Good morning". "Yes, I understand that you have an underwater metal detector." Yes, actually, I have two. How can I help you?" "Would it be possible for me to rent one off of you?" I then proceeded to explain that, no, I did not rent them for a couple of reasons; 1] the cost of the machine for one. They are quite expensive and once they leave your hands, you have no control over their treatment; and 2] the skill involved in using a machine. You cannot just take a detector and start to find things. There is a learning curve that you have to master.
However,I explained, I would be willing to go and search for, "what was it that was lost?" "A ladies, gold, rolex watch, lost in a lake, on Salt Spring Island." There was no way he would let me help to find it so I gave him the name of a local dealer who MIGHT [and I stressed that word] be willing to rent him a detector for use while diving.I then promptly forgot all about the call, since there was no way that I was going to be able to help find it.
One day later, I got another phone call from a very nice lady who had heard that I did underwater metal detecting. I replied that, yes, I did and asked what she had lost. The lady explained that she had been playing frisbee with her golden retriever on a wharf on a Salt Spring Island lake. The dog, in its' enthusiasm, leapt up to grab the frisbee out of her hand and in so doing, had knocked the ladies watch off of her wrist. "What type of watch was it?" "A ladies, gold rolex watch."
I asked if she had had anyone search for the watch and she repied that she had hired a diver to look but he had failed to find it. Somehow, this seemed to be a little too co-incidental to be random chance.
She asked me how much I would charge to come over to Salt Spring to search for the watch. I asked about the conditions on the bottom [heavily silted with branches and logs--- NOT GOOD!!!} Since my wife and I were planning on going over to Salt Spring to see a Welsh Pony breeder [those who know her realize that Alice loves her horses and ponies], I quoted a price that was the cost of the ferry trip only. We recieved the directions to Cusheon Lake, set a date to meet and made our plans to go over the following day.
The next day, after a 30 minute ferry ride and a 15 minute drive, we arrived at Cusheon Lake. We were met at the lake by Christina, the owner of the now sunken watch, and she pointed out exactly where the watch had fallen. As I looked in the lake,the prospects did not look encouraging.Logs, branches, silt; all combined to make the prospects of finding the watch very low.
I suited up and walked down to the lake. At the waters edge I immediately sank up to my knees in mud. Oh, this really did not look good!!!However, a promise made is a promise kept so out I went.. Luckily, the water was only 5 or 6 feet deep. The silt however, well I had no idea of how deep that was.
I turned on the excalibre, tuned it and started scanning. Almost immediately, I recieved multiple signals. I increased the discrimination and eliminated any tins and rusted items and then recieved 2 strong signals. Fortunately, Alice has a rolex so I had run the machine over it to get a sense of what it would sound like and just where I could knock it out.
I fanned over one of the targets and visibility went from 4 feet to zero as the silt billowed up and enveloped me.I could not see a thing. My scoop was useless because of all the branches. I groped with my hand but I could find nothing. This would be an ideal situation for a small dredge or a blaster to bring down some clear water.
However, since I had neither, I did the next best thing. I moved up about 5 feet, positioned my fins over the signal, and started to kick. In this way, I excavated a hole and cleared the mud, to a point, and silt laden water from the working area. I came back to the hole, and laid on a large log that was laying off to one side. I ran tha machine over the hole again and recieved a good solid hit.
Again, I fanned lightly and again, visibility dropped to zero; and again, I excavated with my fins.After about 45 minutes,I had worked out a real routine and made a good cavity in the mud. But still the signal was in the hole.
I laid in the log and waited, none too patiently, for the ewater to clear a little.As I looked down,I saw a faint glint. Carefully and slowly, I extended my hand to grasp what I was hoping was the watch. I closed my hand over it and once again, the silt roiled up. I came to the surface and carefully opened my hand and looked at a gold, ladies rolex.The band was broken, but other than that, I was intact.
Christina was ecstatic, understandably, and I was tired, but satisfied. I asked what the watch was worth and she told me that it had been appraised at $6500.00, six years previously.Although I tried to refuse, Christina paid extra, explaining that her insurance deductable was $500.00 and this was a bargain. She had her watch back; the one given to her by her mother, many years before.
