Treasure Hunting Wet, Be-Bopping Deluxe, and Safety First
December 8th 2006 15:35
Metal Detecting Wet
Metal detecting while wading in water poses no end of special problems. Locating the target is the easy part most times, although if the bottom is weedy that too can become a pure hassle. If you happen to find a nice ring on the edge of an underwater weed patch though, which happens quite often, then you too will want to know what is in amongst the aquatic flora covering the bottom. Yes, you will see, you bet.
Wallace Chandler (Author: Advanced Shallow Water Treasure Hunting) makes special harnesses and poles for his Fisher metal detector coils, which actually allow him to clear the weeds away as he metal detects! This will not only find you good stuff, but will build muscles too. Hip waders with heavy boots are nice also, because many times weeds can be removed with a kicking action of the feet. Lastest but not leastest, you could obtain my plans on how to build a mailbox blower for boat motors, from electric trolling motors on up, and these can be used for many things, not least of which is the clearing of the bottom in an area you want to metal detect. Mailbox blowers come in handy for underwater construction and enviro-cleanup too.
Once the target is located on the bottom of the stream river pond lake or what have you, then comes retrieval, the real fun. Many people carry a generic heavy duty scoop when wading, and tow a floating sifter behind themselves, so that whatever is scooped up gets deposited into the sifter. This does unencumber the operation many times. Others use a scoop made mostly of screen, which, after a few swishing actions, will allow the mud and sand to fall out, leaving behind whatever it was your detector detected. This latter process does away with the floating sifter, but also clouds the water in front of you, and it is sometimes not just bothersome, but true comedy, trying to juggle your sifting scoop and your metal detector, while standing in mud on an uneven bottom. Add to this some light choppy waves, and you have a recipe for hilarity that many times would make George Carlin jealous.
Water hunting is fun because there are a lot of good things to find at swimming spots.
Metal Detector Practice
One of the more confusing aspects of metal detecting happens because of the varying depths of the various targets. A garbage target on or near the surface will sometimes sound like a good target that has a little depth to it. As well, a very deep good target can sometimes sound like a garbage target (aluminum) on or near the surface. This is one aspect of metal detecting where practice is all that works. Bench testing as often as possible is a good thing to do regularly -- regularly -- and also the homemade test site with buried coins and other targets, as mentioned in a previous post, is invaluable in acquainting the detector operator with their machine. Just spending time in the field working with your machine is the best way to acquire practice though, because sooner or later you will find something that will surprise and gladden you. Guaranteed.
Metal Detecting And Your Body
Metal Detecting is one of the best ways to get exercise that I know of. Many people pay money to go work out somewhere, whereas the metal detectorist not only gets paid to work out, but they get fresh air and sunshine too, along with performing an actual environmental clean up.
There are certain things that are good to keep in mind though, concerning the physical exertions of metal detecting, so that injury is avoided. Whenever you are out and about it is good to watch for pitfalls and uneven ground where you walk. It is not uncommon for someone to twist their ankle or worse simply walking on flat ground; when hiking across open country the unevenness of the land makes the possibility of that and worse even greater. Be careful.
And then there are the animals. Do not feed the bears! Or the alligators! And if you wear headphones be especially concerned and aware that snakes (As in rattlesnakes) do live everywhere. Rattlesnakes are actually a nicer variety of the venomous bunch, because they will warn you with their rattles, although this many times becomes null and void if the metal detectorist is bee-bopping along with a pair of headphones over their ears.
In metal detecting the knees get a lot of exercise, and some folks wear kneepads or support for their knees. Good boots or work shoes help the metal detectorist a lot, and are a very good investment. Gloves will save the hands, but can be cumbersome, so judge carefully and perhaps just carry a pair in your pocket if you think you will need them. Better to have them then need them and not.
Some of the older metal detectorists have taken to wearing a harness or heavy elastic neck cord from which the metal detector is partially suspended. This makes the swinging operation less fatiguing, and gives us oldsters greater stamina. We should not say these new fangled inventions are the viagra of metal detecting, no, but the allusion is clear.
There are many other physical aspects of metal detecting which will manifest to the avid, so be cautious and take good care of your primary tool, which is your body. Use your eyes and ears intelligently, and be aware of as much as possible at all times. Metal detecting success will then happen of its own accord.
