I can definitely see what Samuel Johnson was getting at although it is a bit of a drive to get some surf, not that the old bloke was worrying too much about that in 1777 admittedly.
Senin, 30 September 2013
High tide hunting
My detecting time has been limited just recently, due to work and preparing my latest treasure hunting book for release.
I have only been able to detect for a few hours on the last two Sunday mornings, but each time I made it count.
Last weekend I found a 1 ounce platinum ring, and yesterday morning I found an 18K gold ladies ring with 84 diamonds.
I had to make a decision the night before, to search on the high tide or not.
As you can see by the ring in this photograph, I made the correct decision to go metal detecting on the beach at high tide.
I have found many gold rings searching on high tides, it is actually one of my favorite times to search on the beach.
You see far fewer beach hunters at high tide, maybe they hang on the internet metal detecting forums and think all the gold jewelry is in the water?
The best high tide jewelry hunting is always after several days of high surf, when jewelry is pushed up onto the beach.
I also found a couple of silver ear rings and a nice pair of sunglasses washed up in the high tide line.
There were three other beach hunters at the beach I was searching, all with headlamps on in the middle of the night.
I took my Excalibur but chose to use my CTX 3030 so I could concentrate on "Cherry picking" the likely gold targets before the competition.
Using the Target ID numbers and my custom gold tone allowed me to quickly cover a couple of productive sites for gold jewelry.
The gold and diamond ring is a good reminder that it is always time to go beach hunting.
I could have easily hit the snooze button and waited for the tide to go down and have more beach to detect.
I try hard not to be a "Box hunter" by going detecting regardless of the tides or surf height.
It keeps you on your toes and well prepared, when you do not know whether you are going to be beach or water hunting, wet sanding or dry sanding.
It also leads to discovering a variety of metal detecting finds.
I have only been able to detect for a few hours on the last two Sunday mornings, but each time I made it count.
Last weekend I found a 1 ounce platinum ring, and yesterday morning I found an 18K gold ladies ring with 84 diamonds.
I had to make a decision the night before, to search on the high tide or not.
As you can see by the ring in this photograph, I made the correct decision to go metal detecting on the beach at high tide.
You see far fewer beach hunters at high tide, maybe they hang on the internet metal detecting forums and think all the gold jewelry is in the water?
The best high tide jewelry hunting is always after several days of high surf, when jewelry is pushed up onto the beach.
I also found a couple of silver ear rings and a nice pair of sunglasses washed up in the high tide line.
There were three other beach hunters at the beach I was searching, all with headlamps on in the middle of the night.
I took my Excalibur but chose to use my CTX 3030 so I could concentrate on "Cherry picking" the likely gold targets before the competition.
Using the Target ID numbers and my custom gold tone allowed me to quickly cover a couple of productive sites for gold jewelry.
The gold and diamond ring is a good reminder that it is always time to go beach hunting.
I could have easily hit the snooze button and waited for the tide to go down and have more beach to detect.
I try hard not to be a "Box hunter" by going detecting regardless of the tides or surf height.
It keeps you on your toes and well prepared, when you do not know whether you are going to be beach or water hunting, wet sanding or dry sanding.
It also leads to discovering a variety of metal detecting finds.
Sabtu, 28 September 2013
Search patterns on the lower beach
You can increase your metal detecting finds on the lower beach by simply using a different search pattern.
If you only search in a straight line along the lower beach, you are box hunting.
Just like using the same control settings on every beach, using the same search pattern will lead to missed treasure hunting opportunities.
The size of your search coil, metal detector sensitivity level, surf washing over the wet sand, type of sand on the lower beach, will all determine the best search pattern to use.
Large search coils and straight line hunting in the splash zone will lead to false signals, especially on the end of each sweep.
Too high a metal detector sensitivity level will also have the same negative effect on your wet sand hunt.
Black sand and straight line searching on the lower beach is made worse by using a large search coil.
I see many local beach hunter's walking down to the lower beach and robotically searching parallel to the water.
They search in straight lines, no matter how high or fast the water is moving over the wet sand, or the size of search coil being used.
Use an East to West directional search pattern on the lower beach, when the conditions say you should.
Avoid box hunting in straight lines on the lower beach to have a chance of finding gold jewelry in the wet sand.
14K gold chain without a pendant, found in the wet sand using a search pattern better suited to the fast water rushing over the lower beach.
If you only search in a straight line along the lower beach, you are box hunting.
Just like using the same control settings on every beach, using the same search pattern will lead to missed treasure hunting opportunities.
The size of your search coil, metal detector sensitivity level, surf washing over the wet sand, type of sand on the lower beach, will all determine the best search pattern to use.
