Detecting the beaches here in Florida I always fill my holes and throw away any trash I dig. Many times people watch as I detect and I don't want the hobby to get a bad rap. The only exception to this is if I dig a small hole in the surf and I know it will fill up in a second by itself. I don't think we can be too careful.
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Beach policy on leaving holes
- Thread starter mortarman
- Start date
diggindirt
New member
tvr said:In the water I've dug holes deep enough to be knee deep in the hole chasing an elusive target. That puts me a lot more than knee deep in the water. A little kid who may come right behind me could suddenly find themselves in over their head. What if they can't swim or just panic? I've seen several times where someone riding a bicycle came across beach holes filled but not packed in and have their tire sink into the sand and get pitched from the bike.
100%
I was recently digging "an elusive target" on a hard packed clay lake bottom and was already chest to neck deep chasing this signal. I had to lean off to one side or go way over my head (crater was on a deep slope) and I turned to dig from another angle, lost my balance a little, and sort of got stuck for a few seconds of panic there. I managed to somewhat cover the hole because you know those craters won't fill in that easily in fresh water. If a kid or anyone for that matter was walking near and stepped into it they could possibly drown. Oh and by the way, it was just a clad quarter (lol)
So yeah, I always fill them in because if someone got hurt or worse I'd really feel s@#ty about that! HH
dirtdigginlady
New member
Absolutely. Usually they don't want you to dig anywhere close to the dunes as they are erosion control.
Laws or no laws, it comes down to common courtesy, that's it. For the sake of the hobby, we all should just fill our holes. No matter where we are. And from the responses, it looks like we all do! But unfortunetly it's those few who will ruin it for everyone else. So if I have the opportunity to educate someone I will. If they tell me to go F myself, well so be it.
dewcon4414
Well-known member
Im much more concerned about the TRASH we dig than those holes. I HATE seeing a crushed beer can .... that by the we we didnt bury.... laying beside an filled in hole.
Dew
Dew
I always fill my holes back when hunting for civil war relic,coin[size=small][/size], & on the BEACH TOO i thing if you dig it you can put it back just like it was (how must time will it take to put it back in) come on man !!!!!!!!!
1954streetrod
ps [size=medium]PUT IT BACK[/size]
1954streetrod
ps [size=medium]PUT IT BACK[/size]
Welwood470
Member
I personally let the situation dictate how and if I cover a hole. If it's a park, private property, manicured lawn, etc, no need to discuss the issue. Leave it like you found it.
At the beach early morning, high tide line, middle of the beach outgoing tide, fill it in.... late afternoon, people leaving the beach, low tide, waters edge, I'll let mother nature
take care of it. I like to maximize what little time I have left to enjoy the hobby and the day. If you have the cajones to walk up to someone metal detecting and challenge
them about filling up their holes would you walk up to some parent and ask them to make sure the kids fill in the crater they dug to build the sand castle? I doubt it.....
just saying.
At the beach early morning, high tide line, middle of the beach outgoing tide, fill it in.... late afternoon, people leaving the beach, low tide, waters edge, I'll let mother nature
take care of it. I like to maximize what little time I have left to enjoy the hobby and the day. If you have the cajones to walk up to someone metal detecting and challenge
them about filling up their holes would you walk up to some parent and ask them to make sure the kids fill in the crater they dug to build the sand castle? I doubt it.....
just saying.
Welwood470 said:
Saying something to a fellow detectorist about their holes and saying something to a parent is comparing apples to oranges. We all help each other by educating our fellow hobbyists and ourselves. The police aren't going to ban children for digging holes but they can and have banned us!
Welwood470
Member
mortarman said:
I would still disagree. A hole is a hole. There are people who make the argument that filling in a hole is a safety consideration. They are the ones I would refer to.
The person that twists or breaks an ankle does not really care how the hole got there.
