Where are the best results when hunting a beach???

[RON (PA)]

This question has probably been asked before, but here it goes again. Where is the best place to hunt a beach. I have hunted in the dry sand for the last three years now (when we go on vacation) and have come back with pennies, literally. Should I be hunting in the water (I do have a water machine), stay in the dry sand, or hunt where the sea shells are left on the sand (I think this is the low tide mark)?? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Born2Dtect]

Just like all metal detecting if it is there you can find it, if it is not there well.....

Check out the beach you are ging to detect on a average day. Are most people sun bathing, playing volley ball, or frolicking in the surf? This is where I would go, where the people are. One point, items lost in the surf move, they get buried and tossed up again by storms and rough surf.

A lot of water searchers like the "line" , at low tide the water mark to about waist/chest deep. I would try to get there as soon after the drop, no more than 24 hours.

Remember active people = lost items.

Ed D.

 

[stitchlips]

This question has probably been asked before, but here it goes again. Where is the best place to hunt a beach. I have hunted in the dry sand for the last three years now (when we go on vacation) and have come back with pennies, literally. Should I be hunting in the water (I do have a water machine), stay in the dry sand, or hunt where the sea shells are left on the sand (I think this is the low tide mark)?? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

I think a lot of it depends on the beach and the current conditions as well.

 

[FloridaBill]

I would say your best finds will always be from the wet sand area to chest deep water. The further out you get the less junk and the better the targets, only as someone said if your coil passes over it.

Many people hunt the dry and do good. I always hunt in the water and when it's to rough will then hunt the wet at low tide. If there is no low tide then I don't hunt.

I read this one time and have posted it before "hunting the dry is like waiting for the jewelry store to open, enter the water and the store just opened"...

Good luck on your choice

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

"hunting the dry is like waiting for the jewelry store to open, enter the water and the store just opened"...

I like that saying Bill............



Speaking only from my limited experience, I have only been doing this for 3 years, and I am no expert in anything, but the majority of my good jewelry finds have been ankle deep to chest deep.

I have found some nice rings in the wet sand and a couple in the dry sand, but the vast majority came out of the water.....Most were waist deep, but keep in mind the tides makes ankle deep on the low tide, chest deep or deeper on the high tide.

 

[bill-USA]

Apologies in advance for the poor humor, but ----

I always keep the best results in a separate pocket, whether beach or land hunting......

 

[deepsix47]

I agree with Floridabill. A lot also depends on the beach itself and what you are looking for. Learning to read a beach and the water are skills that are developed by putting your time in. You can learn the basics from a book or web site but then you find out how much you don't know when your feet hit the sand....lol.

Deepsix

 

[JackInFlorida]

Probably say too much as usual, but I'm not giving out coords.

I hunt the beach often, mostly just to relax and get out doing something.

If you divide the beach into 5 sections:

1. Back of the beach by the dunes, or where folks park if it is a drive on beach
2. Towel line, area between the back and where the sand starts to slope
3. Slope
4. Beach Break
5. Knee to shoulder deep

1. Back, I have found mostly change and beer bottle caps in this area. Have found some interesting finds in the hard packed sand where people drive, but you need to hunt that very late in the day when cars are gone.

2. Towel line, the favorite of the dry hunters, I have only found one ring in two years of hunting. Mostly clad, tools and pop tops.

3. Slope, this includes the area of sharp drop after some nasty whether. It gives you a natural extra foot or so of depth and have found a couple of wedding bands in this 3 foot section. If it is just a normal slope, I usually only find change and beer bottle caps.

4. Beach Break, I have found many rings, toe rings, nipple rings, lots of big loop earrings (deep), watch (which I still wear) etc. I also find lots and lots of rusty nails and bobby pins.

5. On a calm day, this is the most fun, many less targets, but usually more interesting. While you can find some pop tops, I would say that 2 out of 3 targets is something of interest, whether change, a piece of something, or jewelry. In this area, I have found many many earrings, rings and large change, quarters etc. I have also found a few pairs of glasses, which don't fare well in the scoop.

Another advantage to hunting the water is that you stay cool. Invest in a pair of dive booties and a dive belt to hold your stuff. Make sure your MD has a detachable unit that you can belt mount. If the water is moving (like the beach), then use a stainless scoop with some weight to it.

When you first get in the water, it is VERY VERY HARD to dig targets. After my third trip to water hunt, I was ready to give up. I got out with three finds and was so tired that I could barely walk back to the car. I tried it again a week later, and it was suddenly easy! You have to learn how to hunt all over again, with a distraction of a wave hitting you every 5 seconds. If you hunt on the Gulf coast of fresh water sites, the "break in" period would likely be shorter.

