Subtle signals

Many people even with a fair amount of metal detecting time under their belt do not understand how to interpret signals and walk over potentially valuable targets. 

The easiest signals to identify are the ones you do not actually hear, I am talking about signals within your metal detector threshold or back ground noise.

You do not always have to hear a beep from your metal detector to alert you to a target.
A slight raising or lowering of the threshold could be a deep target on the edge of detection range, it could also be a deep ferrous target being rejected.

Either way, threshold anomalies are normally a deep target that warrants further investigation, especially if you are searching for old coins and artifacts. 

A short break or null in the metal detector threshold is likely a rejected iron or junk target, if you are using even a minimum amount of discrimination. 

Time spent using your metal detector will help you to tell the difference between a threshold nulling or blanking over a ferrous object and a threshold that has been interrupted or changed by a deep non ferrous target.

On beaches known for old shipwreck artifacts, I rely on my my metal detector threshold more than anything else.

I do the same searching away from shore inside the water at tourist beaches, I have recovered many large pieces of platinum and gold jewelry after stopping to investigate a slight raise or lowering in my metal detector threshold.  
I am quite sure many beach and shallow water hunters only stop to dig two way repeatable signals, even in areas where targets are few and far between. 
It goes without saying, if you are running with a silent threshold, you are certainly not going to hear deep targets on the edge of normal metal detection range. 
If you search using an all metal mode, the easiest signals to identify are double blips from hairpins or thin elongated sparkler type wires, quite different to solid two way repeatable signals from jewelry, coins, etc.

The hardest signals to identify often turn out to be the best finds, they tend to be deep targets found by listening to slight changes in the threshold.    
This iron canister shot from the US civil war was found at an inland site, only a slight lowering of my metal detector threshold alerted me to the very deep target. 

With practice you can identify many types of target by the metal detector threshold response, including the potential size of a target. 

The more you rely on your ears instead of numbers on a metal detector screen the more likely you are to find what you are searching for using a metal detector, assuming you understand there are many different types of signals apart from beep beeps.

www.garydrayton.com 

Expert advice on using your metal detector

Without doubt the best advice on using your metal detector is the advice from the design and engineer team printed between the front and back covers of your metal detector manual.

There are no short cuts to learning how to set up your metal detector, in my opinion you should know your metal detector manual by heart. 

Your metal detector manual is the most important metal detecting guide you will read and it was included in the purchase of your metal detector, the manual is not just the directions for putting the metal detector together it explains how to actually use the metal detector.

I have tested a lot of metal detectors before they were released and they never came with a manual because as a tester you have to figure it out, believe me a manual makes it so easy to hit the ground running with a new metal detector.

To this day I still immerse myself in the manual when I buy or try new metal detecting equipment,   if I do google the equipment I always look at the messenger relaying the information.

Following a "Quick start" guide from the manual is an excellent way to get used to a new metal detector until you are familiar with the controls and settings.

You can familiarize yourself with the audio responses to a wide variety of common finds without the stress of background noise or distractions, call it a safe settings mode. 

Once you are familiar with the basics and you know how metal targets will respond you can tweak the settings to help you detect what you are searching for in the areas you intend to search.

One of the first settings to experiment with after the quick start guide phase of using the new metal detector is the sensitivity setting, to see how hot you can run the metal detector over your favorite search sites. 

Increase the sensitivity until your metal detector becomes chirpy or chattery, then back off the sensitive until the metal detector runs smoothly without any feedback from the ground being covered.

Depending where you search, you will probably now have the sensitivity set higher than it was previously set in the quick start set up or mode. 

After finding the optimum sensitivity setting I check various test targets in the field to see the difference between the depths I am able to detect test targets using the discrimination search mode and the all metals search mode. 

It is good to know the depth differences between searching using a little discrimination / target rejection and searching using no discrimination, assuming you can use the metal detector in both search modes.

After sensitivity settings and target testing I concentrate on audio responses, if I am able to adjust the audio responses to respond a certain way to different metals I adjust the tones or change the pitch to suit my needs.

It is good to have a wide separation between iron and precious metals, some people prefer high or low tones for certain valuable targets, making them stand out clearly from less desirable targets.

Look at your metal detector quick start guide as a solid metal detector foundation to build on.

No doubt your metal detector will have bells & whistles you will rarely use, but it is always good to know how to use them when a different situation from your usual type of search comes up. 

