Beach Hunting
Treasure hunts at beaches are popular among many people because of their beauty and their ability to search for jewellery with precious metals. To get the most chances of a successful find – search for shade locations where activities are concentrated and in the “towel line”. Follow the trail to a spot along the beach to reach the edge. Try gridding to ensure you don’t miss sections along a popular stretch of sand. When there’s an excellent signal use your beach trowel to retrieve the treasure. Sound easy?
Choosing A Detector
When choosing your metal detector you should take into consideration the areas that you will be concentrating on for your hunting. This is especially true if you plan to do underwater searches. You will want an underwater metal detector that will give you the most for your money and provide you with the best features to help you locate those underwater treasures.
There are a variety of different metal detectors on the market and they each vary with their capabilities.
Beach Hunting
Treasure hunts at beaches are popular among many people because of their beauty and their ability to search for jewellery with precious metals. To get the most chances of a successful find – search for shade locations where activities are concentrated and in the “towel line”. Follow the trail to a spot along the beach to reach the edge. Try gridding to ensure you don’t miss sections along a popular stretch of sand. When there’s an excellent signal use your beach trowel to retrieve the treasure. Sound easy?
Choosing A Detector
When choosing your metal detector you should take into consideration the areas that you will be concentrating on for your hunting. This is especially true if you plan to do underwater searches. You will want an underwater metal detector that will give you the most for your money and provide you with the best features to help you locate those underwater treasures.
There are a variety of different metal detectors on the market and they each vary with their capabilities.
Many pulse induction detectors are an excellent choice because wet sand can be very mineral rich. VLF metal detectors have an easier job with wet mud than metal detection instruments have to be with a VLF detector.
A basic metal detector will not have the advanced bells and whistles as the more expensive detectors – but they will still have the basics to get you started.
Comparison Table 1:
National Geographic Pro | Bounty Hunter Quicksilver | Fisher 22 |
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Comparison Table 2:
Teknetics T2 | Minelab Vanquish 540 | Bounty Hunter Land |
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Underwater searches are excellent as there is usually a lot of jewellery, coins and other lost treasures that would be difficult to find without an underwater metal detector.
Do You Really Need an Underwater Metal Detector?
A standard metal detector can handle at the most, a few inches of water since the coils are usually waterproof. However, if immersed, a regular metal detector will not work and may become damaged and ruined. If you live or holiday near a body of water, then an underwater metal detector is a must.
What are the Differences Between Underwater Metal Detectors?
There are a couple of different kinds of underwater metal detectors; a VLF metal detector and a PI metal detector. The difference between the two is that the VLF metal detector can avoid time-consuming errors of distinguishing between junk and what really could be valuable to you. The PI can make detections far deeper, but in the meantime, you will get a lot of pennies and bottle caps that have absolutely no monetary value.
Land vs. Water
When you engage in underwater metal detecting it is quite different than when you detect on ground. Many people begin using their metal detectors on the ground and near beaches but inadvertently progress into the water. This common progression is a good reason to get an underwater metal detector from the beginning so that you are prepared when you are at the beach or lake or even a river, where lots of exciting discoveries are just waiting for you to find with your underwater metal detector.
If you plan to take the plunge into underwater metal detecting, then you will need certain tools to accomplish the task in addition to an underwater metal detector. Digging tools and some scuba gear may be necessary so that you can stay under the water longer to get to your treasures.
Believe it or not, some people make a living through means of underwater metal detecting. It can be quite lucrative!
There are many nooks and crannies under water that can hide many old relics that can be of great value. Sweeping your underwater metal detector slowly back and forth across the water floor in around a metre of water can be prosperous.
In fact, this is where some of the best finds have been located. Coins, jewellery, trinkets and all kinds of valuable lost articles are just waiting for you and your underwater metal detector to rescue. We recommend the Teknetics T2 Metal detector with waterproof coil. You can buy these on Amazon Australia here
Bounty Hunter Pioneer EX
Bounty Hunter’s Fast Tracker metal detector offers the excitement and profit of metal detecting with easy use and at an accessible price, making it ideal for those just getting started. It has 4 search modes, weighs 1.2kg and the control panel shows just how deep the item is! One of the best things about Bounty Hunter’s newest range is that the coil is waterproof! That means even if you’re on the beach, just because you’re close to the water, doesn’t mean you have to stop searching.
Features:
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- Quality product – Made in the USA. The seller offers Australian warranty.
- Automated, easy-to-use for the beginning user
- Easy view LCD display with visual LCD status indicators
- Push button discrimination eliminates unwanted objects
- One-touch depth control
- Three-tone audio feedback identifies various targets allowing to focus on certain objects
- Automatic ground balancing to “see through” ground minerals
- Detects large objects up to 2 ft deep and coins over 6 ft deep
- Does not include HeadPhone jack. All audio comes from speaker.
You can order it on ebay Australia or Catch with free shipping. Watch the review here
Read our best detectors article.
