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Beach Hunting: Choosing Your Beaches Wisely


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I really missed out then. I'm more aware of the tides now so i'll be going at better times. The last two rings i found were at sunset and they were close to each other at the front of a gravel patch. If I took some of the experiences of gold panners to heart, Gold and heavy stuff always stop at the front of gravel banks, thus it would be a good place to look when the tide is down.

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13 hours ago, Sirius said:

I really missed out then. I'm more aware of the tides now so i'll be going at better times. The last two rings i found were at sunset and they were close to each other at the front of a gravel patch. If I took some of the experiences of gold panners to heart, Gold and heavy stuff always stop at the front of gravel banks, thus it would be a good place to look when the tide is down.

here's a few graphics to illustrate this idea.

placer gold.jpg

waves.png

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13 minutes ago, Sirius said:

here's a few graphics to illustrate this idea.

placer gold.jpg

waves.png

I would in no way compare the 2. Not for free anyway. This is where you can start to get into specifics after you locate the appropriate beach. I don't mind offering a bit of free advice , but not for days on end. Stuff that took me along time to learn. You need to get out there and pay your dues. Put in the work. GL

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6 minutes ago, King-Of-Bling said:

I would in no way compare the 2. Not for free anyway. This is where you can start to get into specifics after you locate the appropriate beach. I don't mind offering a bit of free advice , but not for days on end. Stuff that took me along time to learn. You need to get out there and pay your dues. Put in the work. GL

I need more time out there, but yeah two rings in front of the gravel pit is already a good sign. You're more likely to find lighter material in the gravel patch than heavier stuff that gets dropped in front. Coins, rings, you name it. Will report back if i find more stuff in the same locations. If gold flakes lighter than a ring can be stopped by gravel banks, then gold rings can definitely be stopped by a gravel patch.

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Don't forget the yesterday beaches and amusement parks that have been closed for many years. Lots of history out there.... at one time families flocked to these spots on weekends and summer vacations.

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Also include beaches never used by tourists.. Many coastal areas have beaches and swimming spots that only locals know about.. They don't get the traffic of popular beaches but if they've been visited by locals over many decades they can be very good spots to hunt.. One beach I hunt on the mainland has revealed old silver coins over 150 years old as well as modern ones.. 

I've found many of these beaches using Google Earth, it also shows if access tracks are well used.. If I know people in the area I'll ask them where they swim or used to swim when they were kids.. One gentleman drew a map of his favourite beach with detailed descriptions of how to get to there.. This beach turned out so isolated it seemed no one had ever been there, I didn't even find any junk.. Still, having a look at many different beaches is always good, it's where gold prospecting meets beach hunting..    

When I explain what I'm after no one has ever been offended or angry at revealing family secrets, instead people are as curios as I am to find out if there's anything there.. I've also had people tell me where they lost rings many years ago and offer a reward if I find them..

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24 minutes ago, Erik Oostra said:

Also include beaches never used by tourists.. Many coastal areas have beaches and swimming spots that only locals know about.. They don't get the traffic of popular beaches but if they've been visited by locals over many decades they can be very good spots to hunt.. One beach I hunt on the mainland has revealed old silver coins over 100 years old as well as modern ones.. 

I've found many of these beaches using Google Earth, it also show if access tracks are well used.. If I know people in the area I'll ask them where they swim or used to swim when they were kids.. One gentleman drew a map of his favourite beach and detailed descriptions of how to get to there.. This beach turned out so isolated it seemed no one had ever been there, I didn't even find much junk.. Still the chance of having a look at different country is always good, it's where gold prospecting meets beach hunting..    

When I explain what I'm after nobody has ever been offended or angry at revealing family secrets, instead people are as curios as I am to find out if there's anything there.. I've also had people tell me where they lost rings many years ago and offer a reward if I found them..

I guess I'm looking for the quick finds and many targets so beaches work for me. The sea will always provide even with detectorists around, but I agree that secret swimming holes could be relatively untouched, compared to populated areas. It would seem like a project you'd have to dedicate time to search for and explore.

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1 hour ago, Sirius said:

It would seem like a project you'd have to dedicate time to search for and explore.

For me, that's the part that makes beach hunting such a great experience.. Don't get me wrong, I also like the instant gratification that popular beaches can provide.. But it's just not very satisfying compared to hunting for old jewellery or coins on beaches that took a lot of research and exploration to find.. Hunting lots of different sorts of beaches also builds your experience, even if you don't find a thing you're still constantly learning about beach hunting.. 

There's noting wrong with looking for quick finds, but as mentioned before there's no point in looking for advice to make things even easier for yourself if you're not willing to gain some experience or do any research.. I'm only a newbie myself but that's one of the things I've learned so far..  

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Got back from my latest excursion. The theory proved correct this day, but I was a few days too late for the good pickin's. The gravel patch acted as a huge wall for heavier material and in front of it was a large coin line where I was just digging up coin after coin after coin. Even found a few silver dimes and a merc dime too! Talked to another detectorist who was on the scene and he said that he found some jewelry in the same zone but 2 days prior, so I missed out. It was still a productive day, up until the handle for my scoop broke. That handle is way too important, and without the leverage my hands were just destroyed by the end of the day. (That thing only lasted a week too since it was aluminum) 
Luckily it's been jury rigged with a iron pipe from home depot so it should be good for the next trip!

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8 hours ago, Sirius said:

It was still a productive day, up until the handle for my scoop broke. That handle is way too important, and without the leverage my hands were just destroyed by the end of the day. (That thing only lasted a week too since it was aluminum) 
Luckily it's been jury rigged with a iron pipe from home depot so it should be good for the next trip!

I bought a wooden shovel handle from Home Depot which has been working fine for a long time. When you drop it in the water, it stays on the surface for easy retrieval without a noodle wrap.

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