The Ugly Truth About The Beach Machine Debates

[bigscoop]

A sandy beach, it is a mile long and two-hundred yards wide. Hidden in the sands of this beach are six gold rings, all of them only an inch in diameter and buried between four and ten inches deep. On this same beach there's also a dozen experienced hunters sporting a broad assortment of quality beach machines, some new and some old. Guess what, at the end of the day, the guys who get their coil over those buried gold rings are going to find gold.



Year after year the same people seem to always be finding the most gold, many of them using different machines then in previous years, some of them even finding more gold in previous years. This should tell you something of HUGE value. In my opinion there's way too much touting of machines and not near enough discussion about what separates these individuals from the rest of the pack, i.e., “what are they doing differently that delivers them so much success.” Obviously, given the wide variety of machines they have used over the years, it's not the machine. Sure, you need possession of a quality beach machine that's been designed for the task, but this is simply a bag of clubs to be slung over the shoulder of the golfer. Some will excel at the game, others won't. The important question is; "Why?"

 

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[cactusrat]

I think the most likely factor is time spend hunting.

The more time looking, the more will be found. I bet those Mder’s that find a lot of gold spend many a hours looking.

As a result of more time hunting, a person will learn more about what the metal detector is telling them, where the most likely places (near the hot dog stand or over by the rocks) gold will be found, and what beaches to hunt and when to hunt it.

 

[bluediamounds 55]

I think a lot of factors are in play here
He or she who digs the most
Knows his machine and can get them deep targets
Reads the beach fresh water or salt water
Location
Time spent detecting
The gold is there you just have to put your coil over it good luck and happy hunting

 

[DewGuru]

Machine 'A' can have 100 bells and whistles.
Machine 'B' can have 0 bells and whistles and cost thousands less.

Detectors were built to do 1 thing. Find metal. Each machine shares this same functionality.

I've said it before, i'll say it again. The best machine is the machine your using at the time you find your treasure.

Personally, I use machine B.

Machine B has been proven, time and time again, to find just as much (and generally more) than Machine A.

If your not out looking for it, with A or B, you'll not find it.

 

[Terry Soloman]

1) Location, Location, LOCATION!
2) Time spent on the headphones
3) Low and Slow technique
4)Location, Location, LOCATION!

Oh, and let's never forget there are as many "fudgers" as there are "finders" on the forums..

 

[saltwaterminer]

My choice of machine has rarely been the problem... sure there are a few things that make life easier.

Putting in the time, along with detailed records and observation and I'm hunting smarter and building experience.

Looking in total, my last three months of consistent hunting are better than the three years of previous stop/start detecting phases.

I think you can make your own luck and it can come in bunches. Yesterday, I found two junk bands within 20 yards... after not having found nay in 20 hours. Spent three hours last night combing identical ground and found nada.

Prior to that... back to back gold after many days of drought.

In the past, without success, I would just stop hunting after the fever wore off. In the past, I didn't understand what/where I needed to be... so I can see how many give up and never see consistent success and others crush it!

 

[TNGUNS]

I am a prime example of one of the issues as we speak. Just got rid of a G2 for a T2 due to feeling I needed more depth. The area I am hunting does have some really deep stuff due to soil type and years of being turned by a plow. I have no doubt I could go into a home site with my new T2 and would be far LESS productive than with a machine I had many hours on. The more you hunt with a machine the better you get at it. The decision whether a target should be dug is made much quicker. You also learn what pace the machine will allow you to hunt at based on trash etc. I am not a beach hunter but assume the same would apply. Now all I need are more hours on the T2 and lots of good targets ha ha.

 

[HenryWaltonJonesJr]

It does ring true about location, but really I think it comes down to strong experience with a bells and whistle machine that is good at discriminating trash. The less time you are digging the more "location" you can cover.

 

[PI PETE]

Excellent discussion! I enjoy everyone's input!

 

[Les West Central Fl]

A sandy beach, it is a mile long and two-hundred yards wide. Hidden in the sands of this beach are six gold rings, all of them only an inch in diameter and buried between four and ten inches deep. On this same beach there's also a dozen experienced hunters sporting a broad assortment of quality beach machines, some new and some old. Guess what, at the end of the day, the guys who get their coil over those buried gold rings are going to find gold.



Year after year the same people seem to always be finding the most gold, many of them using different machines then in previous years, some of them even finding more gold in previous years. This should tell you something of HUGE value. In my opinion there's way too much touting of machines and not near enough discussion about what separates these individuals from the rest of the pack, i.e., “what are they doing differently that delivers them so much success.” Obviously, given the wide variety of machines they have used over the years, it's not the machine. Sure, you need possession of a quality beach machine that's been designed for the task, but this is simply a bag of clubs to be slung over the shoulder of the golfer. Some will excel at the game, others won't. The important question is; "Why?"

I totally agree with you. No matter what machine you have , if you don't walk over it you will not find it ; however how you cover the area as you walk is important. If you swing your detector to cover only 2 ft. in front of you instead of 5ft. you will miss a lot. Paying attention to the signals and slight changes are also important. You Must Know And Understand Your Detector And It's Limitations. Important items--- Location, detector settings, sweeping of the coil (height,width and over lapping). listening and interpreting the signals and recovery.