My personal feeling is that hunting dry sand is mainly good for exercise.

Jack

 

[Born2Dtect]

To all those who continually say you cannot find nothing in the dry sand I post this link,

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,255636.msg1828826.html#msg1828826

Ty, seems to have done fairly well. I will add one thing, OC MD does have a lot of sun bathers, I think more thank swimmers. So each beach will be different, I never rule out any area of the beach.
You find a good treasure, well, any time your detector beeps over one!

Ed D.

 

[FloridaBill]

To all those who continually say you cannot find nothing in the dry sand I post this link,

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,255636.msg1828826.html#msg1828826

Ty, seems to have done fairly well. I will add one thing, OC MD does have a lot of sun bathers, I think more thank swimmers. So each beach will be different, I never rule out any area of the beach.
You find a good treasure, well, any time your detector beeps over one!

Ed D.

I don't see where anyone stated that in fact just the opposite

Many people hunt the dry and do good.

I have found some nice rings in the wet sand and a couple in the dry sand

Now this one that is just his opinion

My personal feeling is that hunting dry sand is mainly good for exercise.

And that is what I have found too much junk for me, too many snowbirds with detectors hunting it, too hard on my back, very hard to walk in when soft, can't hunt during the busy hours of the beach as you can't get through the people. That is all we are saying there have been many awesome ring finds in the dry sand, no one is disputing that, what we are saying is that the better targets and more jewelry are out in the water. That is just a fact of life. Look through the hundreds and hundreds of rings finds on the forum and if you keep track of where they were found I think you will see the majority of them are found in the wet sand or water.....

 

[Born2Dtect]

Not again!

FloridaBill, Ahh...... Read the third post to this topic. I believe it was yours.

Ed D.

 

[JackInFlorida]

Well,

Not really taking sides, but truth is I've been trying to figure out the math. I would say that, for valuable finds, I am 2 to 1 for wet vs. dry. I will never say that you can't find stuff in dry, I found this beauty at the towel line:



But there is just 6 or 8 pop tops for every interesting target. Get's old sometimes. Less things to go around in the water than on the beach too.

Jack

 

[Born2Dtect]

I agree with you. Better finds in the water. Nice one there.

Ed D.

 

[ClonedSIM]

I would have to say not falling into the drink would be one of the better results you could hope for........

 

[mlayers]

I have done really well in the water from waist deep to chest deep water. I also will hunt the shore but I finds more coins and watches on the shore and lot more rings in the water. I will hut the land if it is to cold for the water or after I have hunted out the swimming area. The sand is a lot easyer to dig in then hunting the land for coins when the ground is so hard from little rain.....Matt

 

[scrooge]

I search both because my best find ever was a diamond tennis bracelet that came from dry sand. Searching in the water is a totally different animal and can be very tiring if you have any wave action.

 

[Cappy Z.]

Hey JackinFlorida, What beach did you find THAT beauty? I mean WOW!

 

[teklord]

When the water is calm use the opportunity to get out there. Wet sand area knee deep during a minus low tide is my next favorite. That said, my best find ever was at high tide as the waves were digging away the beach.

Tek

 

[Cappy Z.]

Look. I am not a know it all. But I can feel your angst. I have spent months/years scouring sandy beaches and just like everyone here..i get about the same results.

The future in MDing can be quantified in one single word.

Depth.

If you buy a 300 dollar MD or a 3000 dollar MD..they both go about a foot (12 inches) for a quarter on a 'beach'..)(maybe)..but.......................you can take your foot and push away almost 12 inches in about 5 seconds!

Now picture this: 100 MDers scouring a treasure beach just after a big storm truned over the sand.
Multiply this times 14 days/two weeks.

Nobody...nobody...nobody..gets the gold at 24 inches. Period.

HH

 

[scrooge]

Look. I am not a know it all. But I can feel your angst. I have spent months/years scouring sandy beaches and just like everyone here..i get about the same results.

The future in MDing can be quantified in one single word.

Depth.

If you buy a 300 dollar MD or a 3000 dollar MD..they both go about a foot (12 inches) for a quarter on a 'beach'..)(maybe)..but.......................you can take your foot and push away almost 12 inches in about 5 seconds!

Now picture this: 100 MDers scouring a treasure beach just after a big storm truned over the sand.
Multiply this times 14 days/two weeks.

Nobody...nobody...nobody..gets the gold at 24 inches. Period.

HH

Amen Brother...