For example, I hardly ever use any more than a discrimination setting of one, but just a couple more incremental increases of the discrimination level saves me from digging nuisance targets on a different site I have found a lot of gold rings at. 

Knowing your metal detector manual by heart and testing targets in the field will let you know what your metal detector is capable of, but just as important you will find what your metal detector is not capable of doing.

Influencers what you to buy metal detectors, designers and engineers of the same equipment want you to be able to use it with no frustration and find stuff with it!

If you are interested in what the people who design and make the gear you intend to use have to say, read your metal detector manual from cover to cover for their expert advice.

www.garydrayton.com 

Plotting and plodding

I love plodding along high tide lines, especially after busy holiday weekends when local beaches are packed with sunbathers, swimmers and depositors! 

A crowded beach provides opportunities to beach hunters if you know how to read the beach and also read the people using the beach.

When plotting out a beach hunting strategy to take advantage of a crowded beach the first thing I check is the weather forecast because that tells me what people are likely to do at the beach and where they are likely to lose bobby dazzlers and top pocket finds. 

For example, on a really hot day you will see more people entering and exiting the water potentially making inside the water and the lower beach the best areas to search.

On a very windy day the lower beach wet sand could be the best area to use a metal detector, note to water hunters who would rather struggle in rough surf or stay home on very windy days. 

If rain showers are in the forecast the "Towel line" just up from the lower beach may become a jewelry drop zone, as people grab their clothes and gear before rushing to the beach exits. 

Any watch, chain or ring taken off for safe keeping before swimming and hidden inside shoes or pockets is easily forgotten and lost in the dry sand when the rain comes pouring down. 

The second thing influencing my beach hunting strategy is the age of the crowd, call it age discrimination if you will but I like searching areas of the beach used by an older crowd.

Sorry teens and surfer dudes you may be stoked but you are not losing what I am searching for brahs!

Lastly I work on timing which is the art of putting myself in the right place at the right time.

I know where I am going to search, what I am going to search for and I figure out the best time to search the area. 

After or before normal beach hours is always my preferred time to go beach or water hunting, less people and what are you doing questions, but most of all more opportunities to search different areas of the beach.

Notice I didn't mention low tide times, the tide is what it is when I arrive at the beach to search an area and I deal with it when I get there. 

With a selected area to search that I deem to potentially hold what I am searching for, I plod the search grid / pattern I choose most suitable for the selected site.

Plodding best describes a slow methodical way to cover a small search area really well.

I have always believed it is better to metal detect less ground thoroughly than more ground haphazardly, especially when relying on local beach knowledge and people reading skills. 

Beach reading and site selection skills help you avoid having to cover the entire beach in one metal detecting session as so many newbies try to do.

Many of my best diamond rings were detected using small size search coils on my metal detector, relying on site selection and target separation instead of ground coverage. 

Finds like this 2 carat Bobby Dazzler found along a high tide line after a beach event several years ago using a Minelab metal detector with an 8-inch search coil. 

The afternoon I recovered this Bobby Dazzler high surf and high tide insured I had the normally heavily metal detected beach all to myself, I guess the full time water hunters figured it was not worth beach hunting and the local beach hunters figured they would wait for low tide.

Plot and plod to make the most of beach treasure hunting opportunities this summer and do not forget to make sure you have a top pocket for the rewards of site selection and putting yourself in the right place at the right time. 

For more beach treasure hunting tips and tricks to finding Bobby Dazzlers check out my website at www.garydrayton.com 

PS no laser ID on diamond, no posted lost ad and my Khalessi mother of dragons told me this Bobby Dazzler fits like a diamond glove!

Smoking hot areas

If like me you like searching for old coins and artifacts it helps to know what surface "Eyeball" finds indicate that you are searching in a potentially good area.

Clay pipe bowls, pipe stems and old pottery shards are visible surface clues that tell you a site could potentially hold what you are searching for, if you are really lucky you will find an un-broken clay pipe. 

When you search river banks and beaches in areas with a little history you will often eyeball clay pipe stems and clay pipe bowls in the mud or sand, the white of the clay stands out from the surrounding mud or sand. 

I eyeballed these clay pipe bowls dating back to the mid 1800s on a river bank in Lincolnshire England, one pipe bowl is in the shape of an eagles claw holding an egg and the other is a royal antediluvian order of the buffaloes pipe bowl.

