Sandcrab
Elite Member
There was a spot I was working off and on for a while now. But with the new moon cycle, everything changed. I went back down to check it out and another person had hit part of it. I saw his drag marks, where he had dug which he nicely left uncovered and he was even nice enough to leave his pointy trash, iron or junk next to or in the hole…
I went back to my car to get my gear and walking up the beach was the person who was detecting. Scoop matched the holes and the coil matched where he put it down. He was talking to another person that was a couple cars over. He said with the tides it should get better, that he kept an eye on all the “boards”, was boasting to this person about all his finds. So he was a pelican, a vulture, looking to swoop in on any info posted. I did not get my gear out until he left, but I heard enough. He sure was not lacking in confidence, between his machine, his skills, the years he has detected. The gold must just jump into his scoop.
I geared up for the water, was not really concerned with the small ledge he was working. I did pick up what trash he left that was in reach and hit the water. I was detecting for about 10 minutes and I got this weird shock on my hip and a few minutes later I felt cold. I went back to the beach and checked my hip, where my finds bag presses to my hip a piece of sharp trash I picked up from him went through, sliced through my drysuit and cut me a little bit. There was about an inch gash on my Kokatat drysuit, now I was irked. For metal detecting this was the largest investment I ever made.
So back to the car, off with the drysuit and changed machines. I went back to his search area and walked it all, didn’t detect. I saw every dig, how deep, what he found, his stride, swing pattern, everything. He must be local to hit this spot. More than likely he is reading this. So to you, swinging the Equinox... I cleaned you out for now. Your deepest hole was maybe 8 inches and I am being generous. It was a mixture of black and grey sand in areas. You dug 24 times, 18 of the 24 were junk you left. You did come by 2 days later, saw your trail, and not one dig. I hit that area for a couple days straight, dug everything you missed and everything else that was even a whisper or tent peg, I dug it. On your search line, which you went down, back, down, back following the shoreline… Then along the waters edge and stopped detecting. You missed the small chain with the cross attached, the dolphin ring and the thin tiny one that was about a gram. Those were found in your search line. Along the water I took a picture of what you went right over that I dug up. There were 3 targets next to each other, but that ring was 14grams and maybe 10 inches. (Pic won't load, will keep trying...)
Unfortunately all the rings but the one in the sand were small, which puts the average I am interested in at the end of the year out of whack. In fact, I hate that kind of hunting, working a cut for me is the pits.
Interesting how a couple tide cycles can change everything, including target placement. I put more effort/was serious about detecting this spot than I ever do. I don’t have the passion about it like many who post. I am not competitive, to hammer an area when it is producing… Usually when I get enough, I leave. I have walked away from areas I know I could have gotten more. But not this time, had a reason. It sure did open my eyes about machines as well. So many tests I see, known target, known location, known depth, setting the machine for the exact placement or sand conditions, it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. Can it give one an idea, maybe, but still not real world. It is a glimpse at best. I have never seen anyone detect like they do when they are testing.
Then the hype, arguments, how the Equinox can go to an area and find the “un-findable”, the depth... Even on the Minelab company board, the user’s find’s page has one user right now claiming 20+ inches… On a ring or coin no less, not a hubcap… Minelab posted that!!! That is almost the length of the lower rod… Like when a storm hits any coast, the finds increase. But what about the rest of the time? Is it really the Equinox? If so, with so many using the same machine, where is the edge?
Oh well, the pics show the finds, the junk, even a couple digs with the ring in it… Can’t seem to load the silver and costume (junk) jewelry picture. That odd piece seems like a button, but does not have the back for it. Not many unusual finds… Did I mention I hate cuts… And for the the sharp eyed, I figure you noticed the junk…
I went back to my car to get my gear and walking up the beach was the person who was detecting. Scoop matched the holes and the coil matched where he put it down. He was talking to another person that was a couple cars over. He said with the tides it should get better, that he kept an eye on all the “boards”, was boasting to this person about all his finds. So he was a pelican, a vulture, looking to swoop in on any info posted. I did not get my gear out until he left, but I heard enough. He sure was not lacking in confidence, between his machine, his skills, the years he has detected. The gold must just jump into his scoop.
I geared up for the water, was not really concerned with the small ledge he was working. I did pick up what trash he left that was in reach and hit the water. I was detecting for about 10 minutes and I got this weird shock on my hip and a few minutes later I felt cold. I went back to the beach and checked my hip, where my finds bag presses to my hip a piece of sharp trash I picked up from him went through, sliced through my drysuit and cut me a little bit. There was about an inch gash on my Kokatat drysuit, now I was irked. For metal detecting this was the largest investment I ever made.
So back to the car, off with the drysuit and changed machines. I went back to his search area and walked it all, didn’t detect. I saw every dig, how deep, what he found, his stride, swing pattern, everything. He must be local to hit this spot. More than likely he is reading this. So to you, swinging the Equinox... I cleaned you out for now. Your deepest hole was maybe 8 inches and I am being generous. It was a mixture of black and grey sand in areas. You dug 24 times, 18 of the 24 were junk you left. You did come by 2 days later, saw your trail, and not one dig. I hit that area for a couple days straight, dug everything you missed and everything else that was even a whisper or tent peg, I dug it. On your search line, which you went down, back, down, back following the shoreline… Then along the waters edge and stopped detecting. You missed the small chain with the cross attached, the dolphin ring and the thin tiny one that was about a gram. Those were found in your search line. Along the water I took a picture of what you went right over that I dug up. There were 3 targets next to each other, but that ring was 14grams and maybe 10 inches. (Pic won't load, will keep trying...)
Unfortunately all the rings but the one in the sand were small, which puts the average I am interested in at the end of the year out of whack. In fact, I hate that kind of hunting, working a cut for me is the pits.
Interesting how a couple tide cycles can change everything, including target placement. I put more effort/was serious about detecting this spot than I ever do. I don’t have the passion about it like many who post. I am not competitive, to hammer an area when it is producing… Usually when I get enough, I leave. I have walked away from areas I know I could have gotten more. But not this time, had a reason. It sure did open my eyes about machines as well. So many tests I see, known target, known location, known depth, setting the machine for the exact placement or sand conditions, it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. Can it give one an idea, maybe, but still not real world. It is a glimpse at best. I have never seen anyone detect like they do when they are testing.
Then the hype, arguments, how the Equinox can go to an area and find the “un-findable”, the depth... Even on the Minelab company board, the user’s find’s page has one user right now claiming 20+ inches… On a ring or coin no less, not a hubcap… Minelab posted that!!! That is almost the length of the lower rod… Like when a storm hits any coast, the finds increase. But what about the rest of the time? Is it really the Equinox? If so, with so many using the same machine, where is the edge?
Oh well, the pics show the finds, the junk, even a couple digs with the ring in it… Can’t seem to load the silver and costume (junk) jewelry picture. That odd piece seems like a button, but does not have the back for it. Not many unusual finds… Did I mention I hate cuts… And for the the sharp eyed, I figure you noticed the junk…
i know what you were using 
Congrats on the gold and on the quest for it! Excellent write up as well!! I try to do my own thing when I am out there as well and break the patterns I see others doing. Curious as to what detector are you using - not that it matters when you know your machine.
