10/2/17 Report - Good Surf Today and Tomorrow. Growing Collection of Finds From One Shipwreck Site.

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

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

As you can see, we're having more good surf this week.  Today it is supposed to be  4 - 7 feet and tomorrow higher.

I normally would have gone out yesterday to see how things were progressing.  It was nice and windy and rainy.  I wasn't able to get out though, and might not be able to get out for another day or two, so I'm going by what I see on the various internet sources until I can get out to see it for myself.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

The swells are pretty much from the east, with a seconday swell from the south.  This is looking very much like what we've seen the past two or three weeks so far.  There is a nice high surf, but most of the other factors are less than ideal.

With some luck I'll be able to get out to take a look.

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Various Finds From One Unknown Beach Shipwreck Site
Photo submitted by anonymous.

Some of these were posted earlier, but the collection from the site is growing.

The anonymous reader said, "Found a little sash(maybe) gadget among the digging and another small key type small gadget for a old box maybe." These were collected from the site, as the reader says, "... year after year when the "Tide Gods" throw you a bone every 12 or 15 moons." He is hoping something will be eventually be revealed that gives some hint of the age or identity of the wreck.

Below are some closer views and some of the smaller finds.

Several Iron Items Including Some Still In Wood.

Some Smaller Spikes and Things.

One of the Smaller Finds.

Another Small Find.

Another Small Find.

A lot of the time it seems you have to get some of the bigger items out of the way before you start getting the smaller items.  

Congratulations on the finds!  

I wouldn't be surprised if I receive some photos of old items from North Carolina since Maria has passed by.

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I hope you'll add your response to the blog poll if you have not already done that.

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Thinking of the many victims of the Las Vegas shooting.

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/24/17 Report - Bigger Surf Today and Tomorrow on Treasure Coast. Iron and Fossil Finds. Predictions.

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

John Brooks Sandy Front Beach Saturday Afternoon.

Yesterday the beach fronts that I saw were built up with sand.  Notice also the sea weed that indicates incoming light materials.

Below is a large old piece of partially encrusted iron that was found on one beach.  It is about four feet long.

Big Piece of Iron On Beach Saturday Afternoon.

Same Piece of Iron.

According to MagicSeaWeed, Sunday the surf will increase from about 4 -8 feet in the morning up to 7 - 10 feet in the evening.  The wind will be northeast, but the primary swell east.

Yesterday I found a few areas I found where there was erosion to the dune face, but that erosion was not fresh.  While I don't like the direction of the swell tomorrow, the surf will certainly be high enough that something good could happen.

I also found pieces of fossilized bone.

Some of the pieces of fossilized bone found on the beach.

Early this morning John Brooks and Frederick Douglas were only showing more filling.  Nothing goo started to happen there yet.  I don't know about the beaches in the Vero Sebastian area.

John Brooks Beach Early This Morning.

There is a piece of modern wreckage on the beach, which you can see in the photo above.  Also big clumps of seaweed.

Maria is east of us and heading north, probably to come closest to North Carolina.

Surf For A Few Days.
Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

As you can see the surf will increase today and a bit tomorrow.  That is a pretty big surf.

Surf, Swells, and Wind.
Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

It looks like conditions will be a bit more favorable on Monday.  The wind will be more north and the primary swell more from the northeast.  The surf will be high most of the day if the predictions are correct.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/17/15 Report - Detecting With Beach Movements. Mystery Token. Marks On Silver Cross.

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

Markings On A Found Silver Cross.

Can anyone help me identify the markings on this silver cross.  If you can idnetify them please zip me an email.

The cross is about one and a half inches high.  I think it had a loop for a pendant.  The loop is missing.

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Found Token

This token appears to be copper or brass and appears to be just a touch bigger than a quarter.  It is the same on both sides.

I'd also like help in identifying it.  Thanks.

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The above illustration shows the shallow water area and a front beach.  I wanted to discuss detecting in the shallow water a bit today.

I put the orange lines in to divide off some areas.  From left to right, you have the deeper water outside the bar, then the bar, then the dip inside the bar, and then the slope.

You'll often read or hear people say different things like, Check the dips in front of any cuts.  Nothing wrong with that. It is good advice.  I'd check that area if it looks promising, just like I would check any area. The dips will be good sometimes, but sometimes not - depending upon what is going on. Its a very dynamic system and the best thing is to be able to read the flow.

It is never a bad idea to check any area.  But checking doesn't mean spending a lot of time.  Check and make a decision base upon what you see.

Checking can help you not only determine if there are any targets there, it can also help you determine how things are moving.

A couple of thing you might want to learn is what kind of material is in the dip and how much of it there is.

Some types of areas definitely produce much more than others.  No doubt about that.  No area produces all the time though.  And spots will change between hot, neutral and cold, and sometimes very quickly.

Any one of the four areas I mentioned above can be the best place to hunt. Those areas are always changing.  They change as the tides go in and out, and they can change whenever the wind and waves change.

A local thunder storm might not last an hour, yet it can change the situation substantially.  A thunder storm can pass by, whip up the waves and create small cuts in a matter of less than an hour.

There are changes that occur over decades, years, months, weeks, days, hours and even minutes.  The past couple of years, for example, we've been in a sustained period of small surf, and the beaches have changed, but mostly in one direction.   What we've been seeing is a bit unusual.  I've never seen such a long period of time with nothing but small surf.

