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Impossible Needle in a Haystack Day Today

ScubaDetective

In Memory Of
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May 14, 2008
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Underwater with the fishes
One of my friends, Craig is a member of Ringfinders and asked me if I wanted to help him on a search today. A lady lost her wedding set in a lake. He was told she could take us to within 20'. Well I decided why not. Got to the lake and we were going out on a pontoon boat. No problem. Loaded all our stuff on it and she took us out to the middle of the lake! I was thinking no possible way. She was on the ladder getting ready to water ski and she somehow flipped BOTH her rings off her finger. No GPS, just a camera photo.

I am thinking this will be impossible. We suit up and go in. The lake was shallow. Probably eight and a half foot deep where we were and a carpet of weeds on the bottom.

I am swinging my Fisher CZ-21 with the 10.5 inch coil. Craig is swinging an Excal with a 6" coil. After about an hour of searching and finding three ring pull tabs and a shot gun shell headstamp. I come up to Craig in the boat. They call me over. I thought they wanted to give up because it was 49° out. NO, Craig found the rings about 10' in front of the boat.

I was absolutely shocked! I knew we just had to get a coil over them but we were in the middle of nowhere!





Went to another lake after that and we played in the weeds on a drop off. I picked up two silver rings and an aluminum one. And a whole 38¢. Just got home. A three hour drive.



 
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That is incredible! Parked the boat 10 feet from the rings? Wow! The odds of that...
Great job to the both of you! :thumbsup:
 
Wow

That's fantastic. Searching in weeds has got to be tedious. You can't swing the coil so do you just poke with it? Probably can't use a scoop?

Poke, feel, poke, feel.

I'll be using my new stealth on the Fl. treasure coast as soon as Irma leaves.

Excal and stealth will be a winning combination.
 
That's fantastic. Searching in weeds has got to be tedious. You can't swing the coil so do you just poke with it? Probably can't use a scoop?

Poke, feel, poke, feel.

I'll be using my new stealth on the Fl. treasure coast as soon as Irma leaves.

Excal and stealth will be a winning combination.

The weeds were like a carpet of grass. Maybe 6" tall. Not to hard to swing above them. The muck was horrible under them. The only place I saw that they were really high was around an old wood boat I came across. This thing was very old , narrow and interesting. I would like to bring it up but will probably never get back there.

I can see using a 6" coil in SOME places. In the middle of a lake?? NOT at all. And we all know my CZ would have found them with no problem at all. I just didn't get my coil over them.

WHY would you use a little coil on a vast beach? I have a CZ with an 8" coil. I use it at Belle Isle when I have to fight the weeds.
 
I don't have too many little coils.
 

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:dingding: Great job to the both of you! So how'd you let Craig beat you out with a smaller coiled Excal? ;)
 
Congrats on making a nearly impossible save! :shock:
I've found in general, people aren't very accurate in saying where they've lost things.... but in the middle of a lake? Wow!!!

Pete
 
That's a great effort by both of you, One Beautiful ring!! Like the pic of the full setup, How long does it take to get all of that gear on?
 
I don't have too many little coils.

Could you imagine using one of those little coils in a wide open spot not knowing where you are going or where you have been? That is the situation underwater most the time. No way to mark your search pattern. Especially in pitch black water.


That's a great effort by both of you, One Beautiful ring!! Like the pic of the full setup, How long does it take to get all of that gear on?

All the gear is really easy to put OBN. A wet suit is the hardest. Then you put the BC on which holds the tank, and regulator and all the hoses. The BC is held on with a Velcro cumber bun and two clips. Add the weight pockets which are the two grey handles one on each side in front of the word Seaquest. Put the belt with the detector on your waist and put on your mask and you are good to go. Maybe a few minutes after you get the wet suit on.

 
One of my friends, Craig is a member of Ringfinders and asked me if I wanted to help him on a search today. A lady lost her wedding set in a lake. He was told she could take us to within 20'. Well I decided why not. Got to the lake and we were going out on a pontoon boat. No problem. Loaded all our stuff on it and she took us out to the middle of the lake! I was thinking no possible way. She was on the ladder getting ready to water ski and she somehow flipped BOTH her rings off her finger. No GPS, just a camera photo.

I am thinking this will be impossible. We suit up and go in. The lake was shallow. Probably eight and a half foot deep where we were and a carpet of weeds on the bottom.

I am swinging my Fisher CZ-21 with the 10.5 inch coil. Craig is swinging an Excal with a 6" coil. After about an hour of searching and finding three ring pull tabs and a shot gun shell headstamp. I come up to Craig in the boat. They call me over. I thought they wanted to give up because it was 49° out. NO, Craig found the rings about 10' in front of the boat.

I was absolutely shocked! I knew we just had to get a coil over them but we were in the middle of nowhere!

And that's a lady with amazing spatial awareness. I'll bet she's the kind of person who never has to ask for directions, either. :)

Awesome.
 
LOL, out in the middle of nowhere? He got his coil over them first. Still unbelievable either of us did. Let alone a 6" coil.
Those excals have an 8" coil according to ML but they are actually 7 1/4". Unless he changed the stock coil of course. I love my 8" coil but I only use it in trashy or fresh water. The 10" is deeper by a bit for beach combing or wading. Loved your story.
 
Scuba, your stories and photos are always top notch. And I can only believe they are saving you a spot right next to Mother Teresa at the pearly gates. I tip my hat to you. Great ending and kudos and karma to you !
 
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