As for us, Alice and I went to the breeder, looked at and admired numerous ponies. We then went out for lunch. But I wondered; justwas it the diver who called that first time. Christina knew nothing about that call, and I have wondered.... Did he plan on returning the watch if he found it????
[attachment 24257 RLX2925.JPG]
However,I explained, I would be willing to go and search for, "what was it that was lost?" "A ladies, gold, rolex watch, lost in a lake, on Salt Spring Island." There was no way he would let me help to find it so I gave him the name of a local dealer who MIGHT [and I stressed that word] be willing to rent him a detector for use while diving.I then promptly forgot all about the call, since there was no way that I was going to be able to help find it.
One day later, I got another phone call from a very nice lady who had heard that I did underwater metal detecting. I replied that, yes, I did and asked what she had lost. The lady explained that she had been playing frisbee with her golden retriever on a wharf on a Salt Spring Island lake. The dog, in its' enthusiasm, leapt up to grab the frisbee out of her hand and in so doing, had knocked the ladies watch off of her wrist. "What type of watch was it?" "A ladies, gold rolex watch."
I asked if she had had anyone search for the watch and she repied that she had hired a diver to look but he had failed to find it. Somehow, this seemed to be a little too co-incidental to be random chance.
She asked me how much I would charge to come over to Salt Spring to search for the watch. I asked about the conditions on the bottom [heavily silted with branches and logs--- NOT GOOD!!!} Since my wife and I were planning on going over to Salt Spring to see a Welsh Pony breeder [those who know her realize that Alice loves her horses and ponies], I quoted a price that was the cost of the ferry trip only. We recieved the directions to Cusheon Lake, set a date to meet and made our plans to go over the following day.
The next day, after a 30 minute ferry ride and a 15 minute drive, we arrived at Cusheon Lake. We were met at the lake by Christina, the owner of the now sunken watch, and she pointed out exactly where the watch had fallen. As I looked in the lake,the prospects did not look encouraging.Logs, branches, silt; all combined to make the prospects of finding the watch very low.
I suited up and walked down to the lake. At the waters edge I immediately sank up to my knees in mud. Oh, this really did not look good!!!However, a promise made is a promise kept so out I went.. Luckily, the water was only 5 or 6 feet deep. The silt however, well I had no idea of how deep that was.
I turned on the excalibre, tuned it and started scanning. Almost immediately, I recieved multiple signals. I increased the discrimination and eliminated any tins and rusted items and then recieved 2 strong signals. Fortunately, Alice has a rolex so I had run the machine over it to get a sense of what it would sound like and just where I could knock it out.
I fanned over one of the targets and visibility went from 4 feet to zero as the silt billowed up and enveloped me.I could not see a thing. My scoop was useless because of all the branches. I groped with my hand but I could find nothing. This would be an ideal situation for a small dredge or a blaster to bring down some clear water.
However, since I had neither, I did the next best thing. I moved up about 5 feet, positioned my fins over the signal, and started to kick. In this way, I excavated a hole and cleared the mud, to a point, and silt laden water from the working area. I came back to the hole, and laid on a large log that was laying off to one side. I ran tha machine over the hole again and recieved a good solid hit.
Again, I fanned lightly and again, visibility dropped to zero; and again, I excavated with my fins.After about 45 minutes,I had worked out a real routine and made a good cavity in the mud. But still the signal was in the hole.
I laid in the log and waited, none too patiently, for the ewater to clear a little.As I looked down,I saw a faint glint. Carefully and slowly, I extended my hand to grasp what I was hoping was the watch. I closed my hand over it and once again, the silt roiled up. I came to the surface and carefully opened my hand and looked at a gold, ladies rolex.The band was broken, but other than that, I was intact.
Christina was ecstatic, understandably, and I was tired, but satisfied. I asked what the watch was worth and she told me that it had been appraised at $6500.00, six years previously.Although I tried to refuse, Christina paid extra, explaining that her insurance deductable was $500.00 and this was a bargain. She had her watch back; the one given to her by her mother, many years before.
As for us, Alice and I went to the breeder, looked at and admired numerous ponies. We then went out for lunch. But I wondered; justwas it the diver who called that first time. Christina knew nothing about that call, and I have wondered.... Did he plan on returning the watch if he found it????
[attachment 24257 RLX2925.JPG]
