10/28/16 Report - Fairly High Surf. Metal Detecting Favorite Finds Are Usually Surprises. St. Augustine Area.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

We've had a lot of wind, a fairly high surf, and even pretty high tides lately, but the angles haven't been good.  As far as I can tell it hasn't been hitting the right places yet.  The only places that I've seen erosion is by inlets or rocks or other obstacles.  I'm sticking with a 1 (poor) beach conditions rating for now.  I haven't seen a lot of the beaches and there might be a spot or two where you could find something good.  There are certainly some good spots for modern coins right now, but I haven't seen any good spots for cobs.  There might be one or two though.

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A couple days ago I mentioned that I stopped at one beach where there were a lot of modern coins and the tide was already coming in so I tried to skip signals that sounded like clad coins and managed to pick up a gold band.  If you've been reading this blog very long, you know that I often tell people to dig everything.  This was a special case and a strategy that I've seldom used.

Digging everything is highly recommended, especially if you haven't been metal detecting for decades and you don't know the area inside out.  You will learn a lot by digging a lot of targets and it will keep you from making a big mistake.

As I think back, most of my favorite finds were surprises.  Raw gold nuggets found on a treasure wreck beach are some of my favorite finds.  I wasn't targeting gold nuggets.  I didn't expect them on a Treasure Coast beach.  I don't know if I would have passed them over or not if I was discriminating or using target ID, but since I was digging everything, there was absolutely no danger of that.  Would you correctly identify gold nuggets while beach hunting or might you miss them?

Most of my favorite finds would not be easy for any detector to identify.  Take for example the Rolexes and other high-end watches.  Do you really want to take a chance on missing targets like that because you don't feel like digging? I know it doesn't happen often, but it doesn't have to happen often to be very worthwhile.

How about a three hundred year old pistol or rapier blade?  Would you correctly identify them or discriminate them out and pass them over and then complain about finding nothing but clad.

The vast majority of my all-time favorite finds were surprises.  You don't find those kinds of things everyday.  In fact it is to some extent their rarity that makes them so valuable.  You never know what you might find, and how you detect not only determines what you find but it also determines what you don't find.

I've told stories about how I learned those lessons.  It was a long time before I ever found a shipwreck spike.  I should have found one much sooner and surely would have found one much sooner except that in those days I was targeting modern gold and was skipping a lot of things that did not sound like coins or gold jewelry.  That was until I learned that I was missing things that I would really like to find.

The more narrowly you define acceptable targets, the more things you eliminate and skip.  It is a trade-off. There are interesting and valuable targets of all shapes and sizes and made of all types of materials. Be aware of that and realize that your detecting style will determine not only what you get but also what you miss.  Your strategy should take into account your goals and what might or might not be in the area you are working.  You can't be too sure of what might or might not be there.  There is always the possibility of some big surprise.  And isn't that what detecting is all about?  Don't you want to see something appear out of the soil or sand that you never expected?  Maybe you hoped for it, but didn't dare expect it.  Do you really want to eliminate the possibility of such a surprise?

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The damage to the Fort Pierce area was so light that you would never think that Hurricane Matthew passed by so recently.  For all practical purposes Matthew has been forgotten and life moves on.  That is the way life is.  About the only remaining sign of Matthew around Fort Pierce are the piles of limbs along Indian River Drive and perhaps a few other places where Waste Management has not yet finished picking it all up.  Things are not so normal elsewhere along our coast.

Here is what Darrel S. had to say about St. Augustine.

Went over this morning to check on our condo and I really did not see much to remind me a hurricane hit. Downtown St. Augustine was back to normal. So I thought, when I went Vilano, ton of debris out in front of every structure. From Vilano Beach up to Ponte Vedre Beach was not pleasant. I went back through St. Augustine and over the Bridge of Lions. In Davis Shore was same as Vilano. Also, sewage was backed up, and many still without water or power. Drove down to St. Augustine Beach and numerous streets had trash out front. Further down our condo was okay, but Crescent Beach had the largest devestation. Piles of trash and construction debris everywhere. Matanzas Inlet Restaurant no longer. Been eating there for over 45 years! Summerhaven was closed to thru traffic as well as the old A1A gone!! Went down to Marineland, and a new surf spot was created. The beach was now on A1A. Decided to turn around and as I went over 206 bridge could see numerous homes and docks damaged. Yet, as I was headed back to Gainesville there were people heading over for Fla vs Georgia game in Jacksonville this Saturday. GLAD to be back in Gainesville...

