Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Curious sanded in question

millwood2000

millwood2000

Elite Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
1,074
Location
central Florida
I haven't been able to do any beach hunting yet but I see alot of discussion about the beaches being sanded in and I am just trying to learn before I get out there.
If it is sanded in by nature and not from beach restoration, would nature also bring articles in with the sand? If it brings in shells and such couldn't it also move in other things?
 
This applies for my beach - each beach may be different but the basic physics should be similiar.

From what I've seen NO. The heavy targets may get moved up with the rough tide or uncovered yes but are then may be buried under a foot or four of soft sand that may be left behind with each following tide. If you dig and only see light colored sand that's bad, if you dig and hit shells/rocks/ black sand, that's good. (In my area) When an area gets sanded in it's just sand and tinfoil, basically the light stuff. Sure the heavy stuff is there but it's now too deep to hear. As the water gets calmer but the tide gets higher it can leave even more sand behind. :(

The best days are the days OF the storm that moved the sand away, after that you risk each tide bringing in that soft stuff.

But each storm is different. Here each Nor'easter this past year we'd get excited, please move sand! Then go down and see it actually moved sand all right, it moved it UP. YUCK.

Are you sanded in?

Step on the wet sand, does it leave a footprint? Then likely yes.

Dig a hole, if all you get is the same light colored sand then likely yes.

Dig a hole and if you're finding tin can pieces a foot down then likely yes.

Dig a hold and you're finding pennies and dimes a foot down then likely yes.
 
Kapidr said:
Are you sanded in?
Step on the wet sand, does it leave a footprint? Then likely yes.
Dig a hole, if all you get is the same light colored sand then likely yes.
Dig a hole and if you're finding tin can pieces a foot down then likely yes.
Dig a hold and you're finding pennies and dimes a foot down then likely yes.
Click to expand...

Guys and Galls, Barb did a great job explaining how to ID sanded in conditions. Now, does that mean you won't find anything? Perhaps, but if it is a beach in a warm location where people are still playing in the water or laying out, then there is always a chance of a recent drop or deposit. So have a positive attitude and just enjoy the hobby. Finding stuff should not be expected and is just a bonus whenever it happens. :D
 

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Kapidr said:
This applies for my beach - each beach may be different but the basic physics should be similiar.

From what I've seen NO. The heavy targets may get moved up with the rough tide or uncovered yes but are then may be buried under a foot or four of soft sand that may be left behind with each following tide. If you dig and only see light colored sand that's bad, if you dig and hit shells/rocks/ black sand, that's good. (In my area) When an area gets sanded in it's just sand and tinfoil, basically the light stuff. Sure the heavy stuff is there but it's now too deep to hear. As the water gets calmer but the tide gets higher it can leave even more sand behind. :(

The best days are the days OF the storm that moved the sand away, after that you risk each tide bringing in that soft stuff.

But each storm is different. Here each Nor'easter this past year we'd get excited, please move sand! Then go down and see it actually moved sand all right, it moved it UP. YUCK.

Are you sanded in?

Step on the wet sand, does it leave a footprint? Then likely yes.

Dig a hole, if all you get is the same light colored sand then likely yes.

Dig a hole and if you're finding tin can pieces a foot down then likely yes.

Dig a hold and you're finding pennies and dimes a foot down then likely yes.
Click to expand...

Excellent information, thank you
 
DnD said:
Guys and Galls, Barb did a great job explaining how to ID sanded in conditions. Now, does that mean you won't find anything? Perhaps, but if it is a beach in a warm location where people are still playing in the water or laying out, then there is always a chance of a recent drop or deposit. So have a positive attitude and just enjoy the hobby. Finding stuff should not be expected and is just a bonus whenever it happens. :D
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I do enjoy the hobby and never expect to find anything, but of course glad when i do. I just like being outside and really enjoy the beach and would like to give it a whirl. I am in central Florida and about 2 hours from the coast ( gulf or ocean) and just haven't taken the time to do the drive.
 
Think Positive , Expect to find good targets Because you did all your research.
HH
 
The answer to your question is: Yes and no. When mother nature builds back in her beaches (sand coming "in"), yes ...... metal targets come back in with that sand subtly over time. I know that because we've pulled beach blackened silver, toasted wheaties, etc.... at zones we know for a fact were eroded out in winters before. Yet these coins show up on cuts that are cut into the sand that had come in.

