MontAmmie

Update: Well, I emailed the Treasure Coast Archaeological Society (metal detecting club in Sebastian). I figured if anyone knew about it, they would. They emailed me back and said water detecting around Melbourne was fine. So I'll just leave this here for ya'lll. You know....just in case. Thanks for all the input!

Hi Ya'll and Happy Saturday! In anticipation of my Garrett Infinium being ordered (maybe), I decided to have a look at Google maps and see where I could go water hunt nearby. As some of you may know, there are areas where it is illegal to detect in the water just south of my area, from about Sebastian inlet south to Ft Pierce. I thought it might not be a bad idea to know exactly where these areas are, so that I could avoid getting into trouble. So I googled this search to death and found that information about these lease areas is pretty scarce. In my Google search I did find the Facebook page for Queen's Jewels Salvage Co, which leases the salvage rights from the state. These salvage areas presumably include the wreck sites and a 3000 ft radius around each one, excluding the beach area from the low tide line up to the dunes. So, law abiding citizen that I am, I pm'd whoever is in charge of the FB page and politely asked them what areas the leases cover and if Melbourne beach is ok to metal detect in the water. Here is the answer I got: "It is illegal to detect anywhere in the water. A permit from the FLA Department of Historical Resources is required to search for any historical artifact. The only detecting permitted I. The State is on the beach." That didn't sound quite right to me. I've seen lots of people in the water with detectors on the beaches all over the state and nobody was hauling them off in handcuffs. So I asked nicely if it is ok to just search for modern jewelry and does this mean that the whole state is off limits to water detecting. Well, apparently, it technically is. "Obviously that's not what you're looking for or you wouldn't have asked us. Do as you wish, I'm just telling you what the law says" Whoa there, Smeagol! I wasn't trying to steal your One Ring from you! So does this mean that all the guys detecting ankle-deep in the water at South Beach and Ft. Lauderdale are desperate fugitive criminals just waiting to be caught by the long arm of the law? Apparently so. From MDHTalk website: "As for metal detecting in the water, all lands that are below the mean high water line are considered state sovereignty submerged lands and, while it is not against the law to possess a metal detector in the water, it IS against the law to disturb the bottom sediments. So, if something is detected, it would be illegal to dig for it. " Yeah, if it's fun, somebody, somewhere has probably passed a law making it illegal. I'm beginning to wonder if detecting in the water here is a good idea. Do any of you Florida guys do it and have you ever been harassed for it? Thanks! Ammie

Good video, Steve. Thanks for posting it. I can't wait to hear what he has to say about beach hunting.

I talk trash about my DFX on here alot, but it's actually a pretty good wet sand machine. I find the most pull-tabs and bottle caps running in relic mode with the pre-amp on 3 and both the AC and DC sensitivity cranked up a bit. I dig everything but iron. It falses a bit when I get ankle-deep in the surf, but not bad.

All my non-junk jewelry finds for about the past 2 weeks. About 15 hours on the wet sand and surf. The rope chain is 925, but the musical note pendant is stainless. The citizen bracelet is not silver either, but it looks good on my fat wrist. I told ya'll our beaches are slim pickin's! On the bright side I've lost 2 lbs.

I'd love to have a Sovereign just for the wet sand, but with our limited space inside this RV it probably ain't gonna happen. My DFX does pretty well on the dry sand, so I would imagine that the V would as well. Thanks, Deft!

Nice find! I like the look of those Deuses (sp?). How does it handle salt water?

Rick, my usual day at the beach seems to be the exact opposite. Mostly it's the 50-80 year old men who think I'm just dying to show them my finds. And yes, I've gotten some snarky looks from the 50-80 year old women sitting next to them. ("But Sugar Doodle, I'm just asking what kind of detector she has because I want one.")

Too lazy to fire up the Nikon and just used my cellphone. LOL. Sometimes I regret turning "pro", even though the extra money every month is nice. Photography used to be fun, now it's a job. I'll get a better photo, just for you, Strick! I tested the diamonds and they're fake. I was surprised at that with the gold content being that high. I was hoping for my first real diamond find!

I think she was just mad because I didn't offer to relieve her of the fish hook and told her to go dispose of it herself. I already had a pocket full and didn't need hers! I am REALLY missing Montana right now. We go way up in the mountains and sometimes don't see another human for days.

Vaun, I think I know the perfect setting for your ATX. I think it should be happily sitting next to me on a towel on my beach at sunset. Just sayin'. Good luck and let us know what you find! Ammie

So I was on the beach yesterday just swingin' the DFX having a great time. Had my headphones on, minding my own business, when this foreign tourist (sounded like New York) walks right up to me and shows me some wire-looking stuff with a fish hook attached. She then asks me what to do with it. Really, lady? So I stop what I'm doing, take off my headphones, and politely suggest any one of several garbage cans conveniently located just across the dunes. She then asks me which one I use. Huh? Still trying to be polite, despite the circumstances, I told her "the one my bike is parked next to". She then says "I bet you don't throw your garbage away". Excuse me? I said "I bet I do" while I pull a handful of bottle caps and can slaw out of my right pocket and show her. She kind of sniffed and said, "Well maybe you do" and walks on down the beach without another word. What is it about swingin' a detector on the beach that makes people think they can say whatever asinine thing to you that pops into their silly heads? People that would never dream of going up to a complete stranger in say, Wal-mart, and making some rude comment, think it's perfectly fine if you have a detector in your hand. I have no problem with kids that want to "help" you dig treasure, beach bums asking for your crusty quarters, and the inevitable old salt with a story about the Hopeless Diamond that he dug on that very beach in '72. But going out of your way to ruin a beautiful day for someone else is just beyond me. Rant over. Thanks ya'll!

