Hilary Follow-up

[Compass]

Hilary was a very unusual hurricane/storm. Not only was her path and intensity rare for this time of the year, the impact she had on some southern California beaches was somewhat bizarre. I drove to 6 different beaches in 3 days of detecting but did find one particularly productive area while nearby spots made me question whether or not my detector was working properly. 

The first hunt was before Hilary's heavy rains arrived but her swell was starting to build. I found no cuts but a gentle slope produced a small, beautifully colored, 10k, rose gold band. 

The second hunt came as Hilary was exiting the area. Where I found the rose gold ring the day before, the gentle slope was now replaced by a 3-4 foot cut but the targets were few and far between.  After an hour of wandering up and down the beach I found the "hot spot" and proceeded to find more jewelry than I ever have in a short amount of time. After 12 rings, a like number of earrings, bracelets, neck chains, pendants and coins I was thinking that this could be the best hunt ever. However, when I got back to my car and took a closer look, many of my finds were not as good as I had thought.

The biggest disappointment was the heavy (1 ounce) gold bracelet that I was sure was going to be one of the biggest pieces of gold jewelry that I had ever found. The clasp was stamped "14k g.f." for "gold filled". It looked and felt so awesome coming out of the wet sand and was nicely engraved with a name and a date from over 50 years ago. After metal detecting for many years I thought that I was pretty good at identifying gold, especially yellow gold, when I find it but this hobby can certainly be humbling at times.

The third hunt was a bust! In only one tide cycle the hot spot was sanding back in. I went from finding over 100 coins on hunt #2 to finding 8 coins on hunt #3. Hilary was a quick hitter and as fast as she flipped some beaches from sanded in to being productive they reverted right back as soon as she passed through. It seems like most other storms that I have experienced leave the beaches in good enough conditions to hunt for days afterwards but not Hilary. All in all it was a fun and memorable 3 days of detecting. As after almost every hunt, I learned a few more things about beach detecting that should be very helpful in the future.  GL&HH!

[cuniagau]

Congrats on finding some gold!  I don't think that the sand moved in the Dana Point/Laguan Beach area at all.  It was pretty much the same before, during and after the storm.  But we are at a different angle here too.  Maybe next storm!

 

Joe

[mh9162013]

Nice finds!

[Compass]

Wow Joe! I didn't know that but Hilary WAS unusual. I would have thought that other beaches south of where I hunted would have seen more power from Hilary but like you said the angle of the beaches may have been the difference. I remember my surf forecast saying that beaches that could work a southeast swell would see the biggest surf.

[mn90403]

Good production from a weird storm.  It shows that pockets form in many places.

I'm like Joe.  My beaches didn't give up coins or jewelry, but I have to admit I didn't hit any beaches south of Long Beach.  I didn't know where to go so I stayed with the family.

[Valens Legacy]

8 hours ago, Compass said:

The clasp was stamped "14k g.f." for "gold filled".

Please have that checked out, something that old I have heard and seen that the gf meant something different back then. So the ring in the last picture is a very nice item and looks to be the biggest winner for you as it is custom made.

Great hunt and wish you more luck on your next outing, just don't get out there in a storm.

[Compass]

9 hours ago, mn90403 said:

Good production from a weird storm.  It shows that pockets form in many places.

I'm like Joe.  My beaches didn't give up coins or jewelry, but I have to admit I didn't hit any beaches south of Long Beach.  I didn't know where to go so I stayed with the family.

With Hilary's immense power, I was expecting to hear about some epic hunts from other areas, especially, those south of me. I would have thought that the San Diego beaches would have been really hit hard. For all the targets I dug in 3 days I think that I only had about 6 lead sinkers but maybe 50 zinc pennies - a bad ratio of heavy to lightweight targets - not usually a good sign. Like you said, Hilary was a weird storm 

[Compass]

6 hours ago, Valens Legacy said:

Please have that checked out, something that old I have heard and seen that the gf meant something different back then. So the ring in the last picture is a very nice item and looks to be the biggest winner for you as it is custom made.

Great hunt and wish you more luck on your next outing, just don't get out there in a storm.

Thanks VL, I will take another look but In certain spots on the bracelet it looks like the base metal is showing. ? Yes, the ring in the last picture is stamped "18k" and passed the acid test but the inside of the ring looks a little suspect to me. Needs further evaluation.

[midalake]

15 hours ago, Compass said:

I drove to 6 different beaches in 3 days of detecting but did find one particularly productive area while nearby spots made me question whether or not my detector was working properly. 

Awesome work for three days!!!!   Great finds! 

[Compass]

29 minutes ago, midalake said:

Awesome work for three days!!!!   Great finds! 

Thanks midalake, It only feels like work when I'm not finding anything. ?