Why do we have a scuba-detector ?

Good topic Tom....

At the end of every return-to-owner story I tell, everyone always sighs, smiles, and then asks HOW MUCH DID THEY GIVE ME?!? <--This is no different than Scub's stories, most end with him pocketing at least a clam for his service.

I want to know how much the returned item meant to them? Heck, I'm a member of ringfinders but it is irrational for a anyone to leave their family, take time off of work, purchase expensive equipment and put wear and tear on a vehicle only to provide a service for free. Consequently, I share that statement empathetically and state a price before I embark on a quest.

That's the absolute truth, Tom. When I look back on my finds, the greatest pleasure BY FAR that I've ever had in detecting is reuniting someone with something precious to them that they thought was lost forever. The power/intensity of those emotions is unreal.


For what its worth, I have been offered as high as replacement cost ($3600) on a wedding ring but I have never taken anything. I'm retired and well enough off that the fun dwarfs the money in a return. But that's just me and everyone has different circumstances.

DaviDs said:

Good topic Tom....

At the end of every return-to-owner story I tell, everyone always sighs, smiles, and then asks HOW MUCH DID THEY GIVE ME?!? <--This is no different than Scub's stories, most end with him pocketing at least a clam for his service.

I want to know how much the returned item meant to them? Heck, I'm a member of ringfinders but it is irrational for a anyone to leave their family, take time off of work, purchase expensive equipment and put wear and tear on a vehicle only to provide a service for free. Consequently, I share that statement empathetically and state a price before I embark on a quest.

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You can go broke quick being kind. Problem with beach recovery is you can also wind up drowned. Its why i never joined lost my stuff. Someone wants to buy me a tank of gas, i'm getting a full tank

David, K-in-TN, & itscaring:

Don't get me wrong : I'm not saying that we should do it for free, and reject any tip. Or ... heck .... even quote a price for our time before-hand.

But just saying that , all other things being equal (value for melt, vs value of tips for posse-hunting), it's the re-union stories that tend to be the fun stories.

There's none of us beach hunters who hasn't cashed in nameless faceless melt gold for decent $$, right ? But if the exact same dollar value comes via a who-dunnit-mystery repatriation hunt, then .... those just seem more fulfilling.

I guess this inherent value-system/morals system points down to the fact that these bodies of ours are not just "meat all the way down".

Understood you Tom.
I was just trying to make my thoughts clear that everyone's situation is different and I wouldn't criticize what anyone wants to do re hunting/recovery/cash.

I know situations also exist where you would be insulting someone to NOT take his/her reward offer. I have been in those situations myself and handled it by asking them to make a charitable donation to the canine charity of their choice. Then when the emotions settle down, they can do so or not as their conscious dictates.



.

I think there is a difference when you are already at a location and someone asks you find something for them, as apposed to calling you to come out and search for a lost item. Also the person knows in advance that there is a charge for the service provided. I have checked out his website and his fee is quite modest.

You asked--Why do we have a scuba-detector ?-- A person who takes this hobby past the norm dry land swinging and adds underwater expeditions with a very high degree of efficiency and does it with a great outward degree pleasantness is to be commended. I would vote for a couple more of those type of individuals who very much help promote our chosen hobby. Keep up the good work Scuba.

Wow, I come home from three more recoveries to this? Flattered.

I realize I am not the normal pirate. We have folks buying equipment and looking for lost gold to make money selling it. I did that. i actually did real good at it. When I first started I was getting 6 gold rings a day. I was a happy camper. I cleaned so many lakes around here and in Oakland, Livingston, Wayne, and Macomb counties it was a great adventure. I found and sold a lot of gold.

A few years ago I evolved into finding things for folks a little. Mainly it was to make boaters aware of a dive flag. But folks started asking me to find things. I was doing that one or two times a month.

Then this year a person put me on Facebook. I started getting calls. So last month I asked my daughter to make me a page.

ALL HECK BREAKS LOOSE!!

I am getting calls daily. Three more today. Everyone knows water finds are drying up. Instead of finding gold you are getting the new age junk metals. Sure there is more gold out there. But it is getting harder to get your coil over.

So you have a hobby you love, and you have folks that need your service. Put them together and you have a win win situation.

Sure I get a lot of clams. However I do not charge and I still won't charge. I ask for air and gas. Yes I fill my own tanks but it takes electricity. A shop charges 7.00 so I felt 7.00 was fair.

Today I find a cell phone, a gold bracelet and a gold ring. Will post later. My take was more than I would make off a normal gold ring find. AND I am making folks happy instead of pocketing their items.

I found a tungsten ring for a man that lost it a week after he was married. I was given a hundred dollars for it. A few years back I found a sterling bracelet with a date on the back of 1944. I did a search and found the gentleman in Michigan. His parents gave it to him for his 16th birthday. Both long gone. I sent it to him not expecting anything. A few weeks later i got a letter in the mail. There was a note and a 100.00 bill. Scrap silver might have got me 3.00.

I enjoy the hunt. Either a wild hunt or a hunt that was somewhat planted but they were unsuccessful in locating it. A hunt is a hunt. The smiles and gratitude I receive is WAY better than a check from a refinery.

Tom_in_CA said:

...The moment he saw the size of the stone, he realized he was looking at a ring worth $40k ?

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To be wearing a ring like that on the beach is just plain stupid to me... IMHO... but great for us beach hunter's. Good story that she got it back.

Hamill said:

... is just plain stupid to me... IMHO... ...

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To those of us in the hobby, who realize how fumble-fingers losses occur, ... You're right. But to those who are not in the hobby, they ... uh ... just don't know. I mean, *NOBODY* countenances the fact of "what if I loose this?".

QUITE THE CONTRARY : They buy and wear their bling, FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE of wearing in public. I mean, sheesk, why buy a fashionable purse, shoes, tie, watch, etc...., but then never wear it ?

