Using a metal detector on a beach for treasure?

[SADS 669]

I am about to begin MDing having just bought one and wondered if anyone would be prepared to give me any advice about the best way to work a beach that is not used by a population or beach goers at all.

. I am hoping to find signs of a wreck off the shoreline based on locating things on the beach (possibly coins etc). Can I assume working the low tide area is best or can you guide me any better. My Md is an underwater model and I am an experienced diver

Thanks for any help as always
Kevin

 

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[huntsman53]

Kevin,

If you feel that some items have been washed or been blown ashore over many, many years due to storms or hurricanes, I would probably start searching for signals from the inland side of sand dunes (if this is allowed and/or you can get away with it), then slowly work your way to the water and as far out as you feel safe or necessary to venture. Do a grid type search, ensuring that on the next pass in the other direction depending which way the sand dunes, beach and waterline run (i.e. North to South then South to North, etc. or West to East then East to West, etc.) that each swing of the coil of your' metal detector overlaps the swings that you made on the previous pass in the opposite direction.

Good luck, take care and be safe!


Frank

 

[SADS 669]

Thanks Frank,

great advice, when the MD arrives I'll let you know...

 

[LifeNRA]

I got this book on my Kindle. It was a good read about MDing a beach.

Amazon.com: Metal Detecting The Beach eBook: Mark Smith: Kindle Store

 

[Frankn]

Well, since the beach is not utilized by a large population, I would conduct a random wondering search parallel with the water between the low and high tide marks. When you establish a find area hit that area hard. Most old coins I have found were just below the high tide limit. Also remember the tidal drift theory. On the Atlantic coast things move south from the original wreck location. I think it is opposite on the Pacific coast. I hope you got a good PI detector like an 8X. best of luck, Frank...

 

[SADS 669]

Well, since the beach is not utilized by a large population, I would conduct a random wondering search parallel with the water between the low and high tide marks. When you establish a find area hit that area hard. Most old coins I have found were just below the high tide limit. Also remember the tidal drift theory. On the Atlantic coast things move south from the original wreck location. I think it is opposite on the Pacific coast. I hope you got a good PI detector like an 8X. best of luck, Frank...

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=828289"/>

Hi Frankn and lifeNRA, thanks for the guidance I'll get the book and when the Tesoro Tiger Shark arrives I can get right on it.

Always nice to get a helpful reply....
Kevin

 

[LifeNRA]

I still have much to learn. Never gotten to a beach yet, I have to wait until September when all is back to work and school! This is the only time I can enjoy the beach! Naturally I will only hit the dry sand with the 350.

 

[LM]

There's two angles when MD'ing a beach.

"Lost stuff" or "historic stuff that washed up".
Obviously, we take what we get but it's usually wise to at least have an idea of what your objectives are.

For example, if you're out to find 'lost stuff', the towel line is where its at.
If you're out to find artifacts, you have to be a bit more deliberate. In some cases, detecting the dunes is good for that. In other cases, it's illegal to detect the dunes. In some cases, detecting the shallows can be productive.... or illegal. Wet sand, dry sand...

Depending on your machine (PI or VLF), you're going to be better or worse off with salt. PI is a rockstar here, but without meaningful discrimination and substantial depth, you find yourself digging deep holes to recover deep, tiny garbage. It can get very frustrating very quickly.

Water's my game too. A waterproof pinpointer comes recommended, especially if you do any work in the high energy surf zone where you don't have much opportunity to dig holes that stay 'holes' very long and/or detecting nooks and crannies in jetties, etc. I use a Vibraprobe. Its prevented an outburst of vulgarity on more than a few occasions.

 

[Gold Maven]

Here's an inexpensive book that has some good information.

Erosion is the key with beach hunting, look for places where the sand has been eaten away.

Good luck.

 

[BVI Hunter]

I've booked my flight, pick me up at the airport.....

I am about to begin MDing having just bought one and wondered if anyone would be prepared to give me any advice about the best way to work a beach that is not used by a population or beach goers at all.

. I am hoping to find signs of a wreck off the shoreline based on locating things on the beach (possibly coins etc). Can I assume working the low tide area is best or can you guide me any better. My Md is an underwater model and I am an experienced diver

Thanks for any help as always
Kevin

 

[BVI Hunter]

Thanks Frank,

great advice, when the MD arrives I'll let you know...

