OK Guys...Thanks for answering my other questions about water hunting. What do you consider the best way to detect over a beach in the water. Do you go from left to right walking parallel to the shore? or do you wade in and out from shallow to deep back and forth on the perpendicular? I find it hard to stay on a consistent track (im always getting tossed off my mark by waves). IM curious to hear from you more experienced looters out there on this one. Thanks for your advice! -Dig
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Working a beach from the water??
- Thread starter Dig
- Start date
I've tried it both ways and running parallel to the beach is by far the best in deeper water. You can keep one eye out for rogue waves and the other on a reference point to maintain your line.(takes a bit of practice but not hard at all after a while) Never turn your back on Mother Ocean or she'll body slam you eventually. It's just her friendly way of reminding you that she has been around forever and we are less than a blink of an eye to her.(sharks have been around a lot longer than us too)
Enter at Your Own Risk,
BDA
Enter at Your Own Risk,
BDA
PaPa-Joe-Fla.
New member
I agree with bdahunter, parallel is much easier. I hunt the marked off swim areas if possible, that way you can have a reference to go by, sometimes just a pole out in the water with a swim sign helps. I have herd of some people griding off an area with floats and small anchors. I have wondered around like a drunken fool, you know watching the scenery and stumble on some great loot. The thing I have found is sometimes I rely more on dumb luck. Sometimes you find things on the way out of the water, and I ask myself what made me decide to leave the water at that point. ( just dumb luck) The main thing is don't think to hard about it, just enjoy the hunt and the Gold will come. HH
Gulf Hunter
Active member
Both have their advantages. When hunting parallel, like bda said, it allows you to follow a potential landmark and avoid the rogue wave and sharks. Sometimes however, I have discovered that up and backs work well and it could be psychological, but it SEEMS like my Excal likes that way better, seems to penetrate better into the matrix, don't ask me why, it's just my personal observation. Perhaps the mineralization is more evenly distributed or something, who knows, but it DOES work for me? Up and backs, in the S pattern can help you to pick up a patch of densely weighted targets too. If you are in lead or coins, you HAVE found the right area, for gold!
dieseldust
New member
I work parallel to the shore. Just about where the current goes from strong to tolerable seem to suit me.
That is to say your looking for a point where the gold and jewelry stop moving. Your ankles will show you where that is.
Imagine your ankles then imagine gold rolling.
Other things to look for while your wondering around are low spots. I usually make a spiral around when I happen upon them.
I cant say how many times others have come up with treasure just by fooling around and taking weird turns so there is no definitive answer to your question. You just have to trust and keep faith that your on the right path.
That is to say your looking for a point where the gold and jewelry stop moving. Your ankles will show you where that is.
Imagine your ankles then imagine gold rolling.
Other things to look for while your wondering around are low spots. I usually make a spiral around when I happen upon them.
I cant say how many times others have come up with treasure just by fooling around and taking weird turns so there is no definitive answer to your question. You just have to trust and keep faith that your on the right path.
Gridding is an effective system but not the most interesting way to hunt in my opinion. A typical hunt for me starts with a visual assessment of the beach and surf before I even turn the Excal on, then I choose my point of entry. I feel the bottom to get a sense of the conditions, obviously a hard bottom is best. Next I look for low areas, cuts and spill areas around the edges of sand bars and rocks. After about an hour or so my logical mind quiets down and I just go with the flow, letting my Excal act like a compass needle leading me to treasure. Oddly enough, most of my finds occur at this stage of my hunts.
I've been knocked flat by rogue waves too many times to feel comfortable turning my back on the waves, even in a calm area. One eye is always on my surroundings scanning for trouble.
Cheers,
BDA
I've been knocked flat by rogue waves too many times to feel comfortable turning my back on the waves, even in a calm area. One eye is always on my surroundings scanning for trouble.
Cheers,
BDA
mattockman
New member
I have had very little luck in the water, the sea is too rough in Maine or NH and ficken cold, so I tend to stay knee deep to ankle deep and find an occasional ring, I beleive the guys that have good luck in the water is the ones that have good beaches with built up sand bars and gullys where the gold rolls into and can;t go much further but DOWN!!!....I cannot find such bars here...it drops off quickly and next thing I know I am too deep to function. I mainly hunt shallow water and damp sand, I start at midway from high to low and zigzag till I hit a coin line and then parallel the shore, then go towards the surf till I zigzag on another coin line...etc....durring the summer anywhere is good.....I personnaly have better luck out of the water....