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

2/27/14 Report - Another Hoard, Factors Affecting Movement of Debris in the Ocean and Big Surf Predicted.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.


Yesterday I mentioned how it seemed that there were a lot of treasure stories in the media lately.  Here is another.

A large hoard of Roman gold and silver jewelry worth around a million euros has been recovered after being found in a forest in Germany.

All of the rare coins, rings and brooches contain gold or silver, and many date back more than 1,200 years.

The article says, Experts say the find could be the largest and most magnificent collection of late antiquity pieces ever found in Germany. It also includes a solid silver bowl set with gold and stones and a set of gold and silver plated statuettes which formed part of a military commander's portable chair.

Here is the link.

http://www.thelocal.de/20140219/german-amateur-treasure-hunter-bags-sensational-roman-hoard

This find was made illegally.  That isn't good but something like the Portable Antiquities Scheme might have prevented the unfortunate way the whole thing went down.

Scientists have been tracking ocean debris caused by the Sept. 2012 tsunami in Japan.  They made improvements to the initial model to take into account the different shapes and buoyancies.  The amount of surface area exposed to the wind and currents causes the objects to drift at different speeds and trajectories.  The model predicted the timing and type of material that would wash up on the shores of Hawaii, which included very buoyant pieces such as oyster buoys, crates, small fishing boats and parts of refrigerators.

You might remember some of my discussions concerning the types of factors that affect how things will move and be distributed on a beach.

For example, a watch might act something little a refrigerator.  A watch can be fairly heavy, butsince it can contain air pockets and provides a lot of surface area relative to their size and weight, it would be moved more by currents and sink less quickly in sand.

If you've been reading this blog over the years, you've heard me discuss factors like these that are usually left out of the equation when people talk about "heavy objects," "density" or even "specific gravity," as if all objects were simple lumps.

Here is the link to the article about tracking the tsunamis debris.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/What_has_happened_to_the_tsunami_debris_from_Japan_999.html

You also have to take the same factors into account when trying to figure out where shipwreck debris will end up.   To some extent, different types of objects will be separated and distributed separately on the bottom of the ocean and along the beach.\


Did you know there are things that it is illegal for Americans to sell?  You probably know some of them but might be surprised by others.  Here they are.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101424448/?__source=xfinity|hero&par=xfinity


While the seas around Florida have been very calm this winter I've talked about the rough seas, flooding and erosion in the North Atlantic on both sides of the pond.  25-foot waves have been pounding the shores of Lake Michigan.

Here is an article about those dangerous conditions.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/02/monster_25-foot_waves_to_churn.html

Thank goodness our beaches aren't frozen.  I remember a few winters ago when it seemed my toes were freezing and had to go back to the car and get footwear.  Usually the water is warmer than the air on cold days, so I would dip my feet in the water for temporary warming.  This time I thought I could take it but didn't realize I was getting too soft and accustomed to Florida weather.

We've had some cool days, but not many cold days.

For the Treasure Coast there is a period of six to nine foot surf prediction about a week from now.  As I've often mentioned, when the surf web site predict a big surf a week or more in advance it usually never happens.  Only time will tell.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/17/11 Report - Working the Beach in the Crashing Surf

Titanium from Challenger.

This piece is different from many of the other pieces of titanium that I've found. Many of the others were smooth and rounded. This one looks like it was blasted. One thing I noticed is that it tests like gold, testing between 14 and 18k. I wonder if titanium should do that, or if maybe my acid is going bad or something.

