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...