Metal detecting while wading in water poses no end of special problems. Locating the target is the easy part most times, although if the bottom is weedy that too can become a pure hassle. If you happen to find a nice ring on the edge of an underwater weed patch though, which happens quite often, then you too will want to know what is in amongst the aquatic flora covering the bottom. Yes, you will see, you bet.
Wallace Chandler (Author: Advanced Shallow Water Treasure Hunting) makes special harnesses and poles for his Fisher metal detector coils, which actually allow him to clear the weeds away as he metal detects! This will not only find you good stuff, but will build muscles too. Hip waders with heavy boots are nice also, because many times weeds can be removed with a kicking action of the feet. Lastest but not leastest, you could obtain my plans on how to build a mailbox blower for boat motors, from electric trolling motors on up, and these can be used for many things, not least of which is the clearing of the bottom in an area you want to metal detect. Mailbox blowers come in handy for underwater construction and enviro-cleanup too.
Once the target is located on the bottom of the stream river pond lake or what have you, then comes retrieval, the real fun. Many people carry a generic heavy duty scoop when wading, and tow a floating sifter behind themselves, so that whatever is scooped up gets deposited into the sifter. This does unencumber the operation many times. Others use a scoop made mostly of screen, which, after a few swishing actions, will allow the mud and sand to fall out, leaving behind whatever it was your detector detected. This latter process does away with the floating sifter, but also clouds the water in front of you, and it is sometimes not just bothersome, but true comedy, trying to juggle your sifting scoop and your metal detector, while standing in mud on an uneven bottom. Add to this some light choppy waves, and you have a recipe for hilarity that many times would make George Carlin jealous.
Water hunting is fun because there are a lot of good things to find at swimming spots.
Metal Detector Practice
One of the more confusing aspects of metal detecting happens because of the varying depths of the various targets. A garbage target on or near the surface will sometimes sound like a good target that has a little depth to it. As well, a very deep good target can sometimes sound like a garbage target (aluminum) on or near the surface. This is one aspect of metal detecting where practice is all that works. Bench testing as often as possible is a good thing to do regularly -- regularly -- and also the homemade test site with buried coins and other targets, as mentioned in a previous post, is invaluable in acquainting the detector operator with their machine. Just spending time in the field working with your machine is the best way to acquire practice though, because sooner or later you will find something that will surprise and gladden you. Guaranteed.
Metal Detecting And Your Body
Metal Detecting is one of the best ways to get exercise that I know of. Many people pay money to go work out somewhere, whereas the metal detectorist not only gets paid to work out, but they get fresh air and sunshine too, along with performing an actual environmental clean up.
There are certain things that are good to keep in mind though, concerning the physical exertions of metal detecting, so that injury is avoided. Whenever you are out and about it is good to watch for pitfalls and uneven ground where you walk. It is not uncommon for someone to twist their ankle or worse simply walking on flat ground; when hiking across open country the unevenness of the land makes the possibility of that and worse even greater. Be careful.
And then there are the animals. Do not feed the bears! Or the alligators! And if you wear headphones be especially concerned and aware that snakes (As in rattlesnakes) do live everywhere. Rattlesnakes are actually a nicer variety of the venomous bunch, because they will warn you with their rattles, although this many times becomes null and void if the metal detectorist is bee-bopping along with a pair of headphones over their ears.
In metal detecting the knees get a lot of exercise, and some folks wear kneepads or support for their knees. Good boots or work shoes help the metal detectorist a lot, and are a very good investment. Gloves will save the hands, but can be cumbersome, so judge carefully and perhaps just carry a pair in your pocket if you think you will need them. Better to have them then need them and not.
Some of the older metal detectorists have taken to wearing a harness or heavy elastic neck cord from which the metal detector is partially suspended. This makes the swinging operation less fatiguing, and gives us oldsters greater stamina. We should not say these new fangled inventions are the viagra of metal detecting, no, but the allusion is clear.
There are many other physical aspects of metal detecting which will manifest to the avid, so be cautious and take good care of your primary tool, which is your body. Use your eyes and ears intelligently, and be aware of as much as possible at all times. Metal detecting success will then happen of its own accord.
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