Metal Detecting

[DEEP SEA]

Has anyone thought about metal detecting? It's been my hobby for a while now and I love it. Think about it, your on your dive vacation, you've made 3 dives and your dirty and want something interesting to do. How about treasure hunting? You can't even imagine the things I have found on remote locations or resorts (i.e gold and/or dimond rings, watches, money, relics, etc.).

[newwavedivers]

Never seen a metal detector... can you tell me more about this like:

Does it work underwater as well? Up to what depth?
What would be the range of metal detection?
What are the common brands/models and how much?

THANKS!!!

[Swamp Rat]

I had a chance last year to purchase a used Underwater metal detector for a $200. I'm still kicking myself for not buying it after finding out price of what they retail for. Oh well.

[DEEP SEA]

What a metal detector is, looks like and how it works is simple. First, yes they can be used on land or water depending on the type you buy. Some are made specifically for finding gold nuggets, some for using on the beach and parks and some for land or water.

What they look like is an electronic module about 5" x 4" x 3" mounted on a staff which is about 4 feet long. On the bottom of the staff is a coil or transducer. As you swing the coil out in front of you back and forth, the unit analyzes what is in the ground. Some of the units are so sophisticated they will display data. One of the units I use will tell me if the contact is a penny, dime, nickel, quarter, pull tab, or metal. It will also tell me how deep it is in the ground (up to about 9") and pin point the exact spot! The best models have a discrimination mode which allows you to eliminate the junk like pull tabs, etc.

The underwater models typically have a headset you wear like a stereo headset. As you pass over a metal object, you hear a beep. You swing the coil over the object listening to the beep and visualizing where the spot as the coil passes over. You then carefully uncover the treasure. It could be anything from a bottle top to a diamond ring! That's the fun of it, you never know what your going to uncover. :all:

[Mario S Caner]

Deep Sea, Wow, I would definitely be interested in playing with something like that and trying my luck with treasure. Since you've mentioned that you've been into underewater video for sometime, I was wondering if you have any footage you'd like to share with us... That would be great. I've seen people combing the beach with them before, but haven't run into any divers with the units. Which in my mind is very promising, because I see it as an untouched angle, and therefore the chances of me finding something is high! Please do tell!

[Ladydiver]

I have always thought it would be really cool to be able to search for treasure underwater with a metal detector, I just never knew anyone who actually did it.

I remember watching a show on the History Channel awhile back about treasure hunting. They were talking about this guy who would just walk along the beach after a storm and collect the stuff that washed up on the beach. He made enough money collecting stuff that he bought a motorhome and he and his wife can afford to travel on what he makes treasure hunting. And he hasn't even put on scuba gear yet.

Pretty cool, huh?

Cheers,

[King_Neptune]

Swamp Rat,

I think I would be kicking myself too after that ... It's always been my dream to do some serious treasure hunting after seeing the things people have found! Not just the Dollar value but the historical aspect as well.

I was reading some stats not to long ago and read that even with all the BILLIONS of $$$ they have found, it is extimated that not even 2% of what has been lost by ship wrecks has been found yet.

On top of that, I think about all of the things I have found just while doing some drift diving! Very cool!

=-)

[DEEP SEA]

Treasure hunting is fun and extremely exciting. Probably the easiest place, in reach without really getting serious, is the Florida Keys. However, it gets complicated and some time down right scary if you get on someone's claim or don't have the right permits. I was not even pitching the underwater detectors, the land ones. For instance, I made 3 dives in Hawaii while teaching a local shop how to use underwater communications. All were fairly deep dives so now I am dirty and can't dive until the next day. What do I do, walk the beaches of Honolulu checking out the great scenery (if you get my drift) while stroll along detecting. Within a short period of time, I found a gold and platinum wedding ring! It had Japanese writing inside. I also found a pocket full of change, 1 ear ring, a Sako dive watch and two small silver rings. Its also good exercise.

I have used my detector in Taiwan, Bangkok, Coco Island, Singapore, Japan, Florida, Alaska, Virginia - well just about everywhere I go! I have to warn you though, you will get a lot of heckling from teenage boys. For some reason they love to make fun of you? That is, until they lose their car or house keys. Then they become your best friend!

[newwavedivers]

Hehehe, Deep Sea, you do know how to sell ideas, do you? Ok, where can I find more info on metal detectors? Any suggestions on brand/model that can be taken underwater?

[DEEP SEA]

Regarding underwater detectors, you have about 5 choices of manufacturers. However the 3 best are Fisher M-Scope (two good models called the 1280X or the CZ-20), Whites and Garret (they also make good machines as well). I was hired by Fisher M-scope to shoot a video on how to use the CZ-5/6 detectors. I had to really get to know the machines in order to produce a video that made sense. I then started to produce a video on how to metal detect for the beginner. It was going to cover beach & parks, water and land detecting. Also, helpful hints on how to find the best locations. I only got about ½ done then ran out of time. In any event, I know a lot about detecting so let me know exactly what you would like to do and I will guide you in the right diection.