laws and florida beaches well waters really

[Lex]

I did some searching on the site and found a few references about Florida laws. From what I have read. it appears that I will not have any problems as I will be hunting for recently lost items (rings and such).

"There are no private beaches in the State of Florida (other than the National Parks), and you are allowed to hunt the beaches from the Dune to the low tide line as you desire, and that includes the beaches adjacent to the 1715 fleet of Spanish shipwrecks. The rule on the beach is finders keepers, so don?t let any beachside Condo owners or Hotel operators try to run you off, as they do not own the beach, the people of Florida own the beaches.

A note of caution while hunting on the beach at night, starting in May ? October it is turtle nesting season, and artificial lighting is forbidden on the beach, especially in Brevard and Indian River County?s, help us protect our endangered and protected wildlife."

Was interesting as there are alot of people in the Tampa area that claim the beach as "private".

Basically I intend on detecting in the water from knee to waist deep for lost jewelry in Bradenton/Sarasota area perhaps some of the small islands as well.

Anyone have a solid reference on that being a no-no or fine?

Thanks,

Lex

 

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[Stirling N5PIP]

Hi Les, You can hunt in the ocean anywhere in Florida except in the vicinity of the 1715 fleet. As for the beaches, the public beaches are considered/defined as the areas to the ocean side of the dunes. IF the dunes have sea oats growing DO NOT hunt in the dunes as the sea oats are protected plants (they help stabilize the dunes). If you are hunting in the water try to stay near a lifeguard and follow their commands. The reason (though not as relevent on the gulf side) is that the lifeguards also look out for those nasty fish that like to lunch on humans. Sharks can and do go into knee deep water looking for a snack. Also please be on the lookout for rip currents as they can ruin your whole day-imagine trying to swim against the current with your detector, scoop, and find pouch weighing you down. It happened to me and it was NOT fun. The lifeguards can tell you if rip currents are active that day-just ask.
Happy Hunting,
Stirling, N5PIP
Daytona Beach

 

[wreckdiver1715]

Lex and Sterling,N5PIP, first and foremost, welcome to TreasureNet Forums and it?s always good to have another couple of Florida treasure hunters on line with us.
Since you are quoting from one of my posts, I?ll be glad to follow up on your questions for you. For some strange reason, it seems as though this becomes an issue each winter along the Florida coast. Hmmm could it be the snowbirds with attitudes?
While it may very well be the case in some northern states and out on the left coast, that land owners can own property all the way to the water line. This is not the case in Florida. Our beaches are owned by the people of Florida, and we gladly share this most wonderful natural resource with all who come to our state. However, if you are in doubt, check with local law enforcement just to be sure.
Sterling is basically correct concerning the waters in the immediate vicinity of the 1715 wrecks, and this holds true for a few other locations as well. http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/archaeology/underwater/maritime/index.cfm
If you find any locations that allow private ownership of coastal beaches, please let us know.
In the meantime, happy and prosperous hunting.

Q

 

[rjnail]

tnks for this info,

 

[Dirtfishin]

I did some searching on the site and found a few references about Florida laws. From what I have read. it appears that I will not have any problems as I will be hunting for recently lost items (rings and such).

? ?"There are no private beaches in the State of Florida (other than the National Parks), and you are allowed to hunt the beaches from the Dune to the low tide line as you desire, and that includes the beaches adjacent to the 1715 fleet of Spanish shipwrecks. The rule on the beach is finders keepers, so don?t let any beachside Condo owners or Hotel operators try to run you off, as they do not own the beach, the people of Florida own the beaches.

? ?A note of caution while hunting on the beach at night, starting in May ? October it is turtle nesting season, and artificial lighting is forbidden on the beach, especially in Brevard and Indian River County?s, help us protect our endangered and protected wildlife."

Was interesting as there are alot of people in the Tampa area that claim the beach as "private".

Basically I intend on detecting in the water from knee to waist deep for lost jewelry in Bradenton/Sarasota area perhaps some of the small islands as well.

Anyone have a solid reference on that being a no-no or fine?

Thanks,

Lex

Lex,

I'm from Anna Maria, hope to see you out there! Just got my new water scoop, so I plan on hitting the beach on my days off... They just renourished a major part of Anna Maria and I see they have the "Tube" set up at Whitney Beach... Don't know if this will help or hinder! Did find several Old and cruddy pennies at Holmes Beach after the renourish... Don't know if the Dredger brought them up... I'm going to try and research an article about some guy who found a spanish coin after the dredging last time... Don't know if he was on the beach or diving..

I'll keep ya posted. HH

Kat

 

[Lex]

HI and thanks for answering all

I went down after the last "renourishment" and my opionion is that they not only ruined it for detecting, (not that I do much beach detecting yet) but made it so that you have to wear sandals to walk on the beach! All the broken shells made me poor feet hurt

I read the article where the guy found the old coins....In my opinion he was liying...

Several veteran hunters where on the beaches all through the process finding nothing of note. Yet a guy who "happens" to be an archiaolgist..."happens" to find two old coins in a small area that "happen" to come from two very different timeframes....And then he "happens" to have both coins researched within a day or so.....

Then of course no one else has found anything noteworthy since.....In what 4 or 5 years?

Not saying this was the case but it would seem that if an otherwise reputable archeologist "accidentally" found a couple old coins in his pocket after a dig or two and wanted to get his name in the paper.....and keep the coins legally....

