laws regarding diving on a known treasure fleet site?

[SebastianSam]

Scubadude, that was quite a intelligent, thoughtful and accurate response. Thank you for your post.

 

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[diverlynn]

sabre15,
I am not trying to be hard on you just offering objections. I mean no insults to you, your not the first to make some of these remarks. Maybe jealous?
Please tell us what we have lost sight of that is important. Our goal? Our values? Our respect? What? Because we don't let anyone else do this? I have only been doing this for several years. Wanna know how I got started? A guy walked into a dive shop in Daytona that I was managing and said "I'm looking to hire a diver to look for treasure", I turned to the owner and put in my 2 weeks notice. He just laughed. We are still great friends and I help him out anytime I can. After a while it becomes your life. It's called "Living the Dream", I may never find the mother lode but you can bet I'll do all I can to get the chance. As Scubadude said its not the end result, it's the journey.

There is no way in hell a guy starting out will ever be able to be an Odyssey or Fisher type group unless they hit the Lottery and that probably would not be enough to stay afloat.

This is our fault or the Gov'ts? Sounds to me like your pis**ed because your not rich enough to start a TH company. Why not complain that you can't start a travel business to the moon!

but for these leases to encroach on what I feel is my god given right just isn't fair

Why do you feel this is your "god given right"? Your not even a Florida resident but you can use your metal detector on any beach any time you like here, coins, artifacts and rare stones are found there also. You can detect more here than in inland waters where anything older than 50 years has to be turned in to the state. I am not sure if that is all states.

DL

 

[sabre15]

I am a Florida resident
Scubadude, great post, you made alot of sense.
I am not a poor disgruntled wanna be treasure hunter, I can afford more than most, on the other hand I feel like I would be a criminal to do the treasure hunting I want to do, it sounds like you break the law as soon as you enter the water and as far as dunes are concerned why are they protected. My beef is with the State but also with single minded people who think that they really own a certain area of the ocean. I've worked hard all my life just like the next guy and to be told you can't treasure hunt this whatever square mile of ocean or whatever is ridiculous.
As for Rgecy, I know alot of history, you can hide behind the computer pretending your a genius because you've researched shipwrecks, but don't lecture me on what you think I should learn. You don't know me! Maybe I will have to spend some of my money and give these big boys a run for their money, its just then I'll be another "joe" out there that thinks he owns part of the ocean. Maybe it should go back to the old west style, that's what true pirates have always done.

 

[rgecy]

Sabre,

I was in the same boat as you not too many years ago. I remember my first trip to the treasure coast. My son and I snorkeled for hours on the Cabin Wreck hoping to find an elusive silver or gold coin. Or even just to catch a glimpse of a cannon from the ill fated 1715 fleet. I definitely understand your position because I was there.

But, by no means am I a genius and actually do not consider myself to be a researcher.

And you certainly cannot accuse me of hiding behind a computer!

I may have pushed a little hard in trying to make my point. I just think you need to give credit to those who have fought so hard to give us the few rights we have today. Without those people and big businesses, the State of Florida, the Archaeologist and the US government would own every wreck and it would be off limits to us all.

They are trying very hard to take them from us right now. With the proposed new laws, only "Big Businesses" will even be able to afford to salvage these wrecks. We welcome you to join the fight!

Robert Gecy
Beaufort, SC

 

[sabre15]

Thank you for clarifying, I do agree with you 100%, we all need to confront the state and all other parties involved head on. My intentions are not to divide us, it was more at first a way in venting, now that I know that you have seen it first hand I respect your point of view even greater. It is not a fair world, but maybe together as a group of like minded people we can make a stand a make it more right than wrong. It's an uphill battle but we need to overcome this or our trade or way of life is over. It is so sad because this is happening on so many other levels of government.

I also would like to send my condolences to the Fisher family, I would never have even dreamed of treasure hunting if it were not for Mel Fisher bringing this awesome "hobby" to the mainstream

 

[MORE AND BEYOND OSSY]

I am a Florida resident
Scubadude, great post, you made alot of sense.
I am not a poor disgruntled wanna be treasure hunter, I can afford more than most, on the other hand I feel like I would be a criminal to do the treasure hunting I want to do, it sounds like you break the law as soon as you enter the water and as far as dunes are concerned why are they protected. My beef is with the State but also with single minded people who think that they really own a certain area of the ocean. I've worked hard all my life just like the next guy and to be told you can't treasure hunt this whatever square mile of ocean or whatever is ridiculous.
As for Rgecy, I know alot of history, you can hide behind the computer pretending your a genius because you've researched shipwrecks, but don't lecture me on what you think I should learn. You don't know me! Maybe I will have to spend some of my money and give these big boys a run for their money, its just then I'll be another "joe" out there that thinks he owns part of the ocean. Maybe it should go back to the old west style, that's what true pirates have always done.

Sabre I'm with you !
Ossy

 

[want2skydive]

Sabre, I think you really need to read up on the current situation and the battles that have been fought and are being fought right now.

No one has ever said you cant detect on the beach. It is still finders keepers from the mean low water mark to the dune line. As for recovery of artifacts underwater or on land(asside from lease areas), the State of Florida (and many others now) says that it is illegal for anyone without a permit to recover anything older than 50 years old.

Even if there was only 1 lease per salvor or salvage company, all the ones you speak of would be taken by now anyway by little guys like Joe Ohio. So instead of one Mel Fisher we would have 10-20 Joe Ohio who probably cant afford to salvage the wreck properly anyway and therefore it would never get done.

So the only way for your scenario to work would be to abolish the leases all together and convince the governments and archies that they have no right to them either. Good Luck with that!

Then we would have every Joe Ohio and Joe Blow diving on these wrecks, using dynamite to destroy the reefs and wrecks and any archaeologically significant data all to hell. Not mention when one finds a pocket of gold or silver, the other wants to hord in on it and now they are in a dispute over who owns it or who found it first. So, what do they do? Maybe we settle this the old fashion way and have us a good old gun fight or duel! Without laws, it WILL happen!

Well first, I see both sides of this argument. Larger companies have used the Adam Smith approach to the legal fights. But if the companies weren't effected I don't think they would be fighting the legal battles that benefit the common good.( ie the rest of us.) I think what Sabre is trying to say is that being outside of the larger companies is like finding what is already a needle in a haystack while dragging a 100 pound ball and chain. 3000 yards is almost 2 miles so that's 4 miles from one end to the other. Leave room for someone else to play with their toys! But I'm sure if the motherload was beeping under my medal detector I would want the area to be 6000 yards! But this is the world we live in and if you want to the next Mel Fisher there are these people called investors. If you convince enough of them that your not crazy or find some that are.... your bankrolled. As for dropping all the laws, leases, and claims and going to your gun to protect what you think is yours, I'm from Texas that's the way we think things should get done.

 

[diverlynn]

Maybe I will have to spend some of my money and give these big boys a run for their money, its just then I'll be another "joe" out there that thinks he owns part of the ocean.

sabre15
Remember, it's a BIG ocean, more and more research is pointing to deeper water. Go for it, there is lots and lots of treasure still out there. Out side the 3 mile state waters it's anybody's game, of course unless there is already an Admiralty claim. Just remember not only can the water be deep so can the sand.
Who knows, You just might be the next Mel, I might look back and remember this and laugh.
If you do go for it, let me know, I could use the work.

Good luck to you

Diverlynn