Minelab metal detectors and beach hunting

If you are heading to a beach to treasure hunt it is important to have the right kind of metal detector, especially if you are going to search a saltwater beach.
Your metal detector must be able to handle the salt at a saltwater beach, otherwise expect a lot of chatter from your metal detector on the lower beach.
I always use Minelab metal detectors so I never have to worry about false signals, chatter or any other erratic behavior from my metal detector.
From the entry level Minelab metal detectors to the metal detectors designed for gold prospectors, all Minelab metal detectors are basically turn on and go with excellent performance on saltwater beaches.
The Minelab metal detector that is best for you should always be budget friendly and detect the things you intend to search for at the sites you intend to search.
Entry hobby level Minelabs like the Gofind 44 & Gofind 66 work just fine on the beach including on the wet sand, they perform better near saltwater than many metal detectors costing hundreds of dollars more.
These fold up fit in a back pack Minelabs are travel friendly and good for people who just want to have a little beach hunting fun on vacation.
The newly released Vanquish is a step up from the Gofind series, also with the performance of metal detectors costing much more, like any other Minelab it isn't effected by salt on the lower beach.
These entry level Minelabs are not waterproof, but the search coils are and you can submerge the lower shafts.
Next in line is the fully waterproof Minelab Equinox 800 and 600, the only real difference between the models being a gold mode.
The waterproof and lightweight Minelab equinox is probably the best selling metal detector on the market, with its multi IQ technology you get serious bang for your beach hunting buck with the Equinox.
There are several different size search coils available for the Minelab Equinox and you can use any type of headphones or the wireless module if you do not want to use headphones. 
If you want a deeper depth rated metal detector designed for scuba detecting, the legendary Minelab Excalibur is the perfect piece of treasure hunting equipment.
I have found everything from roman coins on English farmland and US civil war relics in the south, to modern jewelry at the beach using a Minelab Excalibur.
Headphones and search coils are hardwired on the Minelab Excalibur, but if you really wanted to you can have inline cable waterproof connectors added or the search coil changed.
The waterproof Equinox and CTX 3030 have replaced the need for me to use the Excalibur on inland sites in the rain, but to this day I still use an Excalibur for beach and deep water hunting.
If you are not going to be dive detecting the mack daddy of beach hunting metal detectors is the Minelab CTX 3030, the Minelab I use the most.
The Minelab CTX 3030 is not as budget friendly as the other metal detectors mentioned but its worth every penny if you can afford one.
There is a wide range of CTX 3030 search coils available for different beach or water hunting scenarios, you can also use any headphones.
If you like bells and whistles on your metal detector just in case you need them the CTX 3030 has plenty.
In my opinion the Minelab CTX 3030 is the full monty for beach hunters, highly customizable and hard to beat wether you like to dig all metals or use a little discrimination on trashy sites. 
There are also several Minelab metal detectors you can use at the beach that are designed for gold hunting.
The water proof SDC 2300, the Goldmonster,  GPX 5000, GPZ 7000 and discontinued Minelabs like the Xterra, Sovereign series, Explorer and Safari which can still do a fine job.
Whatever type of metal detecting you do, you'll find a Minelab metal detector is probably your best choice.
Ive tried many different brands of metal detectors at the beach, but in my opinion you can't beat a Minelab.

Heres one of my better water hunting finds from 2019, an 18 K gold Versace chain weighing a whopping 3 ounces and valued at a cool US $12.000.00   
This gold chain was part of a 5 ounce haul of gold jewelry recovered over two beach and shallow water hunts, the beach certainly had my money that weekend!
The Minelab Excalibur 1000 metal detector I used to find this chunk of gold is 16 years old and it just goes to show you can still git r done with the older Minelabs too.
The Minelab slogan is performance is everything, I agree!

     

                                     Available at www.garydrayton.com 

Spanish treasure

Don't get me wrong I really like finding expensive jewelry at tourist beaches, but my favorite thing to do is pound the Treasure coast of Florida searching for Spanish treasure.
For anyone not familiar with the Treasure Coast, the area got its name because of the Spanish treasure fleet that wrecked along the coast in a hurricane over three hundred years ago in 1715.
Many of the wreck locations just off shore are well known, but there are also several other older Spanish galleons that wrecked along the coast covering the beaches in gold, silver and precious jewels.
The best time to search for Spanish treasure is any day and any hour you fancy heading to the beach with a metal detector, although the majority of would be Spanish treasure hunters wait for favorable conditions.
Recent strong winds and high surf have been hitting the Treasure Coast, potentially putting Spanish treasure on the beach or flushing treasure out of eroding dunes.
The majority of would be treasure hunters I have met recently told me the same thing, its  sanded-in and not worth searching yet, being the pirate I am I agree whole heartedly!
Mr positivity is not going to be put off by a lack of cuts (erosion) at Treasure Coast beaches, I don't need anyones beach ratings to tell me if its worth going metal detecting on the Treasure Coast.
In my opinion there is always something to find somewhere if you grab your metal detector and step outside the beach hunting box 
You are not going to find anything if you are not out there searching for it or as I like to say if you don't go you'll never know.
Sanded-in beach conditions mean you simply have to work smarter not harder and of course get out there to give yourself a chance to recover your find of a lifetime.
Here are a few cool saves from a recent Treasure Coast beach hunt, a large late 1600s early 1700s gold band, a heavy silver pestle, rat tail spoon handle and the base of a Chinese K'ang hsi cup.

