Drosera
Elite Member
I'm new to metal detecting but have the good fortune of living in a popular beach side community (Monterey, California). I'm hopeful that as I get better at using my machine (Garrett Ace 250) I'll have lots of success. But I need some beach hunting advice that may be specific to Northern CA or areas with similar beach conditions.
I've read that searching in the edge of the surf is one of the best places to look for good finds. I assume this is because people play around in the water and rings, earrings, etc. slip off and are lost. Those of you that have been to the Pacific Ocean, especially north of the Los Angeles area, may know that the water is pretty darn cold (mid-50s pretty much year-round). This means that even when the beaches are packed fewer people actually go swimming in the water than you would expect in Florida, Hawaii, or even Southern CA.
That being said, is the surf zone still the ideal area to search? There are a lot of beaches for me to search here and there is no way I could cover the whole thing. So I need some sort of beach search strategy that maximizes my chances of discovering interesting finds. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated by this newbie!
Thanks!
I've read that searching in the edge of the surf is one of the best places to look for good finds. I assume this is because people play around in the water and rings, earrings, etc. slip off and are lost. Those of you that have been to the Pacific Ocean, especially north of the Los Angeles area, may know that the water is pretty darn cold (mid-50s pretty much year-round). This means that even when the beaches are packed fewer people actually go swimming in the water than you would expect in Florida, Hawaii, or even Southern CA.
That being said, is the surf zone still the ideal area to search? There are a lot of beaches for me to search here and there is no way I could cover the whole thing. So I need some sort of beach search strategy that maximizes my chances of discovering interesting finds. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated by this newbie!
Thanks!