....
....It's a pain trying to work them but I've got an idea that I'm going to try this summer. I'm going to snorkel those beaches on a calm day and see if I have any luck. I met a guy at one of those tough beaches (Warwick Long Bay) and he snorkels and eyeballs finds on the smooth rock bottom once the sand gets driven in enough around late July. I'll have to beat him to it with the Excal, this year.
Cheers Mate,
BDA
Cheers Mate,
BDA
Crash620
Member
Since the surf is usually rough here, and I am not going deep enough to worry about a rogue wave, I usually work perpendicular to the surf once I am into an area that is producing. Since I scrub the sand with my coil, It leaves coil marks making it real easy to track your coverage/ grid. In addition, my PI's sensitivity is such that when sweeping parallel to the surf, the change in the mineralization, or proximity to the water across the length of my sweep is enough to outpace the S.A.T., this is minimized when I hunt perpendicular.
Lou from downunder
New member
Hi Dig, good question, interesting responses.
I spend most of my time in Victorias good old Port Phillip Bay. No swell, no current, good visibility. One works at ones leisure, all you need is an offshore wind and seeing as the bay is basically circular there is always an offshore wind somewhere if your prepared to drive.
As for the surf, well I've tried and failed. Locally, {Mornington Peninsula beaches}, too steep, too soft and most of the time now, absolutely killer surf.
Which is why I've chosen to reply.
25 odd years ago I had the opportunity to do a LOT of ocean diving and this happy situation continued for many years. Back then ocean conditions were great. Almost every week we would have 2,3 even 4 days of good conditions, some days being dead flat and glassed out. A front would come through, stir things up a bit and then drop right off again, life was indeed blissful for Victorias divers.
Slowly the weather patterns here in Vic have changed. For the last 10 yrs we've been in drought, we are on water restrictions and the ocean conditions have deteriorated to the point where we're lucky to get one flatish day per month.
Of course everyones blaming global warming, with some optimists hoping that its just some cycle that will eventually end. All I know is that its rough..... always.
Which is damn annoying cause I know there is a fortune in goodies just waiting to be plundered!
So whats the situation in your part of the world folks?
Any noticeable change longterm in your neck of the woods or are we Victorians the only lucky ones?
Cheers Lou.
I spend most of my time in Victorias good old Port Phillip Bay. No swell, no current, good visibility. One works at ones leisure, all you need is an offshore wind and seeing as the bay is basically circular there is always an offshore wind somewhere if your prepared to drive.
As for the surf, well I've tried and failed. Locally, {Mornington Peninsula beaches}, too steep, too soft and most of the time now, absolutely killer surf.
Which is why I've chosen to reply.
25 odd years ago I had the opportunity to do a LOT of ocean diving and this happy situation continued for many years. Back then ocean conditions were great. Almost every week we would have 2,3 even 4 days of good conditions, some days being dead flat and glassed out. A front would come through, stir things up a bit and then drop right off again, life was indeed blissful for Victorias divers.
Slowly the weather patterns here in Vic have changed. For the last 10 yrs we've been in drought, we are on water restrictions and the ocean conditions have deteriorated to the point where we're lucky to get one flatish day per month.
Of course everyones blaming global warming, with some optimists hoping that its just some cycle that will eventually end. All I know is that its rough..... always.
Which is damn annoying cause I know there is a fortune in goodies just waiting to be plundered!
So whats the situation in your part of the world folks?
Any noticeable change longterm in your neck of the woods or are we Victorians the only lucky ones?
Cheers Lou.
Gulf Hunter
Active member
Lou, things have changed here too. I wouldn't say it's excessively rough, as the Gulf is more docile, but conditions have deteriorated. Currents are not as strong, parallel to the beach and prevailing winds have shifted to an unfavorable direction, causing excessive sand build-up. Seems targets of density sink to oblivion quickly, when lost. Perhaps things will change, they usually do. Hang in there mate. I have had to work wetsand more, the last year, than ever before, as the surf is VERY quiet. Other locals have experienced this as well. You ain't alone mate, Texas has issues too!
[attachment 88680 emblem.JPG]
[quote Lou from downunder]Hi Dig, good question, interesting responses.
I spend most of my time in Victorias good old Port Phillip Bay. No swell, no current, good visibility. One works at ones leisure, all you need is an offshore wind and seeing as the bay is basically circular there is always an offshore wind somewhere if your prepared to drive.