Themed clay pipes were very popular back in the Victorian era, the RAOB is a fraternal organization formed in the UK back in 1822.  

I have recovered thousands of clap pipe bowls and pipe stems all over the Caribbean, North America and Europe, I do not smoke but I love finding discarded trash from smokers. 

These clay pipe bowls are some of the earliest I have eyeballed at old sites, they date from the late 1500s, some still have burnt tobacco remains inside the bottom of the bowl. 

Pottery shards, clay wig curlers and doll parts are other non metallic often recovered on or close to the surface at older sites, visible clues that tell you a site is worth searching with your metal detector.

If you do not find any old coins you still have some pretty neat finds to take home that make excellent display and conversation pieces.

I spend a lot of time researching areas with the potential for hidden history and I spend just as much time walking areas trying to eyeball surface finds to prove my research.

Beach combing is an important but often very over looked aspect of beach treasure hunting, I like to use my eyes and ears in combination when metal detecting and I am not talking about looking at darn numbers on a metal detector screen!

Keep your eyes on the ground and pick up anything that stands out from its surrounding, search slowly looking for different colors, straight or curved lines, anything out of the ordinary on the surface you are walking over. 

If something catches your eye, bend down, pick it up and put it in your finds pouch because you never know it could turn out to be a top pocket find.

Some of my favorite recovered treasures in my display cases are non metallic finds, discovered while searching for old coins metal detecting.

Plenty of my non metallic display case finds are the beginnings to some cool Bobby Dazzler story endings.

One eyeballed older non metallic find may not lead to immediate coin or jewelry hunting success at a site, but if you bide your time and revisit the site during or after a storm you may still find what you hope is in the area.    

I also have many potentially smoking hot inland sites I keep an eye on just in case a construction project opens a window of opportunity for me and my metal detector.

Clay and porcelain can just as easily lead you to gold and silver if you understand its relevance to a search area. 

www.garydrayton.com

  

Try not to outsmart yourself

Beach hunting is not complicated, select an area of the beach to search and dig up things that make your metal detector go beep.

It is so easy to out smart yourself, especially if you are relatively new to using a metal detector at the beach.

Ive picked up other peoples books and read other peoples blogs who are considered beach hunting "Experts" and the one thing that that always grabs my attention is how much some people waffle on about piffle that beach hunters have no control over.

Studying the movement of water and beach erosion come in handy but when you walk onto a beach with a metal detector your chances of recovering something you hope to detect comes down to common beach hunting sense and beep and dig.

Over the years I have answered a heck of a lot of questions about beach hunting and metal detectors and it still surprises me to this day how much stock people put into things that are totally out of a beach hunters control.

A typical example is target depth, the driving factor behind beach hunters constantly jumping from one piece of metal detecting equipment to another, until a company brings a new metal detector out and its the latest and greatest got to have in order to detect good stuff.

In reality a beach hunter is blaming target depth and metal detecting equipment choices for a perceived lack of finds 

Whatever they are searching for must be just out of reach, the same reasoning behind people who study and worry over beach dynamics totally out of their control.

Waiting and watching for high wind and waves in order to find what you are searching for at the beach is a poor beach treasure hunting strategy, beach fronts change at least a little every time the tide changes. 

Do not get me started on the "I hit the beach 2 hrs before low tide" posters, who put a smile on beach hunters faces who found stuff while the low tide watchers waited at home.

As for target depth, it is not complicated my fellow beach hunters you can only detect what metals are within metal detection range at the time you are searching an area.

I never give any thought to the stuff I cannot find or give any thought to what ifs, only what I can take home from a beach in the conditions presented to me at the time. 

Another example of something totally out of your control is pure luck, but you can increase your chances of having good luck by mixing things up searching different areas.

I try not to rely on luck but I describe myself as lucky, perhaps its all the work I put into trying to put myself in the right place at the right time more than the next person using a metal detector.

Not everything you search for has been lost at the same time in the same place, one reason I make sure I cover as many different areas of the beach as possible and I avoid running to the same sites all the time.

Conductive & ferrous numbers on a metal detector screen are another perfect example of please enough already, use them for potential target identification but never base your whole search around a set of numbers as metal detecting is all about site reading skills and search techniques. 

One persons custom metal detector settings or programs is always another persons reason to return home empty handed.

