Scratch
Jr. Member
Nothin' but a good time...
Every time I take the Excaliber out, I learn more about it and the more challenging the conditions, the more I learn. Vero beach was pounded Monday and Tuesday. The sand was piling up and targets were sparse. So much so in fact, I thought the detector might be malfunctioning. I should know better. Just when my doubts were getting the best of me I would get a whacking good signal and dig up a penny. I learned, after digging more than a few bottle caps, just how far to trust the discriminator sounds.
The wind was onshore at 15 knots with gusts to 20. It whistled around the headset so loud I had to turn up the threshold to hear it. I put in 2 and 1/2 hours stick time at Wabasso beach just after arriving at sunrise on Monday. After a short breakfast, I checked in at the Vero Beach Inn and headed to the surf directly behind the resort. I turned on the Excal as soon as I started walking down the stairs to the beach and didn't turn it off until lunch. One indication of how much sand had piled up was the lower part of the stairs buried at least two steps deep. I turned up a few trash signals and as you can see by the photo, not much in gas money (about enough to start my vehicle). I've found more change in the bottom of my wash machine! Not that the little road trip was disappointing, far from it!
On the upside, I got to watch a sea turtle hatchling make a dash for the surf. Two British ladies and I watched him struggle down to the water only to be washed back. After three setbacks he was washed over by a larger wave and disappeared. Outstanding!
Monday night, I waited for the in-house chef to arrive but he was late. I was hungry enough to head down to Mulligan's. If you haven't had their drunken shrimp, that alone is worth the trip.
Monday evening, I sat in a beach chair, the sun setting behind me. The half moon over my right shoulder and the surf pounding in front of me. Nice evening. I turned in early. Low tide would be at 02:00.
I woke up at 03:40 and geared up. I brought my underwater headlamp and a small underwater flashlight. For the next 3 hours I waved the Excal at anything that even sounded suspicious. I thought the wind might ease up with Ike passing to the south. No such luck. Low tide didn't mean much with that kind of surf. Just when I was beginning to think I had actually drained the battery pack, I got a very positive signal. I dug a modern nickel from six inches of wet beach striated with black sand. I've finally learned I can trust the machine.
I photographed just a small representation of the bottle caps. I threw all but one piece of the dangerous can slaw in the trash (there was a lot more). The shower curtain ring really had me going until I uncovered it. I had to laugh at myself.
It was time to shower off the salt and sand. I headed back to Mulligan's for breakfast and the best eggs Benedict I've had in a long time (not to mention served by a very pretty waitress).
Back at the Inn, I tuned in to the weather channel and decided to pack it in. Thunderstorms were due to roll onshore. I'd save John Brooks park for another time.
I hadn't found big gold or Spanish silver but I had gained confidence in my ability.
I got chump change, a sunburn and a darned good time.
Every time I take the Excaliber out, I learn more about it and the more challenging the conditions, the more I learn. Vero beach was pounded Monday and Tuesday. The sand was piling up and targets were sparse. So much so in fact, I thought the detector might be malfunctioning. I should know better. Just when my doubts were getting the best of me I would get a whacking good signal and dig up a penny. I learned, after digging more than a few bottle caps, just how far to trust the discriminator sounds.
The wind was onshore at 15 knots with gusts to 20. It whistled around the headset so loud I had to turn up the threshold to hear it. I put in 2 and 1/2 hours stick time at Wabasso beach just after arriving at sunrise on Monday. After a short breakfast, I checked in at the Vero Beach Inn and headed to the surf directly behind the resort. I turned on the Excal as soon as I started walking down the stairs to the beach and didn't turn it off until lunch. One indication of how much sand had piled up was the lower part of the stairs buried at least two steps deep. I turned up a few trash signals and as you can see by the photo, not much in gas money (about enough to start my vehicle). I've found more change in the bottom of my wash machine! Not that the little road trip was disappointing, far from it!
On the upside, I got to watch a sea turtle hatchling make a dash for the surf. Two British ladies and I watched him struggle down to the water only to be washed back. After three setbacks he was washed over by a larger wave and disappeared. Outstanding!
Monday night, I waited for the in-house chef to arrive but he was late. I was hungry enough to head down to Mulligan's. If you haven't had their drunken shrimp, that alone is worth the trip.
Monday evening, I sat in a beach chair, the sun setting behind me. The half moon over my right shoulder and the surf pounding in front of me. Nice evening. I turned in early. Low tide would be at 02:00.
I woke up at 03:40 and geared up. I brought my underwater headlamp and a small underwater flashlight. For the next 3 hours I waved the Excal at anything that even sounded suspicious. I thought the wind might ease up with Ike passing to the south. No such luck. Low tide didn't mean much with that kind of surf. Just when I was beginning to think I had actually drained the battery pack, I got a very positive signal. I dug a modern nickel from six inches of wet beach striated with black sand. I've finally learned I can trust the machine.
I photographed just a small representation of the bottle caps. I threw all but one piece of the dangerous can slaw in the trash (there was a lot more). The shower curtain ring really had me going until I uncovered it. I had to laugh at myself.
It was time to shower off the salt and sand. I headed back to Mulligan's for breakfast and the best eggs Benedict I've had in a long time (not to mention served by a very pretty waitress).
Back at the Inn, I tuned in to the weather channel and decided to pack it in. Thunderstorms were due to roll onshore. I'd save John Brooks park for another time.
I hadn't found big gold or Spanish silver but I had gained confidence in my ability.
I got chump change, a sunburn and a darned good time.
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That's what it's all about.
jgas
