sand movement?

[bigc]

I'm trying to understand how the sand moves. Is the best way to know is watch the moon phase and when is it more likely to have big sand movement if thats the case new or full? Also with all the wind and strong undertow we have had where do the items that don't get washed up go to the sandbar? I've noticed when its like this and the waves wash away the towel line there's alot more change in the wet no bottle tops. Its like the heavier stuff gets stuck and digs in and the lighter stuff goes out. I'm not noticing anything to old like its getting washed up almost nothing that looks like its been in the water for a long time like I thought I would see. Maybe I'm just getting beat to the good stuff but when I talk to people no one has found nothing but change. I thought that big wind storms like this push the goods up but to me it looks like its just pulling the towel line down. Could it be that it is getting washed up but sanded over by the towel line coming down and as the sand starts to move out some goods will be uncovered?

[Franz]

OBX surfer's have an insulting saying "Virginia Has No Waves."... All I can guess from this is that, in comparison to down here, the water is a bit deeper up there. So I don't know if what I've seen w/ regards to sand movement is similar to or completely different than up that way. But I have seen many times as you describe, where the light stuff (slaw, copper worm-proofing, bottle caps, etc) is pulled/washed away by a couple days of good wave, wind, and higher than usual tides. The general slope of the beach seemed to govern how effective this "washing" was. I haven't been able to get out in what seems like ages, but down here it seems like there is still plenty of sand. Deep wide beaches with berms cementing to the main shore and some stretches of cusps, which of course are still just capping more deep sand. There were some small troughs for a while (one or two of which had exposed a little shell), but I'm sure the recent high tides filled them in.