Storm “Freak”
Published by Larry on Tagged Instuctional, Metal Detecting Tips
With tropical storm Fay heading our way, I am reminded of my love for “stormin it”. All of my life I have had a passion for storms. As a child I played hard in the rain storms and probably was a good lightening rod at times without realizing the danger. My first underwater ring find, a Star of Linde Sapphire with four diamonds, came with me snorkeling in the Gulf of Mexico with my White’s Amphibian(1973) in a torrential rain storm. I love storms! As a metal detector hobbyist of nearly 40 years I have hunted both coasts of Florida after major storms and done very well.
Would I encourage you to do the same? A resounding yes! BUT, I have reservations in doing so. Please be careful to not put yourself and others at risk by hanging around when a dangerous storm is imminent. Abide by any directives of law enforcement officials in regards to hunting immediately after a storm has impacted an area. Safety first is paramount. Timing is critical in doing well after a storm has hit a beach. Being there immediately afterward, and before the next incoming tide, can pay big dividends. Use very little to no discrimination and dig those faint signals regardless of tone. I have pulled many small gold targets at 6-8 inches deep in my storm searches. If the storm surge removes a few feet of the beach that is good. If five or more feet of sand are removed you are blessed! Three friends and I took 2500 coins and 30 gold rings in a storm hunt on the other coast of Florida where about 8 to 10 ft of beach disappeared. We found coins dating back to the early 1900’s and one gold ring was dated 1894. The next day we could find very little as the tides returned so much of the sand. A no name storm hit Tarpon Springs in 1993 and I found an authentic shipwreck counterfiet 1793 spanish 8 Reale Coin a few days later. The reason I could find it several days later here as opposed to the other coast not producing anything the next day, is the tide force. The Atlantic tides pound the beaches and the Gulf Coast beaches have much less forceful tide surges. A coin or ring lost in the surf on the east coast will be carried out of the reach in a short period of time. Many times on the Gulf Coast I have found old wheat cents and silver coins in the surf at 8-10 inches deep when there is no storm. I hope to find some goodies with Fay but do not want it being a hurricane pounding the FL coast. Here’s to “diggin it”! Larry
August 18th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
It’s 2:30 Monday afternoon. Just got the word that I won’t be working tomorrow no matter whether Fay is a direct hit to Tampa Bay or not. I’m interested to see what kind of beach erosion we may get. Here’s to digging it!