I also recovered several musket balls, and a couple of musket flint holders, Spanish treasure hunting using the Minelab CTX 3030 and my eyes! 
I cannot stress how important it is to just rely on your gut feeling and get out there, waiting around for second hand beach reports and day or two old photos of beaches on blogs and detecting sites just means you missed an opportunity.
You will not get any day or two old beach reports from me, just photos of treasure finds and sound advice from someone who walks the walk. 
When the wind is a blowing and the surf is crashing, beaches get arranged and what you searching for is often put within reach if you know your local beaches. 
Site and beach reading skills pay off big time when you search where other people can't be bothered to search.
I will end todays blog with a question to my fellow Spanish treasure beach hunters, are you looking for cuts on the beach or Spanish treasure?

                           

 Available on my website at www.garydrayton.com

The "Eyes" have it this weekend

Metal detectors are very much like cars, you can own a Ferrari or a Kia but they both do the same thing getting you from point A to point B.
"Influencers" will always tout the latest and greatest metal detectors as the reason why they found something good, but in reality you can find what you are searching for no matter what metal detector you use.
I look at a metal detector as a tool, a piece of equipment that is only as good as the sites I take it to and use it at.
I don't find what I am searching for because of the metal detector, I find what I am searching for because of site selection and site reading skills.
Don't get me wrong I always prefer to use metal detectors with a Minelab logo on them, but that is because I know they are the best at detecting small silver and gold at sites I use them at.
When I can detect and recover small pieces of silver and gold I know darn well I can detect and recover big pieces of silver and gold. 
Towards the end of 2019 I intend to post a few of those big gold and silver finds, the rewards of knowing how to select, read and plunder sites.
Im still very much all eyes when it comes to metal detecting, instead of walking around for hours on end hoping a new metal detector will change my fortunes. 
A new metal detector search coil has more chance of increasing your odds of recovering what you are searching for than a new metal detector most of the time, especially when you know why you are using a different size search coil.
Site selection and site reading skills are the keys to treasure hunting success no matter what you are search for or what metal detector you take to help you detect what you hope to recover.
As I type this blog I guarantee if I went to my local beaches I would see the same people searching the same place they search every weekend, but using different metal detectors lol 
No matter what the beach conditions, some people search the same place every time they go metal detecting because they or someone they know about found something there previously.
The new metal detector will not make a difference to a ground hog day treasure hunter, but a change of site or search area can and will make a difference.
My eyes tell me where and how to search an area, lessons learned from taking note of my surroundings and situational awareness. 
When I recover something good I am searching for I want to know why I recovered it, taking note of the area and area conditions, evaluating the condition of the object and assessing the potential for more of the same type of recoveries in the surrounding area.
This is important if you have to search the same general areas, you have to know why you found something in an area you have previously searched, why was the object detectable now but not before?
Nine times out of ten your success has more to do with site conditions or search technique, followed by your choice of search coil not metal detector.
I know exactly where I will be searching this weekend thanks to my twin optical scanners (Eyes) and an amazing invention, the camera! 
I simply checked out a few beach cams and saw things at one beach that tell me I have an above average chance of detecting what I am searching for.
The eyes have it if you know what you are searching for, I'll probably take my 15 year old Minelab Excalibur with me to help me detect what I know is likely waiting to be detected.
Choose a site for a reason, look for areas possibly holding what you hope to detect at that site and potentially go home with what you are searching for.
There is a lot of looking and learning from recoveries involved in metal detecting, rely on look instead of luck!

 available at www.garydrayton.com

How to get your hands on more Bobby Dazzlers

One of the perks of beach hunting is the beautiful sight of freshly uncovered platinum, gold or silver in the sand. 

You also can't beat the look of diamonds reflecting in the sunlight or a gold chain draped over the edge of your scoop basket.

If you haven't experienced the thrill of holding a nice piece of recovered jewelry in your hand or you have and you want more, there are two things you need to work on to be a good jewelry hunter at the beach.

Site selection and small gold hunting skills help you become a proficient jewelry  hunter. 

Being able to read the beach and the conditions present allows you to make the very most of your metal detecting time at the beach.

If you believe you have to be the first person at the beach or the conditions have to be just right to find something, you are following the wrong blogger or metal detecting forum. 

If you believe you need the latest and greatest metal detector or biggest and baddest search coil in order to find Bobby Dazzlers at the beach you are also going to be disappointed. 

You need a decent metal detector that can detect a wide variety of small sized targets at the beach.

I go out of my way to make sure I can detect small pieces of micro jewelry, for example ear ring studs, tiny pendants, beads, very thin chains or belly button jewelry.

When you use a metal detector capable of detecting small gold the big Bobby Dazzlers are a piece of cake to find.

The next time you see a nice solitaire diamond engagement ring, check out how little platinum or gold is actually in the band attached too the prongs holding the big diamond.

Imagine that diamond ring lost at the beach and that is the circle of precious metal you are hoping to detect, do you think you are going to detect it?

Gold chains are another example of hard targets to detect at the beach no matter what type metal detector or search coil you use, it takes skill to consistently detect gold chains.