I just realized that I found an Ice Age fossil and a piece of space debris within yards of each other on the same day.

A lot of people probably don't care about either space debris or fossils. Different people like different things. I tend to like a lot of different types of things.


Yesterday I mentioned that I might give some tips on working the rough water when the surf is crashing on the front beach. It is not easy and there are some dangers in doing it, but it can be done. I've done a lot of it.

Caution: If you choose to try to following you can easily damage or lose your equipment or get hurt. Proceed with due caution and only at your own risk.

To help avoid damaging your coil, be sure the coil is not exposed to too much force. And of course, your coil must be waterproof. Your entire detector should be waterproof because water can splash up or you can get knocked off of your feet. Don't even try this unless you know what you are doing and you and your equipment are up to it.

A lot of people don't work the wet sand area because they get false signals. There are a number of things you can do to minimize that. The detector manufacturers will often tell you to turn down your sensitivity. I don't do that. Instead I operate in pin-point or all-metals mode. Operating in those modes you will hear some of the changes in salt mineralization, but that is OK. You can learn to distinguish between actual targets and changes in salt mineralization.

Another thing you can do is to slow down your sweep speed and sweep parallel to the shoreline instead of perpendicular to the water line.

If you haven't worked the moving shallow water on the front beach before, avoid going into rough water. Stay where the water comes and goes more quietly. You can work up and down the slope venturing farther out towards the ocean as the water recedes and then working back up the slope as the next wave or surge comes in. You'll find that the waves are irregular - sometimes building and going further up the beach and sometimes backing off for a while. You can work in and out with those changes.

Try to avoid dipping your coil in and out of the water. Try to either keep it submersed in a few inches of water or just an inch or so above the water. Going in and out can cause false signals and will stress your coil more.

The angle of the coil can make a big difference. Swiftly moving water can really put a lot of force on your coil. Keep the coil so you can easily cut through the water. If the coil must come out of the water, angle the coil so that it slides out smoothly, rather than picking it up and down abruptly.

If you are on a slopping beach and the water is moving in and out with some force, when you get a signal, turn your back to the water, pin point the target, place one foot an inch or so down hill from the target.

That reminds me of something else that I want to interject here. If the water is moving with a lot of force, you might need some foot wear to protect your feet and legs from rocks that are being thrown around by the water. A rock hitting a shin or ankle bone can really hurt. And a wave hitting you when your are off balance and don't expect it, can easily knock you down.

Back to the target. There are two reasons to place your foot by the target. One is to mark the target. You can easily lose the exact spot when water, stones and shells are rushing by, and you don't want to make it any harder than necessary to recover a target under those conditions.

Looking down at a spot while the water and everything rushes by makes some people dizzy. Again, be careful.

The other reason for having your foot close to the spot, is if the target is near the surface and the water is moving with good force, you should be in a position to quickly place your foot on the target to keep the target from moving. That generally works. The same thing applies if you have taken a scoop or two and don't yet have the target in your scoop.

If the water is moving with a lot of force, you can easily loose the target to the rushing water. When you put your foot on the target, in pin-point mode, keep sweeping your coil quickly over your foot to keep track of the target in case it does move. If the water moves it, you can often track it and put your foot on it again before it is lost.

Another reason for putting your back to the water is when you push your scoop into the sand, the water rushing back down the slope will push the material into your scoop and help sift the sand through your scoop. Sometimes the water will sift the scoop for you without shaking the scoop or anything, but sometimes you'll end up with a scoop full of rocks or shells.

Again, this can be dangerous if the water is moving forcefully and you are inexperienced. Don't try it until you are sure you have worked up to it. Begin in slightly moving water until you have mastered the process. I know one person that lost her detector to the ocean, and another that lost a nice long handled scoop.


The results of the most recent survey are now in. A little over one third of those responding are from the Treasure Coast area (35%), 45% are from other areas of Florida, 45%, and 30% from other areas of the United States, few of them being from the southeast US. And of the course the remainder are from outside the continental US.