Large search coils and straight line hunting in the splash zone will lead to false signals, especially on the end of each sweep.
Too high a metal detector sensitivity level will also have the same negative effect on your wet sand hunt.
Black sand and straight line searching on the lower beach is made worse by using a large search coil.
I see many local beach hunter's walking down to the lower beach and robotically searching parallel to the water.
They search in straight lines, no matter how high or fast the water is moving over the wet sand, or the size of search coil being used.
Use an East to West directional search pattern on the lower beach, when the conditions say you should.
Avoid box hunting in straight lines on the lower beach to have a chance of finding gold jewelry in the wet sand.
14K gold chain without a pendant, found in the wet sand using a search pattern better suited to the fast water rushing over the lower beach.
Kamis, 26 September 2013
Researching old beach sites
Considering I am a south Florida beach and shallow water hunter, I find my fair share of silver coins.
One of the ways I put myself in position to discover older silver coins is by using the local internet property appraisers site.
Finding the oldest section of a beachside community is easy, put an address of a house in the search box and the date the house was built will be given.
Many years ago, I used to find old jewelry and coins opposite a newly constructed four story beachside condo.
I put the address of the new condo in the property appraisers site and quickly discovered that across the road from the beach was a row of small cottages built in the 1930s.
If you did not know any different, there would be no reason to walk so far away from the main beach entrance.
I use this research tool to hunt beaches where I rarely see other beach or shallow water hunters.
Try using public property records to discover potentially undetected beach or shallow water hunting sites.
Or you could just follow the local beach conditions blog, and join the crowd at the same beach everyday.
One of the ways I put myself in position to discover older silver coins is by using the local internet property appraisers site.
Finding the oldest section of a beachside community is easy, put an address of a house in the search box and the date the house was built will be given.
Many years ago, I used to find old jewelry and coins opposite a newly constructed four story beachside condo.
I put the address of the new condo in the property appraisers site and quickly discovered that across the road from the beach was a row of small cottages built in the 1930s.
If you did not know any different, there would be no reason to walk so far away from the main beach entrance.
I use this research tool to hunt beaches where I rarely see other beach or shallow water hunters.
Try using public property records to discover potentially undetected beach or shallow water hunting sites.
Or you could just follow the local beach conditions blog, and join the crowd at the same beach everyday.
seventh tea bar and the OC Mix
My new favorite lunch spot is the Seventh Tea Bar in Costa Mesa. The hip and cozy decor really drew me in, and the tea and sandwiches are amazing. They actually have tea "on tap" , which for a tea lover like me is to-die-for! They also offer a "tea service", which includes all kinds of petite sandwiches and treats. It is conveniently located right next to the Portola Coffee Lab which is known to offer some of the best coffee in Orange County. The location is best described as a pseudo-food court, but a lot more fun!
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The Seventh Tea Bar is on the right of the courtyard, above.
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| Peinture |
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| Rolling Greens |
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| Rolling Greens |
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| Rolling Greens |
ciao! Fabiana
Scenic Cornwall
It really was stupidly beautiful, even in the slightly grey weather. Best of all, there seemed to be a little wave of some sort just round the corner from nearly everything. The people were fantastic too, very entertaining and hospitable. One of the best was Mat, and he has an excellent blog called An Tor Orth An Mor. Well worth checking out, he's a great photographer and does some interesting stuff.
Selasa, 24 September 2013
He who dares
When I found 50 pieces of gold jewelry over a three week period last year, I worked hard for the gold jewelry that came out of the water.
This superb 18K gold ring with a five carat emerald and two diamonds was one of the better water hunting finds from the haul of gold jewelry.
I also remember why I found the emerald ring, I had the minerals to get in the rough water.
I do not normally like water hunting in really rough surf, but when I know there is a really good chance of finding gold jewelry close to shore, I hit the rough surf when it is safe to do so.
The low tide is the best opportunity for rough surf hunting on productive jewelry sites, you really do not need to go into the water very far opposite productive beach sites.
Making every water hunting move count with a good discriminating waterproof metal detector is important, rough surf is also where your target recovery skills come in to play.
Heavy long handled stainless steel scoops, zippered finds pouches and standard size search coils help you to be an effective rough surf water hunter.
You may be pleasantly surprised how few water hunters bother to go water hunting when the surf kicks up.
Many beach hunters are not prepared to water hunt, using non waterproof metal detectors in the wet sand.
Having the ability to water hunt in rough surf, opens up much more jewelry hunting real estate at low tide.
Hit the wet sand for lighter jewelry washing up and hit inside the water close to shore for heavier jewelry in the surf zone.
