Lost Gold Necklace

[kalamalka]

Hello Everyone,

I'm searching for any info/help on locating my lost gold necklace that was dropped in a lake. I will list the details below and hope anyone out there could give any advise.


1) Lost approx. 3 weeks ago.
2) Kalamalka Lake, B.C. Canada (Canada's Carribean)
3) 7'-15' of water in a 50'x 30' area.
4) Bottom is 6" of mud followed by clay.
5) Water is 75 degrees and vis. is good.
5) We have spent 4-5 hours of scuba time searching with hands and garden rake.

I am currently looking to possibly purchase a metal detector for underwater use. If anyone could advise any different or which detector one should shop for, that would be great!!!


Looking forward to any replies.

P.S. There is huge sentimental values attached to this item.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[lab rat]

Yikes! Sorry to hear of your loss. You should be aware before you make a detector purchase that most detectors can't find thin gold chains. If it is a big heavy chain, or it has a medallion on it, you stand a much better chance of finding it.

You will want a waterproof detector, and one of the best for finding thinner chains is the Fisher CZ-20. (Alternatively you can look at a White's or Fisher PI [pulse induction], but I'm not as familiar with the capability of these units.) If it is a thin chain with no medallion, the smaller 8" coil will give you the best signal, and you will want to dig every target in all-metal mode. The signal will probably be weak and scratchy. For digging you will want a sand scoop-- a coffee-can sized metal scoop with a wire mesh bottom for filtering the sediment. If you are hunting for a bigger chain, or have a medallion, you can look for a 10" coil to cover the area a little faster. You will still want to overlap your coil footprint on each sweep. For the area you described, even if it is flat you can expect it to take you a few hours for a thorough search.

It might also help to understand a little about physics: gold is dense, so much so that falling through water doesn't slow it down much. So if you dropped it from a height of 15 feet, it will penetrate the mud pretty deeply, and if the mud is soft it will sink until it reaches a 'packed' layer. If the clay is hard packed and only a few inches from the top of the mud, that will be to your benefit.

Hope this was helpful, and best of luck to you!

 

[Lowbatts]

Labrat is right, the CZ-20 is probably the best submersible in freshwater among the big mfrs. Try to check the member list of this website and see how many Canadian members there are in your area. Send a PM or E-mail to them asking for help. Also look for a local or nearby club. Most will be glad to help and from what we read here from the Canadian TH'ers they are more than capable of locating it if it's still there.

 

[wooden nickel]

What about the Minelab Excalibur series of detectors?? I've read reveiws that they are the best at small gold chains and such.

 

[Lowbatts]

Yep, Minelabs are great detectors, I wrote that the CZ-20 is the greatest because I own one. If I owned a Minelab, I might say it was the greatest. But having handled them and noting how ungainly they seem to be out of water and with the ways the controls are laid out I would not consider owning one. I use my CZ-20 in Lake Michigan wading, Foxriver digging, creek, swamp and deep soft muck work. I need a machine that has a better balance whether hipmounted or not and more intuitive operational characteristics.

 

[lab rat]

I have both a CZ-20 and a Minelab Sovereign. The Excaliber is supposed to be the same electronically as the Sovereign, but waterproof for diving.

My experience is that the Minelab takes a lot longer to learn how to use effectively, and I've heard that Excalibers break pretty easily as well. Yesterday I met a gal using an Excaliber, and she said she's had it over a year and found less than $20 with it, and it has been in the shop for a number of repairs. She's extremely disappointed with it.

I like my Sovereign but it took me several months to get to know it, and the CZ is much easier to operate and just as effective at finding stuff.

 

[Gold_pinger]

Yep Labrat is right about most detectors can't find thin gold chains.
My surf PI Pro can't find them. You might try Detectorpro's Headhunter PI. I have seen chains found by them on another forum

 

[warthog steve]

TAKE SOME GOOD ADVICE-DO NOT USE A RAKE!!!!IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT NOW TO FIND ANYTHING,LORD KNOWS WHERE IT WOULD HAVE WOUND UP FROM THE RAKING!!!

