Detecting in the Bahamas

[jimboa]

Planning a trip to Freeport Bahamas anybody have any issues with using your MD on the beaches or in the water? Local laws etc.

 

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[CASPER-2]

No probs for me
last Bahama trip rings -

 

[redcobra8u]

The locals can be annoying and I wouldn't hunt where Casper did....he cleaned it out. [emoji4]

 

[Doc Arey]

I never had any problems..Paid for my detector first trip. Lol

 

[CASPER-2]

I actually followed 3 guys with Excals that were there the week before

The locals can be annoying and I wouldn't hunt where Casper did....he cleaned it out. [emoji4]

 

[sandmartin]

I actually followed 3 guys with Excals that were there the week before

You sure like to take a dig at the Excal users Casper! I read that you hunt with the CZ in All Metal, do you always, and do you think it makes a difference in depth?

 

[dewcon4414]

No one gets it all...... plus hunting styles and SKILLS play a huge part in recovery. Ive seen some guys who could find gold with a stick....... the old saying 10% of the hunters get 90% of the gold. Dont go knocking my Xcal Casper lol. Ive also found ..... finding great items sometimes is easier than selling them at a fair price........ even at 100% profit. You kind of end up with a box of collectables lol.

 

[CASPER-2]

for years I ve seen Excal users knocking CZs and other machines - some guys up here that had CZs yrs ago - I questioned how they used it and they were using way below potential
I know many Excal users that crank their discrim. and miss small gold and lose depth - if you look at my posts where I post the good and the bad - very seldom do I find more
trash than good - so its behooves me to hunt in all metal
Funny thing is - Ive seen now guys using 3030s (that had/have Excals too) kind of knocking Excals - they almost all say they go back to spots they hit with Excals and are getting
stuff they missed So guys that said their Excals were the "Holy Grail" of machines are in a round about saying they aren't as good as they thought
It comes down to -time being put in - knowing your machine - and luck
I used to do just as good with my PIPro - which is all metal --I used it different than others too and feel I got the most of its potential and hit spots others
thought they cleaned out with other machines and pulled old gold and silver behind them too
Good luck to all

No one gets it all...... plus hunting styles and SKILLS play a huge part in recovery. Ive seen some guys who could find gold with a stick....... the old saying 10% of the hunters get 90% of the gold. Dont go knocking my Xcal Casper lol. Ive also found ..... finding great items sometimes is easier than selling them at a fair price........ even at 100% profit. You kind of end up with a box of collectables lol.

 

[CASPER-2]

you hunt in ID mode and you will miss stuff - you have weak batteries in any mode - you will miss stuff
I hunt in all metal but click over to ID mode to "zero" and check most targets - I get a whisper in all metal
and click over to ID mode - if I get low tone (which on CZs is usually iron) I dig it - 9 out of 10 times its something real deep
and good - I know guys that pass all the low tones with there CZs - they are passing up goodies

You sure like to take a dig at the Excal users Casper! I read that you hunt with the CZ in All Metal, do you always, and do you think it makes a difference in depth?

 

[Blak bart]

Ive had no probs over here in the bahamas and detect evey chance I get when im not working. I treat it like im in florida. High tide low tide and private property permissions. Stay away from sensitive historic sites and keep off the known treasure wreck sites. That being said ive never checked into the laws reguarding detecting, and I dont think there are many laws on the books. I spend about 6 months a year over here and have made many friends with my detector over here. Im currently ordering 2 detectors for some bahamian friends. Ive been encouraged by many people and am always making new friends and talking with locals about the hobby. Never had a problem. Freeport should be good, especially after spring break. Never had a chance to do freeport, but would think it dosent get hit to often. Got a gold earring 2 days ago but havent been in the water to much yet. As the spring progresses I will shallow water hunt more and more. Got a nice david yurman ring and a nice 1880s gold pocket watch among other things. Check out some of my recent posts if you like to see what you can expect. Good luck and I hope to see some fantastic freeport finds.

