Im thinking of going on an MDing trip to Florida to go beach hunting. Suggestion?

[rustyman9791]

I'm thinking of going on an MDing trip to Florida to go beach hunting. Suggestion?

I just got laid off and have a lot of time on my hands. Everything is pretty frozen here in Wisconsin and thinking of going on a metal detecting walk about to Florida. Looking for suggestions of beaches to go to in Florida. Should I got to the gulf or the atlantic side? Where is it legal to go? Any help is appreciated. I'm kinda thinking of the Daytona beach area.

 

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[bigscoop]

I'm just south of Daytona in New Smyrna Beach. Beaches are getting sanded in pretty good here again. Also, don't expect to do too much water hunting here as the winter currents tend to be a little stronger, just depends on mother nature what conditions you'll encounter. And last, tourism and beach traffic has been very slow since Sandy so even recent drops are few and far between. On the other hand, if you do come down this way give me a shout and maybe we can hook up.

 

[Beach Papa]

Chances are that no one who hunts in Florida is going to tell you to come to their favorite beach to hunt or that the beach in such and such city hasn't been hunted by anyone in years, go there. Since I don't live in Florida, I can answer your question. The most things are lost where the most people swim and sun. Most popular beaches are hunted by someone or lots of someones, but they don't cover every inch and they miss good stuff all the time. Go to Google Earth and pick a beach. Check it out and other less popular beaches where other hunters might not have gone. Decide where the parking lots are and where you think the most people would have congregated on the beach and in the water. Start there. If you get LOTS of signals, then you might be the first detector to hit that beach in a while. But more likely you will get few if any signals. You can try the fringes of that beach where the cherry picker hunters might not have gone, or just grid and cover every square inch of the beach. My last hunt was 5 hours at a beach that is hunted often by several hunters with quality machines. I found 2 pennies, 1 nickel, 2 dimes and a 16.5 gram silver chain. Not a fantastic hunt, but I got good exercise and had fun. Don't plan to spend money to travel to Florida and think you are going to match your lost wages in treasure finds. It could happen, but not likely. hh, Papa

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I will be glad to tell you my favorite beach, ALL of them.... Sand is constantly moving, so it is constantly changing..A month ago I would have told you south florida, but it has sanded back in and finds are really slowing down from what I have been told......It is hit or miss where ever you go right now here, you look for fresh cuts, washouts or errosion on the beaches....Don't expect to hit the beaches and find lots of gold, not going to happen right now, still the occasional good finds but they are the exception..

Forcast is lots of sun with lots of sand.....

 

[bigscoop]

One other thing....while you can't always accurately forecast mother nature down you can accurately forecast the tides. Go online and try to pick a week when the tides are at their lowest during your planned/preferred hunting times. i.e., if you prefer to hunt in the middle of the day when the sun is warm, and you also plan to do some water hunting, don't pick a week when low tides are at 7am & 7pm and high tide is at 1pm. Try to find a week when low tides will be in those preferred hunting hours.

 

[Crispin]

The gulf coast is better for water hunting because the water is calm right now. I went out last weekend for a bit and the water was like glass, pretty warm as well. St. Pete Beach and Clearwater are the biggest tourist beaches but also the most hunted. Last hunt was five hours and I found 10 clad, junk earring, demolished cell phone, fishing hooks, and nails. I can just about gaurantee you will not recoop airfare and hotel costs.

 

[davest]

Since I live and hunt on the gulf side, I would have to say Daytona is the best spot to go to. All the beaches from Naples to Homosassa are sanded in right now and no one is swimming, just walking the beach and metal detecting.

 

[CWnut]

could someone give us inlanders a little short course about how and when the beaches get "sanded in"...i'm wanting to go to Fla. this spring before Memorial Day and need a bit more info....thanks is advance

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

could someone give us inlanders a little short course about how and when the beaches get "sanded in"...i'm wanting to go to Fla. this spring before Memorial Day and need a bit more info....thanks is advance

Unfortunately it is not seasonal, it can change at the drop of a hat.... We need a good Nor'Eastern since it is too late for a hurricane..... Anytime there is a hurricane that comes close to Florida is a good time to go hunt, but you have to time it right and get there quick... Many hunters are holed up and hitting the beach just after a cat 1 hurricane eye passes and I mean just after, as in minutes to just couple hours after.....

