Is This A Cut?

Allagash · Jan 15, 2011

I stopped by a local private beach on my way home from work last night for an hour. Luckily it was low tide. This was my third hour detecting ever and I was excited to be out there. I was amazed at how clean this beach was. The detector went off three times. I found a penny, dime, and tiny rusty nail. No pull tabs, bottle caps, or trash of any type. I guess that's the difference between hunting at a private beach surrounded by million dollar homes and hunting a public beach....

I keep reading about "cuts" on the beach. I'm guessing that's what this is? Where the tide water cut part of the beach away to lower the level of the sand thus making it easier to detect deeper. Is that correct? If so, I'm guessing you should work the area below the cut? That's what I did.

tjc45 · Jan 15, 2011

I'm new at this but that looks like a cut to me. Or, it was a cut. The trough is formed between the cut and newly accreted sand which forms the bar closest to the water. The pool is the low point. Low points are good hunting areas.

I'd hunt this entire beach. Starting in the pool and then working the trough. I'd work the newly accreted sand because the surf acts like a washing machine. That is, what it takes out it brings back in. Finally, i'd work the slope up to dry sand.

Last weekend I was on a beach and most finds were on the slope, 20 to 30 feet up beach from the lowest point.

sectshun8 · Jan 15, 2011

Found this picture on flickr, shows a good "cut" in the beach.

CreepyCrawler · Jan 15, 2011

On the beach I hunt, the areas where I've found to be loaded with
targets whereas the sand around them have few have had the following
characteristics and these for me, are what I call "cuts".

A rise like a cliff, it could be sharp or gradual. The small cliffs have
never produced for me, the larger ones often have too much sand
beneath them. I like average size ones.

The sand beneath that rise is NOT lower than the surrounding sand
but it is consistently FIRMER.

There are two lines of targets, one nearer the bottom of the "cliff"
and the other closer to the water. This never fails.

The only way to tell in most cases the sand has moved there is
I might notice the sand is firmer but in most cases it's that first target
that I get a signal on and then it's bonanza and a whole lotta fun.

steveaaaaa · Jan 15, 2011

sectshun8 said:
Found this picture on flickr, shows a good "cut" in the beach.

Thats what our beaches here in Melbourne Florida look like.

They replenish the sand by bringing in truck loads and grading it and then when the seas get nasty,it just pulls all that new sand out and creates that effect. That whole thing is a man made waste of money.In the spring they will truck in more sand to fill that in again.

Steve

Compass · Jan 15, 2011

That is a small cut, but from there the beach slopes back up before it goes down to the sea. That is why the water is trapped in there. It looks a little sanded in and I've never had much luck when it looks like that. Here is a recent picture of a 4' cut I found at the beach.

Cuts don't have to be this big to be productive and many times even a steep "slope" down to the water is all it takes. However, as many here have said, the most important factor in the wet sand may be how firm the beach feels under your feet. If it is too soft the good targets will usually be too deep and all you may find are zinc pennies and aluminum pieces. If it feels firm and you are finding lead sinkers, quarters and other heavier objects you may find some gold. HH!

Rudy · Jan 15, 2011

Most people don't do this but, don't forget to "swing" the coil near the bottom of the cut wall (up the side). You often find interesting targets that others missed.

Buster · Jan 15, 2011

Great info on cuts...Buster..... :yes:

cmbtvet · Jan 15, 2011

Thats not much of a cut but it's still a cut. If you can see where the water has been flowing out of the tidal pool (it looks like you're standing in it), you want to search that area as well.

Also, if you can get between the water and that slope search it.

As for the private beach, hopefully you have permission to hunt there. Assuming that you do, you probably won't find much unless A) The beach has a history. B) The local residents weren't smart enough to leave their jewelry and change in their homes.

You never know though :lol:

zeemang · Jan 15, 2011

Nice spot, get permission and get ready.
The best thing to do would be to keep an eye on that spot and observe how the sand comes and goes. Learning what a particular beach does and when it does it is invaluable.