And in each person's mind's eye, they are "being careful". No one can predict when it will slip off. Thus I would not lay the claim of "stupitidy" at the feet of anyone who ever lost something. You know the old saying ... stuff happens. No one ever has a crystal ball.

It's a free country (sort of) and I feel each one can do as they wish here. Charge or not, fee or donation no problem. The rat who pockets the find and lies they never saw it or hides it and comes back later for it is a plain thief and a blight on the noble fellowship of detectorists. [step off soap box]

I was called to find a ring for a guy a few months ago. He lost his wedding ring in a gravel parking lot moving items for work. He spent the previous day looking, borrowed a detector even and got there an hour early to look some more. As I followed him over to where he thought he lost it I saw it nestled in the gravel and scooped it up without his seeing. When he stopped and turned to talk, I dropped it into his hand and said, "Did it look like this?" I've never seen anyone so shocked in my life. His face was a study in disbelief. I'd swear for a moment he considered I had rigged the whole thing, but realized that couldn't be. I've returned maybe a dozen rings, but this was my favorite story. And I got a C note for my trouble (less than a mile from home, too).

Tom, you bring in a very good point and one of the reasons why I posted my story of the class ring I found and returned at his 50th reunion.
At the end of the day, you make a difference in someone's life and that is a point we should all try to follow.
I think we have all lost something in our lives that we wish we could find and there will always be people out there that are in the same boat. If I can help then I will because I know if I was in their shoes, I would be just as grateful.
Thats not to imply that all people are grateful because I have heard stories where some people dont even say thanks but I feel thats the minority and thats just how a few will be like it or not.

Pasttom said:

It's a free country (sort of) and I feel each one can do as they wish here. Charge or not, fee or donation no problem. The rat who pockets the find and lies they never saw it or hides it and comes back later for it is a plain thief and a blight on the noble fellowship of detectorists. [step off soap box]

I was called to find a ring for a guy a few months ago. He lost his wedding ring in a gravel parking lot moving items for work. He spent the previous day looking, borrowed a detector even and got there an hour early to look some more. As I followed him over to where he thought he lost it I saw it nestled in the gravel and scooped it up without his seeing. When he stopped and turned to talk, I dropped it into his hand and said, "Did it look like this?" I've never seen anyone so shocked in my life. His face was a study in disbelief. I'd swear for a moment he considered I had rigged the whole thing, but realized that couldn't be. I've returned maybe a dozen rings, but this was my favorite story. And I got a C note for my trouble (less than a mile from home, too).

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YOU are absolutely right. One of my first jobs to recover something was a ring worth over 15 grand. It was lost behind a boat. I go there and look for three hours on one tank. I picked up every signal my machine gave me. After I got out with absolutely no luck I was told they paid another diver 500.00 IN ADVANCE to find it and he didn't come up with it. Not only did he get 500.00 cash he stole the ring. I will never forget that story.

I really enjoy searching for things for people. I don't advertise but very often on the beach I get asked to look for lost things...including a young man's lost hotwheel cars! lol I never ask for money but I'm not turning it down when offered either. It is nice to be appreciated for what we do! And it almost always pays off with good karma too!! I once returned a heart that came off a bracelet belonging to a nun. She said "God Bless you my dear". The next week I found the diamond ring in my pic!!

Tom_in_CA said:

David, K-in-TN, & itscaring:

Don't get me wrong : I'm not saying that we should do it for free, and reject any tip. Or ... heck .... even quote a price for our time before-hand.

But just saying that , all other things being equal (value for melt, vs value of tips for posse-hunting), it's the re-union stories that tend to be the fun stories.

There's none of us beach hunters who hasn't cashed in nameless faceless melt gold for decent $$, right ? But if the exact same dollar value comes via a who-dunnit-mystery repatriation hunt, then .... those just seem more fulfilling.

I guess this inherent value-system/morals system points down to the fact that these bodies of ours are not just "meat all the way down".

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Yeah i knew what you were trying to say. Had some pretty memorable returns myself. Don't worry your pirate card will NOT be revoked

All of is that do this hobby regularly should find enough gold to spare some "pro bono" work every now and then. I will always try to charge a picture for any "catch and release" as I need to prove to you pirates that I did find a gold. Returns breed good will towards our hobby and helps others. Nothing wrong with that. Good thread Tom and Scuba you have my deepest admiration and respect no matter how many clams you get!

I will answer the question succinctly as possible...FOR THE CONTESTS!!!! Duh?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You actually amaze people twice.

They are amazed that you and your machine are able to find the lost item.

Than they are amazed again when you smile and say no charge I enjoy the hobby.

Sometimes while looking for their item you find other things.

Tom_in_CA said:

To those of us in the hobby, who realize how fumble-fingers losses occur, ... You're right. But to those who are not in the hobby, they ... uh ... just don't know. I mean, *NOBODY* countenances the fact of "what if I loose this?".

QUITE THE CONTRARY : They buy and wear their bling, FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE of wearing in public. I mean, sheesk, why buy a fashionable purse, shoes, tie, watch, etc...., but then never wear it ?

And in each person's mind's eye, they are "being careful". No one can predict when it will slip off. Thus I would not lay the claim of "stupitidy" at the feet of anyone who ever lost something. You know the old saying ... stuff happens. No one ever has a crystal ball.

Click to expand...

I agree totally with what you said. Nobody ever plans on losing something and nobody ever gets in a car and plans on or predicts to having an accident. Stuff just happens whether by chance or poor planning or carelessness. We all know that. Maybe "just plain careless" would have been better phrasing on my part. But if I had something that valuable and felt the need to "bling" it at the beach, then lost it... I would say I was a "stupid" ****** ******. Peace.