11/24/17 Report - Florida's Golden Age of Treasure Hunting is Over: My Opinion. Aku Aku. Garrett AT Max Review.

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

The Gold Age of Florida treasure hunting is over.  That's my opinion.  I'm not saying that there isn't anything left to find, because there is a lot left to find.  And I'm not saying there won't be much found, because a lot will be found.  What I am saying is that the days when a bunch of regular guys could get together, form a company and get a salvage lease is over.  In theory the laws haven't changed to prevent that; but the state will be putting up more walls and making applicants jump through more hoops.

I don't believe that Florida will be giving new salvage leases unless you have really big money, a lot of inside influence and can get law-makers to go to work for you.  It might be possible to win, but most applicants will be stalled and stalled until they either give up or find that it is no longer practical.   I might be wrong about all of that and hope that I am.  I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

I don't have a lot of insider knowledge or connections, but I do know about some things that are going on and that you might not expect a guy like me to know.  If you think you have found a new wreck and want to get a salvage lease on it, the state will expect you to jump through all kinds of hoops.  They are asking more of applicants than ever before, including additional research and expanded reports.  Maybe you can bust through if you have high-level connections, but that is not what I'm talking about today.  I'm talking about new guys wanting to work new projects.  In those cases, the state will probably let you go through the first step or two and string you along.  They'll take the data you collect, use it and maybe get you to do some more work for them, but in the end, make it an archaeological site.  That is what I'm betting.

Maybe you remember back in 2012 when they proposed SB 686.  The treasure hunting community got together and fought that.  The big guys did their thing, while the reader's of this blog contacted their representatives and wrote letters.  The treasure hunting community won that one, but what I'm talking about today isn't the state making new laws, though that is likely too.  What I'm talking about today is very much like what you see with the establishment in Washington, D. C.  Government officials can make things difficult without changing the law.

If I'm wrong about any of this, let me know.  I'll be glad to post additions or corrections.

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Mike F. sent me the following message.

It was nice to read the Easter Island story and see the pictures. If your readers want to learn more about Easter Island I recommend a book I read, and loved many, many years ago called 'AKU AKU, the secret of Easter Island by Thor Heyerdahl. He wrote the book after his famous KON TIKI adventures. He also, way back then, realized the statues on Easter Island had bodies and did some excavation.

Thanks Mike.

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Steve from Sebastian sent this report on his new Garrett AT Max.

Have about 15 hours on the new Garrett AT MAX…no toy. Amazing machine, I have targets about every 3 feet in my yard, as it powers down through a foot of fill to the original 30 year old lot underneath. LOVE the wireless headphones too with their own volume control. Machine WATERPROOF TO 10 FEET. Bought the wired waterproof headphones right away. ..

Thanks for the resport Steve.

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Hollow Heavy Copper Item

I thought this item looked a bit like an old hose nozzle, but it has screw threads at the top and bottom.  It is heavy, but hollow.  Don't know what it is.

I was 1.5 pounds heavier today.  It could have been worse.  I don't think I'll ever be able to get into my old wet suit.

The last time I went to the beach I saw a lot of snow bird cars.  I saw Alaska, Colorado and of course the more common ones such as New York.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/14/11 Report - Salvage and Search Lease Areas & More

Treasure Coast Beach This Morning.

I'm often asked where you can detect in the water and where you can't. That should be an easy question to answer, but it isn't.

Below is the information that I have on that. I hope it helps.

Here are the center points of the salvage leases that I have.

Cabin Wreck North 27.49.8 West 80.25.55
Anchor Wreck North 27.48.2 West 80.24.70
Corrigans North 27.46.2 West 80.22.67
Rio Mar North 27.38.3 West 80.20.90
Sandy Point North 27.35.8 West 80.19.65
Nieves North 27.25.3 West 80.16.50
Power Plant North 27.21.2 West 80.13.65

The leased areas include the area defined by a radius of 3000 yards out from the center point. That means an area of around 3.2 miles across (diameter).

I've posted this information before, but I get asked so often that I thought I would post it again.

My 9/20/2010 and 9/23/2010 posts provide maps showing most, but not all of the leased areas.

I'm sorry I don't have it all, and I can't guarantee that what I do have is accurate or up-to-date. It isn't easy to get this information. I haven't found where it is published by official sources. I think it should be public information and easily accessible to the citizens of the state for whom those cultural and historic resources are being protected.

If anyone can provide complete, accurate, up-to-date maps of lease areas I'd be happy to post them so people will know where they aren't allowed to detect.

I can tell you from personal observation that a some of those leased areas haven't been actively worked for quite some time.


The survey has concluded and the results are in. Most people who travel to metal detect, travel by car. That isn't in the least surprising. It does make the information that I've provided lately concerning crime at the beach accesses important.

I'm a little surprised by how many people take their detectors on planes and boats. And I am surprised that as many people take detectors on boats as planes.

I suspect that before airport security became so tough, it was more common to take detectors on planes.

I remember in the eighties and nineties before airport security was as tight as it is today, I would take my detector as carry-on and when I went through security, they didn't have the slightest idea what the detector was but they passed me through without any trouble. That wouldn't happen so easily these days. I don't think I would try to take my detector as carry-on these days.

I'd like to hear any tips or experiences from those of you who take your detector on either planes or cruise ships.

Don't forget to check out the new site on my Treasure Links List. And you mightalso want to take a look at the old posts containing the lease area maps.

And don't forget you can use the blog search box to find information in old posts.


Treasure Coast Beach Forecast and Conditions

Beach conditions on the Treasure Coast are not only very poor for finding cobs, but also poor for finding iron artifacts or anything old now.

We are really in summer now. It is hot and the surf has calmed down. Nothing but sand everywhere.

Well, not quite nothing. There are some shells and light materials. But not much good.

Shell Pile Found This Morning.

The shell piles were few and far between but there were a few. I found some fossils in shell piles like this one.

I also detected around the shell piles without much luck. Just a few worthless pieces of metal.

The wind is out of the west. That is why the surf is so smooth.

The forecast says the surf will remain calm for the nest week. You might either want to hunt tourist beaches or take a dip. That is one reason I posted the lease area information again today. The surf is nice and calm.

One thing I often tell people is that if they don't know if they can detect on a certain beach, ask. If there is a life guard, they will be able to tell you what you can and can't do. In some cases, you might want to call government officials. The people in Parks and Recreation will be able to tell you.

A lot, if not all, state and national parks do not permit detecting. Again, if in doubt, ask.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net