Just beginning

[1954mike]

Hello All,

I'm thinking about getting into metal detecting as a way to get some exercise and have some fun on the beach. Is there anyone out there who can give me some guidance on the rules or laws about detecting on Florida's Gulf Coast beaches. I'm a new comer to all of this and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your ideas and information.

Mike

 

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[signal]

Probably best to post in the Florida sub-forum.

Here are some high level rules of thumb that I use. I don't know anyone who researches every city, every county, every ordinance, etc.

I hunt the beaches from the foot of the dune to the water, with no issues. Many times the dunes themselves may be off limits, depends on the beach.

I hunt the high tide line down to the water, even if its private property, because the beaches are basically public from high tide line down to water. To be technical, if you want to split hairs, it may be the average of the high tide line down to the water, but I have never had to defend this.

I hunt in the water in most places. There are areas, for example on the treasure coast, where the water is part of a lease, and you can't hunt there, that doesn't apply to the beaches that I typically hunt.

I basically use common sense, and hunt anywhere I think people won't mind.

State Parks generally do not allow detecting the land. Some will allow you to hunt beaches/water. I just avoid state parks myself.

I have seen at least one city that posts "No Metal Detecting", on the public beach. I have still detected these beaches, from the high tide line down to the water. The city may have domain over the beach above the high tide line, but unless I see otherwise, the state of florida has endowed the people of florida with the beaches from high tide to the water line, and that's how I hunt. once again, I try to be invisible and not ever get into a situation where I have to defend myself.

Signal

 

[FloridaMike]

Hi Mike,
Welcome to Treasurenet!

I got into metal detecting for about the same reason, to get some exercise and have some fun.
My first day was at a local park with a very old Whites 6000 metal detector.
I found about 75 items that day during a 2 hour search.
I found out it can be quite a bit of exercise, exactly what I needed.
I was quite sore the next day from all of the bending, kneeling and etc.
While I recovered over the next few days I stumbled upon this site.
It has been a better find than anything else I have found so far.
That was a couple of months ago

I ended up finding a used Excalibur on craigslist and have really fallen in love with water hunting.
I find being thigh deep in water swinging the loop one of the most relaxing things I have ever done.
In fact I took tuesday off work and swung the loop for about 4 hours, with breaks, on a sand bar.
I found about $2.75, and a bunch of junk and a lot of peace!

As Signal said you can look in the Flroida sub-forum, I would add the Treasure Hunting Legal Issues page too.

He has listed a lot of good pointers.
But this one is the best "I basically use common sense, and hunt anywhere I think people won't mind. "

I prefer to hunt the same way.
But I also use the old idea; It's easier to get forgiveness than permission.
Fill in your holes and leave nothing but foot prints.

I have to laugh about this a little.
The sand bar I searched had great big scars from several peoples propellers.
I searched them and found a couple of coins, but I filled in the holes I dug in the scars.

Good luck and Happy hunting!

Florida Mike

 

[1954mike]

Thanks for the valuable info, I look forward to going on my first trip

 

[BARKER]

Hi 1954mike; Welcome to TNet; Greetings from BOSTON. Your in the right place. Plenty of Florida folks here for sure. Good Luck. Happy Hunting. PEACE:RONB