As for the surf, well I've tried and failed. Locally, {Mornington Peninsula beaches}, too steep, too soft and most of the time now, absolutely killer surf.
Which is why I've chosen to reply.
25 odd years ago I had the opportunity to do a LOT of ocean diving and this happy situation continued for many years. Back then ocean conditions were great. Almost every week we would have 2,3 even 4 days of good conditions, some days being dead flat and glassed out. A front would come through, stir things up a bit and then drop right off again, life was indeed blissful for Victorias divers.
Slowly the weather patterns here in Vic have changed. For the last 10 yrs we've been in drought, we are on water restrictions and the ocean conditions have deteriorated to the point where we're lucky to get one flatish day per month.
Of course everyones blaming global warming, with some optimists hoping that its just some cycle that will eventually end. All I know is that its rough..... always.
Which is damn annoying cause I know there is a fortune in goodies just waiting to be plundered!
So whats the situation in your part of the world folks?
Any noticeable change longterm in your neck of the woods or are we Victorians the only lucky ones?
Cheers Lou.[/quote]
[attachment 88680 emblem.JPG]
[quote Lou from downunder]Hi Dig, good question, interesting responses.
I spend most of my time in Victorias good old Port Phillip Bay. No swell, no current, good visibility. One works at ones leisure, all you need is an offshore wind and seeing as the bay is basically circular there is always an offshore wind somewhere if your prepared to drive.
As for the surf, well I've tried and failed. Locally, {Mornington Peninsula beaches}, too steep, too soft and most of the time now, absolutely killer surf.
Which is why I've chosen to reply.
25 odd years ago I had the opportunity to do a LOT of ocean diving and this happy situation continued for many years. Back then ocean conditions were great. Almost every week we would have 2,3 even 4 days of good conditions, some days being dead flat and glassed out. A front would come through, stir things up a bit and then drop right off again, life was indeed blissful for Victorias divers.
Slowly the weather patterns here in Vic have changed. For the last 10 yrs we've been in drought, we are on water restrictions and the ocean conditions have deteriorated to the point where we're lucky to get one flatish day per month.
Of course everyones blaming global warming, with some optimists hoping that its just some cycle that will eventually end. All I know is that its rough..... always.
Which is damn annoying cause I know there is a fortune in goodies just waiting to be plundered!
So whats the situation in your part of the world folks?
Any noticeable change longterm in your neck of the woods or are we Victorians the only lucky ones?
Cheers Lou.[/quote]
willia in tex.
New member
excellent answers guys, ther are alot of different ways to hunt a beach. i use all of these methods and they all work. i've learned to be flexable. ( actually it's whichever way is easiest to swing my coil in the water). try all of them or something different find what your comfortable with. when hunting deeper water remember rule #1. do not turn your back to the waves. rule#2 see rule # 1. I don't know what it is about the beach but you can be out there on a calm day with a perfectly flat ocean and hunt all day without even a ripple no problem. the minute you turn your back you'll get hit by a wave that you would swear was the bonzai pipeline ( there might be a little exageration here). anyway I'd like to welcome you to beach hunting. hh willia
You guys are always chock full of good information. I will put all of this to good use. I think I'm gonna go out tonight and see if I cant apply my new found "wisdom". Thanks again everyone who contributed, its hard when your starting out to know what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. You guys have really made getting started much easier...so thanks! -Dig
I am NOT a great surf hunter, as many here are.
I choose my time to go to the beach, when able, for the low tide at an advantageous time of day for my schedule.
Deep as I can get out comfortably, and work parallel over an area, bringing my way in as the tide comes in seems to make sense.
Of course any hint of concentration deserves more attention, and poor conditions on the bottom would warrant less...
Here's the newest flash from California... Seems it's always one of the yuppie greenie retirees or a surfer kid.
And by that I mean to say if he'd been horsing around on a jet ski there would have been NO incident to report.
.... Killer shark
By ALLISON HOFFMAN
I choose my time to go to the beach, when able, for the low tide at an advantageous time of day for my schedule.
Deep as I can get out comfortably, and work parallel over an area, bringing my way in as the tide comes in seems to make sense.
Of course any hint of concentration deserves more attention, and poor conditions on the bottom would warrant less...
Here's the newest flash from California... Seems it's always one of the yuppie greenie retirees or a surfer kid.
And by that I mean to say if he'd been horsing around on a jet ski there would have been NO incident to report.
.... Killer shark
By ALLISON HOFFMAN