Ran into a buddy of mine...

Okay, not really a "buddy," but more like a friend of a friend... But someone that I'd like to hang out with a bit...

His name's Randy, but he's better known as "paleodiver" on Ebay. He's a fossil hunter here in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

He asked me to go diving with him. I'm very flattered... And am definitely taking him up on the offer.

Here's an example of his work: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15917&item=2180063277

He finds them and then sells them. Last friday he had a bucket with about 35 of those things in it. He said he found them in about two hours.

Man, I can't wait to go diving with this guy.

On a side note... This weekend's dive was great... I found a Coke bottle from the early 1900's, and the guys I brought out with me found a dinner plate from the plantation that burned down at the dive site 150 years ago. Neat stuff!

That is sweet! If that guy finds stuff like that all the time, he is awesome. I usually find coke cans, old bikini tops, rotten sunglasses, old fishing poles, and once a condom wrapper. I need lessons from that guy for sure.
:guitar:
sharkman

...Or maybe a new dive site? Lol!

"Old bikini tops?" I think that's pretty cool, too, y'know! Y'ever hang 'em around your car's rearview mirror just to tick off the missus?

in Asan Cut (Asan, Guam)was:

1) some old fishing line, complete with sinkers and hooks (retrieved and properly disposed of)

2) some underwater survey equipment (left in place)

3) a heniken can (refer to #1)

4) a huge moray (refer to #2)

5) a few rather large grouper (in fryer later that night)


Still MIA...........my wife's twin jet fin she lost during the egress from a previous night dive

Not as exciting as a shark tooth in SC, but productive for me.


tiny bubbles

How does one go about looking for megalodon teeth?

...You go to South Carolina. I know this seems like a silly point to make, but I can't tell you how many people skip this step.

Then you make buddy-buddy with someone who knows where to find a point in the river where the tides and currents are cutting into the earth rather than building up. See, the landscape locally is constantly changing, so it's important to know where it's cutting and where it's building.

Once you've figured that out, then you're going to have to try your luck at finding the place where it's cutting in just right and it's exposing a layer of earth that's the right age. If the river's "cut" is too deep, then you've already missed the teeth; if the "cut" is too shallow, then you're not going to be able to find the teeth yet.

Then you've got to make sure to dive during the right time. Local inland tidal currents can be an average 2 knots or so, and I've seen some "pinch points" with currents of 6 knots. Due to the tides, these currents go slack four times a day, and those are the times to shoot for in terms of diving. Interestingly, the places where the land is being "cut" of course have the strongest currents (else they wouldn't be being "cut"). The "right time" also includes time of year... In the summertime, boat traffic can be prohibitively dangerous, and vis can drop to a measley six inches or less. Winter months are great, but diving for teeth in the salty, muddy mess that we call rivers is truly a miserable experience when it's cold.

Lastly, you have to develop "the feel." Forget shining a light and looking around... It's much more productive to turn the light off, lay on the muddy bottom, and dig in wide circles with your hands. We call it the "braille" method of diving. The moment you begin to dig, your vis goes from a very low 1' or less to ink. Only the current, the other tough part of the dive, helps to keep vis up (if you can call 1' of vis "up").

The trick, really, is to walk around holding a tooth in your hands on a regular basis. Later, when you're diving, your fingers will have become acustomed to exactly what a tooth feels like, and it'll be easier to discern between junk and that valuable fossil.

SeaJay once bubbled...

The trick, really, is to walk around holding a tooth in your hands on a regular basis. Later, when you're diving, your fingers will have become acustomed to exactly what a tooth feels like, and it'll be easier to discern between junk and that valuable fossil.

Click to expand...

Thank you SeaJay!! Ive been trying for a long time to figure out how to tie both my passions (diving and beer drinkikng) together..........and now I know. If anyone asks me why Im drinking beer, Ill tell them that Im training my hand to the feel of a beer can underwater!!! EXCELLENT!!

almost forgot.........

tiny bubbles

That's hilarious.

I've watched these auctions before on eBay, and the good teeth bring well over $100 each, occassionaly much more. Your "buddy" has himself a mighty lucrative hobby. I would think that when the conditions are right, you must have a bunch of guys on that river searching for teeth.

That's what I understand.

He's doing this full time... As in, "for a living." I can't imagine telling anyone that you're a professional shark tooth hunter, but apparently it's pretty lucrative.

The sites are guarded with amazing secrecy. Stories abound about lesser people cutting anchor lines and knifing lift bags. Many tooth hunters only dive at night, in order to prevent anyone from seeing where they're diving.

I've been invited to go diving with Randy... I'll keep y'all posted.

(Imagine 35 teeth... Even at a lowly $50 a pop... Not bad for a two hour dive, eh?)