Even within that time, though, there have been times when things changed significantly on a very short term basis.  One day the front slope was loaded with coins.  The next day that was entirely changed.

My main point today is that things change constantly.  Maybe not large changes, but changes that affect where you will want to spend your time.

The area outside the bar might be the place to be at times.  That would be when swimmers have been hanging out and playing on the bar before the bar moved in.

The bar will move in and out.  I like to check the side of the bar that is losing sand.  For example, if the bar is moving in, check the outside of the bar.

When the bar is moving in, if it goes on long enough, the dip will eventually get filled and objects in the dip will get covered up.

There are times when the dip is a good place to find things like watches.  That often occurs when there coarse shell sand and lose material filling the dip and the coins and similar things are covered up.

The dip can get really good when the front of the slope is cut away and things are dragged down into the dip, especially when the sand gets moved out to deeper water.

Recently on the Treasure Coast, and I'm sure neighboring areas to some extent, there has been very little movement and change.  Things have remained relatively stable for quite a while.  Despite how stable things have been there have been times when certain areas got hot for a short time.  There have been days when it was best to detect the wet beach and other days when the zone just in front of the breakers was good.

It is a dynamic thing.  Don't get stuck in a rut. It's more of a dance.  Get in tune with it and move with it.

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I'll probably continue with this some other time - maybe tomorrow.

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/10/15 Report - Water Hunting Compared to Beach Hunting. Mint Versus Well Worn Finds.

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

Intricate Gold Ear Ring Find.

I hear from all kinds of people.  I hear from a variety of top level experts, and I hear from people that are just thinking about giving metal detecting a try.  That makes it difficult to write for all of those kinds of people.  I mostly write about whatever is on my mind, and that can be far ranging, but sometimes I want to take time to develop a topic before writing.


Today I was thinking about the differences between water hunting and hunting the beach or dry land.  The differences are considerable.  I started detecting when I lived in South Florida.  The transition from hunting dry land to hunting shallow water was easy.  Then I spent a lot of time in the water - more than on land.

10K Mark.
That wasn't easy to see without magnification.

On the Treasure Coast a lot of the shallow water is off limits to metal detecting because of the salvage and exploration leases.  And the swimming beaches are not as busy as down south.  Down south you also have more big shallow water swimming areas where the water is pretty calm much of the year.  You also have all the big resorts and hotels.  Furthermore, the culture is very different, which is no small thing.

But comparing water hunting to dry land, water hunting is more difficult.  Of course you need water proof equipment, which is more expensive.  You have to deal with swells and waves.  Sometimes the water is so rough that it is simply impossible to hunt in shallow water - not only for safety but also to protect your equipment.

Digging a target can be difficult in shallow water, especially in rough water and when there are currents.  The holes can refill as quickly than you can dig them, and the currents can wash sand and items out of your scoop as you lift the scoop.  Visibility can be zero.

There are those annoying waves that slap you at the most annoying times almost like they know when that is.  Just staying put over the hole can be a challenge.

I enjoy rough water hunting, but it takes more skill and better rigged equipment.  With a little experience you can learn to comfortably hunt in very rough water.  In the past I've talked about some of my favorite techniques for doing that.

One thing that is very different is running a search pattern in rough water.  You can not control your coil as easily.  It can be difficult to execute a tight grid pattern with waves pushing you and your coil one way and then the other.  You can, however, learn to use the currents move your coil for you.

In the water your sweep speed will be slower.  On land you can whip a detector as fast as you want to.  In the water, you have the water resistance.  Compared to hunting on land it can feel like you are doing resistance training as you push a detector through water.

I've talked about finding the optimal sweep speed for your detector.  Your sweep speed will naturally be slower in water.  You might want to switch from a motion mode to a non-motion or pinpoint mode id your sweep speed is slowed too much.  You have to know how sweep speed affects your detector in order to know when it might be a good idea to make the switch.  

Those are some of the differences.  There are many more, but those are the ones I was thinking about today.

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Another topic.

The most valuable coins are usually those in the best condition.  And those in the best condition are those that have never been used.  They are in "mint" condition.

For me no coin is prettier than an old coin that has been well handled, smoothed by fingers over the years as it passed from one person to another and with a touch of patina in the depressions.

Coins in mint condition just don't have it.  All you see is metal on metal - sharp angles, and the same monotonous overall shiny surface.

I've noticed that my personal preferences and standards are less and less defined by others and less defined by estimates of value.  I like what I like, and sometimes what I like isn't worth much to the rest of the world.  

I would be surprised to find a mint or near mint condition coin.  The rarity of that would make it a little exciting, and the value might add some excitement, but it would not have the touch that I really like.  It wouldn't show the wear of daily use by men, women or children in their daily lives.

Beach finds don't show a lot of that most of the time.  The sand blasting and salt corrosion does away with a lot of that, but on rare occasions you can find something, maybe a religious medallion or gold crucifix, that shows how soft flesh with time and devotion wore down hard metal.  That is the type of thing I really like to see.  It is almost like shaking hands with those from another time.  Their touch was recorded.  And so is yours.

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On the Treasure Coast we have another day with a one to two foot surf.  If you have a place where you can work the shallow water, you might find slightly deeper water a little easier than working inside the breaking waves where you have a lot of bottom current.

The challenge of deeper water will be staying in place when the swells roll by.  That isn't all that difficult though, especially with the small swells and waves we've been having recently.  Learn to ride the swells rather than fighting them.  I've talked about how to do that in the past.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net