Snorkel detecting techniques

[canaddar]

Hello all,

I am looking to improve my underwater detecting. So, I am going to tell you what I do with a good bit of detail, and see what tips and techniques some of you have to improve my technique or make life easier. What I do works, but I am hoping that there are a few others who have already worked thru my issues that don't mind sharing some knowledge.

I am using a mask, fins and a snorkel. I am wearing enough weight on a belt (right hand flip clasp to drop it if I need to) to keep me in contact with the bottom in fresh water. I have a White's Surfmaster PI, and a Garret waterproof pinpointer. I have a belt with an attached bag for finds/junk.

So far, I am just doing fresh water lakes with very little current. I would like to move up to ocean beach detecting at some point. I am doing up to about 12 feet or so deep right now.

My detector is slightly buoyant on the coils (which I like). My pin pointer will sink. I will also sink if not actively doing something to stay on the surface with the weight I am wearing.

I tied a bright orange bobber to my pin pointer with about 2 feet of string so if I drop it, it will sink and have a marker sticking up into the water so I can find it. I also have a 4 ounce pyramid fishing weight that I put about 3 feet of string on and another bobber. This is my marker. I also have about 7 feet of string tied to a foam floatie that I can use to rest on when I need to (tied to my belt).

I go to the bottom and sweep until I need to get a breathe or til I find a target. I carry the weight and bobber in my hand and drop it when I find a target, or have to surface, I drop the weight to pick up back where I left off. If I find a target, I let go of the metal detector and it floats up, remaining tethered to me by the headphones I am still wearing. Then I rip weeds and fan the bottom to find the target. I will often take the headphones off and put them on the floatie to give me more freedom of movement and to get rid of the annoying noise that starts when I turn the pin pointer on.

Now, here are the things that I don't like.......

My weight belt will often spin around on my waist. This tends to happen as I am contorting my body in various ways and I don't notice it when it does (usually). Having been thru water survival courses, I like things like the clasp to get rid of the weight belt to always be in the same place. If I have to get rid of it in a hurry, I would rather not be looking for the clasp. Any thoughts on something better? My belt is a one piece item with several pockets for weights. There are no pockets to the front that I might be able to balance the load with to reduce the tendency to spin.

My grid technique.....sucks. I stir up a lot of mud. There is about a foot of weeds on the bottom that I am forcing the detector thru. So the clear water often turns murky. Straight lines are not happening. I have read about sand anchors and rope, but think that would stay low and get into the weeds, becoming hard to see. I have thought about a variation on my weighted bobber......essentially 2 of those with 10 yards of string between the bobbers. I think that would give me a line suspended about 3 feet off the bottom to follow, but don't really like the idea of carrying bunches of string around while swimming.......lol

My pin pointer holder. It is a loop that you just slide it into. I am worried that it will slide out when I don't notice and create another target for me to find (one of the reasons I have a bobber on it). I did tie a string to it and have it tied to my belt, but it was getting wrapped up around everything I wear since the string floats around if not pulled taunt. Any thoughts on some different pin pointer holders that are a bit more secure but still allow you to get it out in a simple and fast manner?

In the lake, I don't worry about my detector getting away from me. But, if I have any real current or waves, I can't just let go of it like I do now. But, I don't see how I can do things without using both hands once I find a target unless I want to spend 3 times longer getting stuff. Any thoughts on tethering the detector to yourself so you can just let go of it?

I am thinking of getting my scuba again (before I get an answer to just do scuba.....lol). I actually have my open water license, but it has been so long since I last dived that I would probably be stupid to just go back to it without the classes again. But, even though that makes the breathing part easier, the murk, gridding and what to do with the detector problems still remain.


Thanks for any input, Robert

 

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[CASPER-2]

I wear my weight belt - with quick release belt - bandoleer style - across my chest
my pinpointer I have on a casino card bungee cord and will attach to finds pouch or to upper detector rod
you can coat inside of the pinpoint holder with stuff to make a tighter fit - silicon water proof calk for example
I use a large sharp knife to dig - - I hold in left hand and use it to pull myself along - will be good in those weeds
and if you get into any fish line - it will cut thru hard bottom better than a hand scoop or small shovel
and way faster than fanning
if you have the money - suggest possibly going into hookah system or snuba - you don't need cert for either
as long as you have someone that will fill you tanks for snuba with out a cert. - but you need dive flag
here is an article that may help - other on site may help you or inspire you
https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/6284386836/in/dateposted/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/

my current snuba
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/members/29748-albums4137-picture1184504.html

 

[canaddar]

Ok, I am now the proud owner of a Snuba rig. I went to a local dive shop where I have bought a few things before and talked to them about it. So, I am going to give that a shot and see how it works for me. Luckily, I can get the tanks filled. I was open water certified 25 years ago. I would be stupid to scuba because I have not done it for so long, but that license is plenty to get my tanks filled for snuba!

I am also going to monkey around with the weight belt on the chest as well. It was not super comfortable having 2 big belts on (loot belt and weight belt). But I do want those to be separate items.

Next, going to find a good bungy for the detector and Monday, I will give the new set up a try.

Thanks much for the pointers!

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

I bought a coiled pistol retention lanyard for my pinpointer for water hunting and I like it so much I leave it on for dirt now too. About $10 on the bay iirc.

 

[CASPER-2]

I use one land hunting also - I was at a huge relic hunt and was trying to cover so much ground - left my pointer behind at a hole- luckily a guy I met yrs ago on another hunt found it and people were saying Casper lost his and he knew me to come find me and return - I have lanyard now for it too - ive met so many guys that have lost one - my hunt partner - I bought him a pp for xmas few yrs ago - he lost his at a cellar hole - it was like a 10 mile walk in - didn't know it till he got to car - hole not worth going back to - so he wont be going back for it

I bought a coiled pistol retention lanyard for my pinpointer for water hunting and I like it so much I leave it on for dirt now too. About $10 on the bay iirc.

 

[CASPER-2]

just be safe - I wear a spare air tank on my chest - if I run outta air or have respirator probs - its right under my chin and should have enough air to get to shore or surface
I do not wear a bc - I wear thick wet suit that is very buoyant with out weight belt - so if I have to drop weights -
always good to do tests in shallows first
I have 30 ft hose - but only go out to around 8-10 ft at low tide
Jim in Ma. uses a hookah very successfully in fresh water spots and hunts deeper and goes out to where old dive raft used to be
he really cleans up - research your fresh water spots and try and find old pics of spots near you - 9 out of 10 spots
when I was a kid had floating rafts in deeper water - path to them as well as area under and around these
rafts are gold mines

 

[canaddar]

Casper,

Thanks for all of the tips. Already putting them to good use. Like it enough to have already gotten a 2nd tank. Ended up with a 50' hose set up.

Found an 18k HGE ring (means worthless mostly....lol), with a cats eye center stone and 12 surrounding stones (only 4 left). I bet that it was a really neat ring when new. It still looks pretty cool. I also found a 14K gold baby ring made into a necklace (according to my wife, the jewelry expert and recipient of everything I find that she likes, without regard to my desires).

I am going to put 2 pics below. This site has been giving me fits with pics and I have retyped my thanks about 4 times now......lol So text, then images!

 

[canaddar]

 

[canaddar]

The one with the coins is what I got with Snuba on my first outting. Minus the trash. The other is all of the rings I have found in the last 2 weeks from snorkeling and snuba.