coast every year.

 

[Crunchyhippo]

At least you got out there. How are you liking that Manticore 2D mapping? Seems interesting but wondering if its worth the extra bucks over the Equinox 900?? I don't know how much I would actually look at it.

All the Manticore has done for me is find garbage.

 

[Crunchyhippo]

When I searched regularly, I searched only at low tide in the water; found more jewelry than coins.
Don in SoCal

But what if the only time you can go out on a particular day is high tide? Is it a waste of time to detect in the water at high tide?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

But what if the only time you can go out on a particular day is high tide? Is it a waste of time to detect in the water at high tide?

Odds are less, but not a waste of time. You are new at detecting, many new detectorists do not know how to properly detect.

Are you keeping your coil completely parallel to the ground when sweeping coil through the entire sweep left to right, be sure you are. I've seen so many new detectorists swinging coil like a sickle cutting high grass.

Are you sweeping slow or fast, many new hunters sweep way to fast?

How far above the ground is coil when sweeping, ever inch above ground surface is one inch less under ground.

Are you detecting willy nilly, or do you look at beach first to see which beach zone has the most traffic?

What beaches are you detecting, that can make a big difference, some beaches have a lot of traffic some not so much?

How long are you there detecting, how many hours spent on each trip?

What kind of trash are you finding?

Are you using discrimination? If so How much?

How hot are you running you detector, what sensitivity level are you using?

Do you noise cancel and ground balance?

 

[OBN]

I am a Lowtide hunter now where I hunt, But Beaches where there are quick drop off's (Very sloped beach) I've found high tide can be just as rewarding, one of my best find of a lifetime came from the high tide area. (2014)

 

[Crunchyhippo]

Odds are less, but not a waste of time. You are new at detecting, many new detectorists do not know how to properly detect.

Are you keeping your coil completely parallel to the ground when sweeping coil through the entire sweep left to right, be sure you are. I've seen so many new detectorists swinging coil like a sickle cutting high grass.

Are you sweeping slow or fast, many new hunters sweep way to fast?

How far above the ground is coil when sweeping, ever inch above ground surface is one inch less under ground.

Are you detecting willy nilly, or do you look at beach first to see which beach zone has the most traffic?

What beaches are you detecting, that can make a big difference, some beaches have a lot of traffic some not so much?

How long are you there detecting, how many hours spent on each trip?

What kind of trash are you finding?

Are you using discrimination? If so How much?

How hot are you running you detector, what sensitivity level are you using?

Do you noise cancel and ground balance?

My detector picks up signals just fine. I always detect in the water first if I'm able (not night time, waves not too high, etc). But I think my lack of success is either because I'm detecting in the water at high tide, when everything has been sanded in, or I'm going over areas already picked over. Just to be sure, I'll toss down a quarter or pull tab or even my own gold ring, and my detector picks them up just fine, so I don't think it's a setting problem. But I was told that the general area I'm in is so heavily visited by vacationers (Clearwater Beach and nearby) that they're continually losing stuff, so always lots to be recovered. But I seem to be the only one not finding any of it. I'll occasionally scan over my scoop in order to hear a beep just to make sure it still works(!), then go back to scanning.

When I'm tired of getting zero signals after an hour or two of detecting, I'll go up on the beach in the dry sand. I start getting signals at least, and even though it's all trash that I find, at least I'm getting hits. Still, 18 trips to the beach and nothing of value found is discouraging. I have no idea how some people find at least one ring every trip out. Some will say that, well, it's not all about finding valuables - you're there for the outdoors, the salt air, the sunshine, the exercise, etc. But for some reason if one's detector was unable to detect silver or gold, I don't think anyone would be out detecting, despite the side benefits. If my average is one valuable item every 19 trips out, I'll be leaving the beach and switching to schoolyards.

 

[Crunchyhippo]

I am a Lowtide hunter now where I hunt, But Beaches where there are quick drop off's (Very sloped beach) I've found high tide can be just as rewarding, one of my best find of a lifetime came from the high tide area. (2014)View attachment 2217021

Nice. In the water or in the surf?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Clearwater is small beach and one of the hardest hit beaches in west Florida. Best time to detect Clearwater is evenings and nights, if you wait till the next day you are late as it has already been hit by several people at the very least.

