beachrumbum
Senior Member
Anyone here snorkle detect? Often times as I am digging in the surf at the beach with my scoop I am contemplating if it would be easier to just snorkle. Anyone have experience or tips to share?
Snorkle detecting?
- Thread starter beachrumbum
- Start date
pescadore
Elite Member
I snorkel in the river but have never tried in the surf. I rarely land hunt since I started hunting the water this year. I only snorkel in areas with light current. Not sure how it would work in the surf.
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beachrumbum
Senior Member
I'm thinking it could be good on calm days. Perhaps allow me to reach where other detectorist arent able. I dont have the funds or will to take up scuba just yet though. Sounds like I would eenjoy doing it in the river but I'm in florida and we have this obsurd bad on disturbing river bottoms which includes detecting and I'm just not willing to go to jail. I know a river swim spot that has been in use for years and as far as I know noone has detected there.
pescadore
Elite Member
I am scuba certified and have all my own equipment but haven't been diving this year and have never tried using my detector while diving. I hope to give it a whirl sometime soon. I am glad we don't have a ban like that here. That old swimming hole would be very tempting.
beachrumbum
Senior Member
Florida has all kinds if obsurd rules. They even claim that anything found over 50 years old is historically signifigant and should belong to the state. So obsurd I'm inclined not to listen. That swim spot is very tempting.
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In order to detect snorkels, you have to have good eyesight. Most are buried but you can see parts of them sticking out of the sand or muck. That is if you mean snorkel instead of snorkle!
Now if you want to detect while snorkeling there are a few things you must know. First since you are in Florida, you are REQUIRED to have a dive flag. That is also the law in Michigan. It is also very hard to recover a target if you are deeper than arms length. Bobbing up and down taking breaths is a lot of hard work. I would wear some weights so you are neutral buoyant and probably a plastic scoop, like a grain scoop with holes in it on a lanyard so you can scoop up sand and come back up to let it drain out.
Yes I have done it and it also takes a skill.
Where can I find the EXACT law on disturbing the river bottom? This should be interesting. If you drop an anchor you are disturbing the bottom, so something is fishy.
Now if you want to detect while snorkeling there are a few things you must know. First since you are in Florida, you are REQUIRED to have a dive flag. That is also the law in Michigan. It is also very hard to recover a target if you are deeper than arms length. Bobbing up and down taking breaths is a lot of hard work. I would wear some weights so you are neutral buoyant and probably a plastic scoop, like a grain scoop with holes in it on a lanyard so you can scoop up sand and come back up to let it drain out.
Yes I have done it and it also takes a skill.
Where can I find the EXACT law on disturbing the river bottom? This should be interesting. If you drop an anchor you are disturbing the bottom, so something is fishy.
ROBOTCOP13
Elite Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2015
- Messages
- 1,434
Don't forget fresh water in Florida means alligators and snakes.
We just had an incident in Orlando where a lady from out of state went for an early morning swim in a lake. Gator got her. A lot of this does not get in to public news.
We just had an incident in Orlando where a lady from out of state went for an early morning swim in a lake. Gator got her. A lot of this does not get in to public news.
beachrumbum
Senior Member
I just about spit my coffee out reading this, your right, I've never seen a snorkel. Scuba, I trust you on this, hard work, but from looking at your post could pay off bigtime if done correct. Thanks for the info about the flag.
The disturbing river bottoms issue, I have read many reference to it online, even though I have not seen the actual bill, I also have no reason to doubt its true as it has my state written all over it. Heres a reference link to one such discussion
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=144800
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Law in Michigan is a diver is not allowed to disturb ANY vegetation. Who me??
LOL like anyone would care.
IF there is a law and you are snorkeling I wouldn't take a scoop.
Law in Michigan. If a landowner allows you on a private lake you are allowed to detect his property. His property is a pie shaped piece to the center of the lake. As soon as you touch the bottom of his neighbors piece of property like try to walk on it and detect you are trespassing. You can swim, boat and anchor on the whole lake. You just can't physically touch bottom. Like many would care.
So I am allowed to dive the whole lake as long as I do not touch bottom. BUT, if I do, the land owner has to SEE me touch bottom and tell me I am trespassing and then SEE me again after he tells me BEFORE the police can write me a citation. So I dive above the bottom, wave my hand to uncover the target most the time and pick up the target and so far no land owner has bothered me. (kind of hard to when I am 6 - 30' under anyway!)
So if you are snorkeling and fanning your hand ABOVE the bottom to uncover anything just like a fish fans its tail to make a crater for its nest, YOU are not disturbing the bottom. The water action is.
In order for ANY officer to give give you a citation that would stick, they would actually have to see you disturb the bottom. You fanning your hand to have the water disturb the bottom probably wouldn't count because waves and current also disturb the bottom.
Will some officers write you up just to write a citation? Of course. I have had 6 now. Did any stick. Nope, all dismissed. But if i got a citation every time I was talked to by the police, I would have way over 30. Including a couple in Florida. That is one reason I know the rule of snorkeling without a flag there.
MOST officers are GREAT. Then there are a few that think they are gods gift to law enforcement. Respect them, be polite and I bet you will be just fine.
One of the citations I received I demanded. They didn't want to give me one but I told them if they didn't I was going back in the water. They gave it to me and I was right. I knew the law. It was dismissed and I went back to that lake.
