Detecting the Northern beaches at Outer Banks

[sawdust]

In a few weeks I plan to go to the outer banks, NC. I have written to Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head and have been told by the local Government authorities that metal detecting is legal on those beaches.
Has anyone detected there? Any pointers, tips, etc?

[Franz]

It's completely legal. You shouldn't have any problems. I was in KDH today for errands and went to the beach to do some detecting, but it was 3 hrs before low tide. Very steep slope, so I turned right around and headed back home.

[fiveonomo]

I just literally got back from there. Talk to the lifeguard and he said it was perfectly ok. Wear pants or you will be eaten alive by flies, I have been going there my whole life and I have never seen flies like that. They ra n me off the beach. I was at MP 5,6,3. Good luck.

[imalookin2]

I think one main problem to detecting at the OBX is the angle of the beaches. The sand is a bit grainy and the dry is wide. The wet sand is narrow due to the angle of the drop off into the ocean. All of the beaches I have hunted that are like that here in Fl are poor. If you have 15 feet of wet sand at low tide going into the water then you are done and might as well pack it up. Be sure to take a fishing pole with you.

I have tried beaches with short wet sand drops and they ALL have been poor. If Nags Head going north is like the beaches south of there then you guys will have trouble finding targets. They just sink out of range or in the rough surf where you can't hunt easily. To add this summer the beaches are certainly sanded in worse than last summer. I read from south Fl to Maryland that the beaches are poor and nobody is finding much. You notice fewer posts due to fewer finds. Hopefully winter will blow the sand away better than last winter.

[sawdust]

Thanks for the pointers!