I have found multiple gold rings at Clearwater beach, I prefer to hunt it in the late afternoons 4pm and later. I have hunted it late at night as well.

 

[Crunchyhippo]

Clearwater is small beach and one of the hardest hit beaches in west Florida. Best time to detect Clearwater is evenings and nights, if you wait till the next day you are late as it has already been hit by several people at the very least.

I have found multiple gold rings at Clearwater beach, I prefer to hunt it in the late afternoons 4pm and later. I have hunted it late at night as well.

Do you hunt there in wet sand or dry sand? And if at night, do you only use a red light?

 

[Mike(NC)]

I am a Lowtide hunter now where I hunt, But Beaches where there are quick drop off's (Very sloped beach) I've found high tide can be just as rewarding, one of my best find of a lifetime came from the high tide area. (2014)View attachment 2217021

Beautiful rings right there. With the gold spot these days it does not take much to pay for your machine.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Do you hunt there in wet sand or dry sand? And if at night, do you only use a red light?

When I hunt Clearwater at night I use red head light on head, I have one that has red and white lights, most times when hunting nights I have light off till I'm recovering target. I rarely hunt with head lamp on all the time.

For me the best time starts about 3pm till about 11pm-12am, sunsets in summer around 8:30pm.. Clearwater is shallow so can wade long ways on low tide, zi avoid getting to deep at dusk and dawn as that is prime shark feeding time. If its early morning low tide I will hunt it, but prefer night before.

 

[OBN]

Nice. In the water or in the surf?

Top of the slope.. high tide, right at the splash area.. here is the area but another ring. Think this one was a gold turtle ring.

 

[Crunchyhippo]

Top of the slope.. high tide, right at the splash area.. here is the area but another ring. Think this one was a gold turtle ring.

Congrats. My area is so hunted out that there's nothing left to find, unfortunately.

 

[mjb Mike]

I just upgraded from a eq 600 to the manticore and was very frustrated at first.had my old 600 in the truck and just wanted to go back to it so bad but made myself stick with it and learn.I dug nothing but trash the first few days too.I saw a vid that mental metal but out for a basic manticore setting and just stayed with that and didnt change anything till i learned it.its a good machine it just takes some time to learn when i get a chance ill post a link to the vid.If you throw coins out in the yard and get good hits on them and use the same program while detecting learn to trust the machine at first it will be right way more then its wrong.

 

[OBN]

Congrats. My area is so hunted out that there's nothing left to find, unfortunately.

Thanks, take it from me. its there but to deep to hear. Gold sinks like a lead sinker.

I have one spot I hunted for years, several times a month, randomly I would find maybe one gold a year if that. I would take friends or visitors there from time to time for there were some interesting trinkets to be found sometimes. On one of those trips I started going to areas you would never think about hunting. Found a few silver coins which was rare, I said next low tide Im going to go deeper and see what's up. Got a few silvers again and a gold band. That was the start of one of the best Hot spots I ever had. You have to have good storms for areas like these to open, I just happened to find it before anyone else and the same way it opened was the same way it closed. We had a storm around March 13th 2021 and all was gone just like that. If I took someone there today they would swear I was lying. Luckily I got most of the 150 gold I got from there on video.

 

[Sand Swinger]

Congrats. My area is so hunted out that there's nothing left to find, unfortunately.

Hey CH, watch this video. It’s Merrill from Detecting NYC conducting an impromptu interview with Terry Shannon down in FL. Terry is one of the most highly respected beach hunters in our hobby; he’s basically a living legend.

Pay extra attention starting at 8:40 and for the remainder of the interview. He backs up my theory & personal experience that objects dropped in the ocean do move and also gives an example. Then he goes on to give a great tip that 99.9% of detectorists miss. I won’t spoil it but once you hear it, think about all the times you’ve hunted the beach and I bet nobody was hunting where he mentions, usually because people don’t tend to set up their umbrellas there.

After watching the video, I’d suggest continuing your research & learning by doing a YouTube search for Terry Shannon and watch every beach hunting video of his you can. Sometimes, getting 1 little tip from a master hunter can make all the difference. BTW, we have quite a few master hunters right here in this forum. I learn new stuff almost every day.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kSTNi5J51c