First beach hunt and a kick in the *ss

[wassermj]

Currently on vacation with the family in Bethany, Delaware (sea colony resort) and brought my new detector along. This was the first time I hit the beach and I got to say I really enjoyed it. I was even starting to get a feel of what the different signals meant. Found $2.57 in clad, a few toy cars, someone’s house key and more beer tabs, bottle caps and tent posts than I care to count. Hunted from 3am until about 7 when the heat and sun started to get to me.

I did notice that when I was close to the water level I’d get signals in the 33-38 range— just blips really and never found anything. I’m using an AT Pro 400. Is this something caused by the salt water or was I just missing the finds?

Finally the kick in the junk. Guy next to me on the beach is digging in the sand with his kid and pulls out a heavy solid platinum ring. Can you believe the luck? My kids have been teasing me mercilessly ever since.

 

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[slider66]

Doesn’t do well near salt but will work pretty good in the wet sand and water if you back down the sensitivity. Hope this helps

 

[wassermj]

Thanks! I’ll give it a shot. Still have a few more days here. I’m still learning the settings and just had it set for jewelry. Every quarter signal chirped at high 80’s and got me hopeful

Should also mention that I found a few pieces of shrapnel from a beach replenishment that occurred 11 years ago here. I figured all that would have been hunted out. Apparently back in the day people were pulling out hundreds of old shells and other assorted munitions

 

[TomW244]

I've used my AT Pro many times at the beach. You'll need to re-ground balance each time you transition between dry and wet sand. I've actually been able to use my coil in the water with minimal chatter as long as I do that. It does help also, as Slider66 said, to back off the sensitivity a bit.

 

[Hawks88]

Nice variety of finds. Congrats

 

[crypticrecon]

Thanks! I’ll give it a shot. Still have a few more days here. I’m still learning the settings and just had it set for jewelry. Every quarter signal chirped at high 80’s and got me hopeful

Should also mention that I found a few pieces of shrapnel from a beach replenishment that occurred 11 years ago here. I figured all that would have been hunted out. Apparently back in the day people were pulling out hundreds of old shells and other assorted munitions

Might have come from Fort Miles with the current which was just a few miles to the north in what is now called Cape Henlopen. People are always finding live munitions there. It was a World War II base at the mouth of the Delaware Bay. There are observation towers throughout to watch for German U-Boats that could potentially come into the mouth of the Delaware Bay, then into the Delaware River, etc...

There are legends of German agents landing in Delaware from a U-Boat, but no substantial evidence to back it up though. The Germans DID plan U-Boat attacks on the east coast of the US. Checkout Operation Drumbeat or it's also called "The Second Happy Time".

Fort Miles Observation Tower at Cape Henlopen State Park

 

[Rookster]

Congrats on finds with the new Pro.

 

[A2coins]

he was probobly pulling your chain

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Nice hunt, congratulations!

 

[Silver Saver]

Dang, that lucky guy! Sounds like a great way to spend a vacation though!

 

[against the wind]

Congrats on your first beach hunt. The Garret AT PRO is an excellent water machine as long as it is Fresh Water. Salt water will drive any VLF machine crazy and cause a lot of Ghost Signals. I use a Minelab Excalibur for Salt Water hunts.

 

[smokeythecat]

That's not bad for a beach hunt. It's all a matter of getting the coil over the right target. Your machine should work well there.

 

[CASPER-2]

I was hunting in the water yrs back and watched a guy pull a fine gold chain from some seaweed on shore and another - watched akid
with goggles fan up a gold ring in the shallow - he was actually trying to find gold and was systematically fanning but still - no machine needed

 

[basssmann]

I agree with A2coins, it was his own ring I'm sure... people do that quite often .. haha what's the odd's of him finding the ring, at the same time your there ??!!

 

[Trezurehunter]

Looks like your learning your detector very well. Your Platinum ring will show up sometime soon.

 

[washingtonian]

Oh man, that does blow watching that happen. At least you know you're in the right area to find that kind of stuff. Sorry man!

 

[wassermj]

Closed out the week with one more hunt in the same area and found my first spill- too bad it was only four modern quarters. Still it was pretty awesome to keep getting signals. It was like the giving tree. Puts my total at about $4.50 in glad. I also found what I think is a sharks tooth which would be pretty exciting for me (im a city boy) but my wife says I’m crazy. Figured someone here would be able to tell even from just a picture.