FILL IN YOUR HOLES !!!

[DaytonaGold]

Today an older gentleman stopped me on the beach, and for the first time in 20 odd years of detecting I was asked "Aren't you worried that someone may fall into one of those holes you left?". I was taken back by this question and really didn't know how to respond, so I just went on my way. as anyone ever been asked this question before?

Does anyone fill in their holes on the beach? I for one do not, and I can tell you numerous reasons why not but I want your opinions.

 

[lords20]

Hummm YES!!! FILL THEM IN. What if some one was running and stepped in the hole you just left. They broke ankle or leg or worse??? Are you liable for it?? Probably so but I do not want to take a chance on finding out. To many sue happy people out their.

 

[DaytonaGold]

What if a child just dug a hole which they do all day long, are they liable? Certainly not. I am on a public beach which I have to pay a $20.00 yearly fee for and I've yet to see a detectorist fill in any hole on the beach before. The surf fills them right back in.

 

[larox]

Always fill your holes, and carry out the trash you dig. Don't give anyone a reason to complain about our hobby !!!!!!!

 

[ZOFCHAK]

Today an older gentleman stopped me on the beach, and for the first time in 20 odd years of detecting I was asked "Aren't you worried that someone may fall into one of those holes you left?". I was taken back by this question and really didn't know how to respond, so I just went on my way. as anyone ever been asked this question before?

Does anyone fill in their holes on the beach? I for one do not, and I can tell you numerous reasons why not but I want your opinions.

.
This thread is going to be interesting..



I ALWAYS fill my holes! Yeah, the surf will eventually fill them all in but a cratered beach gives the hobby bad image and could possibly cause an injury. Why would you not at least make an effort to do so?

 

[dadzjunk]

Daytona,
I have always tried to fill in my holes, whether it be the wet or dry sand and also in the dirt, because I have always heard that you should, due to the safety issue and also the image that it gives of our hobby but the other day at Clearwater beach, I was talking to another detector that ask me about it. I told him that I did and even showed him one that I had just covered. He said that last year someone on Clearwater was not filling in the holes and that the life guards had reported it and that the authorities had notified their Detector Club in Tampa with a warning that if it continued that they were considering closing the beach to detecting. He said that they put out the warning to everyone that they knew, to please start covering their holes, if they were not already doing it. Things might be different over on the east coast, but that is what he told me about over here. I have not done very much detecting in the water, but find it very difficult to dig, let alone try and cover the holes, but I have been doing the best that I can at it.
Good luck on your future hunts. I really enjoy reading your post and seeing your finds.

 

[Larry (IL)]

I at least make an effort to fill the holes back in. It takes about 2 seconds to kick most of the sand back in the hole. If for no other reason, just to make the beach look better and to give the public one less thing to complain about our hobby.

 

[deerman]

FILL IN YOUR HOLES OR YOU WONT BE DETECTING ON THE BEACH VERY LONG AS IT WILL BE CLOSED TO ALL DETECTING........If you can dig the hole then YOU CAN FILL IT BACK IN!!!!!! And if i see someone on a beach not filling there holes I'll ask them to go back and fill them and if thay say no I'll go tell someone about it that can make them or kick them off the beach so I don't lose my detecting of that beach or any other beach/park ect....

 

[Raven69]

I always fill my holes in, whether they be in dirt, dry sand, wet sand or out in the water. The way I look at is that over night the tide smooths the wet sand and then the beach cleaning machine smooths the dry. I get there about dawn and around the same time are the people walking and running, later in the morning the kids come and dig after the runners have left.
I have been working the wet sand and had the surf lifesavers go jogging past, I would feel terrible if one of them or anyone for that matter fell in a hole I had just dug. I also hunt around swimming areas along a river, so there isn't as much water movement to fill in holes, so I try to fill them in or at least push in the edges to make a shallow depression rather than a steep sided hole. I have been in knee deep water and had people walking out to lunch their kayaks near me. I know from experience that stepping into an unexpected hole can leave your back in a world of hurt.
I find it a lot quicker to fill a hole then to dig it, once I have a target in my scoop, while I give it a shake I am pushing sand back into the hole with my foot. So for me I fill my holes from a safety point of view and also to keep good relations with other beach users. On one beach a friend and I hunt, we have been thanked by regular users for picking up rubbish and broken glass.