A metal detector often only sees the individual gold link or gold clasp on the gold chain, just like the diamond ring example if you can detect small targets you stand a chance of finding them. 

Work on reading the beach and finding small gold, instead of waiting around for better beach conditions or walking miles on the beach hoping you stumble across a big ring or chain.

Being able to read a beach isn't about waiting for high surf to cut and erode beaches, its about being able to know where you are more likely to find jewelry, coins or artifacts on the day you decide to go beach hunting.
The potentially best areas within the site are easy to spot if you know what to look for, if you don't I have a beach reading book on my website that will help you get way ahead of the learning curve.
From experience I can tell you that turning your metal detector into a money maker means never having to worry about getting metal detecting permission from the significant other!

Work on site selection and detecting tiny metal targets and I have no doubt you will get more Bobby Dazzlers in your hands. 

    

Available at www.garydrayton.com 

Most importantly, what and where

What and where are the only two things to consider when choosing a metal detector.
This advice is not just for people new to the hobby of metal detecting because one of the biggest mistakes you can make is using a metal detector not suited to detecting what you are searching for.
Using a metal detector not suitable for your intended search areas will set you back and possibly cause you to give up on metal detecting.
Metal detector companies and dealers have a wide variety of metal detectors and accessories that can and do make a difference, assuming you choose the right one for the job.
I had to start all over again when I first got into beach hunting, the equipment I used for land hunting was good but not good enough for saltwater beach hunting.
Constant chatter due to the salt content on the lower beach made lower beach hunting a nightmare.
Having to lower my sensitivity control down to counter the salt content prevented me from detecting mid to deep range targets using my favorite inland metal detector.
I searched in all metal mode and tweaked other controls until I had finished my research into what metal detector I needed to use around a saltwater environment.
My fortunes turned around quickly using a multi frequency BBS technology metal detector known for its ability to operate smoothly at saltwater beaches and detect small silver targets.
Old fashioned research studying what metal detectors work the best at detecting the targets in the areas I intend to search paid off.
Back in the day I predominantly searched for Spanish silver treasure coins at shipwreck beaches along the Treasure Coast of Florida so I had to have the right tool for the job.

Horses for courses my friends, the what and where are the important factors no matter  where you intend to search and what you hope to detect.
We have never had so many metal detecting equipment choices to choose from as the hobby has become more popular, even with more choices the right choice still has to match what and where.
If you want to see Bobby dazzlers in the bottom of your scoop basket at tourist beaches, you'll need a metal detector that can handle the salt and detect small gold.
Believe me, if you can detect small pieces of gold jewelry you will have no problem detecting large pieces of gold jewelry. 
The best of both worlds is a metal detector known to detect a wide variety of targets in a wide variety of areas.
    
   

Giving away my productive metal detecting sites

If you want to find what you are searching for with a metal detector you have to find where the stuff you are searching for is buried, period!
I guarantee it is not where everyone else is searching all the time, if it was it has already been detected and long gone.
So why do so many people metal detecting keep going to the same sites and think they are going to find something? 
If you don't step outside the box and search new areas you are not going to detect and recover anything for a long time.
I have recovered some pretty amazing finds this year, all of them in places you could say were just over there in areas most searchers would probably consider not worth searching. 
There is a damn good reason treasure hunting is called treasure hunting not treasure finding.
You have to go find what you are searching for, believe me there are plenty of cool finds waiting for you if you take the time to go search for them.
Instead of checking out metal detecting forums to see what others have found or beach report bloggers moaning about sanded-in conditions, get out there and recover stuff outside other searchers boxes. 
The most productive sites you will ever find are the places other searchers don't bother to search, like me you may be surprised to see what you can recover in the most unexpected places.
Knowing you are at a potentially productive site is pretty easy, you find stuff there! 
I use the same site selection analogy as I do for having metal detecting partners.
Take a metal detecting buddy to a site and your chances of finding something is down to 50%, take a third person and you are down to just over a 33% share of the finds at a site. 
Now imagine what your finds success ratio is going to be if you only search the same area everyone else heads to? 
Avoid the hammered sites and being part of the metal detecting crowd, try "Over there" and you may be surprised how much success is possible.
Put the hunt back in treasure hunt instead of trying to get lucky in the same old places. 

Post storm beach hunting tips

Here are a few tips to hopefully improve your chances of finding what you are searching for after a storm 

Be patient

When you know a storm is approaching you have to be patient and give the wind and waves time to erode or rearrange the beach. Going out during the storm is not a good idea, in my opinion your time and energy are best spent just after a storm has passed over an area.
Traveling to the beach in stormy weather is unsafe and believe me dealing with the worst of the weather on the beach is no fun. 

Take what works best for you

Nothing is going to put more goodies in your finds pouch than your favorite metal detector / search coil combo, the more experienced you are at using your favorite metal detector the more you are likely to find with it. 
Experimenting with a new toy after a storm will always leave you thinking did you walk over something good due to not being familiar with the settings and audio responses to targets.  

Play the percentages

I always go to the place I have had the most success at when I expect to see beach erosion, after a coastal storm is not the time to search a site you haven't tried before.
Having a second and third back up site is also a good idea, just in case your favorite site is not as eroded as you expected it to be.

