Gobyman said:
Hey all,
Well got a 4hr hunt in at Siesta today. Was really crowded and a few people starting to get in the water (just a tad chilly, but bearable). Anyways found my first gold ring for the new year in about waist high water(10k with 3 diamonds) and boy is it big! at least a size 11 from trying it on my index finger, but it's heavy too
(gotta love people with big fingers..hehe) Also found a silver charm (925) looks like it has some gold plating around the stone in the middle. Not much on clad, but no complaints though
Hope the weather keeps getting better, so us florida pirates can get to digging ARRRH!
HH All
Gobyman
I have been at Siesta Beach for the last few weeks working the water up to chest deep. Glad I brought my wet suit. Water temps are in the mid to upper 60's and the air temps have been in the upper 70's to low 80's so people are starting to get into the water. I see lots of gold on people and once they start jumping in the water, some of it will eventually be lost.
Best bet to get a parking spot at Siesta is to get there before 8 AM or get there later in the late afternoon early evening when everyone is leaving. Traffic on Gulf Avenue and all the other two lane roads is usually horrendous and you may have an hour or two sitting in traffic because everyone else is trying to get to the beaches by noon. Even though Siesta has a couple of pretty big parking lots, I've seen people sell their spots to the others who circle around the lots looking for a place to park. Seems the lot full sign goes up pretty early at Siesta.
In the past, Lido beach used to be a favorite. Not only for at one time being a nude beach but also for the high income people who went there. Lido has changed after the sanding by the government. There is right now a huge cut of about two to three feet up and down the beach. That cut was ever was there before and it seems to not go away. Makes for a very small wet sand area and a lot of the sand from the cut ends up over the gold. Almost at the waters edge there was a pretty good cut where I found lots of bling. That cut in the water is now totally gone. Since the sanding, it seems that Lido has less people going to it. A lot of the richer people would go to Lido for shells. Since the sanding, I've not seen too many shells. In the last year, I have not got much out of Lido. At one time, it was my favorite go to beach for gold. Not any more. Have not pulled much out of Lido for the last dozen times I've been there. I've asked other MD'ers about their experience at Lido and they all say pretty much the same.
The one beach that few people seem to go to metal detect is Manatee beach. Of all the times I've been at Manatee, I've maybe seen two MD'ers and they were hitting the dry and wet sand. Yes, the pier is gone as of last year and it seems there is a lot of iron in the sand and water from its removal. You will still see some pretty big chunks of asphalt in the sand left over from the removal of the pier. Most of the activity in the water is right where the pier used to be in and around the restaurant.
But I have yet to NOT find something of value at Manatee. Manatee has a couple of highly used beach ball nets and also has the restaurant right there on the sand. Parking is also tough there as you need to either beat everyone to the beach or go when everyone else is leaving.
Coquina beach is a beach that I may want to try to hit. Plenty of parking. The break walls are a bit too much but I do see a lot of people in the water with bling. Have not water hunted there yet. Seems to have attracted a lower class of people though. I've seen tons of dry sand MD'ers but never any water hunters.
Congratulations on the gold ring. Now that the weather is much better, I am sure that there will be plenty to find for everyone!
....HH...Brian