 

[CASPER-2]

FEW YRS AGO I HEARD A FEW GUYS HAVING PROBS ON DRY AND WET SAND AT A FEW REOSRTS BY PRIVATE SECURITY - SAYING THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT - THINK THEY ASKED FOR $25 - SHAKE DOWNS - I THINK THE GUYS JUST LEFT AND WENT SOMEPLACE ELSE - IVE ONLY DONE WATER DONE THERE
AND I STAY LOW WITH MY MASK& SNORKEL EVEN IN THE SHALLOWS

Ive had no probs over here in the bahamas and detect evey chance I get when im not working. I treat it like im in florida. High tide low tide and private property permissions. Stay away from sensitive historic sites and keep off the known treasure wreck sites. That being said ive never checked into the laws reguarding detecting, and I dont think there are many laws on the books. I spend about 6 months a year over here and have made many friends with my detector over here. Im currently ordering 2 detectors for some bahamian friends. Ive been encouraged by many people and am always making new friends and talking with locals about the hobby. Never had a problem. Freeport should be good, especially after spring break. Never had a chance to do freeport, but would think it dosent get hit to often. Got a gold earring 2 days ago but havent been in the water to much yet. As the spring progresses I will shallow water hunt more and more. Got a nice david yurman ring and a nice 1880s gold pocket watch among other things. Check out some of my recent posts if you like to see what you can expect. Good luck and I hope to see some fantastic freeport finds.

 

[Blak bart]

Yup....I dont doubt that. I too stay low key as much as I can when in the water. Bahamians are known for that kind of thing unfortunately. Use your better judgements and go somewhere else. I used to talk with the police on patrol at atlantis resort, they were always curious what I found and never gave me any trouble. As in the states theres always someone who thinks your doing something wrong, I just havnt run into that guy yet. Now if you get caught over one of the treasure wreck sites with your machine, you will go to jail and make the papers for sure. I kind of get the feeling that no one knows what the laws are reguarding metal detecting if they even have any. My machine is always broke down and packed in a backpack when im in transit. Even here in the states. Ive also herd of people bringing machines in by plane have been clipped for money and fees. Im lucky in the fact that the boat I work on has a full array of machines and equipment. (Tanks , hookha) ive been shutdown in the states more than here for sure, but theres always someone who wnts to push there weight around. I always keep my fingers crossed and try to fly under the radar. By the way nice bahama rings casper which island were you at ??

 

[CASPER-2]

I was in Nassau - one gold came from Atlantis - was told bunch of guys had gone thru just before me
was there just for a few days - sending you a PM

Yup....I dont doubt that. I too stay low key as much as I can when in the water. Bahamians are known for that kind of thing unfortunately. Use your better judgements and go somewhere else. I used to talk with the police on patrol at atlantis resort, they were always curious what I found and never gave me any trouble. As in the states theres always someone who thinks your doing something wrong, I just havnt run into that guy yet. Now if you get caught over one of the treasure wreck sites with your machine, you will go to jail and make the papers for sure. I kind of get the feeling that no one knows what the laws are reguarding metal detecting if they even have any. My machine is always broke down and packed in a backpack when im in transit. Even here in the states. Ive also herd of people bringing machines in by plane have been clipped for money and fees. Im lucky in the fact that the boat I work on has a full array of machines and equipment. (Tanks , hookha) ive been shutdown in the states more than here for sure, but theres always someone who wnts to push there weight around. I always keep my fingers crossed and try to fly under the radar. By the way nice bahama rings casper which island were you at ??

 

[CASPER-2]

I hunt in all metal and try and take the good with the bad - at Atlantis - got a mid tone - knew it was most likely a pulltab - I was right - but scooped up a $25
chip with it

 

[CASPER-2]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-1/12884299634/in/dateposted-public/

 

[djbr54]

Casper. Just curious if you use the boost mode on your cz? I found cranking it up all the way makes a huge difference. Use to be if I could hear it, I can find it but not any more. Some are just to deep to get. Think I need a bigger scoop.

 

[gunsil]

Casper, how do you get a scoop down there? Or are you just snorkeling and fanning??
Thanks, Gene

 

[TooManyHobbies]

I actually followed 3 guys with Excals that were there the week before

Casper, obviously you know your machine well, we all see that from your finds.
My question is: what is your definition of "follow"?
Playing devil's advocate here, but unless you actually follow in the other guy's footsteps and maintain the same cadence and swing of the other guy, doesn't it just mean you're in the same water only. I mean 2' to right or left and you're putting your coil over ground that he didn't. So you may be parallel to him and even zig-zag over his line, but it doesn't necassarily mean you actually follow him. Unless you both are gridding the same sq.ft area of water.
Full disclosure, I don't have an excal, ctx or cz, so I don't know the capabilities of any of them except what I read here.
Your thoughts?