This superb 18K gold ring with a five carat emerald and two diamonds was one of the better water hunting finds from the haul of gold jewelry.
I also remember why I found the emerald ring, I had the minerals to get in the rough water.
I do not normally like water hunting in really rough surf, but when I know there is a really good chance of finding gold jewelry close to shore, I hit the rough surf when it is safe to do so.
The low tide is the best opportunity for rough surf hunting on productive jewelry sites, you really do not need to go into the water very far opposite productive beach sites.
Making every water hunting move count with a good discriminating waterproof metal detector is important, rough surf is also where your target recovery skills come in to play.
Heavy long handled stainless steel scoops, zippered finds pouches and standard size search coils help you to be an effective rough surf water hunter.
You may be pleasantly surprised how few water hunters bother to go water hunting when the surf kicks up.
Many beach hunters are not prepared to water hunt, using non waterproof metal detectors in the wet sand.
Having the ability to water hunt in rough surf, opens up much more jewelry hunting real estate at low tide.
Hit the wet sand for lighter jewelry washing up and hit inside the water close to shore for heavier jewelry in the surf zone.
Minggu, 22 September 2013
Never over hunted
I have been really busy lately and today was my first real water hunt for a few weeks.
I could have gone beach hunting for Spanish treasure coins, but I decided it was time to get back into modern jewelry hunting for a three hour water hunt with my Excalibur.
No doubt, the high end resort I decided to go water hunting outside had been hammered on Saturday morning.
This one ounce platinum ring with 10 diamonds is a good reason to never assume a heavily hunted area has been really covered.
Saturday nights can be busy on beaches with nightclubs in the area, I saw many empty beer cans swirling around in the first drop off.
I would not be surprised if alcohol was a factor in this large ring coming off in the water.
Going back to my recent weekend hunting blogs, this is what makes beaches close to nightclubs so productive.
They are sometimes replenished with jewelry more at night, than in the day time.
Many local beach and shallow water hunter's do not bother searching a heavily hunted area on a Sunday morning, when they see the same site hammered on a Saturday morning.
I could have gone beach hunting for Spanish treasure coins, but I decided it was time to get back into modern jewelry hunting for a three hour water hunt with my Excalibur.
No doubt, the high end resort I decided to go water hunting outside had been hammered on Saturday morning.
This one ounce platinum ring with 10 diamonds is a good reason to never assume a heavily hunted area has been really covered.
Saturday nights can be busy on beaches with nightclubs in the area, I saw many empty beer cans swirling around in the first drop off.
I would not be surprised if alcohol was a factor in this large ring coming off in the water.
Going back to my recent weekend hunting blogs, this is what makes beaches close to nightclubs so productive.
They are sometimes replenished with jewelry more at night, than in the day time.
Many local beach and shallow water hunter's do not bother searching a heavily hunted area on a Sunday morning, when they see the same site hammered on a Saturday morning.
I Spy Surf Riding
'"Like to go surf-riding?"
If an Englishman asks you this during your stay in Britain, don't take it as an invitation to Australia or one of the Pacific Islands. He is far more likely to be thinking of Bude, Newquay, Padstow or one of the other beach resorts along the North Cornish coast. For there you can enjoy all the exhilaration of skimming shorewards on the crest of an Atlantic breaker as it rolls inward, white with foam, to meet the sandy shore.
As a New Zealander, I discovered this for myself when I went down to Cornwall to see how the surf beaches of Britain compared with those of my own country and of Australia. I had read Press reports in which Australians had compared those Cornish beaches not unfavourably with their own world-famous resorts at Manly and Bondi- and, as one of them pointed out, there are no sharks in Cornwall!
So I hired a surf-board from a tanned old Cornishman with sea-blue eyes and a friendly smile, and enjoyed the familiar thrill of being swept up by the breakers onto the sands. There was a good surf running that day, and I revelled, too, in the grandeur of cliffs and rocks whicj reminded me of the West Coast beaches of my own Auckland."
From the July 1955 edition of 'Coming Events in Britain' and it says it all better than I could. Images from Sally Parkin's amazing surf-riding memorabilia collection, some of which will be making it's way to these shores soon.
If an Englishman asks you this during your stay in Britain, don't take it as an invitation to Australia or one of the Pacific Islands. He is far more likely to be thinking of Bude, Newquay, Padstow or one of the other beach resorts along the North Cornish coast. For there you can enjoy all the exhilaration of skimming shorewards on the crest of an Atlantic breaker as it rolls inward, white with foam, to meet the sandy shore.