What model did you buy?

 

[BVI Hunter]

This was my snorkelling method (up to 4ft of water) once I realised I had a hot spot;

I set a rope on the seabed from the shore line (just below low tide) to approx. 80ft out, at 90' to the shoreline.
I weighed this down with rocks so was invisible should anyone come by, but set a marker at high tide so I could find it.
this was my "edge of search and guide" rope.

I then snorkelled from the shallows to as deep as I could, following this rope, the back in again, using the rope a s a visual guide, and moving a little way off it each time. - the rope keeps you in a straight line each time.

when I got too far to see the rope, or at the end of the day, I set another on my last "run" - now I have two ropes parallel to each other and I KNOW the area between them is clear!!

next time, start again, using the last rope you laid as a guide, and when finished, take the FIRST rope, and leapfrog it over to your finishing point for the day - that way, you always have two ropes on the sea bed and know the area between them has been searched.

I also bought waterproof GPS (garmin 62stc**) which I started towing behind me on the surface on a small float - each time I made a find I popped my head up, pressed the "MARK" button (this marks a WAYPOINT automatically) and continued on - at the end of the day, not only could I see my "track" for the day (and see any areas missed) but noticed smaller hot spots of finds - from this I was able to determine a definitive "arc of finds" which I am currently following -

and you would have seen how the finds have progressed from my other thread!!

good luck!!

** all downloadable to Google Earth!!

 

[SADS 669]

What model did you buy?

Tesoro tiger shark from a forum member

 

[SADS 669]

This was my snorkelling method (up to 4ft of water) once I realised I had a hot spot;

I set a rope on the seabed from the shore line (just below low tide) to approx. 80ft out, at 90' to the shoreline.
I weighed this down with rocks so was invisible should anyone come by, but set a marker at high tide so I could find it.
this was my "edge of search and guide" rope.

I then snorkelled from the shallows to as deep as I could, following this rope, the back in again, using the rope a s a visual guide, and moving a little way off it each time. - the rope keeps you in a straight line each time.

when I got too far to see the rope, or at the end of the day, I set another on my last "run" - now I have two ropes parallel to each other and I KNOW the area between them is clear!!

next time, start again, using the last rope you laid as a guide, and when finished, take the FIRST rope, and leapfrog it over to your finishing point for the day - that way, you always have two ropes on the sea bed and know the area between them has been searched.

I also bought waterproof GPS (garmin 62stc**) which I started towing behind me on the surface on a small float - each time I made a find I popped my head up, pressed the "MARK" button (this marks a WAYPOINT automatically) and continued on - at the end of the day, not only could I see my "track" for the day (and see any areas missed) but noticed smaller hot spots of finds - from this I was able to determine a definitive "arc of finds" which I am currently following -

and you would have seen how the finds have progressed from my other thread!!

good luck!!

** all downloadable to Google Earth!!

What sort of things did you find ( specifics not needed)?

 

[BVI Hunter]

What sort of things did you find ( specifics not needed)?

its all here...

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...p-yes-when-its-full-coins-18.html#post3477754

still plenty to come up from the depths.....!!!

 

[TerryC]

Learn from the PROS! Find the books these guys put together. Bob Trevillian/Frank Carter (Spyglass productions) and Robert Marx. TTC

 

[CASPER-2]

sent you a PM with link to articles I wrote - some may be of help to you

 

[yelnif]

Tesoro tiger shark from a forum member

Congrats on the Tesoro, but I believe the Tiger Shark is designed for fresh h2o and the Sand Shark is the salt h2o model. What h2o beach are you headed for?

 

[fella]

Congrats on the Tesoro, but I believe the Tiger Shark is designed for fresh h2o and the Sand Shark is the salt h2o model. What h2o beach are you headed for?

The Tiger is for water...fresh and salt and is a VLF detector. The Sand Shark is a PI unit.

 

[yelnif]

Thanks for the catch fella, it was the VLF and PI that makes them different. I thought that the VLF worked better in fresh water while the PI was designed for the salt water?

The Tiger is for water...fresh and salt and is a VLF detector. The Sand Shark is a PI unit.