My advice to novice beach hunters with a metal detector screen, lower the discrimination level, slap some tape over your metal detector screen and keep your eyes on the ground you are covering, listen and learn.

Beach treasure hunting is fun and it is not very complicated unless you outsmart yourself being concerned with surf projections, beach erosion and who is finding what and where.

The expression cant see the forest for the trees could easily translate to cant see the beach for the sand, try not to sweat the big stuff and overlook the important stuff like having fun and actually finding what you are searching for.   

As you can see on my website finds page I like grinding and finding, relying on basic site reading skills and search techniques along with hard work and determination.

These beach hunting Bobby Dazzlers were recovered over a four month period a few summers ago, just part of a 2lb haul of gold jewelry that year. 

Keep it simple my friends and you will find what you are searching for, I am sure good things come to people who wait, but nobody said you cant get some good things while others are waiting lol 

www.garydrayton.com 

You never know

This medieval cross recovered in Smiths Cove on Oak Island Nova Scotia is one of my favorite metal detecting finds because of what it is and where it was found. 

I will always remember the day I found and it pretty sums up todays blog, you never know what you have detected until you dig it up which is one of my favorite things about the hobby of metal detecting. 

Another pull tab or a Canadian once cent, nope a medieval lead artifact in North America.

Many of my favorite top pocket finds in the past were recovered in the most unlikely of places and often recovered after the most dullest pieces of junk were placed in the trash pocket of my finds pouch.

I am fond of saying to find the treasure you have to go thru the trash and for good reason, treasure hides and can found in the most unlikely places. 

Some of the sequences of finds I have had the pleasure of seeing are mind boggling, Seminole Indian war gold coins after bottle caps, a magnificent Spanish 1715 fleet emerald treasure ring after a flattened beer and countless modern diamond rings recovered after corroding one cent coins.

You never know what you have found until you dig it up so never walk away from any area because you assume an area is just full of more undesirable targets.

It is so easy to move away from an area with a high number of nuisance targets, for example pennies, pull tabs, bottle caps, nails, fishing weights or can slaw. 

When I go metal detecting I insure I put an X thru an area even if I do not recover anything of value because I want to know I left nothing behind for the next person willing to do what it takes to find treasure amongst the trash.

I love searching areas people using metal detectors are likely to skip over and ironically I call it searching for diamonds in the rough. 

Getting down and dirty at a trashy site will lead to some amazing recoveries if you know how to search those kind of areas using your eyes and ears instead of targets ID numbers to help you find treasure amongst the trash.

Clear and subtle signal responses learned from experiencing detecting sites with large amounts of targets will insure you never miss a valuable find in the future.

Look at "Dig busy" sites as areas to learn the craft while getting a good work out at the same time. 

Use a small size search coil to help you winkle good finds from trashy sites to help isolate individual unwanted and desirable targets, always think target separation over target depth at these type of sites.

Some of the hardest good non ferrous targets to detect in trashy areas are relatively shallow targets being masked by both ferrous (Iron) and non ferrous junk. 

Something to think about the next time you become frustrated recovering large amounts of the same nuisance targets and ponder moving away from an area.

There is treasure to be found in unlikely places at the most unlikely of times, but still the majority of beach treasure hunters head to likely places at likely times.

Treasure is where you find it, previous experiences have taught me that treasure is often barely hidden in plain site waiting for people to take a chance on searching areas people assume hold nothing of value. 

www.garydrayton.com 

Traveling to detect tips

Summer is here and because I work on TV treasure hunting shows you can be sure I spend a lot of time on the road traveling to search a wide variety of locations, from islands, deserts and swamps to woods, fields and mountains. 

When I travel to detect I use a simple metal detecting equipment packing strategy, I take lightweight versatile equipment that I know will detect almost anything anywhere I travel to search.

I rely on the law of averages over percentages, meaning I do not take a metal detector or other piece of metal detecting equipment that is known for only doing one thing good. 

For example, I do not just pack one large search coil for ground coverage and deep target detection.

I prefer to take an average size search coil that is good at detecting a wide variety of targets at average depths, good at detecting both small and large targets in a wide variety of ground conditions.

It is more likely I pack a smaller size accessory search coil than a larger search coil because extra large search coils are more site specific than small size search coils.

Even the clothes I wear are suitable for a wide variety of conditions, lightweight long sleeve fishing shirts and convertible cargo style pants that can get wet and dry out out quickly.