Use your metal detecting time wisely

In my opinion, unless you are searching for old coins and artifacts you should always use a little discrimination on eroded beaches after a storm.
Every piece of easily identifiable by audio tone or screen target ID junk you stop to dig is one good target you probably didn't have time to get to.
An experienced beach hunter shouldn't have to dig easily identifiable bad targets, that is why you use and build trust in your metal detector, to help you make good use of your time.

Prepare to stay as long as possible

I live for these type of situations and preparation is one of the keys to stormy beach hunting success. A few days ahead of an expected coastal storm is when you should have your metal detector battery charged and your spare battery ready to go. 
Go over the rest of the kit you need, including scoop, pin-pointer, finds pouch, headlamp, rain gear, water and snacks. 
Depending on the tides you want to stay as long as possible metal detecting because an eroded beach isn't open for business very long after a storm.
Meaning the following high tides will begin returning sand over the area, the first low tide after a storm passes is always the best window of opportunity to hit.

Learn from the experience

If it is your first time searching a beach after a strong storm I have no doubt you will learn from any mistakes you make.
Mistakes are usually made in preparation, site selection or choice of metal detecting equipment.
Years afterwards you will probably look back and think if only I had that chance again, I know I still do.

Following others

As a storm approaches bloggers and posters get beach hunters in a tizzy with storm projections and the possibility of eroded beaches.
If you are into beach or water hunting I would follow advice from people known for making good finds, not blog posts and followers.
After storms have eroded beaches, any beach or water hunting blogger who has to ask for people to send them photos of post storm finds is missing the point of giving beach hunting advice.
If you can't find anything on an eroded beach after a storm you are not a good example.
Try to follow advice from people known for metal detecting finds, not links to articles or photos of the same beach every other day.

The daily grind and metal detecting equipment

I make a living metal detecting and spend one heck of an amount of time using my metal detecting equipment over the course of a year.
My usual stomping grounds are saltwater beaches and islands, but I do my fair share of land hunting in some pretty tough areas to search.
The daily grind can and often does take a toll on your metal detecting equipment, but out in the so called field is where you learn what equipment works and what unfortunately doesn't work.
I have found the best way to keep grinding effectively is to use my favorite metal detector and have a similar back up metal detector ready to go at all times, believe me stuff happens when you least expect it but always when you don't want it to.
My "Noahs ark" traveling to metal detect plan covered my butt on two occasions this year, after equipment failures on the first or second day of traveling to and searching good areas. 
One way of insuring you have less problems in the long run is to have a regimental equipment cleaning policy, keeping your metal detecting equipment clean also helps you spot any potential problem ahead of time.
You are not going to see a potential problem if your metal detecting equipment is covered in crud all the time, many issues to do with metal detecting equipment failures are avoided by cleaning your gear after every hunt.
Here are a few ways you can avoid potential down time or problems due to dirty equipment.
Remove and rinse your search coil cover out every time you go beach or water hunting, this will help prevent false signals from black sand or salt build up. 
Get in the habit of inspecting the bottom of your search coil and the search coil cable every time you wash them off, give the nylon search coil nut and bolt connection point a really good spray.
Metal detector shafts are easier to put together and disassemble when collapsable rods, cam or twist locks are not caked in dry sand, mud or saltwater. 
I flush and spray my mid and lower metal detector shaft / rods while at the same time partially collapsing them. 
Ways to prepare for the worst is to travel to metal detect with spares that if broken put an end to your fun, two underrated metal detector items are nylon search coil bolts / nuts and arm cuff straps, try using a metal detector without a coil bolt or arm cuff strap.
It should go without saying a spare battery pack is a "Must have" traveling to metal detect accessory.
There is a heck of a lot of metal detecting equipment to choose from and everyone has their favorite make or model, but reliability and dependability are two words you never see on glossy metal detecting equipment brochures.
One way you can learn what stands up to the daily grind is by taking note of veteran beach hunters, after all imitation is the sincerest form of flattery right?
Using a work horse metal detector and target recovery tools is very important, just as important is your plan to take advantage of good metal detecting situations.
Grinding and finding takes planning to execute on a regular basis, as you will see the more you rely on your metal detecting equipment of choice. 

How to find new beach and water hunting sites

Today I checked out a few metal detecting forums and beach report blogs that I used to post my old bobby dazzlers on, of course they still had the same old posters peddling the same old outdated beach and water hunting advice.
Even more surprisingly I saw the keyboard experts still tossing a few barbs in my direction, no wonder they haven't found anything good if they can't find the remote to change the channel lol 

Here are a few site research type tips that perhaps will help you to find new beach & water hunting sites to plunder. 

Postcard shows and collectors sites

If you ever see a postcard show / sales event advertised in your area you have got to buy a ticket and you will be sure to come away with new metal detecting sites.
Victorian postcards of beaches, lakes or rivers are fantastic leads to jewelry and coins for a beach or water hunter. 
I browse ebay sites searching for old postcards of Florida beaches and lakes, taking screen shots of interesting areas on old postcards without even having to buy the post card.

Library card 

Hands up who owns a library card? The local history section in your local library will have more potential beach & water hunting sites than you can handle if you take the time to walk thru the front door!

