Over run with competition!!!!

[I C THE LITE]

I am not complaining about the competition. I am just asking if it's just me or is everyone else noticing a lot of more people out detecting. I like to go early (5 am) before the crowds and I am amazed at how many people are there before me. 3 times last week I was the last guy to the party and twice this week I beat the competition by less than an hour. Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me.

 

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[Budman231]

I don't think its a bad thing for others to discover the hobby. More folks will drive competition among MD manufacturers and ultimately give everyone better machines at lower cost. I believe that good number of people trying it won't stick with it like every other hobby out there. That said, you can probably thank KG and the other knucklehead on TV for the onslaught of noobs combing the beaches and parks these days.

Bud

 

[JunkShopFiddler]

I agree, I see a lot more. I started detecting when I was a twenty-something back in 1980 and people thought you were nuts, I had folks ask me if I was blind and, "is that some sort of an electronical cane?". Someone ask me if I was looking for land mines". People would drive past me and yell out their car windows, "YOU IDIOT" or "YOU AIN'T GONNA FIND S***".

Electronic devices made you a nerd and a target back then. I remember a guy in high school who got bullied daily just for carrying a calculator. Nowadays carrying electronic devices is all the rage, and the more obscure the device the better!. Detector designs are are becoming way more attractive and cool. People see one, they want one! They want to do something new or trendy.

Not trying to open another can of worms here, but the other day a carload of cute young ladies drove past me while was I detecting near a swimming pool parking lot and one waved to me and yelled, "HEY, IS THAT THE NECTAR SECTOR?" Maybe they were making fun, but I haven't gotten smiled at by a bunch of cuties in close to 40 years, WOO HOO!...beats being called an idiot.

 

[Argentium]

I'm guessing certain areas of the country are much more prone to huge detector populations- CA and Fla beaches for example .
My detecting life has been in the Rocky Mountain West for most of ten years - I've seen almost nobody out detecting when I've
gone out , but I also must say I've never lived in cities larger than 100,000 population .

 

[U.K. Brian]

My beaches tend to always have people detecting on them except when its snowing. The easy way round it is just to beat the crowd which at this time of year means arriving at five in the morning when its light enough to see and detecting through to ten//eleven when people start to drift down.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Well you have a point there, last Sunday was the first time I have ever seen another detect user show up at the same park I was at! He was on one side of the field and I on the other, never met.
I did however inspect his dug holes just to make sure he was doing it right, he passed!

 

[Frankn]

First off, timing is everything. On most beaches, they leave at 6PM for supper and usually don't return. If you go at 6PM, you have first dibs and you beat the beach cleaning equipment.
This also applies to parks to a certain extent. When you go in the morning, you are following behind the night crawlers and late evening searchers.
How about searching virgin territory such as researching really old forgotten parks, picnic areas, swimming holes, etc. That might mean searching the library one day instead of that overcrowded park! Just some thoughts, Frank...-

 

[Moresound]

I usually only run across wildlife while digging cellar holes.

But going to the beach is a totally different story. The ocean has detectorist evolving from sea creatures and spawning out of the surf at low tide. That's why I 99% of the time hunt the ground and not the beach.

Some parks have been hit to death while others haven't ... It's the toss of the dice.

 

[foiler]

I like beaches after labor day. After winter or spring storms are best. I leave the beaches in the summer to the people that loose the stuff I find.

 

[justdon]

Where iam at every summer it looks like herds of people are at the parks/beaches and county fairgrounds.They see these shows and then they are determined to find gold/silver and coins.Then they get no instant gratification and the md goes in the closet or garage.Or if you are lucky you might get one for a good price at a garage sale.

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Only fresh water beaches here and they are pounded. I stick to the woods these days. As Frankn stated, research is key. I recently discovered a long gone school house at the library? I ain't usually the "book readin'" type.
In the past 5 years, I've only seen or tt 5 other detectorists. I know more are near though. I've seen their plugs.
Good luck
Peace