Best time to come is durring tourist season when there are lots of fresh drops, but if it is sanded in bad, the gold sinks fast and there is lots of competition..... You have to watch the weather report to see what direction the wind is from on or off shore, what direction the surf is hitting the shore line, what direction the current is moving off shore and when the full moon is for the highest and lowest tides....

There is a lot more to sucessful waterhunting than just going to the beach, that is unless you live in Florida close to the beach, then you just go anytime you want, more times you go, better chances of finding something....

 

[bigscoop]

could someone give us inlanders a little short course about how and when the beaches get "sanded in"...i'm wanting to go to Fla. this spring before Memorial Day and need a bit more info....thanks is advance

The generalized short of it; there is an endless supply of sand just offshore that is slowly delivered to the beach during periods of "normal" wave action. Wind changes, storms, etc., these things change this normal wave action and at times even increases the amount of water volume and force on the the beach, can even effect the direction of the flow, as such, these changes can actually strip sand from the beach. Once these abnormal patterns pass through and things return to normal the sand starts being delivered back onto to the beach again. There is more to it then this but this is the generalized basics of the life cycle in regards to the sand coming on & off our beaches.

 

[dewcon4414]

CWnut.... this may help: http://www.mdhtalk.org/tutorials/beaches/metal-detecting-beaches.pdf Its a start. Are you hunting only the wet and dry sand? If so, those beaches with fluffy sand are great.... stuff drops and you loose them quickly. Like BS said..... great low tides help. Winter is IMO a good time to dry sand hunt lot more snow birds just setting on the beach.

Dew

 

[CASPER-2]

Chances are that no one who hunts in Florida is going to tell you to come to their favorite beach to hunt or that the beach in such and such city hasn't been hunted by anyone in years, go there. Since I don't live in Florida, I can answer your question. The most things are lost where the most people swim and sun. Most popular beaches are hunted by someone or lots of someones, but they don't cover every inch and they miss good stuff all the time. Go to Google Earth and pick a beach. Check it out and other less popular beaches where other hunters might not have gone. Decide where the parking lots are and where you think the most people would have congregated on the beach and in the water. Start there. If you get LOTS of signals, then you might be the first detector to hit that beach in a while. But more likely you will get few if any signals. You can try the fringes of that beach where the cherry picker hunters might not have gone, or just grid and cover every square inch of the beach. My last hunt was 5 hours at a beach that is hunted often by several hunters with quality machines. I found 2 pennies, 1 nickel, 2 dimes and a 16.5 gram silver chain. Not a fantastic hunt, but I got good exercise and had fun. Don't plan to spend money to travel to Florida and think you are going to match your lost wages in treasure finds. It could happen, but not likely. hh, Papa

no one would help me when I first used to head down to Fla.
now I made a few friends down there - I put them onto gold and they have put me onto some
I try going where the locals wont go or cant go
what I mean by that is there are some spots that are mile or so from a public parking and they wont walk that distance
or there is public parking and its expensive and some guys wont pay the price
I try and stay at hotels that locals will have a hard time parking near or will have to take a long walk to hit
here is a sample of some Fla. finds of mine
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/members/29748-albums1617.html

make another post and ask if someone is willing to hook up - you could get lucky

 

[ron lord]

You can come to my beach ,they just add 5 feet of new sand to the beach on top of the old beach ,and we are finding lots of nothing. You can try the water . You sink 4" on every step you take in the water and know one is going in the water. I guess the best thing you can do is stay home it's safer and you can save the money you wasted by going to FL.

 

[mad4wrecks]

Rustyman, first let me say I am sorry you got laid off. This is a difficult time of the year to be without an income. I wish the best for you. The lower east coast of Florida experiences some pretty spectacular days during the winter, but can suddenly change and we get hit with a nor'easter or a cold front....like today.
Either way, it has to be better than Wisconsin. The Treasure Coast and Jupiter area is very nice and affordable. Lots of things to do and see and most all the beaches are open to detect.