Beach Detecting Information and Questions

[Smoky bandit]

On a beach targets can be anywhere.
in my experience coins are mostly along the high tide marks and the heaver items are Generally in the gutters and holes on the low tide marks.But it really depends on where /how long ago items were lost/sea conditions etc etc.

 

[silver]

And the travel of the sand depending on currants and such.... and the size of the waves n the prevailing winds n such things as that. :argh:

 

[Guest]

Gday

A lot of the more recent items that are lost are usually just above where to waves will wash up to, where people will put there towels and belongings down when they go for a swim, if you look at a beach when there are a lot of people about you will see which parts get the most activity, often there are areas of no mans land in between which will only get use only when the place is really busy, other places to look is under and around structures that might offer some shade, along rock walls or rock barriers, as people depending on the conditions might try to shade from the sun or get out of the wind.

Tracks that people use to get on and off the beach to the car park are always worth a look as items can be dropped along these areas, shower areas if they are on the beach, kids play area, swings all that sort of thing are always worth a look, obviously you are better to wander these areas either in the very early mornings or at night to avoid people thinking you are a perv or something, but mainly because when there are people around they tend to annoy you with questions, like have you found any mines yet?, or have you got any gold yet?, or they want to help you dig targets out.

The best stuff usually gets lost in the water so low tide is the time to work the hard packed sand that will be exposed, or in the shallows providing the weather is calm and you can do it without getting dumped or your detector wet, jewelery items slip off fingers or chains can break while swimming and after the skin getting slippery from sun block, so if you can get in to these areas then you might do ok.

cheers

stayyerAU

 

[Dondada]

Most of my detecting is done on the beach.
with my Safari and most of my targets are found up in the shrub.

My question is.. I dont think I have ever found anything down by the shore.
Do people just tend not to drop stuff there, is it the constant change of the sand by the ocean that pushes everything away, or are my settings no right :8 ?

Do any of you every target this area or do you just stick to the shrub and upper part of the beach?
Would love to know.

 

[Wally69]

Peoples beach habits are interesting, here are a few of my observations

* when a track opens up onto the beach people drop their shoes on greenery adjacent to the entry, sometimes dropping stuff
* some go up to 20m either side and strip down and leave their gear on the greenery, more stuff dropped here
* people fan out and set up in the soft sand either side of the entry up to 50m, often finding a shoreline high spot or brushside sloping area to comfortably sunbake with their head inclined.
* beer bottle tops are everywhere, but tend to be of higher density at head of entry point, multiple coin spills follow this pattern
* jewellery often found on brush side soft sand and in family areas on shoreline, probably from being flicked off a towel
* rings and coins on super low tide where higher tide body bashing has shaken the goodies out of and off people.
* people always fumble for keys before they get to car, so start of bush beach tracks are laden with pocket contents.
* sandy carparks are laden with pocket contents and flicked clothing items and the bottle tops of the first beer.

Like you, I find more volume at the head of the beach but I spend more time there looking as well.

Best concentration of items has always been after a big storm in the wash away section of the shoreline, usually deposited in a distinct narrow line along the beach and usually indicative of a date series of coins. Ie. 1920s or 1960s era , next storm will uncover a different date series.

Good luck out there :money: :money: :money:

 

[Ded Driver]

Its a variable Dondada .. depends where you are, & each beach is different
Where I am in WA we can drive on a lot of our beaches, except certain populated or designated people only areas in or close to towns.
The trick is to know the beach, & know which zone people predominantly cling to.
In town (no vehicle areas), almost any beach area is a likely spot for targets.
on our trafficable beaches most people park & setup to fish or swim in a band of approx. 4-5m of the water line, or else up against the dunes, leaving the band in between for vehicles to traverse. Its not worth detecting in the 'roadway' zone.
So for here, close to the water line, or up against the dunes.
Its worth noting here that anything dropped in the wet area of the shore line invariably gets pulled down into the water with the breaking waves.

