Penalty for impatience = one scoop

[digger89]

OK - so I got an underwater machine from my family as a 40th birthday present. The sea has been slightly angry every day (small whitecaps or breaking surf) since, so i've been patiently digging up bottlecaps in the wet sand waiting for a calm day to take it on its maiden voyage... my impatience finally got the best of me friday and I headed into the surf. As i'm stuggling with determining and adjusting the coil weight (I thought the unweighted coil would be better since i will swing it on land too, so need to weight the coil to go underwater) a wave knocks me on my ass. And that's the least embarrasing part! Floundering in the foam, I shove my hand scoop down into the sand so it won't go out with the wave, and leave it to tend to the machine, weights, and goggles that got knocked off. After a couple of more stumbles and mouthfuls of saltwater, I decide I should wait a few more days to try detecting in the water. Now here's the embarrasing part -- my scoop is gone! Not out with the wave, but buried under the sand that the wave pulled back over it. Since it was in the low tide surf zone and i couldn't get the machine weighted and under control, I couldn't detect it, and waiting out the tide wouldn't help... I had no choice but to do the walk of shame back to the car.
So, while I continue to check the surf cam every day waiting for some calm water when I can go find it, I figured I'd throw the story up here so you guys can have as big a laugh as the people on the beach!

 

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[Bavaria Mike]

Funny story, I'm laughing with you! HH and better luck next time, Mike

 

[Tommi]

Look on the brightside, now you can find a scoop! and at think things could of been worse ... what if your detector was dragged into the deep unknowns!
Now that would be a find and a half...

 

[desertfox]

Digger, welcome to the wonderful world of water detecting, all of us that hunt the beaches can relate with you, we have all been there at one time or another! Great story and yes I'm laffin with you not at you. HH and I hope you find your scoop! Oh, happy belated Birthday.......

Desertfox

 

[Ascholten]

Next time put a tether on your scoop. Just one of those windy things that you can slip around your wrist and the handle of the scoop. This way if it gets out of your grasp for whatever reason (balancing, digging, rubbing sore spots etc) and wants to take a tumble in a wave, you got a life line to yank it back with.

Aaron

 

[ivan salis]

it happens to all of us at one time or another -- Ivan

 

[kindafoundabuckle]

Will you have to buy another scoop to find your old scoop? If George can pull a golf ball from a whales blow hole in angry seas you can find the scoop. Good luck!

 

[mumszie]

Digger - I applaud you for sharing an embarrassing story. It was great and like the others I am laughing WITH you and not at you. We have all had our days of hanging our heads and taking the "walk of shame". If not - it will soon happen. Now, get out there and find that scoop (maybe with something in it)!

 

[doozis]

The next time you go there , I hope you don't see an 8 year old
with his "yard sale " detector running to his mom to show her the
cool scoop he just found

Doozis

 

[diggummup]

What beach did you lose it at? I'll go find it for ya! Seriously though, good luck to ya and I hope you find your scoop. BTW-Welcome to Treasurenet!

 

[jeff of pa]

Bummer on the Scoop,

But Funny Story Digger.

What a way to Learn

 

[rjnail]

been knocked down many of times, never lost the scoop "YET". and i know what salt water taste like also. your doing good , just dont lose the detector. rjnail..........PS. would you happen to had video taped this while it was happing, like to see it ,

 

[xentrik1]

uh-oh... You might have to change your name

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Lately in Daytona surf has been rough, two weeks ago I lost my scoop, even though I have the "noodle" on the handle to make handle float up, the under flow was so strong it was laying flat on the bottom and it took me about 5-10 mins to find it with the detector.

Been knocked on my butt many times, it comes with the terriorty.

 

[kydave]

First time at Sebastian i wore sneakers and socks in the surf, sand kept getting in my shoes so bad i had to clean them out every so often so my toes could strighten out. Next day i go barefoot, got into a big patch of some kind of crabs that kept jumping out at me, no big deal till one got me by the foot! I sling him off and now i'm bleeding! Next day i get some deck shoes that seemed to work very well. Problem solved! I drop a pocket knife in my pocket and a couple of 9volt batteries. Later on i notice my pocket is on fire! Ok slow down and put all that behind me and find some coins. In and out of the surf with cutoff jeans on about a mile from the truck, now i'm galded between the legs and walkin bowlegged, still no coins. Seems theres lessons to learn no matter what part of the U.S. your hunting in. Thought i could keep my detector dry and hunt the surf too! Ha! That third or fourth wave will getcha every time!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

If you go to Bass Pro Shop or check their web site online. You can find several kinds of water shoes. I have a water-moc, tennis shoes with drain holes on the bottom and the sides. There are also water sandals that some of my hunting partners use that work good.

I have reefboots, but there is no arch support and after 5 hours of hunting my feet were killing me, so I got the Water Moc. I have to have something, using my "back-hoe" scoop barefoot just want hack it.

 

[sailrunner]

Ahhh....the joys of the beach hunt.. 8)

 

[robp]

Yes I have been there too, managed to hang onto the scoop and detector, retrieved the Minelab hat from the surf but lost the sunglasses! much to the amusement of the sun worshippers on the beach.

Enjoy it is all part of the game and we do come out on top in the long run.

Good luck to all.

Rob

 

[SaintSea]

Aw... don't be so hard on yourself! Ocean hunting isn't always 'a day at the beach'! Reminds me of what Cher said when someone said that she must have to do an awful lot of exercising to be in such great shape; she said that she really had to work hard - it wasn't easy or everyone would look like that!
A lot of folks who don't ocean hunt are jealous that we have the opportunity. It's true that we're lucky, but we do pay our fair share of the "knocked on your bum" dues before we find the elusive gold in the sand. Keep at it - and I hope you find your scoop!
Ruth