Hunting in the Water is alot harder than I thought.....

[cigarmike]

Took the new White's Surf PI Dual Field to the beach today. Water was really rough in the morning so stayed on shore. Had the machine set at the factory settings just to get use to it. No problem pin pointing targets, got about $3.00 in clad and a very nice Silver ring. No target over a couple of scoops deep. Later in the afternoon waves calmed down so into the water I go. Dual Field still at factory settings. After a few minutes of learning how to swing a MD in water I hit an obvious target. Man have I got to practice digging targets in the water. I know the Whites DF will go deep but I must of spent 30 minutes trying to get to this target. Finally gave up went to find another target. Same thing!
After 15 minutes on this one I give up and search again. This went on and on for 6 Target. Between the waves crashing into me (2-3Ft seas), trying to keep my foot on the sweet spot, than trying to dig up the target while holding on to the MD I just could not win in the water. I know this is my first time and practice makes perfect and I am know way giving up. I WILL GET This Down . But boy what a frustrating day. I wanted to go out again today but the mind is willing but boy my body is saying NO WAY! My arms and legs are killing me. The beach is gonna have to wait till next weekend before I try again. In the mean time I will be doing alot of reading on the machine and how to pinpoint and dig targets in the water.
Any Advice or Suggestions you guys have are GREATLY Appreciate.
Here is the first ring found with the White's Dual Field.

[goodmore]

You have a very good deep detector. It will go too deep in the surf sometimes. You found out mother nature can fill holes quicker than you can dig them. The largest scoop you can heave is the only answer I can give. Take a look at Max's new scoop he has coming in the mail. I have the Pro Scoop model c I think it is. The scoop will make a hole in a hurry. but there are some targets I also give up on.

Here in the Mid Atlantic the high tide makes it almost impossible to hunt. We all wait for the low tides and mark the calenders for the negative tide cycles. But as the price of gold went up and everybody's brother bought a detector the negative tides see a lot of hunters.

But there is a positive side to your dilemma. The ocean protects her gold very well. She gives it up when she wants too. It is work to get it. But it will be there for hunting for a long time to come. The beach will never be hunted out.

[robby4570]

So did you come over to FtW? I was wondering about water hunting myself, thought it had to be harder than my Excal Buddy here makes it look. He went out about 30 yards offshore and spent at least 5 hours out in the water digging targets. And I know he got stuff 'cause I watched him put them in his pouch. Of course the water was a lot calmer that day. I left before he did and haven't spoken with him since so I don't know what he got. He's the only one I've seen working the water here in PCB, lots of guys on the dry sand though.

Are you SCUBA cert'ed? I just figured from watching how (yep, another one) Mike worked the water, that it would be easier with a tank or two and my dive gear and extra weight to just crawl along the bottom with a short handle scoop and MD. At least on the heavy wave days like yesterday, it was BAD here too. And the dumb tourists got into the water even after the beach cops told them not to.

[Cfmct]

Mike.. if you are having a pinpointing problem when get a signal place your foot behind the coil and then place your scoop in front of your foot and start your dig there... most of the time here in connecticut that won't work because our water is murky all the time.. thank god there are no sharks to speak of here

I have a custom made scoop and with the deepest whispers sometimes I have to take 6 or more scoops to recover them, its part of the game we play...



Don't give up on a target it could be a big diamond encrusted gold ring...


I never give up

[WV Scuba Joe]

I can't wait to get an UW detector, I am a whites guy so that will prob be my choice..If I lived closer to the beach I would have one already.. Good Luck and stick with it.. I dug the other day 16 inches knowing it was prob a can, turned out to be a power line.. uugggg.. I should have known better, but with all the CW relics in the area I had to find out.. Hope to join you all in the water sometime..

While diving even with lead it could still be hard to stay on the bottem if your that shallow and the waves are that big.. HH.. I would rather be at the beach today...

[MoBob]

I've never troed it , but would give it a go !

[CreepyCrawler]

Somethings I do.... (and I give up on occasion because I start digging
a hole I might have trouble filling in well, and someone wading in might
take a fall)

Use the wave action to help me dig and lift the scoop.