 

[CASPER-2]

I have followed right behind a few - same day same area after they moved on
for the most part though - by follow - I mean I hit a lot of spots that have been hammered by Excal users for years that many thought were cleaned out
some are still in use and in season they might hit for fresh drops but I can go in and hunt in all metal and slow running high sensitivity and go for whispers
and get old stuff still - I used to do this with my PI Pro
I have many stories of being with or actually following others with Excals - usually I can say the reason they missed stuff is cause they cranked
their discrim. in areas where they did not have to - if I talk to another hunter - whether just meeting or friend - I will ask how they are running
usually I can tell by their finds - they got clad only and I got silver and older gold
up here - old iron - nails and older bobby pins and such get eaten up by the salt and soil up here - bottle caps get eaten up after time
in Fla. waters and caribean they get caked and last forever - for this reason we don't have to run high discrim. or any at all at older areas
Ive hunted with a handful of guys in Fla. over the yrs and they crank their discrim. to pass the caked bottle caps - they will lose depth - they may miss
small or thin gold - over the yrs I would say about 95% of the hunters ive hunted with or have met or have seen from a distance - were using Excals
One time I followed I hunted a beach where a club had planned a hunt - I thought I had place all to myself - a dozen guys got into the water
10 had Excals - 1 had a Garrett sea hunter and 1 had a Tesoro - they hit the left and middle and I got pushed to the far right - CZs cant be like 20 yrds near an Excal
they worked down the other end criss crossing each other every which way - and slowly moved toward my end - I had one old gold under my belt and a few pieces of older silver
instead of walking thru them - I got out and walked on wet sand and headed down the other end - a few of their club members working the wet sand stopped me and asked
ask if I was in their club - no - asked how I did and I told them - I asked if they knew if their guys got anything - they said one got got a thin gold anklet -
that was all they heard - I went where they were - jumped in and got a couple real deep old golds and some silver - I where a mask 99% of the time and can see where
others have been - none of them had a mask - bonus - I found a $20 bill on bottom in like waist deep water - when I got out a bunch of them came towards me and I showed them the goodies -
the could not believed they missed it - once again asked how they were running - they all had their discrim. up - I only had like 8 pieces of trash - myself and others
always try to take it all out - there was no need to use discrim at this spot
I have other stories of small beaches that a few Excal guys lived at and pounded day after day - and don't get me wrong - they did well
but after they said they thought they got it all - I went in - went for whispers and got fair amount of old gold - these aren't spots that had major sand movement or anything
ive never seen the sand move at all at these spots - but I got gold down close to over a foot and close to 2 feet - one small beach
ive gotten 19 old gold at over the yrs - most are from late 1800s early 1900s - hope this helps your question

Casper, obviously you know your machine well, we all see that from your finds.
My question is: what is your definition of "follow"?
Playing devil's advocate here, but unless you actually follow in the other guy's footsteps and maintain the same cadence and swing of the other guy, doesn't it just mean you're in the same water only. I mean 2' to right or left and you're putting your coil over ground that he didn't. So you may be parallel to him and even zig-zag over his line, but it doesn't necassarily mean you actually follow him. Unless you both are gridding the same sq.ft area of water.
Full disclosure, I don't have an excal, ctx or cz, so I don't know the capabilities of any of them except what I read here.
Your thoughts?

 

[CASPER-2]

some people will tell you - the reason I get what I get is because I hit farther out than others - ive told this over the last 5 yrs
reason being is many know what I look like - they know me cause I wear a mask & snorkel - because the way I carry my scoop and because I wear tee shirts or sweatshirts with Caspers on them
yes I go farther out than most but secret be revealed - only about 30% of my gold found has been chest deep or deeper - most is from waist deep at low tide
but if I said that - they'd be hitting these spots again - them thinking I get it all out far - and they don't want to try going out that far - works for me
I never tell others if I find gold right where they hit or stick it in their face - uncool - but many hunters would shat if they saw what I got behind them
or at spots they thought were "cleaned out"
when I go on travel to caribean I will ask hotel personel if others had been there recently and if yes - will ask if they had machines with a box or a tube and
that's how I know if they had Excals - sometimes guys will post that they were there a week or 2 before me and that's how I know
plus if I'm told other hunters were there - can tell when I get no good targets and mostly trash they discriminated. some I find trash they threw back
rusted items they threw on top and older pull tabs and bottle caps on top
I got one spot an older guys digs deep can tops and bottoms and throws them back - says he has no room in his pouch for them
can read about that here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/6831926593/in/dateposted/
If I get a fresh drop - I can usually tell if it was lost recently - but when I'm digging them from a foot or 2 down and silver is caked and gold has
stuff stuck to it or bits of coral stuck under the stone or 10k with some green - then I know its missed