Controlling Grid Search Pattern In Water (At a Beach)

[Thead]

Anyone have any suggestions for keeping an accurate search grid when detecting in the water (like at the beach)? When I search at the beach, I head out several yards into the water then back towards shore. I then step over around six feet and repeat the process. I find it very difficult to keep my bearing (especially when heading out looking at a horizon without any reference points). I wish there was some kind of super-accurate GPS device that I could use to control my search pattern.

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Just takes practice. Keep at it and it will become second nature to you.

 

[Bill G]

I have the same issue at times on the beach but not when inland hunting. The water flowing under my path sometimes throws me off. Like Terry said it just takes practice.

Take Care,
Bill G

 

[HARRASS]

I know what you mean... it is easy to work a pattern when there are ropes with buoys holding them up. Once they are removed at the end of the season and your head is down it becomes very difficult to know where you have searched. The one beach I search is larger than a football field. Without markers it is almost impossible to know if you are going over the same area. I made up some small markers using a sinker and a small buoy and some fishing line. I have about 6 and I mark out an area I feel comfortable with, work it and move on to another sector. Its a bit of a pain but I never go over the same area twice.
You could use a cork or a piece of wood. Just make sure your marker can slide up and down. Doesn't matter if it is 2' or 5'of water... it will adjust to the depth. Fishing bobbers are also great. The ones I have I just throw them out and they unravel to mark an area. At the end of the day I just wind them up and they are ready for the next hunt.
Hopes this helps you... good hunting.

 

[redcobra8u]

Anyone have any suggestions for keeping an accurate search grid when detecting in the water (like at the beach)? When I search at the beach, I head out several yards into the water then back towards shore. I then step over around six feet and repeat the process. I find it very difficult to keep my bearing (especially when heading out looking at a horizon without any reference points). I wish there was some kind of super-accurate GPS device that I could use to control my search pattern.

. I drag my scoop up into the sand a few feet to mark my line.

 

[BOXING63]

I agree with you terry good luck...

 

[ron lord]

Drag your scoop behind you , it leaves a trail in the bottom of the water.

 

[lost items recovery]

Come up on shore and make a quick line in the sand into a u shape returning back into the water and each time you do so it is your focal point.

Sent from my iPhone using TreasureNet

 

[CASPER-2]

I wear a mask 99% of the time and can usually see my prints and will also drag scoop along side of me - so i usually dont have a prob - in rougher water - its tough to work an accurate grid - especially if there is no viz and water is pushing you to & fro

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Anyone have any suggestions for keeping an accurate search grid when detecting in the water (like at the beach)? When I search at the beach, I head out several yards into the water then back towards shore. I then step over around six feet and repeat the process. I find it very difficult to keep my bearing (especially when heading out looking at a horizon without any reference points). I wish there was some kind of super-accurate GPS device that I could use to control my search pattern.

\\

Its easy if you know the area you are searching and the water is calm/protected.
As long as you never turn your back on land, you can use a new reference point on land, for each sweep.
All you have to do, is alternate between walking backwards (out to sea) and walking forwards (toward land) while sweeping after every step over.

 

[Thead]

I had not thought of trying to walk backwards when heading out (so that you can use a visual reference on the shore). I will give that a shot. Thanks. I have tried dragging my scoop but the only time I seem to be able to see the scoop drag lines is when I am heading in (and I already use shore visual references when heading in). When heading out, there is always too much sun glare to see the scoop drag line. Note that I am hunting on east coast beaches between 0500 and 0900 so the sun usually affects visibility when heading out.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Since you will be vulnerable with your back to the waves, you should only use this techniques when the water is calm. Or you are protected from waves, such as in a lagoon or in a bay, swimming ponds are ideal.

As I used to skin dive, walking backwards with fins becomes second nature when going out or coming back in. You have to be a more careful walking backwards where there are rocks or holes as you are close to your pivot point and are more easily cut.

You have to be alert for swimmers, cutting you off.
Some are natually curious, with most it is accidental, not realizing you are walking backwards.

Be sure to wear polaroids so that you see the bottom and cut through the glare.

Don't forge to shuffle/drag you feet when sting rays are in the area.

I also, like to walk backwards when searching areas with strong currents, finding it easier to control
the search coil.
Walking backwards while sweeping your search

 

[WaterWalker]

Instead of detecting perpendicular to the beach...try detecting parallel to the shore.
You can keep track by drag marks and the level that the water is on your body.
I search in 25 yard areas so the tide does not matter much as it changes.
I can keep a pretty tight pattern by overlaping my sweep both as I walk forward and at the end of each sweep.
Overlapping decreases the possibility of missing a target.
Whatever method you use, practice makes perfect (nearly especially as the waves and currents work against you).