Take the scoop and turn it over, use the handle to knock around down
there, make sure it's not a can or a large piece of iron)

Wait and let the water settle, if it's not too murky and see if it's
a bottle cap that is swimming around, playing catch me if you can.

You said you had to hold on to your detector, you have to harness
it to yourself and drop if if you have to. I bought those things gardeners
use for weed eaters. They come with the fasten that fits perfectly
on the detector rod. I keep enough cable loose to drop it and let it
sink if I have to.

Use the biggest scoop I could find and still manage to carry.

Most important, stop every now and then, take a breather, enjoy the water,
look around, rest the muscles and then continue!!!!

Good luck!

[cigarmike]

Thanks for all the tips guys. I'm determined to master this thing so giving up is not an option. Only the first time out in the water so I know alot of rookie mistakes were made. Practice makes perfect right?

[snf101480]

Mike you did well for the first weekend hunt with the DF. It takes time buddy, I've had that same issue in the water numerous times, sometimes it just seemed like the target didn't want to get out no matter how hard I tried. Other times it was a bit easier, you started well, it'll come! Looking forward to seeing a pic of the ring.

[Hotrod Tom]

Thats a great first hunt. The Dual Field is not just a great detector it's also a good exercise program.Be prepared to feel a few muscles you didn't know you had. Whenever you get a good signal in the surf be ready for the next few waves to be bigger than all the others.HH!

[Jahall50]

I totally agree with you. I need to get better at retrieving my finds.

[VBDave]

If you're "missing" your targets when you dig, especially with a non discriminating PI machine, it may not be that you're over a deep target. It's just as common to be getting a signal from a piece of something that's small enough to fall through the scoop holes and back in the hole, making you think you're missing the mark. Get a strong magnet and glue it inside the scoop, in the back on the bottom. Since most of the small stuff is ferrous, you'll catch that !!!! insted of chasing it all over the ocean.

[cigarmike]

Thanks for the suggestion Dave. I'll add a magnet to the scoop.

[Surf Master]

Mike pin pointing is a bit harder with the Df,due to deeper objects,the 12 inch coil and both of us hunt with the same scoop,mine just have the ss tip,Craig uses that massave 8x12 sun-spot,he mentioned sometimes it takes 6 scoops to recover targets,6 with his = 10 with ours,The surf Pi Df is a great machine,just be well rested,every time i take mine in the water,it's a workout,i just got mine the last Quarter of 2010,still have alot to learn,happy hunting Earl

[cigarmike]

Yea I'm not to worried. I'm very patient and know the good stuff is gonna come. I plan on hitting the beaches and water alot so the odds are with me.

[ChunkyMonkey]

Hey if you are adding magnets. Radio shack sells donut magnets that you can put a cable wrap right though and skip the glue. I have 2 in mine. One one the bottom of scoop and one on the wall. Good Luck!

[Buster]

Mike, keep at it..practice will help..If it was easy everyone would be doing it...I have had days were all I found was pop tops..and then there are days a nice ring pops out..I am not rich yet, but there is hope...You will be fine sir..Buster.....

[ghost95]

The best tip that I ever got was to practice pinpointing in dry sand. With my machine I get a signal then do quick sweeps and back up until the signal fades out. Then go back until I just get it again. I put my toe at the back of the coil. Next I put my scoop just past the tip of my toe. Finally, Dig DEEP! Use your foot and weight and get the scoop burried all the way. It's heavy when you lift but most times you only need one scoop. good luck.

[Cfmct]

Originally Posted by Surf Master

Mike pin pointing is a bit harder with the Df,due to deeper objects,the 12 inch coil and both of us hunt with the same scoop,mine just have the ss tip,Craig uses that massave 8x12 sun-spot,he mentioned sometimes it takes 6 scoops to recover targets,6 with his = 10 with ours,The surf Pi Df is a great machine,just be well rested,every time i take mine in the water,it's a workout,i just got mine the last Quarter of 2010,still have alot to learn,happy hunting Earl

Sorry Earl but I use don't use a sunspot... been there done that.. I use a Babbs scoop

[Jim Bob]

Well Mike we have all been where you are on our first water hunt. The waves and the curent working against you while trying to dig a target can wear you out but the rewards are great. There is Victory in just recovering a pull tab some times. Good luck and you are off to a good start with that ring/