If it gets chilly I can wear a T shirt under my fishing shirt or throw on a lightweight fleece jacket.

A light weight easy to roll up and pack rain suit is essential along with lightweight waterproof high top hiking style boots, it is no coincidence I am into lightweight and waterproof gear. 

Metal detector manufacturers in recent years have finally listened to detectorists by coming out with lightweight and well balanced waterproof metal detectors.

Companies realize people in the hobby travel to detect more than ever and we do not want something that only does one thing well, waterproof lightweight and multi use metal detectors are now popular sellers. 

The Minelab Equinox is a perfect example, a little more travel friendly and lighter than the CTX 3030 although with less discrimination bells and whistles.

A pin-pointer is a must have traveling to detect accessory, especially when traveling to detect an area you are unfamiliar with, the same applies to a good finds pouch and small Lesche style digging tool.

I hardly ever take big dig target recovery tools with me unless it is a travel sand scoop, I prefer to buy an inexpensive spade or fork from a local hardware store and leave it behind after I have used it if I have to.

Leaving valuable return journey packing space to take any treasure home with me, assuming I am allowed to take finds home. 

When traveling to detect it is important to know the local metal detecting laws of the places you intend to search before you travel, it is your responsibility to know the rules because you represent the hobby and your fellow detectorists who follow.

If you are traveling by plane familiarize yourself with the airline rules on metal detector batteries, make sure you know what pieces of metal detecting equipment you have to carry on and what pieces you can check onto the aircraft. 

The same applies to cruise ship passengers traveling with metal detecting equipment heading off on metal detecting vacations. 

When traveling to metal detect in my opinion it is best to be prepared for the unexpected as nothing ruins a metal detecting expedition more than Murphys law happening after reaching your travel destination.

I learned a long time ago to always pack a spare metal detector battery / power pack, search coil bolt and arm cuff strap, the main three things that can ruin the best of treasure hunting travel plans.

On the subject of metal detecting equipment and repairs, a Leatherman type multi tool and a small roll of electrical tape come in very handy on the road.

In recent years I never travel with just the one metal detector, my back up metal detector is a valuable insurance policy that I need for my line of work. 

Scrapping or selling metal detecting finds is an excellent way to raise capital to reinvest in the hobby, helping you to have accessory search coils or a back up metal detector. 

Metal detecting really is the hobby that pays for itself when you know what you are doing.

I hope these traveling to metal detect tips help, my new beginners guide to beach hunting will be available next week on my website at www.garydrayton.com with plenty of tips to help you become a proficient beach treasure hunter.

Remember the law of averages when traveling to detect as the odds are higher you will find what you are searching for in the long run where ever you go. 

 

 

Red, white & blue

On this July 4th what better topic to talk about then freedom and independence, two words that kind of sum up this naturalized US citizens approach to metal detecting and in particularly beach hunting.

When I learned how to use a metal detector back in the day in Jolly old England there were no internet metal detecting forums or social media groups dedicated to metal detecting.

I am not complaining as I learned how to use a metal detector simply by reading the manual and adapting my eyes only site reading skills and search techniques used for years searching for old bottles and clay pipes along river banks in England.

I figured if I can find stuff hidden in mud using my eyeballs, swinging a metal detector relying on my ears and eyes is going to be twice as fun and it certainly was.

My independence from outside influencers and freedom from rigid norms is in my opinion what sets me apart from other beach hunters now, I did not adopt anyone else's treasure hunting style I created my own.

The point of todays beach treasure hunting blog is to make sure you have the freedom to create your own unique style, instead of blindly following experts who are just experts at posting photos of other peoples finds and moaning about sanded-in conditions. 

In my opinion, success at beach treasure hunting is measured in the fun you have on the search and of course the treasure you find along the way, not subscribers and hits. 

The freedom to go anywhere, try new sites and search techniques, without thinking there is always one or two sites you need to go and cover those sites in order to find what you are searching IF the conditions are right.

I say piffle! the more sites you take the time to search the more different search techniques you use and the more you open your eyes, the more you will grow and prosper as a beach treasure hunter. 

The reason why the word "More" was used a lot in the last sentence was because there is always more sites to search and more to find, you will not hear me using sanded-in conditions excuses for not finding what I am searching for.

