Finally hit the beach for the first time since August :)

[Joe G]

A problem with my shoulder had kept me from the beach for too long... Sunshine, not too cold and a negative tide was too much to pass up. Got there on Saturday morning much too early for the 1pm low, but what the heck. The place was sanded in big time but I figured I'd get a walk in on a nice day while I did a little swinging. To my surprise, about an hour before dead low, I found a line of targets. Clad, junk jewelry and 2 silver rings that looked like they'd been buried for a while. Also added another two dinkies to my collection The weirdest find was a cuff link... who wears a cuff link to the beach???

Today I was really geared up. Had a good day, although not as many targets as yesterday. Still I ended up with a broken sterling earring with a huge nitro, some assorted junk jewelry and another silver ring. Here's some pics...

They got my van

I think these are called Dunlins. They sit on the beach in huge flocks and, while they look like large birds in this pic (zoom shot), they're on the small side. Walk near them and they all take off at once. I don't know, a couple of hundred birds. It's quite a sight:

All the targets today, just like yesterday, were all in a "line". That's were I hit all of my targets. This pic was taken about 1/4 of my way down the beach. I can't tell you how many holes I dug. One thing I have to say is my new scoop is ergonomic. My shoulder feels pretty good

The Exp goes incredibly deep at the beach. At one point I stopped digging dimes and anything that sounded like a penny. Too much work

Here are the rings. All are 925, appear to be "old" and are in need of cleaning...

 

[Graw]

Hey Joe
What do you mean when you say the ring is 925 ? Later Graw

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

looks like you had a good time!

 

[Joe G]

Sterling silver is 92.5% pure, so a common mark (including "sterling silver" is 925.... I guess it would be hard to stamp "sterling silver" on small items ) As it is, most of the time you need a good loop to see a silver mark (or gold for that matter)

Looks like this:

 

[Graw]

Hey Joe
Thanks it's always great when I learn. Later Graw

 

[Pete in MI]

so when you go to the beach it looks like you do a zig zag sorta area coverage as opposed to a straight line like many do?

 

[Joe G]

If I were at a lake or a bay it wouldn't make a difference I guess. However, at the ocean beach my preference is to grid this way. The sand is a weird thing, very "liquid". Depending on the wind direction and tide, the ocean takes away sand (exposing deep goodies) or puts it back (burying goodies). Sometimes there are pockets of either coins jewelry parallel to the surf... you just have to find them. I call it the "line". Look at the pic below (click to enlarge it). The tide was about 1/2 hour from it's lowest point. If I were to just walk in a straight line, parallel to the surf, I ran the risk of missing my "line" or having the tide rise above it. At first I zig-zig in very wide patterns to try and find a target or two. Once you look behind you, you can see where all the targets are sitting. So, I take my highest target and my lowest target and concentrate on that area in a tight zig-zag grid while overlapping my swings. I run the Exp very hot in all metal, in audio 2. I swing the coil just above the sand (my coil does not like to touch the mineralized sand). It's noisy, but I can hear the smallest target. It's not unusual to hit targets well over a foot deep.

 

[gobble-gobble]

Nice finds Joe, it's been awhile since I have been to the beach, To much around the house. But for your 1st. time out in a bit you did well. J beach is one great winter beach.Guess your shoulder is better.

 

[Pete in MI]

I more or less mentioned it for the sake of those who beach hunt and don't understand why some people find a lot of stuff and others like themselves don't find much.

It is amazing..though our inland lake is only a lake...the largest inland lake in Michigan (can be seen from outer space) and is very shallow for most of its depth (avg. about 4-8 feet with the deepest holes being about 20 feet) we see white caps on this lake often.

Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot of beach to cover like you have on the ocean or Mike from MI has on Lake Michigan or the other side of our state along Lake Huron. One good thing is that before winter sets in our town lowers the lake level via a dam....giving us more sand to cover or if we want to freeze...go out into the water even farther than usual.

Thanks Joe for the great picture and explanation. Hoping it helps others who wanted to know but just didn't ask.

 

[jassenmacher]

Nice finds Joe, does look like some of the rings have been there awhile. Where do you live that you can hit the ocean this time of year. In Mi, we are just trying to squeak out a few more hunts before the ground freezes.

We go to Florida each spring. I met Jim Stewart from the Sebastian, FL club. He recommended the same technique for the ocean. I agree, the goodies definitely seem to be in a line.

Do you cover your Explorer near the surf. Even if it doesn't get wet, I worry about the salty air getting into the electronics.

 

[Greg from Mi.]

the cuff link was from a medding on the beach???
Greg

 

[steve in so la]

Joe - Sounds like a fun time - sure would have liked to have been along. Neat finds - into the box for a future refinery pkg, Steve in so az

 

[Digdoug]

LOL! Nice finds Joe!! I'm glad your shoulder is feeling better now. I remember from my last beach trip that i quit digging pennies too but I would still dig for dimes though. After digging a bunch of pennies I just dug nickel and silver tones hoping to pick up some jewelry. Never did find a ring.

 

[Mike Chgo area]

n/t

 

[Joe G]

"medding"???

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

n/t

 

[Joe G]

I've been hunting with my Exp at the beach for over two years and only have the dust cover on it. I don't go more than ankle deep but sometimes go further out as a wave recedes. You just can't turn your back on a wave. If I'm going to get wet (in a bay or deeper ocean), then I break out the CZ20 but to be honest, I'd rather use the Exp. When the warranty expires, I'm going to try a water proof modification. (if I have the guts ). I'm on the south shore of Long Island NY. It was 26 degrees when I got there on Saturday. No wind though. I go all winter. The sand is never frozen in the wash / wet sand. I remember one day last year I went following a storm. It was about 19 degrees and the wind was so strong it was tough to swing my MD against it Wind chills were in the negative numbers. I don't have a problem with the cold though. As long as you're dressed properly, it's no problem. (although you can actually overheat if you're digging a lot)

 

[Joe G]

Actually, my shoulder is the same... doesn't appear that MD'ing made anything worse though. I'm going to back to my doctor soon and see if I can get an MRI. I think it's my rotator cuff.