Should I Get Started With This Hobby?

[F350Platinum]

8 hours ago, streak said:

Thanks all for great input. I am not looking for social media media fame or instant gratification. 

You came to the right place then, the people that frequent this forum are probably some of the best there are out there, most here have decades of experience. Ask questions but read the manual first, and don't be afraid to take a hit on a "duh" moment. I've had quite a few ?

Like others have written it is an addiction if you end up with good results, always keep family in mind, earn those Detecting Points™ with them, and you'll find it to be a blast.

If I find gold or silver I take my wife out to dinner, and she gets right of first refusal on any jewelry I find. ? She has not yet asked me why I needed another gadget, and even gets them for me on special occasions.

Relic hunting is pretty much luck and persistence, I dug a ~300 year old gold ring about a month ago in a field.

Beach hunting is pretty much the same, but there are places on a beach where you have a high probability of finding the valuable stuff, you'll have to read up on it. Tides, weather, seasons all play a part, and as others wrote beaches are constantly replenished either by new visitors or from serious erosion.

The most important thing is to get out there. ?

[TTT2866]

I've only been doing for 5 or 6 years and accumulated just over 700 rings. it's well worth getting in to. 

 

You are correct though, it's not all gold & glory, there's PLENTY of trash in between. Be prepared to dig a lot of junk! The advantage of beaches though is they always replenish, plus high tides, strong winds and strong currents move a lot of sand, often revealing old targets that other detectors have missed.

 

I personally would highly recommend considering a Manticore over a Deus 2 personally. 

[rvpopeye]

We'll call you the streak, fastest thing on two feet ! LOL

If you want to do this , then do it ! We can't tell you if you'll like it , just tell you what to expect or not expect. It sounds like your head is in the right place on expectations and that's a plus..

You'll probably never find a better group to learn from than right here.  Mind blowing experienced expertise and newbs learning the ropes along side you . ?  

If all you want to do is try, get a cheapo detector . I've seen many at Goodwill for under $25

They ALL go beep when the coil is over metal.?

The better ones give you more information or go deeper .So ,If you feel like jumping in at the deep end , we sure can help with that too. . The classifieds here is another good place to keep an eye on. 

 Have you thought about what you can afford as to budgeting for these new toys if you decide to jump in ? Top end rigs go into the 1000s but a nice starter set up could be $200-500 usd. And if you're lucky it will pay for itself or more .....?‍☠️arrrrrrrrrr ! 

That's the best place to start , after you read here for a while ,,,,you'll know which is best for YOU ! 

OH , STEVE'S GUIDES ! It's all there , straight from our fearless leader . 

Learning what your detector is telling you and researching likely good spots along with liberal doses of patience are the best path forward.   

[streak]

Thanks @TTT2866 and @rvpopeye for further input. Just when I thought I had the machine narrowed down to the D2 now I am having to look at all of the D2 vs Manticore comparisons thank TTT!! Keep in mind I will be mainly searching beaches and the D2 does appear to be highly recommended there but I see that you do have experience of these an other machines so do value your input.

Great advice on checking at Goodwill. I will pop in to my nearest one to see what they may have.

[GaryC/Oregon Coast]

Basically it boils down to how strong of a marriage you have (assuming you are married or with a significant other).  Metal detecting soaks up a very large amount of time.  Especially if you have success with it.  When I show my finds to my wife, she reminds me she doesn't need a metal detector (she finds loads of coins in parking lots and the Coin Star machines!!!!)  GaryC/Oregon Coast

[Compass]

Lots of great advice in the previous posts. Hard to advise someone if they should get into metal detecting or not. After advising many people over the years, some develop an almost fanatical passion for the hobby and some lose interest quickly. Most on this forum are more likely to be the true die-hard treasure hunters. 

There are different types of beach hunting  - dry sand, wet sand, working in the surf, detecting on an ocean facing beach, wading in a back-bay location, snorkel detecting in shallow water and probably more. My comments are mostly geared toward wet sand and surf hunting where most of my finds are made.

Something that I did not see mentioned was the dynamic nature of beach hunting. Yes, there are more and more detectorists out there and it is more competitive than ever. True, the beach gets replenished all the time but Mother Nature has a tendency to "swallow" up those targets and allows them to be found when she so desires. Most of the time they are covered by several feet of sand and out of reach of any metal detector.

However, when the right conditions occur - usually a combination of tides, wave energy and wind, tons of sand can be moved putting targets within reach of metal detectors. Most of the public and probably many forum members here would not believe what is still possible to find at the beach in these current times. Last year I had several hunts with those ideal conditions and found dozens of pieces of gold jewelry and many old silver coins. During this past storm that raked the California coast I know one beach hunter who found 9 pieces of gold jewelry (I saw them right after he found them) one day and 14 the following day! Even he was shocked.

I don't  mean to imply that anyone can jump right into the hobby and expect these kinds of results but someone who has the right equipment, experience, stamina, patience, knowledge and determination can still achieve amazing things despite the competition.

On the other hand it is possible for someone with a cheap detector to go to the beach and find a $20K diamond ring during their first hunt. You just never know!

[strick]

18 hours ago, GaryC/Oregon Coast said:

 Metal detecting soaks up a very large amount of time. 

This and what 350 said   "Just get out there" ... this can be the hardest part if you have a demanding job. Will you be able to drop everything and grab your detector when the conditions are right at the beach... Are you willing to sacrifice money that could have been made at work if you are self employed? my boss can be a real prick sometimes when it comes to giving me time off... detecting has long been considered a hobby for old retired grey hair guys lol wait too long and you may be too old to bend over and pick up a target...it's been one of the best hobbies I've ever taken up..

strick 

[Skate]

You will spend money but the good thing is if you don't gel with a machine you can often sell it for close to what you paid and then move on to the next machine. Some folks see the cost of machines and they immediately say this hobby is too costly. It may be expensive but if you plan accordingly you will only buy once. A good scoop should last you on the west coast beyond your expiration date. Pinpointers last a good long time of you take care of them. Shovels need a new edge put on them once every 3-4 years (at least mine do). I love buying new machines and I rarely use the price as a deciding factor because if a new machine will help me to enjoy myself more than it's money well spent. 

Other than that it's like going to the casino and sitting in front of a slot machine. Every next swing is a gold ring or a silver dollar, at least that's what I keep telling myself. I pretty much only hunt for jewelry now so I dig a ton of trash but you can't beat the feeling of seeing a ring in the scoop or a plug. Only drawback is my family loves it when I find rings too. 

[Valens Legacy]

If I were thinking about starting this hobby, I would go to one of the metal detecting clubs in your area to see if they would be willing to teach you about some detectors. While they teach you they will more than likely have you in an area that will allow you to find something in the ground while using a decent machine.

Everyone here has given you some great advice and the only thing is are you really wanting to experience the hobby or wanting to live the hobby. Once you are hooked on this hobby you will have very little time to do any other hobby because you will want to get back out there to find another treasure.

Good luck and be safe.