 

[Donna 2]

Regarding underwater detectors - I have a Fisher 1280 X Aquanaut that is an underwater detector.? I searched for a gold cache with it this summer and found that it detected gold only to about 3 or 4 inches deep which just doesn't cut it. I'm sharing this info just in case you are thinking of buying a metal detector.
Best of luck in your search.? ? ?Donna

 

[kalbs]

Good grief!! Unless you plan on doing u/w detecting as a life long avocation, get some one from the forum, or a regional club to help you w/this. You face two hurdles: A: Major expense for equipment that will get the job done, and B:You will have to devote many hours learning how to use( and develop proficiency with) the detector . . . while on SCUBA! This COULD lead to a passion for u/w detecting. . . or be a big loss of time (Invaluable) and money. Either way, you need an experienced diver/detectorist to assist you. The good news is that the water is shallow enough to make use of a hookah rig. (Not fun, but practical). Good luck.

 

[Bum Luck]

Good grief!! Unless you plan on doing u/w detecting as a life long avocation, get some one from the forum, or a regional club to help you w/this. You face two hurdles: A: Major expense for equipment that will get the job done, and B:You will have to devote many hours learning how to use( and develop proficiency with) the detector . . . while on SCUBA! This COULD lead to a passion for u/w detecting. . . or be a big loss of time (Invaluable) and money. Either way, you need an experienced diver/detectorist to assist you. The good news is that the water is shallow enough to make use of a hookah rig. (Not fun, but practical). Good luck.

Great advice! Follow it!

 

[dld]

Good grief!! Unless you plan on doing u/w detecting as a life long avocation, get some one from the forum, or a regional club to help you w/this. You face two hurdles: A: Major expense for equipment that will get the job done, and B:You will have to devote many hours learning how to use( and develop proficiency with) the detector . . . while on SCUBA! This COULD lead to a passion for u/w detecting. . . or be a big loss of time (Invaluable) and money. Either way, you need an experienced diver/detectorist to assist you. The good news is that the water is shallow enough to make use of a hookah rig. (Not fun, but practical). Good luck.

do you know this post was from
Lost Gold Necklace
Posted Aug 20, 2004, 08:06:12 PM
and this is Dec 11 2010

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

The next thread should be titled " How well do you read posts before replying to them" . Good Grief, 2004. LOL

 

[lacey333]

Before you spend the money and time on a new machine you should try this group,

http://theringfinders.com/

If there is anyone in that area I'm sure they would have a very good chance of recovery for you as they do it all the time!

Goodluck,

Mike

 

[dogpound]

i certainly hope they found it by now

 

[AUDuke]

If you REALLY want to find it , get a gold dredge.

 

[goldman55]

Hello Everyone,

I'm searching for any info/help on locating my lost gold necklace that was dropped in a lake. I will list the details below and hope anyone out there could give any advise.


1) Lost approx. 3 weeks ago.
2) Kalamalka Lake, B.C. Canada (Canada's Carribean)
3) 7'-15' of water in a 50'x 30' area.
4) Bottom is 6" of mud followed by clay.
5) Water is 75 degrees and vis. is good.
5) We have spent 4-5 hours of scuba time searching with hands and garden rake.

I am currently looking to possibly purchase a metal detector for underwater use. If anyone could advise any different or which detector one should shop for, that would be great!!!


Looking forward to any replies.

P.S. There is huge sentimental values attached to this item.

Thanks,

Bob



Just Lost go with the Vibra-tector 750---$169.00 100 foot water Proof
Bill

 

[Willee]

Good grief!! Unless you plan on doing u/w detecting as a life long avocation, get some one from the forum, or a regional club to help you w/this. You face two hurdles: A: Major expense for equipment that will get the job done, and B:You will have to devote many hours learning how to use( and develop proficiency with) the detector . . . while on SCUBA! This COULD lead to a passion for u/w detecting. . . or be a big loss of time (Invaluable) and money. Either way, you need an experienced diver/detectorist to assist you. The good news is that the water is shallow enough to make use of a hookah rig. (Not fun, but practical). Good luck.

do you know this post was from
Lost Gold Necklace
Posted Aug 20, 2004, 08:06:12 PM
and this is Dec 11 2010

He He He ... I was wondering when someone would catch that.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Chains without a pendant or big clasp attached are difficult to impossible to find as the detector only sees one link at a time - not the whole chain. Since you have mucked the area up digging around it will be even more difficult. and is the necklace worth the price of a machine designed to find it? ( $1000 and up ) The best for this project would be the Garrett Infinium PI, good down to 200 feet and extremely deep seeking - feet not inches, which you will need after stirring up the bottom and depositing the necklace who knows where. Good luck.

Bill

 

[mud dog (aka) Salty Dog]

These Threads stay alive as long as newbies (like myself) to the forum look over the threads and coment on them too ,I will try to look at the dates from now on,prior to replying to them,Thanks for pointing that out,Dave