LOL like anyone would care.
IF there is a law and you are snorkeling I wouldn't take a scoop.
Law in Michigan. If a landowner allows you on a private lake you are allowed to detect his property. His property is a pie shaped piece to the center of the lake. As soon as you touch the bottom of his neighbors piece of property like try to walk on it and detect you are trespassing. You can swim, boat and anchor on the whole lake. You just can't physically touch bottom. Like many would care.
So I am allowed to dive the whole lake as long as I do not touch bottom. BUT, if I do, the land owner has to SEE me touch bottom and tell me I am trespassing and then SEE me again after he tells me BEFORE the police can write me a citation. So I dive above the bottom, wave my hand to uncover the target most the time and pick up the target and so far no land owner has bothered me. (kind of hard to when I am 6 - 30' under anyway!)
So if you are snorkeling and fanning your hand ABOVE the bottom to uncover anything just like a fish fans its tail to make a crater for its nest, YOU are not disturbing the bottom. The water action is.
In order for ANY officer to give give you a citation that would stick, they would actually have to see you disturb the bottom. You fanning your hand to have the water disturb the bottom probably wouldn't count because waves and current also disturb the bottom.
Will some officers write you up just to write a citation? Of course. I have had 6 now. Did any stick. Nope, all dismissed. But if i got a citation every time I was talked to by the police, I would have way over 30. Including a couple in Florida. That is one reason I know the rule of snorkeling without a flag there.
MOST officers are GREAT. Then there are a few that think they are gods gift to law enforcement. Respect them, be polite and I bet you will be just fine.
One of the citations I received I demanded. They didn't want to give me one but I told them if they didn't I was going back in the water. They gave it to me and I was right. I knew the law. It was dismissed and I went back to that lake.
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scoundrel
six feet under(water)
That's how I have been doing it since day one. Snorkel, weight belt, and an 18in RTG scoop.
scoundrel
six feet under(water)
Where in Florida are you? I have a gas powered compressor with two hookah lines.
beachrumbum
Senior Member
cntrydncr1
Elite Member
My friend...I"m getting scuba certified too! might be a challenge for me in the future! We can be dive buddies!
beachrumbum
Senior Member
Hey cntrydncr1,
That sounds like a plan!! Its great to have someone who knows their stuff to follow around! [emoji28]
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Numil
Elite Member
On the reef flats I snorkel since I'm almost forced to. Picture an area that is between knee and waist deep. The bottom is solid and flat and made of coral. This floor of coral has thousands holes in it about 2 inches across. These holes are from rock boring sea urchins. Also randomly the holes have lead weights in them just to keep it interesting. This is when I snorkel because a scoop is useless (no sand) and when you hit a target its face in the water and waving away and debris to see whether you've found gold or another lead sinker.
So do I snorkel... yes but when the conditions call for it, otherwise I take the easy way out when available. GL and HH
So do I snorkel... yes but when the conditions call for it, otherwise I take the easy way out when available. GL and HH
Caribbeanson
Forum Supporter
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2012
- Messages
- 1,055
As others have said, it needs to be pretty calm. My guess is you could wade and detect in about 2ft chop, but trying to snorkel with a scoop in chop is pretty difficult, if not impossible. If you are fanning then you have to deal with constant up-downs and still getting pushed around in the surf. Practice safely with a weight belt and do some research on "Shallow water blackout"
beachrumbum
Senior Member
Thanks for the safety tip, that is something I didnt know about. I had my chance to try today because as soon as I got in a spot with some heavier stuff my scoop handle decided to break and to think I thought scooping was a pain. It was very trying to stay put in the surf without a weight belt as I left mine at home. Oh well, scoop handle is on the mend and covered with fiberglass to hopefully stop it from snapping again, hopefully soon I'll get me one of those carbon fibre handles to replace the wood if this one snaps again.
rob.ream258
Elite Member
Definitely a weight belt. Also get / make a marker to keep your spot while going up for air or getting tossed. A bright painted rock will work fine or use a plastic hand scoop. Also, a click to strap the MD machine to your belt to free both hands is useful as well.
That type of detecting is tough and will wear you out fast...…..
GL & HH
That type of detecting is tough and will wear you out fast...…..
GL & HH
dewcon
Quality Control Expert
Several i know use a snorkel and fan the targets. They wear weight belts..... and just walk out there. The most important thing you need is a pair of headphones that you know are waterproof....... it wont take but a few trips to find out if yours are or not.
Deb..... how cool. I keep wanting to do that as well. I even looked at a local company and talked with the owner who makes a great hooka system for two. Equipment cost .....either way for diving or hooka is a little salty. I know i know..... few gold rings and its all paid for. Dragging all that stuff out there too....... just not sure id stay with it. BUT for you..... you travel a lot i suspect it would really be fun with a buddy or even a group. Let me know how it goes.
Dew
Deb..... how cool. I keep wanting to do that as well. I even looked at a local company and talked with the owner who makes a great hooka system for two. Equipment cost .....either way for diving or hooka is a little salty. I know i know..... few gold rings and its all paid for. Dragging all that stuff out there too....... just not sure id stay with it. BUT for you..... you travel a lot i suspect it would really be fun with a buddy or even a group. Let me know how it goes.
Dew
