What i learned today an what the ocean taught me :/

[jesse09]

If your wearing goggles do yourself a favor and bring the snorkel too. A scoop is always needed, don't leave it at home because you think fanning will prove to be a more effective technique (Fan and use your scoop with the goggles and snorkel is now most effective in my opinion, still have yet to try it).
Stingrays are plentiful, be careful where you walk or you might walk right into a 3 foot one... Stingrays are even more plentiful, be careful where you walk or you might step on the kind with camo that sit their waiting... A 25 lbs backpack of rocks is NOT a substitute to a weight vest nor is it enough weight to keep you down properly to fan. If you don't know your machine stick with factory setting, they actually work an lastly a realllllly hot 21 year old girl (my age) is not checking you out but staring at your metal detector instead, that walk away double take was for my metal detector.

Found 2 hairpins 2 rusted metal pieces 1 pulltab and too many close calls with stingrays. Spent a little over an hour hunting, this is NOT an easy hobby an i can see how quickly someone would get discouraged.

Let me know if you guys have any advice or opinions to give !

 

[leprechaun]

Keep plugin away ,the gold will come.when I first got my PI pro whitch is same as your's I found only junk for the first two weeks to a month,then all of a sudden gold,so don't get discouraged.
Happy hunting.

 

[dewcon4414]

At my age you do the looking.... not getting looked. Takes a lot of digging but id think where you are at you will be in the money soon. You just got to remember to stop styling and get to digging lol.

Dew

 

[jesse09]

At my age you do the looking.... not getting looked. Takes a lot of digging but id think where you are at you will be in the money soon. You just got to remember to stop styling and get to digging lol.

Dew

Stop styling ? What do you mean by this? I think for me to move quickly digging targets i need goggles, a snorkel, a weighted 40 lbs vest or belt, and my scoop. I think this is how i can be the most effective hunter and not spend forever digging targets!

 

[Beach Papa]

The water I hunt in is too murky to see to fan targets so I exclusively use my stainless steel 12x8x6" scoop with heavy iron wood handle both in and out of the water. Iron wood does not float, so I have a foam cuff taped to the top to keep it upright if I drop it. I have seen videos of people fanning for a couple of minutes trying to recover a target. Learn to pin point and with this big heavy scoop your target is in the scoop 90% of the time on the first try. Go hunt where the people have been swimming and you will begin to find good stuff. Happy hunting.

 

[CASPER-2]

dont try using snorkel with goggles - get a good mask
I heard Cacun water can be rough in spots - dont try fanning - get yourself a large basket scoop with a long handle
you'll get your targets faster - (I fan in dead reef / hard bottom areas that a scoop cant be used )
only use a weight belt if you are a confident good swimmer
wear thick rubber soul dive shoe/boot in stingray waters - you should shuffle your feet - it usually will scare them up -
stingray usually feed at night and early morning - usually if you kick one up during the day - its cause he was sleeping

 

[Les West Central Fl]

I have been detecting since 1973 and water hunting since 1989, I used to be a dedicated fishing but the day I started water hunting was the last day I fished. Iron, trash and junk, I dug LOTS but yet to be discouraged.I have found good items also. Excercise, peace of mind and enjoyment is my reward.

 

[wrecker]

Don't get discouraged in the beginning, we told you it takes a little while. Read what we answered to your first post before you bought your detector. When wearing a weight belt/vest make sure it has a quick release so you can drop it in case. People have drowned because of their weight belt. Being stung by a sting ray is an extremely painfull experience (believe me - I know first hand), so you want to avoid that. Good luck

 

[jesse09]

Being in Mexico it's very hard to pick and chose which scoop i purchase. Shipping plus about 30% tax on whatever i buy because of customs, i had a homemade scoop but like i said it's too flimsy. I met a fellow metal detectorist who lives about 5 hours away, he sent me some pictures of a scoop he would sell to me for 80-85 USD. What do you guys think? It's not a diamond head but looks like it's really good quality.




Would really like further opinion since it's pretty much only scoop i can get my hands on

 

[mandad76]

Given your circumstances....I think that scoop is well worth the money...good luck....hope ya find the big one!!!!

 

[GibH]

Grab that scoop. You can't beat the price. It looks like one that was being sold on ebay last year, but I haven't seen the guy who was making them selling any this season.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Buy the scoop, its a good price and from pictures it is worth the money..... Give up the fanning for now and stick to the scoop.... Remember the more area you cover, the more targets you have, the more targets you have the more potential gold to find..... Fanning is great under certain conditions.....