Talk to your neighbors

Yup if you take the time to chat to your elderly neighbors you will find they have some pretty good tales to tell you. Ive picked up many a beach or water hunting site from saying hello and chatting to old folks on my dog walks.
They don't have to be old people either, you never know what occupation your neighbors have that will help you to find coins or jewelry.
For example, one neighbor of mine is a lifeguard who hears lost jewelry stories on a regular basis, another is a beach condo manager who have a top floor office view of some of my favorite local jewelry hunting sites, giving me plenty of good beach and sea conditions reports.

Take the initiative 

Metal detecting forums, youtube videos and beach conditions bloggers lull you into spending more time looking at a laptop to phone screen than searching at the beach. 
Stop surfing the internet and get next to or into the real surf, any beach info you gain from a forum post, video or beach report already happened and was viewed by many beach or water hunters.
Live it and reap the rewards for being in the right place at the right time, kinda what the person you are following chose to do.

Check out the boring stuff 

If you get a local newspaper or you subscribe to the local fish wrapper online, check out the proposed building permit planning permission for excellent future beach hunting sites.
Beachside construction projects are fantastic opportunities to find old coins and jewelry lost 
way before current building or structures were in place next to the beach.
Proposed beach sidewalk and parking lot projects can also be gold or silver mines during the clearing process.

Follow the signs

Driving on roads next to the beach can be a little frustrating, especially if you are following tourists checking out sites or stop starting at every traffic light or pedestrian crossing you hit. 
Perhaps like many forum members or beach report bloggers you are on your way to that beach you always go to get the same old beach hunting results. 
I look at pedestrian crossings and traffic lights along beach road as potential new beach or water hunting sites, the more stop and starts along a beach road the better!
Small beach entry sites can be little gold mines in out of the way areas, even if they are not far away from larger well known beaches.

Have a movie night 

I live in the state of Florida where a lot of movies and TV shows were filmed with plenty of beach scenes. I love watching old movies and TV series that were shot in Florida, mainly for the information I can get from beach or beachside scenes.
Some of my favorite older pieces of jewelry and coins found in Florida were the result of information I got from freeze framing beach scenes shot in the 1950s, 60s,70s & 80s.
You'd be amazed how much beaches have changed in the last 70 years and what areas used to be the hot sites back in the day.
If you live in an area featured in movies and shows, put the popcorn in the microwave!

Gary Drayton beach and water hunting blog: Spoiler alert! hi tech scanning

Gary Drayton beach and water hunting blog: Spoiler alert! hi tech scanning: Site reading skills put you in position to detect what you are searching for, no matter what brand or model metal detector you use. I scope...

Spoiler alert! hi tech scanning

Site reading skills put you in position to detect what you are searching for, no matter what brand or model metal detector you use.
I scope any potential search site out first using my "Twin optical scanners" before turning on my metal detector.
To borrow a good phrase from a friend off mine, everything starts with eyes and boots on the ground.
No metal detector will find you as much good stuff as the hi tech optical equipment Mother Nature gave you.
Site reading skills involve being able to recognize certain ground conditions necessary to be successful and just as important being able to recognize significant surface finds associated with good sites.
For example, surface finds like small pottery shards, broken glass or clay pipe stems indicate that a site has seen habitation and most likely have detectable coins and artifacts.
Im fond of saying in order to find treasure you have to go thru the trash first, but you can only find treasure if you are able to recognize surface trash linked to what you hope to detect.
Another example, towels, items of clothing and alcohol containers left on the lower beach from the previous night, say please find my jewelry Gary.
Some of my best pieces of jewelry have been "Flip flop finds" the golden rewards for seeing a pair or two of humble flip flops left behind on the lower beach, knowing someone shouldn't have had a skinny dip opposite the hotel last night.
My twin optical scanners can also spot bum cheek impressions and foot prints in the sand left by courting couples when Im searching for lost jewelry at tourist beaches.
Im always looking down and around searching for clues to help me narrow down my search area, wether it be surface finds or surface features left behind by people in the search area.
Over the years I have eyeballed so many good metal detecting sites and recovered an unbelievable amount of surface finds, you can too if you take the time to look for things that stand out at sites.
Metal detecting isn't about covering ground and hoping to get lucky one day, learn how to improve your odds by eyeballing the non metallic stuff that leads you to what you hope to find with your metal detector.
The Victorian pot lid in this photo was just a little half inch piece of pottery I eyeballed on a river bank, it led to the discovery of a really productive bottle digging site.

Start and finish point finds

I often return to sites I previously had success at because I know I have a chance of recovering something good in the same general area.
There is usually one previous find that motivates me during the search and inspires me to keep hammering away because I know what can happen when everything comes together.
That everything coming together refers to using good metal detecting form in tight search patterns at sites selected because of beach or people reading skills.
Your start and finish points often come into play when you are searching an area, especially if you put all your allotted metal detecting time into searching in one area as I often do.  Ive found so many good things just as I started searching an area or just as I was about to leave an area.
I chalk the first target good finds down to site selection, the last target good finds down to learning from past experiences.
Because I have recovered so many good finds at my search pattern starting out and finishing points, I now actually leave a little extra time to make sure I search a few yards past these points.
Some people may call these type of finds lucky, but I don't like to rely on luck and class them as rewards for site reading skills and methodical search techniques.
I recovered this large gold ring on an Easter Sunday a few years ago, right at the end of a three hour water hunt in Florida, but it wasn't recovered from inside the water.