OBN · Jan 15, 2011

At first glance, low tide

From the high tide line out to the edge of the red is where I would hunt this beach..water is calm..PI first choice

VetStudent · Jan 15, 2011

I doubt I'll ever get any beach huntin in, but I'm really glad to have seen this thread. I'll remember this if I ever come across one.

Allagash · Jan 15, 2011

Wow! This is more feedback than I expected on this post. This is great info and I appreciate the photo shop work showing where to search.

As for the beach being private...anything below mean high tide is fair game. Also, it's a ghost town here in the winter. These are 90% summer homes. I could never access this beach from the road as I did yesterday in the Summertime, however, I could access it about a half mile up the beach as it's public. This time of year, no one says a word. I didn't jump any fences or anything to get on. It's wide open.

Allagash · Jan 15, 2011

I went out again today to the public beach a half mile past the private beach I went to yesterday. The cuts were much larger than yesterday. There were actually two cuts. The lower cut was two to three feet tall and the upper cut was about 4 to 5 feet tall. Would you guys have hunted the middle? On the middle shelf, that is? As is was...it was frozen and not easy to dig up that shelf. I found the quarter at the base of the lower shelf on the solid sand.

Standing by the water:

Standing on the first "shelf":

Standing on the rise of the upper shelf:

My finds for the 1.5 hours hunting: One Quarter and a bunch of nails and junk. I'm getting really good at finding rusty steel.

Bobbie · Jan 15, 2011

That is a nice cut in the last photo. I would hunt from the cut to the water provided the sand is not soft. If you encounter soft wet sand.......that is freshly sanded in and your targets may be very deep. If the wet sand is hard pack with stones and shells, grid the area well, there is targets to be found. That photo almost looks like the upper end of Misquamicut, there has been a lot of storm damage there over the years with cottages and decking ripped to pieces leaving a lot of nails behind.....along with lots of bottle caps. The whole beach area there looks quiet different than what it was 40 years ago.

OBN · Jan 15, 2011

See you hav a excal II

First thing I would do is do some research on the beach's most used during the summer in your area, that's where you wanna be or check for old beachs also, Old Topo maps are good for this... Your best huntng would be from mid/july to late aug..due to the water temps also...On this beach in the picture I would do a wide W pattern to see if there is a line of finds, hunt in reverse discrimination IN PP mode checking targets by switching to discriminate. MARKING all targets heard, to give you a line of targets. Alot of times you can turn around and look at the area you just hunted and see a line. Targets can be any where on this beach from the cut out into the water, even on the wall. But most of the time there will be a lane of targets down the beach (ferrous, and non ferrous), disappearing sometimes also...the big secret is traffic.....that's where you wanna be...for your best chance of treasure....

G8er · Jan 15, 2011

unbelievably informative!

OBN · Jan 15, 2011

Old Beach's / piers Chesapeake Bay, Old Topo's

1938 Topo of Beachs/Piers that have long been gone but good hunting still. These place can change from season to season..one year you can find treasure, the next few due to shifting sands.

zeemang · Jan 16, 2011

That's a serious cut! Go with what oldbeachnut said, he knows his stuff! Hit right below it, and i mean up tight to the base of the cut, even swinging over the face of the cut. Do this until your arm feels like it's going to fall off! After that work back and forth from the water to the cut, you should see a pattern as to where you are getting targets. This will give you a better idea as to what items settle where....
HH!

Vietvet · Jan 16, 2011

Some great info in this thread,thanks!

Is This A Cut?

Allagash

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tjc45

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sectshun8

CreepyCrawler

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steveaaaaa

New Member

Compass

Rudy

Buster

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cmbtvet

zeemang

OBN

OldCherryPicker

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VetStudent

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Allagash

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Allagash

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Bobbie

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OBN

OldCherryPicker

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G8er

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OBN

OldCherryPicker

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zeemang

Vietvet

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