As a New Zealander, I discovered this for myself when I went down to Cornwall to see how the surf beaches of Britain compared with those of my own country and of Australia. I had read Press reports in which Australians had compared those Cornish beaches not unfavourably with their own world-famous resorts at Manly and Bondi- and, as one of them pointed out, there are no sharks in Cornwall!
So I hired a surf-board from a tanned old Cornishman with sea-blue eyes and a friendly smile, and enjoyed the familiar thrill of being swept up by the breakers onto the sands. There was a good surf running that day, and I revelled, too, in the grandeur of cliffs and rocks whicj reminded me of the West Coast beaches of my own Auckland."
From the July 1955 edition of 'Coming Events in Britain' and it says it all better than I could. Images from Sally Parkin's amazing surf-riding memorabilia collection, some of which will be making it's way to these shores soon.
Jumat, 20 September 2013
World Bellyboard Champs, 2013
Sorry about the lag in posts, I've been back in rainy old Blighty having the time of my life, largely focused around the Bellyboard champs (Or Surf-Riding as it should be more correctly called.) I slid in wool, hung out with a fantastic Cornish crew and wish I was still there. Posts will be thick and fast for a while, there's plenty of images!
Kamis, 19 September 2013
Lake DeSmet
Last week, we were back on the road again between Washington and Minnesota. It was a fairly quick trip, so there wasn't much time to explore, but I did find one beach worth noting. I found it early the third morning of the trip pretty much by accident, since I was only looking for early sun on the Big Horns northeast of Buffalo (Wyoming). I came around the corner and here was this wonderful red gravel beach!
Lake DeSmet began as a natural lake, although it has since been enlarged and turned into a reservoir.Google Maps: Aerial View
The hills surrounding the lake are Tertiary sedimentary rocks, marked by resistant outcroppings of clinker. Clinker is a red or black rock that results when coal seams burn and bake the overlying sediments (see Callan Bentley's Mountain Beltway Blog at AGU). It's common in the Powder River Basin (because there's so much coal - see hshipman: Black Thunder Mine 2012).
This beach was at the south end of the lake, next to the dam, and consisted entirely of gravel-sized clinker. There were a series of berms marking higher lake levels. The beach was swash-aligned, oriented pretty much straight into the northwesterly fetch - the winds can get pretty fierce around here.
Farther west, the red gravel stacked up nicely against the limestone riprap of the dam. And at the boat launch on the southwest corner of the lake, there was a neat little clinker spit built across the mouth of a drowned creek mouth (drowned by the reservoir).(For non-beach photos of our ten-day road trip:
hshipman: roadtrip 2013)
Discrimination at depth
I prefer to use discrimination on my metal detector because it allows me to make the most of my limited beach and shallow water hunting time on south Florida many tourist beaches.
When it comes to searching less populated Treasure Coast beaches in search of Spanish treasure, I use a different approach to discrimination.
I use a very minimal amount of discrimination, just enough to knock out small ferrous nails if I am using my CTX 3030
On beaches where I have a chance of find treasure coins or artifacts, I totally ignore the numbers on my display screen and the audio tones.
The reason I do this is because targets on the edge of discrimination range often react totally different to targets within easy detection range, no matter which metal detector you are using.
Many beach and shallow water hunters do not realize that display numbers and audio tones, while reliable at certain depths, fluctuate the deeper the target is.
For this reason it is always best to take a layered approach to metal detecting using discrimination.
Conduct some depth tests on different common targets found on the beach and see how accurately your metal detector identifies them at depth.
When you know how accurate your metal detector identifies targets at depth, you will know how much you can really rely on your discrimination control.
Cherry picking choice targets is great for jewelry hunting but only to a certain depth in the sand.
If your metal detector has a target depth gauge, make a habit of checking out broken high or low tone signals at the deepest depth gauge reading.
You may be surprised like I was when this iffy signal with a maxed out depth gauge reading turned out to a raw emerald pendant.
inspiring coastal decor and gorgeous views of the bay
This amazing home is stylishly decorated with a classic and sophisticated California beach house vibe. As you enter the front door, you are instantly presented with a fun but soothing color palette and effortless style.
Gorgeous hardwood floors and crisp white walls are
a key feature in bringing together this timeless look.
Subtle blue accents and coastal decor
are perfect for this Balboa Peninsula home.
The master bedroom is a true sanctuary for the mind and body,
with breath-taking views of the bay.
The feeling of relaxation and peace continues in the master bath suite.
A sense of spaciousness draws you into the rest of this home.
Located in the "backyard" are a private dock and private beach.
Paradise for sure, right here in Newport Beach!
Paradise for sure, right here in Newport Beach!
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ciao! Fabiana