After three hours of methodically searching inside the water using a tight east to west directional search pattern, I did my usual last sweep of the perimeter of the search area.
The extra attention to search pattern detail helped me pull up the large gold and diamond ring from the wet sand down by the waters edge, an area I had ignored until just before leaving.
The gold ring was a fitting find for an Easter Sunday, perhaps even a sign from above lol 
If you want to get "Lucky" more often, always cover the area you first started searching away from or the area you are about to walk away from.

Metal detecting event take aways

I recently attended a metal detecting event in central Florida, meeting old friends and making new friends in this great hobby of ours.
The positive attitudes of the people attending the event really impressed me, from young kids to old timers everyone excited about the prospect of pulling something good up the next time out searching.  
I don't think you can beat having a positive attitude when it comes to metal detecting as you can have long periods between good finds, due to conditions or site selection. 
Over the years Ive had to deal with a lot of negativity, mostly associated with the incredible finds I recover which I put down to a case of the green eyed monsters.
I must admit I chuckle knowing the naysayers are rambling on about me and my finds instead of concentrating on their own searches. 
Heck I have to try hard to even think negative things to write because I am so full of positivity.
Whats not to like there are places to search and fantastic things waiting to be found, certainly no time to be fretting over peoples good fortune. 
The people at the event I got to shake hands with and chat to, told me they attended the event because they hoped to learn something new or win a metal detector in the raffle.
I was also pleasantly surprised how much site research people told me they were doing, along with testing targets to see the capabilities of their chosen metal detector.
These are two very positive things to do if you are going to have success at metal detecting.
Another positive thing I picked up on was people going metal detecting regardless of the conditions and being willing to try new sites, after all isn't that how undiscovered sites are discovered? 
Waiting around for good detecting conditions or hitting the same area every time you go detecting very seldom bring positive results. 
Following fluffy advice from negative people in the hobby with no finds behind their name is not a good beach or inland treasure hunting strategy either.
I love the positivity I witnessed at the recent metal detecting event and especially from the rookies.
A beginners positive attitude and untethered search agenda will often lead to "Beginners luck" something I try to duplicate every time I walk onto a site with a metal detector.
Be a positive treasure hunter, your going to go search because you always have a chance of finding something good in the next hole.
In previous years this would be the part of the blog where I insert a photo of a ridiculously expensive piece of platinum or gold jewelry, but as former US president George H. W. Bush would say "Not gonna do it, wouldn't be prudent"  
Stay positive my metal detecting friends and let your finds do the talking!

Beach hunting ergonomics

All the metal detecting gear I use for beach and water hunting was chosen with ergonomics in mind.
I use lightweight metal detecting equipment whenever possible, but if I have to use heavier gear I make sure it is well balanced.
There is nothing worse than not being able to search during prime beach hunting times because you have a bad back or tennis elbow caused by using heavy or awkward metal detecting equipment.
I often see people using heavy or awkward metal detecting equipment at my favorite Spanish treasure hunting beaches, places you have to put serious hours in to get lucky at.
Lugging a heavy unbalanced metal detector around without a metal detecting harness will effect your search coil sweeping motion, leading to poor ground coverage and of course an aching back, shoulders or arms.
Earlier in the week I saw a guy struggling using a heavy metal detector with a search coil mounted at the rear of the search coil, the front of the search coil was tilted up as he struggled to hold and sweep the heavy metal detector.
If you must use a heavy metal detector make sure you use a metal detecting harness to help you maintain the search coil in a level position thru out the sweeping motion.
A straight shaft can also help distribute weight and balance a metal detector, assuming your metal detector can be mounted on a straight shaft.
I also see a lot of scoops with small handles, why bend down to scoop every time when it is better to use a long handled scoop saving time and energy during the target recovery process at the beach.
Sometimes your choice of search coil can be a problem, why use a large and often heavier search coil if it is throwing the balance of your metal detector off.
Using a large heavy search coil for an extended time at the beach will lead to aches and pains and eventually time off recuperating backs, shoulders or elbows.
Using and maintaining a good metal detecting technique is essential for a beach hunter trying to cover a lot of ground so ergonomics are important.
Lightweight or well balanced heavier metal detecting equipment help you cover ground effortlessly  and help prevent bad backs and other aches and pains that can keep you away from the beach.
The heaviest metal detectors and search coils are often advertised as the deepest metal detectors or search coils, but what good is target depth if you negate any advantage using poor metal detecting technique caused by struggling to use the heavier gear.