This 4th of July I am reminded of the words living the American dream which I certainly am, the streets were not paved in gold when I got here, but I found the beaches do have their fair lol  

If you are sitting at home reading this waiting for better site conditions or the magical two hours before low tide to head to the beach with your metal detector, now would be a good time to think about beach hunters like me who find good stuff because you are not out there. 

Here are a few pieces of red, white and blue recovered during "Poor conditions for finding anything" rated beaches by the keyboard experts.

It is a shame the poor beach ratings missed the opportunity to eyeball Spanish 1715 fleet manilla galleon K'hang Hsi dynasty porcelain, 1600s Spanish shipwreck garnets and of course Spanish 1715 fleet emeralds.  

Happy 4th July everyone and please remember my fellow beach treasure hunters, treasure is where you find it but only if you are there!

   www.garydrayton.com 

Mind the steps

If I had a dollar for every gold ring I have ever found underneath or close to wooden stairs at the beach I would probably be a couple of hundred dollars richer.

Wooden boardwalks, stairs or steps at the beach are great places to find all types of jewelry and coins around.

The sand around lifeguard tower steps can also be surprisingly rewarding, I have found so many good things just sitting waiting to be picked off lifeguard tower steps early in the morning, talk about the early bird getting the worm.

Beach entrance stairs in areas with a little history have sand full of old coins and jewelry waiting for an enterprising beach hunter when the time is right.

The majority of beach hunters just see the wooden steps as a means of getting down to the lower beach before walking off into the distance metal detecting but I see a beach hot spot, a busy access point where countless people have used and sat not far away from when enjoying a trip to the beach. 

Imagine how many gold rings and silver coins are lost over the years close to beach entrances and those same things over time get pushed up towards and under the stairs after coastal storms hit the area.

Making these potential jewelry hot spots harder to walk away from and of course where there is trash there is always treasure if you know how to find it.

If the beach has a concrete wall at the back of the beach the wall acts as one big giant trap preventing coins and jewelry from traveling any higher up the beach. 

You cannot dig it all underneath and around beach steps or close to boardwalks, one reason why I prefer using VLF metal detectors with a few discrimination bells & whistles for beach hunting.  

Iron bolts and iron nails embedded in wood structures are a nuisance along with any iron fasteners in the area from previous wood structures destroyed or damaged by storms or extremely high surf. 

If the beach has a concrete wall you will probably have to deal with detecting iron embedded in the concrete but if you can close to the beach retaining wall you will find a lot of stuff washed close to the wall.

A small search coil will allow you to get up close to concrete walls or wood timbers full of iron fasteners, this is important to know when searching around wood steps after beach erosion has taken place.

Some of my favorite Spanish shipwreck artifacts have been pulled out from under wooden beach access stairs, rusty iron nails in high numbers are really good at persuading other beach treasure hunters to search easier areas. 

I have also found plenty of gold and silver during or after beach steps construction projects.

When a new set of steps is installed deep footings are dug and the sand brought up is spread around the area, anything that was in the deeper layers of sand is now close to the surface.

One of my best gold coins came from a couple of inches of sand thanks to footings dug for a beach deck, along with a handful of very old silver coins scattered around the area.

Lifeguard tower steps attract night time courting couples and skinny dippers, in areas with beachside nightlife too much drinky winky will often lead to Bobby Dazzlers of a different kind left behind on life guard tower steps.

If a really good staircase or boardwalk metal detecting opportunity comes up I use a powerful pull magnet dragging the sand for iron nails and junk. 

I also use a home made rocker sifter in really good areas, you would be amazed how many diamond stud ear rings and thin gold chains are lost around beach entrances.

Micro gold targets that most metal detectors struggle to detect, especially in trashy areas close to wooden stairs or steps, gold stands out like a sore thumb in the screen of a sand sifter. 

Large numbers of jewelry and coins get lost at beach entrance stairs or steps because they are difficult to navigate by people carrying stuff to and from the beach.

Adjusting clothing and small kids being carried up or down the steps leads to lost watches, chains, ear rings and bracelets, hands going into pockets for car keys leads to coins and any jewelry taken off at the beach falling from pockets. 

Just wait until you get a chance to search underneath a beach boardwalk, the amount of coins that fall thru the wooden planks of a boardwalk over the years is unbelievable. 

They say treasure is where you find it and it is often walked over and never given any thought to by beach hunters eager to get away from the beach entrance hoping to get lucky further down the beach.  

 available at www.garydrayton.com