matt

Congrats on the first gold found with a metal detector! The first are always the most difficult to find and attending a training class can sure help with the learning curve. Hope you find many more.

Wow! Thanks for sharing your experience. Hoping to one day be as lucky to find a gold coin.

I think I am going to try hunting without the coil cover as well. It fills with water and sand so easily which adds a lot of weight. When hunting on the wet slope I fond I am constantly tilting the coil to try and drain the water so it's not so heavy.

Time to get a back up!

That's a great first day! Looking forward to hearing your opinions of it as you get more time underwater.

Looking forward to hearing you report on use underwater.

The right place at the right time! Nice finds for sure.

That's incredible if you found the chain with all the rings on the chain!!! Have you checked to stones to see if they are real diamonds?

I bought one but never used it. After detecting for placer gold for so many years I still just tilt up my coil and use the edge to pinpoint the target when it's out of the hole in a spread out pile of sand. Takes a few seconds to retrieve. Maybe I'll try the pinpointer next time out, but I hate taking more things with me to lose. I usually hunt in a t-shirt and swim suit though.

These are some pictures of my 2.5" and 6" dredges in the water (I think in 2007) with my best friend Kirk. Many half ounce days of dredging! I would leave the dredges in the water all summer.

I wish I could dredge in California! I know the PLP has the reclamation thing going, but I haven't joined to find out the details. Sold my 6" dredge after the ban in 2008, but my 4" dredge sits near an extremely rich creek outside of Downieville waiting to be put back into the water...I can only dream about that big deep hole on my property for now...

You are doing well out of the water! Have you checked the diamond to see if it's real?

Thank you for the detailed response! Fortunately the water in Hawaii never gets cold so a wetsuit is really not necessary at any time of the year. The water is almost always very clear unless there is a bug storm surge. Hopefully I'll have some success next trip there.

Another great find for you! Some question if you don't mind because I am beginning to start this type of detecting. Do you use a sand scoop or just fan the sand and use the pinpointer? Do you use dive weights to help stay in place in the surf? My last trip to Hawaii was in the surf and shoulder deep and I could not stay in place with the waves pushing me a couple feet every time they hit me.

Wow great finds! I would keep hitting that beach instead of going underwater. I never used a ctx, but I would bet the Manticore would do a good job on that beach.