The edge of detection range

I often talk about how the majority of my best beach and water hunting finds were recovered within the first six inches of sand, but I do detect and recover many cracking finds on the edge of detection range.
The edge of detection range varies with the type of metal detector and the size search coil being used, also the matrix the detected target has been detected in.
A slow methodical approach to beach hunting will help you to detect targets on the edge of your metal detector depth range, giving you a chance to actually hear an often "Iffy" target response at depth.
The slower you sweep your search coil the better a deep target on the edge of detection range will respond.
Keeping your search coil close to the sand will insure you have a chance of detecting "Deepies" in the first place. 
If you swing a 10 inch search coil four inches above the sand you will only detect targets six inches below the sand, every inch you swing your coil above the sand is one inch less you are able to detect metals below the deck.
Walking and sweeping slow and low along the beach is the only way to experience the thrill of pulling up valuable targets from the edge of detection range. 
If you search tourist beaches the big mamma jammer gold rings you are searching for are probably going to be recovered from deeper layers of sand. 
At shipwreck beaches old coins and artifacts are often way down in older layers of sand, shell or rocks.
These two old Spanish buckles from the 1700s were recovered two full moons apart using a pulse induction metal detector at a Treasure Coast beach, the signal responses from both artifacts were a break in my metal detector threshold. 
Check out the hand file marks on the one buckle and the pin still attached to the other, I love me some Spanish buckles!

A slight drop or break in a metal detector back ground noise can easily be a deep target, a slight tick of a signal from one direction can also be a deep target.
Whatever the deep target you are not going to hear it unless you are traveling across the beach slowly and sweeping your search coil low and slow.
Targets on the edge of detection range they are often difficult for a discriminating VLF metal detector to identify, the better the VLF metal detector the better the discrimination features.
Unfortunately most VLF metal detectors will classify a target on the edge of detection as junk, giving wonky FE/CO number readouts, bouncy target cursors or other incorrect VDI target IDs on popular VLF metal detectors. 
There are many things to learn about beach hunting, understanding how targets on the edge of detection range respond and what they could possibly be comes with experience.
The first step towards being able to detect high value "Deepies" is always getting to know your metal detector really well, using good search techniques and being able to identify easy to detect targets.
Once using your favorite metal detector and identifying targets within detection range becomes second nature, you'll be better prepared to understand the nuances of targets on the edge of detection range.

Average is good enough at the beach

I always have the word average on my mind when I step onto a beach with a metal detector, especially at heavily hunted beaches I know are hit hard and often.
Recently I searched a local tourist that had five guys searching it with metal detectors, two pairs and a single guy.
I regularly see people searching with hunting buddies, or fifty percenters as I like to call them as that is what you end up finding if you take someone with you metal detecting.
Pirate Gary prefers going home with 100% of whatever is it is Im searching for at the sites I choose.
Most people would be discouraged after paying for parking, walking down to the beach and seeing people already searching the beach, but I always play the percentages when searching for lost jewelry.
I figure the average person into metal detecting will go to the same place every time they hit a local beach, the average person losing jewelry will not have a clue where they lost it and the average piece of jewelry will be recovered 3-6 inches deep from the sand.
Like rain man Raymond in a Las Vegas casino my mind is going over all the averages and figuring out how to put myself in the best place to recover what Im searching for.
Any so called competition already searching the site helps decide where you are now going to search, surprisingly putting you in a place you perhaps wouldn't have chosen to search first but often putting you in position to find something good.
If that was the competitions first choice of search area it is often many other peoples first choice to search using metal detectors.
Once detecting I go for the easy stuff, jewelry I know from experience I don't have to dig half way to china to recover.
My average beach hunt is 2-4 hours so I cut out wasting time digging junk, concentrating on recovering targets that are two way repeatable signals.
The average chance of recovering one good find after digging 100 iffy signals is not very good, does it happen sure but I am at the beach to make the most of my average beach hunting time.
I have more chance of getting to something good digging two way repeatable targets.
The average size search coil I prefer to use on my metal detector insure I have an average chance of recovering a wide variety of sized targets at average depths.
See how this word "Average" keeps popping up? but I assure you there is nothing average about the finds you can recover playing the averages at the beach using a metal detector.
The law of averages is an often overlooked factor to a beach hunter, but in my opinion its a factor that works when dealing with the dynamics of beach hunting.
Tides, beach conditions, weather, people (depositors) and competition, all make the beach bank an interesting place to find something anywhere at any time.
Average days during average conditions in average areas are when you find above average finds when you think outside the beach hunting box.

Bogged down at the beach

I love getting bogged down detecting and retrieving the same type of target in one area, scooping things that drive you nuts to the point of knowing its probably the next thing your going to see in your scoop basket or spoil pile as you drop a spade full of dirt.
It takes will power to stay searching in an area that is littered with one particular target, for example corroding pennies, pull tabs, bottle caps or small iron. 
This year Ive posted a few finds from recent beach hunts, if you follow my posts you may have noticed I often post multiple Spanish silver treasure coins from shipwreck beaches or multiple gold rings from tourist beaches.
One reason for some of my gold jewelry hunting success this year is staying the course at nuisance target rich areas, getting bogged down digging unwanted junk until I found what I am searching for.
If an area is frustrating to search because of pull tabs, bottle caps or pennies, you can be sure nine out of ten regular regular beach hunters skimp over the same area.
Im the 1% that puts up with the pain of knowing the next target is probably going to be the same thing.
The reason I allow myself to be bogged down is because of the natural sifting, sorting and placement of objects in tidal areas. 
Objects of the same size, shape and density often end up in the same area at beaches, especially on the lower beach and inside the water. 
If what you are searching for at the beach has the same size, shape or density as a ring pull, crusty coin, lead fishing weight,  or squashed tin can then you have a chance of detecting what you'd really like to find in the same area. 
Ive seen things in the bottom of my scoop this year that I expected to be another ring pull, another corroding coin or another tin can, instead they were spectacular finds followed by the statement thank god I didn't walk away. 
When you know what goodies your sites are capable of producing, don't let nuisance targets fool you.
If you use and rely on a metal detector VDI screen, remember its just a potentiometer and it can be fooled just like you can before you look in your scoop basket.
I love getting bogged down digging at my favorite sites because sometimes its really nice being wrong no matter how experienced you are, another squashed beer can perhaps not?

