O.K here is the question

[thidbornau]

I am wondering what i am doing wrong?

I am detecting on a beach here in Australia. The tide is out 400 meters ( that is some tide i tell you) now where is the best area to search with my new Excalibur? do i detect at the edge where the tide came in, or in the middle, or where the waters edge is.I think you are going to answer "everywhere is good".

Up to now all i have found is two pull rings and half a metal ship wreck,very disappointing i must say.

I don't really like detecting in the water i find the recovery too difficult,i hear of people finding rings in the water waist high and ankle deep.I think an area like we have here the pickings will be far and wide this beach is a 20 mile beach maybe that explains a lot.

Cheers Maureen..

 

[DukeOBass]

Hi Maureen,

You should look for troughs and other depressions where heavier objects might settle. A good indication would be if there are places where the shell bits and pebbles seem to accumulate. Heavier objects like rings might be found there.

 

[thidbornau]

And what about where i detect? this beach is so huge.

cheers Maureen..

 

[DukeOBass]

Like I said... check anywhere that there may be depressions in the sand where shells and pebbles collect. Check at the base any slopes and tidal pools also.

 

[goodmore]

Look where the people are swimming. Usually up to waist deep. When the tide is out look where people swim when the tide is in.

 

[muggsc]

Could be that there's not much there. Is the beach used heavily? Start at the parking lot and go in the water as far as you like and out again. 400 meters.......wow that is some tide.
Cal

 

[Gerry]

Maureen, the beach at first by virtue of its size may seem daunting, do some recon work and you will figure out where to search.
Jewellery is where the people are, I.e. go to the beach, where are the large parking lots to accommodate the cars i.e. people. Where are the facilities to accommodate people i.e. washrooms, cabana umbrella rentals, snack shacks etc.
Ask life guards or the regulars where the people gather, just importantly go to the local metal detector clubs, members web sites and explain you are new to water detecting could they offer advise. I would start at the blanket line, where the people sit and tan, then work my way to the high tide water line and beyond using a zig zag pattern. Have you studied the tourist brochures to see where they recommend people to go, also where are the large hotels on the beach.
DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, when I got my EXCAL I just about passed out it was all so foreign to the way I usually hunted, now I am disappointed if I can't get out at least once a week. Do I find lots no, but I find enough to keep my appetite for the search.
Let us know when you find a ring etc, they will come, I noticed when i found my first ring the others follow along.

GUYS AND GALS CHIME IN HERE< I WOULD LOVE TO READ YOUR TIPS. I AM SOON HEADED FOR MEXICO AND NEED A FEW TIPS MYSELF>

Gerry

 

[Dig]

Metal-detecting success is about location first...Find a beach that has frequent traffic. Second, conditions must be good in order to find what your looking for. I usually look for a cut or depression first but, failing that I look for firm to semi firm bottom. If the sand is soft or pillowy (don't waste your time). To be sure I will often take a "test scoop" out in the water to see what the sub strata is like. It can be deceiving..sometimes the top looks soft but a few inches down is heavy shell. If you scoop and its all soft sand ...not great but, if you scoop and you get big shells or clay (that's the best one) then your probably in business. Another good sign is small rock and shells poking up out of the bottom as you walk along. Maureen ...one thing I will say is: don't be afraid to get in that water.....I have had days where i went out to wet sand and found nothing and then out of frustration got in the water only to find several rings. To me it seems like there is always a "goody layer" at every beach and it seems to have a sliding scale as to where it appears throughout the month. One week it will be up high in the wet...the next it will be low in the wet, and then one day everything will be available out in the water. And the tricky part is that you never know where the targets are showing up until you do some scouting around. Use an S shaped search pattern taking wide sweeps and keep a mental note of where you have been digging...Eventually that line will show itself to you in the trail of dig marks you are leaving. Good luck and I hope this helps!

 

[Magyar]

n/t

 

[thevacantface]

Its all dependent on conditions for the day and area, and where people have been, as mentioned by others. If you don't have crowds, things aren't going to be dropped often. The swim line and the towel line are the best areas, but I also like the knee deep area, thats where the parents take their little kids and pay more attention to keeping the kid from drowning than what is happening with their jewelry. The swim line can be good, but pay attention to what kind of people are out there swimming, I find it generally the younger crowd and some guys so I figure its going to be bands and probably less valuable jewelry. The towel line is good except for the amount of trash, people are disgusting creatures who have little consideration for others or the environment, but they are also dumb enough to wear expensive jewelry to the beach because they want to look important or attractive. And there are more people there than in the water, so more opportunity to drop stuff. Next you can start considering conditions, the beach will naturally shuffle sand around all the time, but more so when its big surf. Like others have said, depressions are good, look for hard sand because it means its been sitting there longer with more pressure on top of it and then sand has been pulled off the top, meaning you are seeing a deeper layer, and the heavy stuff like jewelry tends to sink. Pebbles are a good thing to look for too, they tend to weigh more like metal will and congregate with other things they weigh more than sand and the surf can't push them as well. Finally, look for cuts. If there is a beach cut, it means there was some strong surf and currents that are able to push even heavy objects around. The key thing about these is that its strong enough to push items in while drawing the sand out. The bigger the cut the better, hunt all the way from the base out to a little ways beyond where the sand flattens out, keep going back and forth from the base to the flat until you get several targets and can figure out where the target line is, and then just follow that parallel to the cut, but also making sure you make circles around your targets because sometimes things like to pool up. Good luck to you and everyone else.

 

[deerman]

Look in places that people were at in high tide as thats going to let them get out of the water to dry off,eat ect... as the tide gos out you can work your way out with it, you will find low spots or spots were the shells collect are good as thats were the heavies(gold.plat..ect will fall out if there is rocks look around them too,also in front of hotels,condos, food takeout ect hope this helps