Super Full Moon brings Super High Tides to Murrells Inlet Area

[glenn3-88]

Beach season has now come to an end with Labor Day passing. I finally got my mess together to drive the 50 minute
drive to Garden City today expecting great things. After all, I had a CTX3030 now, a super full moon with an eclipse,
and 2 full days of super high tides. Thought that would be the ingredients for a super great hunt. Not So. Thinking the
Super Tides would take a lot of sand out did exactly the opposite. They washed a foot and a half of new sand up
on the beach. It was hard to get a hit on a piece of trash. No joke. I had 3 hits. I used 3 different programs, Andy's,
Steve Desanto's, and the stock Beach program and now that I think of it, after the first hour without a hit, I used the
coin program too. I found a gold bead that was for a necklace with Steve's program, (thanks Steve) and a quarter at
13" with Andy's, (thanks Andy). Cleaning the quarter up now so don't know what year it is but it definitely is old solid
silver. It was after that, that I sat down on the steps to a house I usually take a water break on that I realized the beach
sand had covered the bottom 2 steps. I could actually see the steps around the bottom posts where the whirl of water
around the posts washed the sand back out. Then I noticed the high water mark was fresh and was within 1 foot of
flooding over the sea wall. They actually had about a foot of water at Sams at the corner of Atlantic Ave at the pier.
Weather on news channel 15 said the high tides both nights were 5' above normal. Just some info for future use.
Thought the high water would wash the sand out against the sea wall when in fact, it brought more sand in.

 

[KinTN]

Sounds like a bit of water hunting might be in order. That sand had to come from somewhere.....

 

[glenn3-88]

Kin-You are exactly right. I went 2 hours before low tide and stayed 1 hour after. The dirt out there
was clearly washed down to the black appearance, flat, holding water and all the conditions an
"EXPERIENCED" detectorist would have jumped at. In a way, I regret I didn't try. But at the same
time, I am glad I didn't. I have mixed emotions about putting anything in salt water. Heck, I was
worried about having to drive my truck through the trapped water holes in the street. There's not doubt
I would have had some good finds if I had ventured on out there and the next time I probably will. Tomorrow
will be the 2nd month I have owned my CTX. As a beginner with this machine, not being able to hit anything
at all hardly with it, I thought I was doing something wrong. After the first 15 minutes of this, still not yet realizing
that a large quantity of sand had burried targets deeper, I began to switch from mode to mode. I went back to my coin
mode I use inland still with no result. After using Andy's, Steve's, the factory beach mode I was really concerned
at that time I had damaged my machine as the first thing I did was go in the water when I got there but again, that
was 2 hours before low tide. By this time my old butt was tired and I took a break but as I was sitting there, I noticed
on the high tide flats there were 3 distinct lines of trash before the beach dropped off into a slope and then flattened
out at low tide. Now keep in mind, I'm thinking my machine is not working properly. I went to my coin mode and got on
the lowest of the trash lines and had a hit right off and it was a smashed beer can. By that time I was happy to see anything.
I then changed to Steve's Gold program and found the bead, then switched to Andy's beach mode and found the quarter.
(((By the way, I found out this morning after cleaning it up, it was actually a RCMP commemorative Small Bust 1873-1973
Coin made of Nickel worth about $3.00. Had it been a Large Bust, you're talking $300.00 to over $500.00. Large busts are
very rare.))) After that I was soaked in sweat, 85% with no wind and decided I will go back at a later date. This sand will
not move out until we get a south-southwest storm with high waves. There are 5' sea walls straight out into the ocean about
100 yards long and about 150 yards apart so the waves have to hit high and at a diagnal direction to wash out the sand.
However, I will be going back again probably next week to do exactly what you are talking about but at a time closer to dead
low tide so I can get into that flat area. Hadn't thought much about it until I read your message. Now would be the time to go.

 

[KinTN]

Wow, yep you've got some indicators with that sand and older coin and such. Go as soon as you can because sand can move very quickly, even if the waves don't appear to be very strong.

I don't think which program you use is all that important as long as you have a few tweaks set right. Replace the battery seal with a larger Oring, put one on the USB port as well and don't worry about the water. Or run it as it came from the factory. That's what warranties are for.

 

[tcornel]

Thanks for the heads up on the Murrells Inlet area. That was exactly where I was going to head today. Instead I went further North. When I got to the beach there were 2 shiny pennies and a dime laying on top of crushed shells!

4 hours of digging targets and did not move more than a couple hundred yards. The "gold" chain really got my heart pumping when it came out of the sand. There was one really worn 925 ring, my first out of wet sand. Back tomorrow and
into the water.

Tom

 

[glenn3-88]

Great work Tom and great advice Kin. Prepared all day yesterday for the storm. Not expecting much here in
Britton's Neck in the wind but we are a very low lying area. Actually lower than a lot of the land between us at 60'
above sea level. Rainfall here is from 5" to 15". The storm off the coast of Savannah right now is what is giving us
the problems. You can bet I will be back down there next Tue or Wed.

Kin, one thing I worry most about is the port for the ear phones. I am using a harness and wm10 wireless hook up
and I found some wet sand around the hole when I was down there. Have had no problems with it but with using
the wm10, do you know of any kind of rubber plug made that would keep sand and water out of that port? More
worried about the sand than the water due to normal 15 to 20 mph winds.

 

[KinTN]

I would recommend some headphones that attached to the waterproof port instead of using the WM10. You could always use cling wrap and tape but I wouldn't risk it.
Good Luck and Stay Safe.
ken

 

[tcornel]

I solved that issue by keeping the wm10 in my finds pouch or in my pocket. It kept the sand away from the module. As far as the plug into the wireless piece on the 3030 I just made sure I blew all sand away from the hole before removing the plug.

The waterproof is the way to go but this seemed to work. One day I had sand completely around my waist. When I untucked my shirt there was a gob on the cement. You could also just allow your shirt to cover the wm10.

 

[glenn3-88]

Sounds good. I'll give'm a try if it every quits raining.