SO HOW DO YOU GUYS HANDLE IT? ANY ADVICE??

[Tony]

[size=large]Greetings again everyone. I have to ask you something you guys and need some advice on how to handle the disappointment and frustration I am feeling.

Have you ever been beach hunting, and found absolutely nothing at all (jewelry-wise)? How did you feel and how did you handle it when it's happened (if at all)? The reason I ask is that Sunday night, I went to South Beach Miami, (the supposed mecca for gold and jewelry), and detected from 8pm to 8am!!! That's right....12 freaking hours of detecting the wet and dry sand with the Excal II (and the battery held up)! My settings were Sensitivity on Auto, Discrim on 2, and the Threshold below mid-point (about the 10:00 o'clock setting). At daylight, when I finally reluctantly went into the rough water (biceps, forearms, traps and spirit all busted up) and searched around in the trough area..I couldn't stay on my feet in the surf, I couldn't pinpoint, it was extremely hard to find the target with the scoop (Beach Brute), and what I did bring up was nothing but pulltabs and bottle caps!! Not to mention, I lost my cell phone! It was a disastrous and VERY disappointing hunt.

How do you guys handle such a situation? What am I doing wrong? How is it possible for a beach that I meticulously "grid" for 12 hours bring up nothing but clad and absolutely no jewelry?? The only thing I can think of is that it may have rained on Sunday, and the crowds weren't there...and the night before the other hunters were already active. I don't get it! I am so incredibly frustrated and super disappointed!!!

When/if you guys enter the water..is it usually rough pounding surf? Do you wait until the water is really calm? Do you go out into the deep? Should I just put on my dive gear and head out into deeper area?? What am I doing wrong guys? This is the second time I do a very long hunting session in the same beach on a Sunday night/Monday morning, and have found nothing but clad. Its supposed to be the best beach for people losing stuff. Would you keep returning? Should I change beaches? Should I just hunt for a few hours then go home? What would you change if anything? Help!

I know I ask a lot of questions and really appreciate your collective guidance and counsel, but I'm seriously depressed and frustrated here and need some good sound advice. I was a beaten man the other morning, with nothing to show for a long hunt but a lost cell phone and a broken spirit!

Thanks again in advance,

Tony
AKA TenedorDelDiablo[/size]

....Well you have perseverance, that's for sure. You have all the makings of a successful water hunter. Make sure Excal is setup to the MAX (Auto is not what you want)...should be able to run at 10 o'oclock for SENS.....also make sure you don't hunt behind "Mr.Gold"......all the good stuff will be gone from where he's been !

Tony in Australia.

 

[sandman256]

Follow Max of VA. Beach advice. I agree with all his settings, except Sensitivity which should be as high as you can set it without the detector falsing. Sometimes you need to adjust it up or down a little. I set my Threshold were I can barely hear it and I cover the holes on the headphones to block out more noise from the surf.

Remember that treasure hunting should be a hobby and passtime and nothing to get stressed about. If venturing into the water, leaving the cell phone in the vehicle is a goood idea. If you feel ya need to be connected, put in in a plastic bag and carry it inside your wet suit at your chest. Remember that this is supposed to be fun, hunt when you want and for as long as you want. Don't make a job out of it and the gold will come.

Good Luck,
Sandman

 

[Mirco]

Try: http://www.thegoldenolde.com/beacher.htm

(www.thegoldenolde.com)

THe difference was "THE". Thank you!

 

[therick]

Don't get discouraged because you don't find gold at every trip. There will be weeks when you won't find any jewelry at all. There's a lot of competition in the surf now -a-days so you really have to work hard sometimes. Obviously, the more popular beaches will be hit the hardest. Try finding a smaller beach or more secluded location that doesn't catch "every tourist with a metal detectors'" attention. Oh, and to my point........ if you got into this hobby to get rich, you're in it for the wrong reason. You're gonna have your good days but they will be far out-weighted by the average days...... a small hand full of coins and a bag of pull tabs and can slaw will be the average take. Be patient, learn your machine and sit back and watch the pretty girls as you pursue your hobby. Good luck, it'll come to you.