That sounds pretty reasonable. While I might have expected the majority to be from the Treasure Coast, the Treasure Coast is not a heavily populated area, and those outside of the Treasure Coast area might want to keep an eye on the Treasure Coast to see when it might be worth making a trip.

There is a large number of respondents from outside of Florida. I often hear from snowbirds from the northeast who either have winter homes in Florida or who visit Florida during the winter months. Many of them like to keep up on the news about treasure hunting and the Treasure Coast beaches.

It is clear that this blog brings a lot of attention to the Treasure Coast and our famous shipwreck beaches. (My hit counter is over 180,000 now, and all of that is without any publicity efforts other than the availability of the blog. I don't do facebook, make offers to exchange links or any of that stuff.)


Treasure Coast Beach Forecast and Conditions.

The wind is still from the west and the seas running down around a foot. It looks like things will remain that way for a few days, at least if the surf web sites are correct.

The water is calm enough for easy water hunting. There are some swells in the shallow water, but nothing you can't easily bob with.

I've mentioned before that you can work even rough water if you learn how to just go with the flow, and my post today might have opened up a new area for you to detect.

A lot of the beaches now have a sand bar real close to the beach and during low tide the swells will cut down. And there is the dip between the sand bar and the beach that might be real calm during low tide. Those dips differ. Very often they are too shallow and filled with loose sand and shells. Sometimes though, they can be very productive. You can quickly sample the dips to see if it is worth your time or not.

Remember, hunting in the water in leased areas is not legal. I've posted a lot about where those leases are in the past. You might want to use the blog search box to find rules and regulations for water detecting.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

2/10/11 Report - Titanium Finds.

1 Oz. Titanium Bullion Bar.

A bar like this can be purchased for a little under $7.00 at current prices.


Things fall from the sky all the time. I saw a TV show the other day where a meteor fell in a small town and everyone was running around picking up the pieces and selling them to collectors who came to town to buy the pieces. Some people were getting thousands of dollars for the pieces that they found.

But were you aware of the range of space debris that has been found and can be found? I wasn't. Occasionally some big identifiable structures fall to earth when pieces of satellites or rockets return to earth.

Here is a fascinating article that shows a bunch of different types of space debris that has been found, and some of it is really fantastic.

http://search.aol.com/aol/search?query=space+shuttle+challenger+debris+field+map+metal+found&s_it=keyword_rollover


And here are photos of a couple of large pieces of the Challenger that were found along the beach.

http://search.aol.com/aol/search?query=debris+from+space+shuttle+challenger+beach&s_it=keyword_rollover

Next time you find a metal sphere on the beach, you might think twice about what it might be. It might be from outer space instead of the ocean.


I've received a number of reports of people finding pieces of titanium from the Challenger space shuttle on the Treasure Coast this year. Here is one that I found a couple of days ago.




If you want to know how to identify titanium, here is a web site that tells how to do it.

http://mrtitanium.info/2008/03/17/how-to-tell-if-a-piece-of-metal-is-really-titanium/


There are other reasons to be able to identify titanium these days. Titanium is used for a lot of applications. Everything from wheelchairs and bicycles to wedding rings.

That's right. Titanium is being used in jewelry. If you find a ring that doesn't test gold or silver, it might be titanium.

I found a large man's ring made of titanium on the Treasure Coast beach a couple of weeks ago.

Also, did you know that Ballard used a bathyscaph made of titanium to explore the Titanic? He did.

Titanium isn't a very expensive metal. You can find current prices online.

Since it is just a bit heavier than aluminum it is found with lighter materials such as aluminum rather than with silver and gold.

Since titanium is being used more in jewelry now and since it has been showing up on the beaches in other forms, I thought I'd spend some time making sure you know something about it.

I'd still like to hear comments on the mystery object I showed yesterday.


Forecast and Conditions.

The wind is from the west today and the seas are beginning to build a little. Although I don't expect conditions to improver much, the seas are going to increase to around 4.5 feet tomorrow, which should help stir things up a bit.


Happy hunting.
TreasureGuide@comcast.net