HH

 

[OldBeechnut]

I can tell you numerous reasons why not but I want your opinions.

Ok, you had a few opinions, lets hear your other numerous reason...

You have been detecting 20 years?

 

[dirtdigginlady]

wow I can't bel that any of you DON'T fill in your holes on the beach. I ALWAYS fill in my holes. What is the difference of on the beach or in someone's front yard? I see no difference. To me it speaks poorly of metal detecting if you don't fill in your holes where ever you are detecting.

 

[DaytonaGold]

I wanted to point out that I do kick in most of the sand if the hole is large, smaller holes I leave alone. Trust me, I have NEVER seen a fellow detectorist EVER fill in their holes on the beach. I can atleast say that the effort (minimal at best) is more than most. My view of the beach is probably different than most, like I said before ...the tides go in and out and the surf will fill in the holes, the beach is a playground or sandbox if you will and is meant to be played in. Kids & parents alike dig 6 ft. holes with sand castles all around and I would never SCREAM "Hey, fill in your hole" because I take the beach for what it is. Not to mention I clean the beach for free as I detect, I always pick up plastic bags, cans, etc. and throw them away so I'm not worried about a little hole.

 

[dirtdigginlady]

Are you a CHILD???? I just can't believe that you are too sorry to fill in your holes. No wonder this hobby gets blasted all the time and we a loosing our rights to detect more and more. SHAME on you is all I can say. You don't deserve to get to detect the beach.

 

[DaytonaGold]

Really? You're calling me a child? You don't even know me but at least I can spell. I'm asking for opinions and not your verbal assualts.

 

[ZOFCHAK]

.Trust me, I have NEVER seen a fellow detectorist EVER fill in their holes on the beach. .

Sorry, but I don't believe that at all!

 

[tvr]

North Myrtle Beach sand digging law

Laws are starting to be put in place for all hole diggers (check out the link).

I've seen bicyclist and runners on the beach fall when they hit small holes or soft sand in the middle of packed sand.

I fill holes in the wet and dry and pack them in the wet so they support a runner or bicyclist like the sand around the hole would. I've filled some holes in the water when a lot of people are around. They don't all fill in by themselves on the next wave. The concern is someone may suddenly find themselves a foot deeper than they thought if they hit my excavation. That surprise could be fatal for a child in the shallow water who isn't a good swimmer or who panics.

With respect to "Trust me, I have NEVER seen a fellow detectorist EVER fill in their holes on the beach." I was at Daytona Beach for a week last September. I saw about a dozen different detectorists hunting the sand. I only saw one who did not fill holes. I guess my observations and practices have been different than yours.

My opinion is that it is important for the safety of others and for the preservation of the hobby to fill the holes and to also pack them when appropriate.
tvr

 

[DaytonaGold]

Well, I guess I'll be filling in those holes.

 

[KinTN]

Well, I guess I'll be filling in those holes.

Thank you. Thats the proper answer.

I have always filled my holes regardless of where I have dug. In dirt, I strive to make it so that when I make the next pass I cant see where the hole was myself. Not always possible, but I can honestly say to anyone (and myself) that I have tried my best to minimize any disturbance on public or private lands. I have only had 1 person be anything but 100% nice to me after witnessing how I hunt (usually unbeknownest to me that they are watching); that was a librarian who was VERY protective of 'her' library (so she said)- even tho I wasnt on library property. She left me alone after I assurred her it was completely legal, I was as concerned about damage as she was, and that I had talked with the Chief of Police before metal detecting in her town.

This nation is getting more and more selfcentered every year. If we give folks that arent into our hobby a reason, they will work to deny our right to hunt public lands. Imagine a little child in a sandbox who doesnt want to play with they toys there, but gathers them all up and wont let enyone else play with them. That's what the American public is becoming.
Folks, treat your hunting grounds better than you would treat your front lawn (assuming you care about your front lawn more than i do of course )

 

[John(Tx)]

n/t

 

[Raven69]

Good to hear you are going to change your practice, also thank you for asking the question. I'm sure there are plenty of people that don't fill holes who wouldn't take the time to ask what other people are doing.

GL and HH!