I think Kosmic said it..open holes do not apply to most of us, heck we just fill em without thinking about it...its just the way we are, sooner or later we all will meet a noob who is not as situationally aware of their actions or techniques that we can gently clue in on a few tips and filling holes, leaving no trace is usually the first subject. I'm sure we all go through our lives without leaving any sign, and try to be as invisible as possible just to not have any busybody ruin the serenity this sport brings. Its just good policy to not attract attention or leave sign in all sorts of what we do not only detecting.
Mud
Mud
Welwood470
Member
mortarman said:
If you had read my post you would understand I was referring to holes on the beach (tidal).. You have your opinion and
I have mine. I find it hard to believe a policeman could make an issue of of someone digging a hole and not covering
it up while metal detecting vs another digging one for whatever other reason and not covering it back up. It is whatever
the LAW says it is. You can either dig a hole or you can't. Doesn't have anything to do with what I might do or not do.
I stated in my original post that I cover my holes. Occasionally I don't if time and tide will cover it in a relatively short period
and the beach is not populated.
I've lost multiple beach areas to metal detecting this past season, and unfilled holes were cited at both areas by park management as one reason detecting is no longer allowed.
I fill my holes, and now I have no problem saying something to someone who does not.
Politely at first, but if that doesn't work they should know that I carry a big scoop... 
I fill my holes, and now I have no problem saying something to someone who does not.
Politely at first, but if that doesn't work they should know that I carry a big scoop... Fishers Ghost
New member
When I arrive at the beach,to detect, usually after most beach goers have gone home, I find the beaches peppered with holes left by kids and mums and dads and those who like to bury themselves in the sand. These diggings are usually spread from the dunes to the water line and NOBODY COMPLAINS. not even the life guards, who also leave holes and messy dune buggy tracks all over the place. But when a detectorist leaves holes people notice because even to this day a lot of people view a person with a metal detector as beeing in some way different to the norm and possibly a bit of an annoying riff raff.
Yes the next high tide will clear the beach of any unfilled holes but I guess the point is that because some people view detectorists as undesirables then they will look for an excuse to complain.
I can recall a time while I was simply sitting on the beach enjoying the sun and sand like any beach goer but with my metal detector on the sand beside me when an old but very respectable looking lady who was sitting on the sand about 5 or 6 yards in front of me after having given me some grumpy looks, stood up , walked over to me and said " Don't you come any closer to where I am sitting , I don't like Your type"..
So I guess if for no other reason than to simply protect yourself from a law suit if a person tripped and fell and broke a leg in one of your unfilled detector holes. you might as well jus fill them in and help give the rest of us a good reputation.
I have had people say to me 'Why don't you get a job".
"Are you a Dole bludger".
"Can't you find something better to do with your time"
All I was doing ws enjoying my one of my hobbies during some free time from my work
Yes the next high tide will clear the beach of any unfilled holes but I guess the point is that because some people view detectorists as undesirables then they will look for an excuse to complain.
I can recall a time while I was simply sitting on the beach enjoying the sun and sand like any beach goer but with my metal detector on the sand beside me when an old but very respectable looking lady who was sitting on the sand about 5 or 6 yards in front of me after having given me some grumpy looks, stood up , walked over to me and said " Don't you come any closer to where I am sitting , I don't like Your type"..
So I guess if for no other reason than to simply protect yourself from a law suit if a person tripped and fell and broke a leg in one of your unfilled detector holes. you might as well jus fill them in and help give the rest of us a good reputation.
I have had people say to me 'Why don't you get a job".
"Are you a Dole bludger".
"Can't you find something better to do with your time"
All I was doing ws enjoying my one of my hobbies during some free time from my work
Jeff Harris
Member
If you find somebody not filling in their holes politely discuss the matter with them. If they keep repeating the bad behavior crack them across the back of their legs with your sand scoop making sure to connect solidly with the back of the thighs.
imalookin2
New member
Fill your holes, especially on a crowed beach. People walk along looking at everything but the smooth sand. They don't expect their foot to go into a hole. Also at night. People walking along the smooth beach don't need to find your hole and break an ankle. Be a good example for our hobby.