Sincerely,
therick

 

[fieldboy]

n/t

 

[ratpack]

Here buddy, try this-------- http://www.thegoldenolde.com/ This will take you to where the BDAhunter was talking about

 

[deerman]

n/t

 

[kraelity]

micro,
thegoldenolde that will get you there

 

[Mirco]

micro,
thegoldenolde that will get you there

Yes, I know already.

In a earlier reference "THE" was missing.

With "THE" it is OK now. I read it with interest. Especially a story when a kid was throwing stones and dirt into an old man with metal detector and his (or her) mother was watching happily.

 

[Grumpy (Texas)]

Well the only thing I can say is at least you did not have a week of it like I just did. Went out of state on a "Hunting Vacation" with the wife. Had a brand new detector, it gave me all kind of problems, Thanks to Mr Bill we got it usable. but still only found a few clads..5 days of hunting from 6am to 6pm....worst trip I have ever made. things are just not showing up this year like in the past...the economy has a lot to do with it, hunting habits and areas hunted also have a lot to do with it. Am I disgusted YOU BET I AM. Will I give up hunting? HELL NO!!! Looking forward to a outing Sunday May not find a thing BUT there is always net time.

Grumpy (Texas)

 

[Mirco]

Had a brand new detector, it gave me all kind of problems,.

Grumpy (Texas)

what detector was it?

 

[Narthoniel]

I am also new to detecting, but I have this outlook when I hunt. I am spending time on the beach - that's a good thing. Finding anything, or finding nothing, I have spent time doing something I enjoy, and didn't spend the time loafing around the house. I go with nothing, and if I come home with something - anything at all - I have gained. I have had hunts where I only gained 30 cents for 3-4 hours work. There have been hunts where I gained a great deal more. I only make a nice find one in every 5-10 hunts on average.

As for technique and locations, try to go at night during low tide. If you start 2 hours before low, and hunt along the edge of the water, you will learn where things are usually deposited on your beach. If you are finding coins, great! They are a great clue to other things being present.

But the bottom line is, you are out and about and doing something enjoyable. The finds will come in time, but more often than not you will find nothing valuable. Persistence is the key.
Anthony

 

[Craig-PI]

Welcome to beachunting... If we found jewelry every time out we could retire and hunt full time.. with the price of gold rising many are getting into the hobby and they may score a lucky find but water hunting and beach hunting is more than just meandering around...

When I first get to the beach I read the beach looking for cuts or troughs and I head to those spots first, I'll do the same thing in the water walking on my heels feeling for hard packed sand or gravel, our water is not clear like it is down your way so we don't see the bottom...

If you hunt the dry sand look for area's where people use the beach such as the blanket line or where they are playing volley ball...

I mainly hunt the wet very rarely will I hunt the dry stuff way too much trash for me...

Some of our beaches up here are hunted day and night by different hunters you just have to be there at the right time and remember a beach is never hunted out... 1 change of the tide can make a difference, its all it takes..

I wouldn't suggest you go into the water while its rough, wait until it calms down a bit...

Time and patience and you will do fine.. you are running a good detector, learn what its telling you and sweep low and slow...

 

[TenedorDelDiablo]

[size=large]Excellent excellent advice my friends!

To address a few questions, well I got into this for the same reason everyone else did. To find treasure, no? Whether its hunted for 2 hour or for 12....we're all in it for the same reason. BUT I do acknowledge the main message that if it stops being fun, then it starts being a chore. I agree. I guess its the downside of my competitive nature. I see everyone else out there hunting, and view all the wonderful finds you guys post on here and I tell myself "I want to do that"...."I want to find something like that", and I bust my butt trying to make it a reality.

I'm gonna take a little break from it all and read up as much as possible, then come back more enthusiastic about it! I'd like to find something good before I get redeployed.

I'll keep you all posted and thanks a million again for al your great advice.

Tony
aka-TenedorDelDiablo[/size]

 

[Mirco]

[size=large] I see view all the wonderful finds you guys post on here

Tony
aka-TenedorDelDiablo[/size]

Or maybe you need to go to a local supermarket and buy some salt

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

You may be hunting a rich jewelry type beach but so are a hundred other detectors.
Your turn to find the goodies will come .People lose more trash than valuables and you have to dig this to get the other.
Like others have said relax and enjoy the hunt.

 

[GaBeachsweeper]

n/t

 

[jlw]

Consider yourself fortunate to be able to live let alone be able to detect in such a beautiful area!