Chasing or finding ?

In my opinion, metal detector proficiency, search techniques and beach reading skills are the keys to being a successful beach or water hunter. 

Chasing other beach or water hunters around is not something I have ever done or even thought about doing, quite the opposite as I am usually the one being hunted by people wanting to know where my secret beach and water hunting sites are.

Which is pretty funny as my secret beach and water hunting sites are actually the same sites other people can and do search on a regular basis.

Just because someone found something good at a site, does not mean another person can find the same type of good find at the same site, unless you believe everything is lost in the same place all the time.

Research, choose and spend a lot of time using a metal detector and you will have one heck of an advantage of the majority of beach hunters. 

Sweep your search coil low slow and level and you will add to that advantage at the majority of beach and water hunting sites.

Putting it all together is easy when you know how to read a beach, which also only comes after putting your time in at local beaches and learning from previous good finds recovered. 

What did the beach look like, what conditions were present and what did the recovery layer look like?

Basic things that make a difference at the time of the recovery, but probably mean nothing a day or so later by someone chasing another beach hunter down.

People who always seem to be in the right place at the right time are usually seasoned beach hunters who have used a specific metal detector for a good amount of time.

Take the time to know what your metal detector is capable of and just as importantly not capable of and it will serve you very well.

Take the time to cover ground methodically using sound metal detecting techniques with an eye towards site reading and you will eventually become the hunted. 

The more you learn about your metal detector including how and where to use it, the less likely you are to be concerned about who is finding what and where.

I also guarantee you the type of metal detector you use only makes a difference if you know why you are using it. 

There are no short cuts in beach and water hunting, the more you learn the more you find.