Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
Dip on Treasure Coast Beach This Morning.This beach in St. Lucie County looks very similar to the beach I showed a couple of days ago from Seagrape Trail.
There is a sand bar out front. You can probably see it in the photo. The waves are breaking on the bar out in front of the beach. A dip has formed between the beach and sand bar.
Palm Beach County may approve a treasure hunting project in DuBois Park. Interesting!
Here is the link. I'm pretty sure you'll want to read this one.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/doubloon-ing-down-county-may-okay-pirate-treasure-1948781.html
Thanks to Jorge Y. who sent me the article.
Have you ever dug an item so small that you just can't see it? Time after time it falls through your scoop or you spend an hour fingering the sand hoping to find that elusive target that gives a signal but can't continues to play hide-and-seek.
Some of the hardest targets to see are needle thin pieces of iron or pieces of old fish hooks. But not all see-ums are junk.
I remember the time I found a small gold bead at Corrigans. I had no trouble detecting it, but had a very hard time finding it in the sand. I got it in a handful of sand and threw it on my coil. Still I had a hard time finding it even though I knew it was there and could hear it every time I moved it around with the sand on my coil. Not only was it small, but it seemed to fade right in with the sand.
Throwing the sand holding the item onto the coil is one way to find invisible targets. Another way, and the better way I think, is the following.
This method works best when you are working in wet sand but can be used with dry sand too.
Dig a good full scoop where the target seems to be but instead of sifting the sand take it to where the water is just barely reaching when the waves come in. Dump the sand near the high water mark. Spread it out a little with your foot. Wait for the water to hit the dumped sand. When the water washes down, most of the time you'll be able to see the item. Even very thin wires, fragments of needles, etc. will usually be apparent in the newly washed sand.
It might take some practice to perfect this technique, but when you do, it works as quickly and well as anything.
If the water happens to come up harder than expected and threatens to wash the sand and the item away, quickly put your foot on top of the target, and perhaps just a little to the down slope side. That will normally be enough to hold it in place.
It helps to have some experience with the technique and be quick footed.
I can usually tell from the signal whether I should sift or dump and wash.
I got word that pieces of pennies or other items are being scattered at some locations to discourage detectorists. That's actually funny to me.
Some time ago I got word from one salvor that another salvor threw a bunch of pennies on the beach to discourage detectorists at one location. I guess it might have discouraged somebody, but I was grateful. I used those pennies as an indicator for some time. I could go to the spot, which is one of the better spots on the Treasure Coast, quickly scan the area, and I would quickly tell if things were washing up onto the beach at the time. It also quickly told me if anyone else had recently detected the area or not. I will use most anything on a beach as an indicator.
I've even been known to place various distinctive metal objects on a beach to use indicators. If someone else wants to contribute, I'll just say "Thank you." I can tell how things are moving, and if I should spend much time at a particular spot by the presence or absence of indicators like that.
Almost everything that is found on a beach can tell you something. And almost everything can be turned to good use.
Today I found a very worn wheat penny and a few other coins on the slope just above the dip that I showed in the photo. The penny, of course, is no big deal but it tells me something. It tells me that older items are washing up there. There was no cut of any significance above the dip, and all of the sand above the dip had accumulated relatively recently.
It is worth checking more thoroughly when older items are appearing - even if they aren't real old.
Treasure Coast Beach Detecting Forecast and Conditions.
Most beaches have deteriorated some since the time I issued the 2 rating. Nonetheless, I still think they are too good to rate less than a 2. But the big news for me is the high seas coming Sunday and next week. It now looks like we'll get eight foot and higher seas. Combined with the action we had the past week, that could be very promising. Hopefully it will hit us for a day or two at a good angle.
Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net