 

[bigscoop]

Prime example; This year i have recovered little more then half the gold that I had recovered about this same time last year, and this is after all of the very helpful mods I added to my machine. Then why less gold? It's pretty easy to compute. Last year I spent nearly every day at the beach, this year I get to the beach maybe once or twice a week. Last year I was hunting about 6hrs a day, sometimes longer. This year I hunt maybe 3-4hrs, seldom over 3. So my hunting time has been reduced by about 2/3rds. My usual hunting partner, even after purchasing a new machine, pretty much the same situation. Just too many fires on the other side of life to allow us as much hunting time. So putting in the time certainly factors into things. The fact that I'm still finding a reasonable amount of gold is also a pretty good indicator that I've gained more confidence and experience with my machine and also in the areas I hunt and how I choose to hunt them. So I think when we consider all of these other factors the actual machine is a small factor in the entire scheme of things as long as it's a quality beach machine designed for the task. All else, in my opinion, is what I like to call the splitting of hairs.

 

[lookindown]

Two biggest factors...time spent detecting and location.

 

[Hag730]

[QUOTE=Terry Soloman;3621822]1) Location, Location, LOCATION!
2) Time spent on the headphones
3) Low and Slow technique
4)Location, Location, LOCATION!




Terry nails it in my opinion

 

[lorraine]

Great post, BigScoop

I'm enjoying all the input; lots of sensible information in the replies!


Lorraine

 

[biggmike]

I use the Fisher CZ20/21 and have for the past 16+ years. I met a guy at the beach who had bought a CZ21 a few months back and was using it but said he wasn't finding much. I think in 10 hunts he said he had a couple rings and no gold. I asked him about his settings and he showed me. He had his volume at 3... I told him to crank it to 10 if he could stand it. His sensitivity was at 3 also.... I told him 7 was a good setting for his sensitivity but to run it as high as possible, to the point that it falses when it is moved fast or bumps the bottom. He really had no clue. So, like most of you have already said, you have to spend the time in the water, be in a good location and know your machine. Now get out there and find something good

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Two biggest factors...time spent detecting and location.

Left out Lady Luck....

 

[cdv1]

Great post BigScoop!

Just going out with your machine is NOT enough... I recently ran into a hunter on the beach where I thought I would be to myself so I went over and said hi and told him I would be testing my new detector and if he wanted to join in he could... well, I sunk a medium 14k ring down to 8" and let him go first... no response...I know this machine, it should have hit that ring so I asked to see his settings..... he had the sensitivity down low and the disc up high enough to disc out pull tabs...... he had been on a 3 month slump of no gold..... his settings were siimiilar to a buddy of his and he hadn't touched them in those 3 months.... can't say his buddies machine worked right or not but machines do differ, you have to know your machine and what it will and won't do...Test your machine and see its capabilities. You will rarely find me out there without my calibrated string and a few rings.

Another thing I have noticed with a different hunter I have got to know this year.... he can't figure out how he has found so many gold chains this year.... well, IF you could see how he hunts you would see why, he is slow, methodical and covers every inch of sand in front of him as he slowly moves.... he has commented on his ring cound being down.... well, if he would speed up just a bit, he would cover more ground but not quite as efficiently.... he would get the bigger targets BUT he would probably not get as many chains.... it is a fine balance as to how fast to work and the machine you are using...

BS in your initial thread, you said it would be the hunter that got his coil over the gold that would get it.... I have to say you are right but only IF he has his machine and his ears working to full potential.

Again, great post....

Cliff

 

[bigscoop]

I started this thread because it seems new hunters always focus on the finds first, then comes the question of, "best machine", to which they usually receive an entire arsenal of replies that often contain more information and circumstances then they can yet relate to. Sand Shark, Excal, CZ-21, 3030, DF, Sov., etc., there are "experienced" hunters on these forums using all of these machines, and others, who are doing quite well and have a history of doing so. Anymore, I'm always a bit leery of recommending a machine because I may recommend something that the end user, for one reason or another, simply isn't going have any confidence in right out of the box. So to me, as long as it's a quality beach machine with a good history, I think it's important that the new hunter chooses the machine that personally appeals to him, something he places his confidence in. I say this because it's much easier to learn when you have confidence because confidence is a great motivator. Buying a machine that you're already holding in question certainly isn't going to make the long learning process any easier, or even enjoyable. So at some point the new hunter simply has to evaluate his own likes and dislikes and personal preferences until he finds that place where he places his own confidence. All of these quality machines will find treasure and many of them have been finding that treasure consistently for a long time. I just think new hunters really need to step back and take a much broader look around before they decide on that first machine. So little of this hobby is about the machine and far more dependent on the fundamentals, practices, knowledge, and techniques of the hunter. And we are blessed with many experienced hunters here who can certainly help them with that. They've certainly helped me.

 

[lookindown]

Left out Lady Luck....

Your right, luck plays a big part...More than once Ive been detecting in a straight line and had to cut around a group of people and I hit a keeper find....I would have missed it if I kept my line.

 

[Mr.Excavator]

Prime example; This year i have recovered little more then half the gold that I had recovered about this same time last year, and this is after all of the very helpful mods I added to my machine. Then why less gold? It's pretty easy to compute. Last year I spent nearly every day at the beach, this year I get to the beach maybe once or twice a week. Last year I was hunting about 6hrs a day, sometimes longer. This year I hunt maybe 3-4hrs, seldom over 3. So my hunting time has been reduced by about 2/3rds. My usual hunting partner, even after purchasing a new machine, pretty much the same situation. Just too many fires on the other side of life to allow us as much hunting time. So putting in the time certainly factors into things. The fact that I'm still finding a reasonable amount of gold is also a pretty good indicator that I've gained more confidence and experience with my machine and also in the areas I hunt and how I choose to hunt them. So I think when we consider all of these other factors the actual machine is a small factor in the entire scheme of things as long as it's a quality beach machine designed for the task. All else, in my opinion, is what I like to call the splitting of hairs.

Hey BigScoop, if you need someone to go with give me a hollar. I tend to make it out 2-3 times a week for 4-6 hrs at a time. I just finished all of the mods as well and ordered another one for the wife.