Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
I woke up this morning thinking of the dangers that you might encounter while metal detecting in Florida. The list grew as I thought about it. While some are truly life-threatening, others are only inconveniences or minor irritations. You can minimize these problems if you are aware of them and take some precautions. Even though it is a long list, either by dumb luck or the protective hand of God, I've personally had very little serious trouble. Still, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
One of the most dangerous things you'll encounter is rough water. When the surf is big, like after a storm, there will be all kinds of debris floating around, including lumber and trees. It can easily catch you off guard and knock you into the surf. That can be real dangerous. I knew of one lady that lost her metal detector to the rough surf. It could be worse.
Probably one of the most dangerous things that I used to do is work the area in front of a big eroding cliff while a big surf was banging away at it. The water will hit you when it is coming in, but worse yet, it will then bounce off the cliff and hit you from the other direction.. I used to detect in water like that up to my waist, which isn't easy. That could have easily turned into a bad accident. You have to resist the water one way, and the get yourself set to stand against it coming the other way. Sometimes you get it from both directions. There was also the falling sand to watch out for. Not a good idea.
Everybody in Florida knows about lightning. There are more lightning deaths in Florida than any other state.
I only knew one fellow who had been struck by lightning. He got struck twice and while it didn't kill him, he suffered from it all his life.
He wasn't from Florida. I met him when I was doing consulting for Federal Express in Memphis. He worked at the airport and was struck on the tarmac.
Accidents are always a possibility. I recommend some type of foot protection. I used to always go barefoot and while working in shallow water once had my foot cut by glass and another time got a fishing lure stuck in my foot. I was doing what I call foot fanning when I got the hook in my foot. If you do any foot fanning, footwear is highly recommended.
Depending upon what you are doing, you might also want to wear protective gloves. If you are recovering items that are covered with barnacles, wear gloves. Picking up and throwing a barnacle-covered bottle WILL cut your hands. That is just one example.
Another time I got a bad ankle sprain. I was working in the shallow water where a lot of larger round coral rocks had accumulated. I'm sure you imagine how walking on that could end up causing an ankle sprain.
If you are from Iowa or someplace you might not know about rip tides. The first time I wandered into one, I didn't realize what was happening. If you don't know about rip tides and aren't a good swimmer they can be dangerous.
The Florida sun is a real danger too, especially for those with light skin. I know some detectorists who have had very serious problems with skin cancer. So protect your skin as well as your feet.
One of the most dangerous things you'll encounter is rough water. When the surf is big, like after a storm, there will be all kinds of debris floating around, including lumber and trees. It can easily catch you off guard and knock you into the surf. That can be real dangerous. I knew of one lady that lost her metal detector to the rough surf. It could be worse.
Probably one of the most dangerous things that I used to do is work the area in front of a big eroding cliff while a big surf was banging away at it. The water will hit you when it is coming in, but worse yet, it will then bounce off the cliff and hit you from the other direction.. I used to detect in water like that up to my waist, which isn't easy. That could have easily turned into a bad accident. You have to resist the water one way, and the get yourself set to stand against it coming the other way. Sometimes you get it from both directions. There was also the falling sand to watch out for. Not a good idea.
Everybody in Florida knows about lightning. There are more lightning deaths in Florida than any other state.
I only knew one fellow who had been struck by lightning. He got struck twice and while it didn't kill him, he suffered from it all his life.
He wasn't from Florida. I met him when I was doing consulting for Federal Express in Memphis. He worked at the airport and was struck on the tarmac.
Accidents are always a possibility. I recommend some type of foot protection. I used to always go barefoot and while working in shallow water once had my foot cut by glass and another time got a fishing lure stuck in my foot. I was doing what I call foot fanning when I got the hook in my foot. If you do any foot fanning, footwear is highly recommended.
Depending upon what you are doing, you might also want to wear protective gloves. If you are recovering items that are covered with barnacles, wear gloves. Picking up and throwing a barnacle-covered bottle WILL cut your hands. That is just one example.
Another time I got a bad ankle sprain. I was working in the shallow water where a lot of larger round coral rocks had accumulated. I'm sure you imagine how walking on that could end up causing an ankle sprain.
If you are from Iowa or someplace you might not know about rip tides. The first time I wandered into one, I didn't realize what was happening. If you don't know about rip tides and aren't a good swimmer they can be dangerous.
The Florida sun is a real danger too, especially for those with light skin. I know some detectorists who have had very serious problems with skin cancer. So protect your skin as well as your feet.
Florida, like every other place that has people, has crime. In the Miami area my car was broken into a few times. I have not had that problem in at least twenty years on the Treasure Coast. It does happen though. Cars at the beach accesses and other locations are occasionally broken into. I've seen the broken glass and talked to police about such events. Worse yet, I once read of an armed robbery taking place at Pepper Park. You should be vigilant and take precautions. Working with a buddy is never a bad idea.
