End of the Year

ScubaDetective

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Well folks. It was a GREAT year for silver coins. An average year for gold and an average year for silver jewelry.

However I am not going to be able to break it down by month which I think is a great way to do it and next year I plan on it.

I am way up in the mountains of Utah for the winter and won't be back in Michigan till April. My gold silver and other precious finds like my guns are all safely tucked away in a safe deposit box in Michigan.

The only way to break down my finds is look back at all my photo's from this year on photobucket. That still doesn't tell me exactly what I have. I have 629 pictures of my finds for this year here

http://s81.photobucket.com/user/robertg_g/library/2016?sort=3&page=1

That includes 840.00 in cash for bringing lost items up for people that hired me to find them. Like a family heirloom ring lost two years ago in a boat slip that they never expected to see again.

My gold count this summer for the rings I found in the wild and not for others stood at 50 rings, two bridges and an ear ring. The biggest gold ring was 22.5 grams of 18K. The cash value of this years gold was over 5 grand.

Silver coins were a blast to find this summer. Over 300 and most out of the water. 23 half dollars was the most I have ever found in a year. Beat my record of two years ago by 3. One semi key date barber, 20 walkers and two Franklin.

I also found a lot of wheat cents and buffalo and V nickels however again I didn't count them.

I did get some old Canadian silver and a 1926 German 2 Reichs Mark coin.

I forgot the photo's and the breakdowns of my quarters, dimes and nickels. I do know I got a record number of war nickles also this year. Cash value of silver found this year over a grand.

IF I remember right I found 78 pieces of silver jewelry. HOWEVER, that is only from memory.

Some interesting finds that were not precious metals were 7 Detroit Police buttons, 6 large and one cuff, a few older toys like a Captain Midnight decoder badge and lead boat.

It was a very fun year and I expect this spot to give up a lot more goodies when I find some key places in it. Two of the key places are the ends of water slides that went out into the water. I believe I hit about a quarter of the main spot I was diving in. Deepest water is about 8' deep.

I won't bore you with a lot of pictures since you can click on the link above and go through the ones you want to see. Here is a few pictures of my favorite finds for 2016.

For those that remember some of the crazy things I find. I did find another WW1 practice bomb but I gave it away before I took it home. That was my 5th one so far.





Cut out Morgan dollar:


Squad of lead soldiers in one lake:


Lead Cracker Jack boat:


Monster 18K gold ring:










For those of you that have never seen one of the WW1 bombs I find, here is a picture of a pair.
 
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Nice year

? Wonder why scuba, you dont pay a 1k fee, and dive for 1715 fleet items, get the big payday howboutit , hope 2017 is great also, happy hunting , Earl
 
? Wonder why scuba, you dont pay a 1k fee, and dive for 1715 fleet items, get the big payday howboutit , hope 2017 is great also, happy hunting , Earl

No 1715 fleet items in Michigan or Utah.

I really enjoy diving with one or two friends and relaxing while doing what I want. Maybe after my cat is gone I will come to Florida to plunder again.

HOWEVER, from what I understand you need to blow deep holes in the sand to find the very old stuff and the equipment you would need bit more than I want to try to put on my boat.
 
Real good year Scuba!! Always some Amazing Treasures!! Also to think they put lead in Cracker Jack Box's!!
 
:wow: What a year! When I grow up i want to be just like you!! :yes:
 
Shucks,
You can bring all your guns to Utah. There's plenty of shooting ranges. Get a concealed permit while you're here. It's good in about 37 states.

Are you skiing for the winter? You may have one of the best years in awhile. As cold as it is, all the storms will be powder. And with any luck, there should be at least one a week.
PRAY FOR SNOW!!!!
 
Shucks,
You can bring all your guns to Utah. There's plenty of shooting ranges. Get a concealed permit while you're here. It's good in about 37 states.

Are you skiing for the winter? You may have one of the best years in awhile. As cold as it is, all the storms will be powder. And with any luck, there should be at least one a week.
PRAY FOR SNOW!!!!

I brought one pistol to Utah. The two pistols I found underwater, one is toast and the other will shoot but I don't intend to shoot it.

Not skiing, me and snow don't get along. Buying a house and visiting my children here. Going to live here in the winter and Michigan in the summer is the plan.

 
Cool! I gotta a question though Bob? Did you track your expenses?

You have a unique method/style....so after the dust settles, whats the ROI? Its expensive to have dive gear/boats/ramp fees/tank refills and all the other items that go along with it...Just the tow truck and insurance is huge...Let alone the time investment involved in going on a subsurface hunt...Its not like you can get up and just go for an hour or two...