Actually, it does pretty well in damp and dry sand, I dug a bit of canslaw at about 8 inches yesterday. My biggest problem is that beautiful blue water where all the best goodies hide. It just keeps calling my name every time I go to the beach. I've almost drowned the DFX a couple of times in knee deep water that suddenly turns waist deep with a big wave. ~~~~~~ But help is on the way! There's a dealer in Arizona who has an demo Infinium at a big discount and the best part is that it still has the warranty. Now comes the hard part. He's on vacation so I'll have to wait about 2 weeks for it. I'm so excited! Thanks Swamp and everyone else who's been patiently helping me pick out a sibling for the DFX!

Hi Strick. I wish I could find a TDI Pro for sale! I'm thinking that PI's are made to cut through mineralized ground and that's kind of what wet salt sand is, in a way? We live within bicycle distance of 7 different beach parks, but the conditions are pretty much the same at all of them. Not many cuts or low places. Of course, I have been confined to knee-deep water so far by the DFX. I just keep thinking ok, there's not much in the top 4 inches that my DFX will cut through. But if I just had a good PI machine, there would be lots more goodies deeper down! Always the eternal optimist. LOL. Thanks so much! Ammie

Still trying to pick a water detector. Question for anyone who has used both VLF and PI. Would a PI machine really find deeper stuff in our fluffy, sanded-in beaches? I'm sure it would in New England, but in pure silica Florida sand? The more I read about the PI machines, the more I think I might be just as well off with an Excal 2. But if it means an extra 2-3 inches in depth on wet sand and in the water, I want a good PI. I don't mind digging at all. I usually run the DFX in modified relic mode and dig everything anyway. Some days targets are so scarce here that I would almost be happy to find a pull-tab to dig. Almost. Anybody? Thanks, Ya'll!

Melbourne and Satellite beaches are pretty barren too. On a positive note, most of that "re-nourishment" sand from 2 years ago seems to be gone. And, of course, they are talking about another sand dump in late 2018 or early 2019. They have to build an artificial reef first for those darling little endangered marine worms to call home before they can dump more sand on our coquina rocks. I was out at Pelican Beach a few days ago and saw the barge about 100 yards off shore actually working on it. Good luck to you too. Gold rings are great, but I'm having fun and losing weight, so it's all good! Ammie

Al, your Infinium says it wants to come live at my house. I'm actually bidding on a Surfmaster PI on Ebay right now. It looks like a light weight, nice little machine. I'll just have fun in the water now and I have a few months yet to pick something for finding Montana gold. Maybe a GM1000? Maybe Garrett will roll out a lighter weight ATX before next June. Maybe one of Steve's Minelabs will get mad at him and hitch a ride to my house too.

Ooooh, I like it! I'm glad Hubby doesn't confiscate my "pretties". Nice find!

We usually ask about Vet discounts when we shop, but I hadn't even thought about a discount on a metal detector. I figure we should get a discount even if it isn't technically for Hubby. It will get me out of his (imaginary) hair for hours at a time, so it kinda is. Jim, we meet many Vietnam vets at our VA medical center in Viera, FL (an awesome VA, if anyone is shopping for a good one, BTW). Those guys are some of the roughest, toughest people I have ever met, mentally and physically. I, for one, am very grateful for your sacrifice and thank you for your service to our nation!

I think you should send this pic to Garrett Inc and ask them if the warranty is still good. Maybe they'll finally get the hint. (Helloooo, Garrett? It weighs a freakin' ton.)

I wonder if Hubby's VA card will work? I was actually looking at the GM1000 to "go with" my ATX/Infinium next year in Montana. Thanks for the info, Steve. I never would have known without your post!

It worked for me. Nice video. Made me want to go get myself a metal detector....wait, I already have one.

I'm thinking the same thing, Steve. I'll probably find more good stuff with an Infinium in 6 hours vs using an ATX for 2 hours. I need something I can have fun with all day. Now which of you guys wants to sell me your lonely and un-loved Infinium? I promise it will have a good home and I'll post lots of photos next summer in Montana!

Actually, I've been bothering Steve all morning via PM. LOL. He's such a good sport! Not many guys would take time from their busy day to help an old granny like me. I showed Hubby that pic of Steve with the back-pack rig. http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/58-garrett-atx-backpack-modification/ He says I'll be a shoe-in for the coveted Melbourne Beach-Rat Nerd Trophy for sure. Yeah, see if he gets any of those piles of gold rings and nuggets I'm gonna find with it! The only thing I'd be worried about is keeping the ATX waterproof-ness (is that even a word?) with a non-ATX coil. I wonder if there's any way to mount the stock ATX coil on a lightweight rod? Maybe I need to start working out and stop being such a wimp-ette!