 

[redbeardrelics]

There are small handheld (roughly cell phone sized) GPS units that will record your path as a line on a map as you walk back and forth. I have used one for the last several years while metal detecting and/or looking for indian artifacts in open field sites. They are generally accurate enough for this purpose on a day to day basis, meaning that for one particular hunt session they will lock onto a half a dozen different satellites, and will show the back and forth path you are walking to within just a few feet at most. They are less accurate if used to locate a particular spot one day, and then come back at another time to find the same exact spot, because they are two different sessions, and chances are they are locking onto different combinations of satellites on each session, but mine is still accurate to within 6 feet when used that way. I usually let mine hang from it's lanyard around my neck, and rest in my tee shirt pocket for quick access. They can not only show you your walking path as a line on a map, but of course also record the location of your finds, probably not of much significance for modern jewelry, but possibly useful for things such as coins or artifacts from long lost ship wrecks. They will also record how far you walked during your session. which may just be trivia for some, but has helped me justify to my wife why I was so tired when returning home. HH
PS, Mine is not waterproof, and I have not researched, but assume that they are available waterproofed as well.

 

[Bum Luck]

Any GPS that accurate would be way too expensive to hazard near salt water. Mine is mil-spec, but the repair bill would be over a thousand easily, maybe a completely toasted unit; salt water is really nasty on electronics.

Up nort here, we use 4' fiberglass wands about the diameter of a pencil so the snow plow can see the outer edges of parking lots. Why not use one of them? Just push it into the sand bottom and in your next run aim for a spot 6' over; reset the wand and repeat with each pass. An old arrow would work as well.

Much cheaper. And it doubles as an NA artifact stick.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Instead of detecting perpendicular to the beach...try detecting parallel to the shore.
You can keep track by drag marks and the level that the water is on your body.
I search in 25 yard areas so the tide does not matter much as it changes.
I can keep a pretty tight pattern by overlaping my sweep both as I walk forward and at the end of each sweep.
Overlapping decreases the possibility of missing a target.
Whatever method you use, practice makes perfect (nearly especially as the waves and currents work against you).

The advantage(s) of gridding this way, is that your detector is more stable as it does not to continuously have to be tuned for changes in depth.

Rather than drag my scoop which stirs up the bottom and can do damage, I use my body as a dip stick: something like first pass at ankle level, next pass mid shin bone level, knee cap level, waist level, chest level, and chin level.

Even when gridding parallel to the shore/ridges in the bottom, I still walk backwards, to minimize exposure to the sun (I wear a long sleeve rash guard with hoodie, plus a flap cap to provide some shade to my face and father protect the back of my neck – I am in the tropics).

What I don’t like about this method is that my ten inch coil is too large to get into the trough and ridges and I get some falsing when the search coil touches the high spots on the bottom.

Also, you have to walk crab legged where the bottom is sloped which puts more stress on my knees. As I am older, I frequently have knee problems especially when hunting on wet sand where the beach has a steep slope.

For productive areas with iron, it is important that you grid parallel to the shore as well as perpendicular to the shore. If it remains productive on the second grid search, you should then grid search with your search coil diagonal to the shore, then back at the opposite diagonal as long as it is productive.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

There are small handheld (roughly cell phone sized) GPS units that will record your path as a line on a map as you walk back and forth. I have used one for the last several years while metal detecting and/or looking for indian artifacts in open field sites. They are generally accurate enough for this purpose on a day to day basis, meaning that for one particular hunt session they will lock onto a half a dozen different satellites, and will show the back and forth path you are walking to within just a few feet at most. They are less accurate if used to locate a particular spot one day, and then come back at another time to find the same exact spot, because they are two different sessions, and chances are they are locking onto different combinations of satellites on each session, but mine is still accurate to within 6 feet when used that way. I usually let mine hang from it's lanyard around my neck, and rest in my tee shirt pocket for quick access. They can not only show you your walking path as a line on a map, but of course also record the location of your finds, probably not of much significance for modern jewelry, but possibly useful for things such as coins or artifacts from long lost ship wrecks. They will also record how far you walked during your session. which may just be trivia for some, but has helped me justify to my wife why I was so tired when returning home. HH
PS, Mine is not waterproof, and I have not researched, but assume that they are available waterproofed as well.

I would just double bag a non water proof GPS in light freezer bags to protect it from the salt water mist and keep it dry as I could.
Or for only $2,400 dollars plus you can buy a CTX 3030 which has a GPS built in.

 

[Thead]

I like the idea of using a length of pole/wand to mark my path. I will give that a shot the next time I head out. Thank you (Bum Luck) for the suggestion.

 

[Bum Luck]

I like the idea of using a length of pole/wand to mark my path. I will give that a shot the next time I head out. Thank you (Bum Luck) for the suggestion.

Well, it's low tech......... !

You're welcome, and Happy Hunting!

 

[fongu]

I thought about using the 4 foot plastic garden stakes about 1/2 inch in diameter to mark when I go to the river, but decided it didn't matter if I over lapped or hit the same area twice. You always miss something and over lapping has found quite a few targets in an area that was hunted out by other detectors. Never been detecting in salt water yet.