Don't get my wrong, I have nothing against archeologists or any other specific group as long as they use some common sense....I just hate it when people lie, cheat, and steal...specially when they use the law to do it. And in this case I believe that the person was using the "find" to take some of the heat off the beach renourishment (Did he happen to say he was working for the board while the renourishment was going on? Oh no? Wonder why?

At any rate hope to see you all there

 

[Dirtfishin]

HI and thanks for answering all

I went down after the last "renourishment" and my opionion is that they not only ruined it for detecting, (not that I do much beach detecting yet) but made it so that you have to wear sandals to walk on the beach! All the broken shells made me poor feet hurt

I read the article where the guy found the old coins....In my opinion he was liying...

Several veteran hunters where on the beaches all through the process finding nothing of note. Yet a guy who "happens" to be an archiaolgist..."happens" to find two old coins in a small area that "happen" to come from two very different timeframes....And then he "happens" to have both coins researched within a day or so.....

Then of course no one else has found anything noteworthy since.....In what 4 or 5 years?

Not saying this was the case but it would seem that if an otherwise reputable archeologist "accidentally" found a couple old coins in his pocket after a dig or two and wanted to get his name in the paper.....and keep the coins legally....

Don't get my wrong, I have nothing against archeologists or any other specific group as long as they use some common sense....I just hate it when people lie, cheat, and steal...specially when they use the law to do it. And in this case I believe that the person was using the "find" to take some of the heat off the beach renourishment (Did he happen to say he was working for the board while the renourishment was going on? Oh no? Wonder why?

At any rate hope to see you all there

Thanks Lex,
Saved me a trip to the Library!? ?I was thinking the guy conviently said it was found on the beach... since it was most likely an illegal find...

Watched some boys drag a poor 500 lbs Jew Fish or Goliath Grouper to the R&R Pier form Egmont Key just so their Mom could take a pic!? (Very Very Illegal)? The picture appeared in the local island paper as being caught "at the R&R Pier" and gently let go....? Yea they had to swim that poor tired fish for 10 minutes, with us cussin' up a storm at 'em for draggin it in the first place...?

Anyway, treasure stories run along the line of fishin' stories!? ?"It was this big"? ?

See ya around!!!? ?

 

[xentrik1]

I am very new to this forum and MDing in general. What is meant by the vicinity of the 1715 wrecks? wouldn't that include a lot of the beachs on the treasure coast?

 

[KGCnewbieseeker]

so what beaches exactly are adjacent to the 1715's? Id like to try my luck. are they the vero beaches? and the cove? hmmm pm me and please share. maybe when hubby and I come down of a vacay we can get a group together and do a sunrise dig-a-thon!!!

 

[wreckdiver1715]

The Beaches of adjacent to the 1715 wrecks extend from Sebastian Inlet, south to Vero Beach, if you have a GPS, this will get ya there.
BENT ANCHOR S32G 27.55.7N X 80.29.12W; East to 27.55.7N X 80.28.57W; South-southeast to 27.53.28N X 80.27.24W; West to 27.53.28N X 80.27.68W; then follow the mean low tide line to point of beginning.
CABIN WRECK S27 27.49.8N X 80.25.55W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of mean low tide line.
DOUGLAS BEACH S26 27.25.3N X 80.16.50W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
POWER PLANT S25 27.21.2N X 80.13.65W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
ANCHOR WRECK S23 27.48.2N X 80.24.70W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
SPRING OF WHITBY S23 27.46.0N X 80.23.83W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
RIO MAR S23 27.38.3N X 80.20.90W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
SANDY POINT S23 27.35.8N X 80.19.65W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
UNKNOWN S23 27.19.0N X 80.12.30W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
CORRIGANS WRECK S25 27.46.2N X 80.22.67W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.

 

[xentrik1]

so basically we can go to vero and go south and stuff is fair game?

 

[wreckdiver1715]

Me thinks you misunderstand. Most all Florida Beaches beaches are fair game. If you go North between Vero Beach and Sebastian Inlet you will find the majority of the 1715 shipwrecks (Six Found to date), along with a few others. Much treasure is still found on these beaches. Stay out of the water with your metal detector on these beaches, but if its on the beach its finders keepers.

Happy Hunting

Q

 

[wreckdiver1715]

I have not heard of any such stories, and if I did I would most likely treat them as just that, stories. However, lets assume that this could possibly happen, would you turn it in and possibly never see it again?
The law states that anything found on the bottom inside Florida waters that is more than 50 years old belongs to the state, and needs to be turned into the Florida DHR. If you found it a year ago you could file an Isolated Find with the state, keep the item in exchange for providing DHR with the location and any other details. Unfortunately this is no longer the case, as this program was discontinued by the state archaeologist last June. This does not apply to items discovered on the beach.
I think that the state made a big error in ending this program, and I am personally in complete disagreement with this new law that basically makes you a criminal (Misdomeaner), if you don't report your find and turn it in.

Q

 

[wreckdiver1715]

Capt Z, I can't speak for SWR, or the hand full of folks that detect Florida beaches each year. However, I will say that if my detector is near the water, both me and the ol Excalibur are going to get very wet.
In answer to your question, from the low tide line, out three miles, are Florida waters on the East Coast. So yes! that includes the shallows in-close to the beach scenario.
So yes, It's fair to say that a couple folks may choose to ignore the law (bad J-walker), if they happen come upon a artifact in the surf, or more likely, they are just unaware of the law.