Technique questions

[Parkit]

Alright pirates, if any of you could provide some specific tips I'd be grateful. I recently got my Beach Hunter ID and am headed off to a resort lake this weekend for my very first actual water detecting foray. Being a newbie to this, I'd like to ask how most of you handle carrying your scoop (long-handled) when you're chest deep. Do you tie it off to your belt or anything? Do you drag it behind you somehow? I'll have the detector control box chest mounted, but I can't really picture trying to hold the shaft and coil in one hand off to the side of my target while I use the scoop one-handed. Do you just drop the detector shaft, use both hands to operate the scoop, then retrieve the shaft and coil via the coil cord?
I know these questions aren't brilliant, and probably after a little bit of time in shallower water I'll get the hang of it, but it's the one thing that's bothering me about the trip. On land you just lay your detector to the side, crouch down and dig. I'm not going to be doing a lot of crouching in 5' of water.
Any ideas or input at all will be greatly appreciated.

Steve

 

[RobRcer]

I keep scoop in left hand, sometimes drag it, or sometimes carry it. I keep detector in right hand. When i get a target, i pinpoint, and put foot behind coil when it is right over the target. Then with left hand i proceed to move scoop just infront of foot, and dig. I would not reccomend letting go of your detector.... nor pulling on it by the cord... Good luck, you'll get the hang of it, HH!!

Robert

 

[kaptainkosmic]

n/t

 

[PaPa-Joe-Fla.]

Steve , I have a hook on a work belt that I hang my scoop from , just lets you have a free hand at times. If you are going into water with current or rip tides I would suggest not to tie anything to you in case you need to swim from danger. As far as digging one handed , you will learn to do just as Rob racer said. It will come natural after a few hours in the water. Good luck and have fun, that is the main thing. HH

 

[diggindirt]

n/t

 

[dfxmatt]

If in michigan, maybe we can go hunt sometime, i have a BHID too.

 

[Parkit]

Thanks for the tips! I'm sure that it will come "naturally" after a few hours. It just feels like preparing to go sponge diving when I look at the machine, the scoop, the goodie pouch, headphones and assorted stuff and seems like it would be an ugly ballet in the water. And it probably will be for a short time, I'm prepared to live with that. It's "off-season" now so maybe there won't be a lot of picture-takers around trying to get footage for America's Funniest Home Videos. I won't be in tides or currents yet, just a nice calm lake, and I am aware that if I step into a hole or something all my gear is replaceable as long as I live long enough to spend the money.
Matt I'm so far south of Michigan that it's considered a foreign country, but thanks for the invitation! Two of my brothers got me into this water detecting mess and it'll absolutely be all their fault if I don't find thousands of dollars worth of gold my first time out. They're kind of baby-sitting me during my transition to water detecting, but they're doing it by phone from Florida and China (where they figure it's safe) so it would have been nice to have someone around to show me the basics.

Hopefully you'll be hearing from me again and I'll have something worthwhile to post. And thanks again!

Steve

 

[pdunc]

Parkit,
Another thing I have done with my scoop is to attach(with tape) a piece of foam pipe insulation near the top of my scoop handle. That way the handle stays on the surface when I need to let it go to have a free hand. I do most of my hunting in lakes, so I don't know how this would work in the ocean.

 

[AllenOK]

Not only with scoop, but with my stem for my CZ-20. I usually scoop one-handed, with my left hand. If, and that's a big IF, I need to use both hands, I just move the stem off to the side, and let go. It'll float, because of the foam.

FWIW, I hip-mount my CZ-20's control-box, on the same belt as my web-pouch. If I have to ditch my equiment, I immediately drop my scoop and stem, hit the quick-release on my belt, and swim out. The handle of my scoop will float, my stem will float, and my belt with float, as the control-box for the 20 floats. Easy to come back after I calm down and recover my gear. I haven't stepped in a hole deep enough to require doing that, but I've come close.