Recovery in the surf?

bigscoop

Gold Member
Jun 4, 2010
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Wherever there be treasure!
Detector(s) used
Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Lately I've been making two or three quick, fairly deep scoops before the hole fills back in, quickly dumping them all left of the hole when the currents allow it. Usually when I sweep the piles of the fading dumps the target is in there somewhere and easy to retrieve, not always, but most of the time. Just found this to be easier and less hassle then the repetitive scooping, checking, scooping & checking of a hole that is always filling back in. Sometimes I'd would really like to float a backhoe out there but........:laughing7:

How's everyone else approach recovering items in the surf?
 

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Ive got an 11X9 inch scoop i take as big a bite as i can and move the scoop up to check the hole. Its a pretty fast process and i can dump quickly and go again if needed before too much gets in. If its in the scoop and i can see it right away sometimes ill just dump it and then pick it out. Like you im trying to get as fast a recovery of the target and move on as i can. In the oat meal near the waves i do the same thing you do ..... just dig deep a couple of times quick and throw it to the side.

Dew
 

I used a large Sunspot Stealth and took a big bite, quickly checked hole, and re-scooped it necessary. Out of the surf I used to float a screen sifter to place material while I scooped again. But hauling the screen sifter got to be a hassle and kids could see what you found and try to grab it. If I thought the item was in the scoop I just let the waves wash out the sand and I kept the item in the scoop.
 

Yea, been looking for a sturdy scoop with a larger bucket, just not had one kiss me the right way yet? :laughing7:
 

It was suggested to me a few years back when I first began detecting to check the scoop contents that I had removed and placed on the ground before rechecking the hole. I find that this works very well for me because for some reason :dontknow: there is a delay in getting the tone if the target is still in the hole, but when checking the already dug contents first, I hear the tone quicker if it is there....this is just my method and it seems to save me time.

Lorraine
 

Odd you mentioned that delay Lorraine i get it with the Xcal on a deep hole.... but as soon as it fills it sees it again. I think the machine is reading the hole. Cant beat a large scoop out there. Didnt think id like the 90 degree handle over my angled RTG, but i rarely loose a target out of it now... they just wanted to float out the more sand you dug.

Dew
 

I scoop and recheck, and shake it out if scooped up. Most of the beaches in my area, hole remains open. I'm the opposite, if I dump it, I cant seem to recover it well again.
 

Odd you mentioned that delay Lorraine i get it with the Xcal on a deep hole.... but as soon as it fills it sees it again. I think the machine is reading the hole. Cant beat a large scoop out there. Didnt think id like the 90 degree handle over my angled RTG, but i rarely loose a target out of it now... they just wanted to float out the more sand you dug.

Dew

Yep...been noticing this delay, or lag also when using the Excal. Nine times out of ten, if I don't get it after two or three scoops the target is a bit right of where it originally pinpointed. Now I don't know if this true in all cases, but I do know a slanted coin/target can also cause this condition.

dewcon....I love my 90 degree scoop....have very few washouts now....I just wish it was a bigger bucket.

I had a strange target today that I finally gave up on in saturated sand near the waterline......a very solid hit but faded to almost nothing as the hole got deeper....after the hole was filled back in the hit was very solid again....so I went for a second try......that attempt ended with the same results. One thing I did notice....After a certain depth the hole would start filling with saltwater and that's when the signal would start getting weaker & weaker and smaller and smaller. It was a fairly big & deep target for sure. Fill the hole back in and that target was solid and strong. :dontknow:
 

Digging, Bobbing, have a big scoop, and a small coil helps..
Things can be a little different on the Mid-Atlantic Shores....You have to hit the water about 60 minutes before Low tide, ..some LT hunting in OC, Butch, Great CZ20 Hunter, and......................Another BigScoop...



 

OBN......my friend and I were just discussing making this same type scoop and now that I've actually seen one in the works..."Time for another project!"
Love the concept! :thumbsup:
 

I toss the pile towards the shallow,then as quickly as possible flip sand out of hole as it caves in .With a little luck the target is now in water that is a little more shallow and easier to recover. If the target disappears it possible was light weight junk like foil that fell apart . (It would still bother me not to at least see what it was)
 

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