Just contemplating the ROI on this method/strategy...Dont get me wrong, I of course think that someday soon subsurface is and will be the last bastion for decent finds in this Sport, so a guy should commit to and get good at it...

Large 'barrier of entry'....just not any old noob can gear up and go subsurface, yet any old body can get a rig and wade or beachsweep...

I'm hung up in staying 'fast and light and cheap' or dropping the dime and going subsurface...or a bit of both...The ROI it the key parameter for me...And I know you probably have a good feel for it by now...Advice?
Mud
 
Cool! I gotta a question though Bob? Did you track your expenses?

You have a unique method/style....so after the dust settles, whats the ROI? Its expensive to have dive gear/boats/ramp fees/tank refills and all the other items that go along with it...Just the tow truck and insurance is huge...Let alone the time investment involved in going on a subsurface hunt...Its not like you can get up and just go for an hour or two...

Just contemplating the ROI on this method/strategy...Dont get me wrong, I of course think that someday soon subsurface is and will be the last bastion for decent finds in this Sport, so a guy should commit to and get good at it...

Large 'barrier of entry'....just not any old noob can gear up and go subsurface, yet any old body can get a rig and wade or beachsweep...

I'm hung up in staying 'fast and light and cheap' or dropping the dime and going subsurface...or a bit of both...The ROI it the key parameter for me...And I know you probably have a good feel for it by now...Advice?
Mud


Track my expenses? LOL no way. However, it really isn't as much as some might think. Most my diving was not off either of my boats. In fact about 90% was at one old beach. However that beach is 60 miles away from my house.

I have 14 scuba tanks and all my gear. I bought most the tanks on CL for under 50.00 each. Most were around 30.00. A tank cost 5.00 to fill and lasts me 3 hours. But since I found items for people that called the dive shop he started giving me air free. I am also buying my own compressor from him and will have it in April.

I also do not have some of the expenses that scuba shops charge. Visualizing scuba tanks is NOT a requirement. Scuba shops made that rule for more revenue. You can visualize them yourself. Paintball tanks do not have to be visualized and that is how I found out the scam. So instead of paying 15.00 to a dive shop each year I buy my own stickers off fee bay for 1.50 each and use them. I do get my tanks hydro'ed every 5 years though and that is for my safety and to stay within DOT requirements. A hydro cost 18.50.

My biggest expense was gas and I always buy Duracell batteries for my toys. I did buy a new CZ-21 with an 8" coil so I would have both.

If you don't have the right equipment and spend the time you won't have the success that I experience.

I always swore by the CZ-21. Last year I bought a Tiger Shark and became very knowledgeable on what it was telling me. I was floored at how much silver and gold I found with it after I hammered the place with the CZ-21. I found over a 5 gallon bucket of nails, screws and washers with both machines. Unmasking good targets has been a fun chore at this site.

As for my cabin cruiser. I made a deal with a marina. They let me have a free slip for 2 years if I built a dock. No problem. The dock cost me 300.00 in material. They rented one side for 1500.00 for the season this last summer. So they make 3 grand off the dock and I keep my boat at a marina for 150.00 a year for this last summer and next summer. I only filled it up twice on the water. My speedboat stayed in my driveway. I didn't go to any inland lakes last summer.



I did buy two new wet suits last spring. They will last me a couple of years. And I bought two Stealth 990XI scoops with carbon fiber handles.

Mud, the fun, enjoyment and finds I get out of this hobby each year FAR surpass my expenses. I am living my dream. Relaxing, being around nature and enjoying the peace and quit by being underwater and searching for the unknown.

As you know sometimes that peace gets shattered by nosy uneducated people and police. But that is the exception not the rule.
 
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Thanks for the detailed reply there Bob!...thats what I needed...I do feel compelled to add this subsurface detecting skill to my arsenal...I got the basic gear and a bit of PADI cert and experience...it seems I struggle with this topic every Winter Huh? Thanks for your indulgence once again!:laughing:
Mud
 
Thanks for the detailed reply there Bob!...thats what I needed...I do feel compelled to add this subsurface detecting skill to my arsenal...I got the basic gear and a bit of PADI cert and experience...it seems I struggle with this topic every Winter Huh? Thanks for your indulgence once again!:laughing:
Mud

A Mud Puppy would be subsurface, those dirty lil bastards! :p
 
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