Florida also has its share of animals that can be a danger. Perhaps the most obvious is sharks, which inhabit the ocean and lagoon.
I once nearly stepped on an alligator. It was buried in muck, and I was just walking along. That was a surprise.
I once nearly stepped on an alligator. It was buried in muck, and I was just walking along. That was a surprise.
Years ago I used to detect alone in the ocean at night. I would not not do that today. It just seems like a very stupid idea to me now.
In my younger years I was detecting in the ocean at night when I was bumped by something large. That was exciting!
In my younger years I was detecting in the ocean at night when I was bumped by something large. That was exciting!
Barracuda have sharp teeth and can be attracted by shiny objects. One large barracuda was always hanging out at one of my favorite water detecting spots. It seemed like he would watch me for hours. He never attacked, but after a while he would get on my nerves.
Sting rays can also put a barb in your foot. I've walked around a lot of those and stepped on some in my bare feet yet managed to escape unharmed. I guess I've exceeded what anyone has any right to expect from dumb luck. See http://www.beachhunter.net/thingstoknow/stingrays/index.htm.
Jelly fish can also be a problem. Snow birds often do not realize that those blue Portuguese Man-O-War that you see washed up on the beaches can sting. One time I got the tentacles of a large one wrapped around my bare leg while I was water detecting. It was pretty painful.
Jelly fish can also be a problem. Snow birds often do not realize that those blue Portuguese Man-O-War that you see washed up on the beaches can sting. One time I got the tentacles of a large one wrapped around my bare leg while I was water detecting. It was pretty painful.
You have to be careful on land too. When I was new to Florida and before I knew anything about fire ants, I dug into a mound while trying to retrieve a target. I quickly learned about fire ants. It seems I've had so many fire ant bites that I've developed some degree of immunity to fire ant venom.
Of course there are the more dangerous venomous animals in Florida than that. We have rattle snakes and coral snakes. In some parts of Florida you also have cotton mouths and others.
An aggressive cotton mouth once chased me out of a swimming hole in North Florida.
Not too long ago I wrote about one detectorist who survived a life-threatening rattle snake bite.
There are plenty of animals in Florida that can do harm. We also have some dangerous spiders, such as the Brown Recuse and Black Widow. Watch for them especially in sheds with old storage boxes and places like that. Gloves and boots are advisable.
I've seen a few scorpions in the Fort pierce area. Florida Scorpions aren't life threatening, but they can sting. They also like cardboard, paper and rotting logs. I've also seen what I think is called a bullwhip scorpion. In fact I've seen those about four times. They aren't dangerous but will spray you with an unpleasant acid.
I wouldn't call it a danger because it is so rare, but I once saw a large Florida Panther crossing A1A the road between Wabasso and Ambersands near dawn one morning about twenty years ago. That was an amazingly beautiful animal that was moving at a high rate of speed without seemingly any effort. I also saw a small panther near the Savannahs once.
This isn't the type of thing I most enjoy writing about, but that is what I thought about this morning, and it might actually do somebody some good. Some of these things can be life-threatening while others are just annoyances. In either case, you might be able to avoid them by simply being aware and taking precautions.
---
The wind is coming from the northeast today. The tides are getting a little bigger and the surf is supposed to increase up to about three feet.
I'd like to get a chance to check out the beach today, but might not be able to.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
Of course there are the more dangerous venomous animals in Florida than that. We have rattle snakes and coral snakes. In some parts of Florida you also have cotton mouths and others.
An aggressive cotton mouth once chased me out of a swimming hole in North Florida.
Not too long ago I wrote about one detectorist who survived a life-threatening rattle snake bite.
There are plenty of animals in Florida that can do harm. We also have some dangerous spiders, such as the Brown Recuse and Black Widow. Watch for them especially in sheds with old storage boxes and places like that. Gloves and boots are advisable.
I've seen a few scorpions in the Fort pierce area. Florida Scorpions aren't life threatening, but they can sting. They also like cardboard, paper and rotting logs. I've also seen what I think is called a bullwhip scorpion. In fact I've seen those about four times. They aren't dangerous but will spray you with an unpleasant acid.
I wouldn't call it a danger because it is so rare, but I once saw a large Florida Panther crossing A1A the road between Wabasso and Ambersands near dawn one morning about twenty years ago. That was an amazingly beautiful animal that was moving at a high rate of speed without seemingly any effort. I also saw a small panther near the Savannahs once.
This isn't the type of thing I most enjoy writing about, but that is what I thought about this morning, and it might actually do somebody some good. Some of these things can be life-threatening while others are just annoyances. In either case, you might be able to avoid them by simply being aware and taking precautions.
---
The wind is coming from the northeast today. The tides are getting a little bigger and the surf is supposed to increase up to about three feet.
I'd like to get a chance to check out the beach today, but might not be able to.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