 

[Dondada]

Wally and Ded thank you very much.
This was very helpful!
Great comprehensive breakdown there Wally, cheers!

 

[Drmorris22]

Wanting to start doing some beach detecting. Where on the beach is the best place to start? Sand dunes or low tide flats...or both?
Do you walk from the dunes down in a line, zig zag or do flats one way and dunes on the way back?
Im a newbie and need all the advice (and learn some of the detecting lingo.) ickshovel:

 

[Greenhornet_au]

I'm no expert so wait for some extra input from others.

When I started I had no help at all, so never really focused on the sand.

I think it depends a lot on where you go, meaning, is it a popular beach for people and not so much for local detecting, popular with swimmers and detectorists, not so much swimmers and more detecting.
Has there been heavy stormy weather or unusual high tides, is it metro beaches or country beaches.
Is your detector designed for wet sand and water or more dry sand ?
Is it salt water beach or fresh water beach ?

ALL of these things change your strategy and also your success rates.

I started with a PI Garrett detector and it found everything metal down to 2'6" without fail, but no discrimination. It was submersible, designed for saltwater diving.
Then an ACE 250 (still use it), cant use it near salt water.
Kato has a CTX3030, uses it anywhere but in close proximity to playground equipment, fine in salt water too.

During the day and depending on weather and tides people sit along lines that are like tide lines, they are the best places to swing walking along a beach after people have left for the day.
When the tide is low or right out, swing along the exposed sand that normally is under water, especially the gutters.
After storms when beach sand is removed try around the cuttings at the top of the beach and dry sand where it has been washed away by the storm, down in the gutters at low tide..

In my neck of the woods, beaches we go to are well trodden by old guys that turn up late at night after summer days and special events, they search the beach and pick up everything but the trash so we usually try other near places and find coins with some artifacts.

good luck

Youtube is your friend...

 

[Jaros]

Welcome and good luck with your new hobby.
Jaros.

 

[golddiggerart]

Starting off it's good practice to detect from the dunes all the way to the low tide mark/wet sand gridding is your best friend, overlapping into each section.
Dig it all and notice the tones and tid numbers..
You'll be a pro in no time.
Also do air tests on coins and jewellery at home to get a headstart.
Knowing your machines capability goes a long way to finding goodies.
I mostly only do water detecting now as I find it to be more fun especially when I'm chest high and hit a cracking good target, it excites me as to what it may be.
I wish you all the best... One last thing.. Perseverance goes a long long way to being successful.

Cheers Gda

 

[Topenda]

Public holiday in Darwin so dusted off the Xterra 705 and headed to Mindil Beach at sunrise.
Mindil markets on Thursday and Sunday evenings so was in with a shot for spilt coinage i thought.
Two blokes already there beeping away .
Did the 6 or so entrance walkways down to the beach for zip. Then had a little swing on the beach.

Noticed where the other persons had been buy their unfilled holes and bottle caps on the surface. :/
Bit rusty so was digging the 30-32 TID numbers hoping for a coin but all were bottle tops.
Ah well , cleaned up a bit of rubbish
Less and less cash and coins now , will give it another go after the beer can regatta , heaps of bottle tops to be had for everyone. :Y:

Please put your rubbish in the bin so i don't dig it up. Or if you dig up the rubbish please do not leave it there, put it in the bin and fill your holes even if it is on the beach. :Y:
Golddiggerart is the money by getting in the water but the crocs and stingers are a bit of a deterrent up here. I live another day to detect again.

 

[Caesar]

Maybe it's a coincidence, but I've also noticed fewer coins up for grabs on beaches. I'm wondering if COVID has anything to do with it (fewer people out and about and even fewer carrying coins).

Still great fun getting out and looking, though!

 

[Smoky bandit]

No one is carrying cash anymore its been progressively happening for years.
Its all tap and go now.
Soon the humble 1 and 2$ coins will be as rare as the predesimal coins of yesteryears.

 

[Mackka]

That would be my guess to Schmokey.
Mackka