Ever start a hunt 99% convinced it's a bad idea?
I do that from time to time. Usually I'm right, and I go home shaking my head thinking "Why!? Why did I do this to myself?!?"
But every now and then it's totally worth it!
I had already hunted both nights of the weekend a the lowest point of the tide cycle (which happened to be 2:30am and 3:00am here) and was quite sleep deprived and definitely had work in the morning. But there was one more (not quite as good) low tide left for me. And the sea conditions and weather forecast were good. Of course, that low was going to be at 4am...
Sooooooo, I get up at 2:15am, onto the beach by 3am, prepared to put in 3 hours before work. Seas are calm enough for easy wading, but no sooner do I step foot in the water than-- torrential downpour begins. Great. Well my sandshark and all my kit is waterproof, and there's no lightning happening, so this is survivable. But it surely isn't fun! I really hate getting rained on!
Two hours in--I'm feeling like a very wet fool. The usually productive parts of the swim area are oddly sanded in, and I've got a few coins and some trash and that's it. And rain showers have rolled over me one after the other without end. Thanks, weather-people. 0% chance of precipitation my butt!
I trudge on and get to an area that's usually got a foot or two of soft sand. I've only found big targets there in the past, because the sand is too deep for the SS to pick up anything smallish way down at the rock below. But to my surprise-- the sand is almost completely washed away. Just a few inches on top of the rock! Remembering recent advice from y'all, I realize this might be the opportunity I was looking for. And indeed, I start to pick up targets.
First-- Ugly dolphin pendant. Junk metal, but it's something different, I guess.
Next-- Weird silver ring! Alright! Now we're talking! I consider any silver a win. Maybe not a big win, but at least I can stop regretting my life-choices.
Then-- Sleek little platinum! Actually I didn't have enough light to see whether it was plat or white-gold, but it was completely untarnished and had a bunch of hallmarks and good weight, so I was superexcited. As it turns out-- 3.35g of Pt 850! Niiiice!
Finally--18k heartstopper! Dawn was upon me and I knew it was time to go home, but I got a really strong signal. Tried digging with the scoop but hit coral bedrock. Tide was rising fast, but I was determined to get this one last target so I reached my arm down into the water all the way to my shoulder and started prying sand and rocks out of the pockets in the coral with tired fingers until I spied a very unfamiliar buttery glint. Nestled deep in a cavity in the coral-- 7.47 grams of 18k and one of the prettiest rings I've yet found!
So in the end, it was 3 miserable hours very well spent, and I drove home grinning ear to ear!
(Any advice on identifying the weird magenta stone? And, do y'all think I should try selling the beauty on auction instead of for melt? Pretty though it be, I don't wear gold so it's gotta go! HH!)
I do that from time to time. Usually I'm right, and I go home shaking my head thinking "Why!? Why did I do this to myself?!?"
But every now and then it's totally worth it!
I had already hunted both nights of the weekend a the lowest point of the tide cycle (which happened to be 2:30am and 3:00am here) and was quite sleep deprived and definitely had work in the morning. But there was one more (not quite as good) low tide left for me. And the sea conditions and weather forecast were good. Of course, that low was going to be at 4am...
Sooooooo, I get up at 2:15am, onto the beach by 3am, prepared to put in 3 hours before work. Seas are calm enough for easy wading, but no sooner do I step foot in the water than-- torrential downpour begins. Great. Well my sandshark and all my kit is waterproof, and there's no lightning happening, so this is survivable. But it surely isn't fun! I really hate getting rained on!
Two hours in--I'm feeling like a very wet fool. The usually productive parts of the swim area are oddly sanded in, and I've got a few coins and some trash and that's it. And rain showers have rolled over me one after the other without end. Thanks, weather-people. 0% chance of precipitation my butt!
I trudge on and get to an area that's usually got a foot or two of soft sand. I've only found big targets there in the past, because the sand is too deep for the SS to pick up anything smallish way down at the rock below. But to my surprise-- the sand is almost completely washed away. Just a few inches on top of the rock! Remembering recent advice from y'all, I realize this might be the opportunity I was looking for. And indeed, I start to pick up targets.
First-- Ugly dolphin pendant. Junk metal, but it's something different, I guess.
Next-- Weird silver ring! Alright! Now we're talking! I consider any silver a win. Maybe not a big win, but at least I can stop regretting my life-choices.
Then-- Sleek little platinum! Actually I didn't have enough light to see whether it was plat or white-gold, but it was completely untarnished and had a bunch of hallmarks and good weight, so I was superexcited. As it turns out-- 3.35g of Pt 850! Niiiice!
Finally--18k heartstopper! Dawn was upon me and I knew it was time to go home, but I got a really strong signal. Tried digging with the scoop but hit coral bedrock. Tide was rising fast, but I was determined to get this one last target so I reached my arm down into the water all the way to my shoulder and started prying sand and rocks out of the pockets in the coral with tired fingers until I spied a very unfamiliar buttery glint. Nestled deep in a cavity in the coral-- 7.47 grams of 18k and one of the prettiest rings I've yet found!
So in the end, it was 3 miserable hours very well spent, and I drove home grinning ear to ear!
(Any advice on identifying the weird magenta stone? And, do y'all think I should try selling the beauty on auction instead of for melt? Pretty though it be, I don't wear gold so it's gotta go! HH!)