However, the "no" part of your question, is that it almost always does no good to try to bank on (look for) those random incoming targets. Your best bet of grouped targets is not when the sand comes "in", but when it's going "out". Because when it goes out, 2 or 3 ft. of sand can be stripped off in a single night! Turning the beach into a giant sluice-box riffle board effect. Contrast to targets that come "in", are random. This is not scientific mind you, but it's just been my experience.

Also there's debate on whether the heavier targets are coming in, versus just the light targets. In subtle summer sand buildup of the wet, I don't believe that has the power to move fishing sinkers, gold rings, etc... "up". But big storms ........ yes, can throw rocks "up". I've seen pineapple sized rocks moving "up" on the beach with each surge/wave, during storm hunting. But for the subtle spring/summer buildup, it might only be pennies, zinc, tabs, etc... that move up.

As evidence of this last paragraph: There's been some long time Florida hunters, who've hunted where shipwreck coins are known to show up during storms (the treasure coast beaches). And while they've gotten the larger coins in the past (4 and 8 reales,), yet they notice that as time goes on, if/when they hunt the same exact areas , where it's re-eroded a spot from years earlier (yet not gone back down to previous lows), that they tend to get the very small lightweight reales and cobs. Not the heavier ones. Thus leading to the notion that the big/heavy targets have their own set of rules for if/when they come back in.
 
Tom_in_CA said:
As evidence of this last paragraph: There's been some long time Florida hunters, who've hunted where shipwreck coins are known to show up during storms (the treasure coast beaches). And while they've gotten the larger coins in the past (4 and 8 reales,), yet they notice that as time goes on, if/when they hunt the same exact areas , where it's re-eroded a spot from years earlier (yet not gone back down to previous lows), that they tend to get the very small lightweight reales and cobs. Not the heavier ones. Thus leading to the notion that the big/heavy targets have their own set of rules for if/when they come back in.
Click to expand...

I enjoyed reading that analogy / true story. Just goes to show you that treasure hunting is "consistently inconsistent" :D
 
Kapidr said:
This applies for my beach - each beach may be different but the basic physics should be similiar.

From what I've seen NO. The heavy targets may get moved up with the rough tide or uncovered yes but are then may be buried under a foot or four of soft sand that may be left behind with each following tide. If you dig and only see light colored sand that's bad, if you dig and hit shells/rocks/ black sand, that's good. (In my area) When an area gets sanded in it's just sand and tinfoil, basically the light stuff. Sure the heavy stuff is there but it's now too deep to hear. As the water gets calmer but the tide gets higher it can leave even more sand behind. :(

The best days are the days OF the storm that moved the sand away, after that you risk each tide bringing in that soft stuff.

But each storm is different. Here each Nor'easter this past year we'd get excited, please move sand! Then go down and see it actually moved sand all right, it moved it UP. YUCK.

Are you sanded in?

Step on the wet sand, does it leave a footprint? Then likely yes.

Dig a hole, if all you get is the same light colored sand then likely yes.

Dig a hole and if you're finding tin can pieces a foot down then likely yes.

Dig a hold and you're finding pennies and dimes a foot down then likely yes.
Click to expand...

Fantastic post...should be a sticky!
 
Swinglow said:
Fantastic post...should be a sticky!
Click to expand...

agreed x2. Kapidr's wisdom is no doubt drawn from countless days rushing to the beach after each wind or rain. And then ...... after years of comparison days ...... sit down and start to figure out why certain days have targets so thick you can barely move (with zero aluminum!). And other days ..... you wander around and find nothing but a few random aluminum. Then yes: you come to great wisdom like he's got :)
 
This thread should be a sticky because this is one thing that is very hard for new beach hunters to understand. Even someone who has been doing it for several year will have a problem with this sometimes. I myself have been beach hunting for 4 years and my second year with my Excalibur And still have a hard time looking for the right place to hunt on a beach.
 
Thanks everyone for the great information.


DnD said:
Otherwise, daily visits to the same beach may be the only way to comprehend this natural occurrence.
Click to expand...

Being 2 hours awat from the beach I guess it will be hit and miss for me, but the scenery will make up for it.

Does anyone know if there is a website or blog of someone that post the beach conditions for metal detecting?
 
Thank you for sharing everyone, I plan to do some beach hunting after the weekend, now I have a better idea if I should stay and hunt or try another section.
 
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