Performance is everything

For a beach treasure hunter there is no better time to go metal detecting than after beach erosion has taken place, a prime beach hunting opportunity if you have the equipment to take advantage of the situation.
Leaving home with excellent beach hunting conditions ahead is when you grab your go to metal detector, when your choice of metal detector is put to the test.
Over the years I have been able turn metal detecting finds into metal detecting equipment, insuring I have the right metal detector to detect the different types of treasure I search for.
Searching for old coins and artifacts at shipwreck sites or modern jewelry at tourist beaches, I use a metal detector that gives me the best chance of detecting what I am searching for at the chosen site.
After recent high surf gave me an opportunity to search a cut (Eroded) Treasure Coast beach, I relied on my trusty Minelab CTX 3030 to sniff out three hundred year old silver treasure coins at a Spanish 1715 fleet wreck beach.
Five silver reales and three musket balls, some of these finds were detected following other people already searching the heavily hunted site.

This just goes to show that you don't have to be the first person searching the beach to be successful.
When the sand hits the fan I know I can rely on my Minelab CTX 3030,  just like I can using other Minelab metal detectors in my beach hunting arsenal.
Performance is everything when duking it out with the competition at heavily hunted beaches, never having to worry about saltwater or black sand effecting your metal detector is always a huge advantage.
You cannot detect what you cannot hear using a chattery metal detector and a prime beach hunting situation just isn't the place to find out you are using under performing equipment.
When the wind is howling and the waves are whipping I don't have to think twice about what metal detector is going beach hunting with me.
When searching eroded beaches and expecting a little competition, I leave nothing to chance by taking a metal detector I can rely on to perform the best.
Another one of my favorite metal detectors is the Minelab Excalibur, my go to choice for water hunting at tourist beaches searching for modern jewelry.
When beaches are eroded the sand along with coins and jewelry are washed into the water, after the waves subside you can get the goodies washed into the water opposite.
Performance is everything in the water too, these four pieces of gold jewelry along with several pieces of silver and junk jewelry were recovered using my trusty Excalibur.

Beach & water hunting happiness is knowing when the conditions are favorable for finding, you don't have to worry about your choice of metal detector being up to the challenge.

Shifting sands

While showing a friend a nice diamond ring recently I was reminded how coin and jewelry hunting at the beach is a game of inches. 
Several years ago I was searching a local tourist beach when a distraught young lady asked me if I could find a really nice diamond ring she had the misfortune to lose in the same area the previous day. 
The lady was laying in the wet sand when an incoming wave washed the ring off her finger, after quickly stepping on the ring to stop it from being dragged down into the water another wave washed over the area and the ring was lost. 
After taking the time of day and the previous tide times into consideration I performed a methodical search of the slope on the lower beach, but to my surprise I could not detect the $5000.00 diamond engagement ring. 
The lady thanked me for trying to recover the ring on the lower beach, an approximately one hour tight pattern search of the wet sand and the shallow water opposite the area.
I was told no worries as the ring was bought the previous day on a credit card and her fiancé had already filed an insurance claim before returning to Europe later that day.
I was given a detailed description of the ring and I was gutted they had to fly back to Europe without their engagement ring, but at least they were going to get their money back.
The only explanations I could think of for not being able to recover the ring was perhaps another beach hunter had detected the ring or really high surf from the previous high tide has washed the ring into deeper water.
Three weeks later after getting a sweet signal I pulled the diamond engagement ring out of the sand in the exact spot where I had first tried to detect the bobby dazzler.
I now believe the lady pushed the ring deeper into the wet sand when the ring was stepped  on to prevent the next wave from washing it away, more sand was probably pushed over the area with the rough surf from the following high tide.
Add foot traffic from the many tourists walking along the wet sand at this popular beach and it is easy to understand how quickly a lost ring can disappear.
You may have to wait several tide cycles like I did for lost jewelry to come into detection range.
I have had similar experiences at shipwreck beaches searching for Spanish treasure coins and artifacts, nothing one day but the next day in the very same area I recover treasure.
All it takes is one or two inches of sand to be washed away from an area for the beach bank to be open for business.
Get in the habit of using permanent objects at the beach as sand level markers, especially objects on the lower beach such as pilings or large rocks.
You can gauge how much sand is on the lower beach and how much has to be taken away to improve your chances of recovering coins, jewelry or artifacts lost in the area.
The first thing I look for when checking out a beach I haven't searched in a while is my sand level markers because they tell me how far away my search coil is from deeper and firmer layers of sand more likely to trap valuable targets in place.
Sand higher up on beach markers normally only contain lost items washed into the area, more sand than good materials.
If you are a beach hunter, when its your time to find something good it is almost always when you are sweeping your search coil over less sand.