Upcoming Sebastian Inlet trip-need some advice

[Bioheat1969]

Junior Member Join Date: May 2021 Location: Dudley, MA Posts: 78

Sebastian Inlet Trip coming up Happy New year everyone. After months and months of double shifts plus additional over time due to the pandemic, my wife and I are planning a few days in Florida in April. She was doing a little research on where we were going to stay, and stumbled across an on-line story about the 1715 fleet, and the treasure coast. That story got her, she decided we were going to Sebastian Inlet, and bringing the metal detector. First let me say this is a trip strictly for fun, we are: A) NOT expecting to actually find anything. B) We know they replenish the beaches with sand. C) We know the best chances if you are going to find anything are after a big storm. So all that being said, I have questions, since I've never done any salt beach hunting before. I use a Minelab X-Terra with a stock DD coil, how careful of the water do I have to be with the coil? Is there much difference from field hunting and beach hunting? I don't currently have a sand scoop, and the wife wants one, any recommendations on a travel scoop that can break down for luggage? Does anyone have any recommendations on the parts of the beach to spend our time, we were looking to search the shell line and base of the dunes, is that the correct strategy to take? I appreciate any advice given, thanks in advance. Harvey

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

Hello and welcome to TreasureNet. First, you may not be aware, but the Xterra line is not a good salt water detector even though the 705 has a beach mode it is still a single freq detector and will have trouble handling the salt minerals.

You didn't say what model Xterra you have, the 705/70 has beach mode and auto-tracking the 305 and 505 do not.

The coil is waterproof, it is the controls you want to be careful of because of the salt spray in the air, not the coil.

In case you are not aware, they renourish the treasure coast beaches yearly, renourish means they dump 10 feet+ and more of sand on top of the beaches because of erosion so unless there is a recent storm the chances of finding anything is very low, the beaches are also detected daily by locals with detectors. Just letting you know so when you hunt and don't even find a pull tab or penny, you will know why.

 

[traveller777]

Hello and welcome to TreasureNet. First, you may not be aware, but the Xterra line is not a good salt water detector even though the 705 has a beach mode it is still a single freq detector and will have trouble handling the salt minerals.

You didn't say what model Xterra you have, the 705/70 has beach mode and auto-tracking the 305 and 505 do not.

The coil is waterproof, it is the controls you want to be careful of because of the salt spray in the air, not the coil.

In case you are not aware, they renourish the treasure coast beaches yearly, renourish means they dump 10 feet+ and more of sand on top of the beaches because of erosion so unless there is a recent storm the chances of finding anything is very low, the beaches are also detected daily by locals with detectors. Just letting you know so when you hunt and don't even find a pull tab or penny, you will know why.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Reality is much better than unexpected disappointment.

 

[traveller777]

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Junior Member Join Date: May 2021 Location: Dudley, MA Posts: 78

Sebastian Inlet Trip coming up Happy New year everyone. After months and months of double shifts plus additional over time due to the pandemic, my wife and I are planning a few days in Florida in April. She was doing a little research on where we were going to stay, and stumbled across an on-line story about the 1715 fleet, and the treasure coast. That story got her, she decided we were going to Sebastian Inlet, and bringing the metal detector. First let me say this is a trip strictly for fun, we are: A) NOT expecting to actually find anything. B) We know they replenish the beaches with sand. C) We know the best chances if you are going to find anything are after a big storm. So all that being said, I have questions, since I've never done any salt beach hunting before. I use a Minelab X-Terra with a stock DD coil, how careful of the water do I have to be with the coil? Is there much difference from field hunting and beach hunting? I don't currently have a sand scoop, and the wife wants one, any recommendations on a travel scoop that can break down for luggage? Does anyone have any recommendations on the parts of the beach to spend our time, we were looking to search the shell line and base of the dunes, is that the correct strategy to take? I appreciate any advice given, thanks in advance. Harvey

welcome to the family.

 

[ColonelDan]

With the X-Terra, I'd stick to the dry sand and focus on the area where people congregate...the "towel line" on public beaches. I normally focus on the towel line about 40 yards on each side of the beach entrance and around life guard stations.
Regarding scoops...if you're not a full time beach hunter and only want a travel scoop for this trip, I'd look at RTG travel scoops like this one:
RTG PRO 5" STAINLESS TRAVEL WATER SCOOP (#709miniTv)

Reillys Treasured Gold - RTG Royal Stainless Water Scoop series

We manufacture and sell stainless steel water scoops and beach scoops as well as metal detectors, metal detecting accessories, digging recovery tools, gold mining equipment and more. Check out our CNC plasma art work too!

www.rtgstore.com

Good luck

 

[RTR]

Sebastian Inlet is drop-dead gorgeous

pix. of the inlet

 

[newnan man]

You'll enjoy Sebastian if just for the scenery. No hotels right there but a few small ones north. Maybe an Air B&B. Lots of boating & fishing. Small museums in the park & just south on the beach. You can access the south beaches right on A1A without paying the $8 park fee. Across on the mainland in the town of Sebastian are great restaurants & dive bars. (A little drive) Mel Fischers museum is in the town as well. Have fun, spend ALL your money & then please go home.

 

[Bioheat1969]

Sorry I haven't replied here since I posted the thread, work has had me doing double shifts. So to go back with more info, I have the X-Terra 305, but we also just purchased the Vanquish 440, the plans are for my wife and I to swap out the wet and dry sand, using the Vanquish for the wet, and the X-Terra in the dry.
We chose the Sebastian Inlet because of the lack of big hotels right on the water. I know the hotels mean lots of drops, but they also mean we have to deal with people. If we find stuff, great, if we don't, that's fine too. This trip is for us to spend some time together doing something fun. We're staying at Mel Fischer's granddaughter's flip key at the museum

 

[faribo]

I was told by one of the best Treasure Coast hunters that the shell line is not going to get you any artifacts. You may find some stones, but the gold and silver is too heavy to go where the shells are.

 

[Bioheat1969]

Thank you, that is useful informatiom, I'll keep it in mind on my trip.