Another fantastic pulse induction metal detector is a Garrett ATX Extreme and Garrett’s Sea Hunter Mark II. Other metal detectors in use include a JW Fisher metal detector.
Waterproof Pinpointers
Nokta Makro Pinpointer | Minelab Pro-Find 15 | Nokta Makro Pulse Dive |
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Underwater Metal Detecting Locations
Thanks to David Cooper for his advice and tips!
These units are capable of being submersed in either salt or fresh water. It is ideal for locating treasure in permissible shipwrecks. This unit can also be used for surf and beach hunting.
UNDERWATER METAL DETECTORS
These units are capable of being submersed in either salt or fresh water. It is ideal for locating treasure in permissible shipwrecks. This unit can also be used for surf and beach hunting.
SHIPWRECKS
For those who dare to go down to the sea in ships, there appears to be treasure still waiting around the coastline of Australia. However, please observe any regulations in place in regard to historic shipwreck localities and islands. Permission must sought from the relevant authorities before entering and recovering of any treasure.
The following list is state-by-state, and only represents a few of the many hundreds of wrecks which litter the Australian coast.
QUEENSLAND
BOOT REEF: Frank Jardine, one of the giants of Queensland history who ran the old Somerset settlement near the tip of Cape York last century, and the owner of a pearling lugger was trapped in a shallow lagoon on this reef during a storm in 1890. In order to get the vessel back out to sea, his crew began smashing coral between the boat and the deeper water. One mass of coral split open and disclosed a large conglomerate of Spanish silver dollars. Similar smaller hoards were found nearby with coins dating back to the 17th and 18th century.
FRASER ISLAND: In 1884, the ship Chang Chow left Newcastle bound for Hong Kong with around 120 Chinese diggers aboard returning to their homeland with their gold and gold sovereigns struck the Great Sand Shoal reef off Sandy Cape. It was reported in the newspapers of the time that some of the Chinese were carrying up to 800 sovereigns each, possibly more, and that one of the men who fell into the sea had 30 pounds of gold strapped to his chest and disappeared. The tides and currents may have swept their treasure-laden bodies to any number of locations on Fraser Island. To date, the treasure has not yet been recovered.
LONG ISLAND (Whitsunday Passage): Towards to end of last century part of an ancient ship previously seen by the aborigines was seen again. It is likely that this could have been part of a Spanish treasure ship as a local farmer claimed to have found silver coins and cutlery nearby.
MAGNETIC ISLAND (off Townsville): A story relates that around 1680, a Japanese pirate named Yamada Nagamasa plundered ships in the south-west Pacific, buried a large portion of this treasure believed to be pearls on this island. It is estimated that the treasure is worth over $100 million and has never been found.
MORETON ISLAND: In 1863 the boat ‘Princeza’ sank near the northern tip of the island. It carried U.S. gold coins worth several hundred thousand dollars, none of which have ever been located.
MURRAY ISLAND: In the 1840’s, castaways carried chests of gold coins from a wrecked ship to this island. They were killed by the natives, so it is quite probable that this treasure remains there to this day.
PORTLOCK SHAWL REEFS: This island lies north-east of Cape York and in 1890 a large quantity of Spanish silver and gold coins were discovered by a group of pearlers when they were trying to free a stranded trawler from the coral. It is believed there are more to be found.
PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND: Situated at the tip of Cape York, this island has been the subject of many unsuccessful searches following the discovery of a skeleton and a gold goblet in a cave in 1926. This find has led to a suggestion of a forgotten buried treasure somewhere on the island.
SETTLEMENT POINT (Gladstone): The remains of a Spanish ship lie high up in the sand whilst at Auckland Point on a hill, there is a carving on a rock bearing the date 1606 and old teak wells at South Trees Point.
STRADBROKE ISLAND: Aboriginal legend has it, that a possible Spanish galleon still remains buried with its treasure at the southern end of Eighteen Mile Swamp, 2 miles north of Swan Bay or approximately 5km north of Jumpinpin.
An article on this “treasure” can be read in the ‘Australian Gold, Gem & Treasure’ magazine. December 2006).
There is also a web-site that relates to this as well, and can be viewed at: www.stradbrokeislandgalleon.com
TORRES STRAIT: Spanish galleons sailed in these waters for 200 years after Spain conquered the Philippines often carrying gold and pieces-of-eight valued in today’s terms in excess of $10 million and later, the American trading ships used Torres Strait as a quick route to China and the East Indies carrying large quantities of silver dollars, struck many of the coral reefs in the area.
NEW SOUTH WALES
SEAL ROCKS: The ‘Catterhun’ was lost on these rocks in 1895. It was carrying ₤11,000 in gold of about one third was recovered. The rest is still believed to be there.
SYDNEY: It is claimed that the ‘Edward Lombe’ sunk off Middle Head, Sydney Harbour in 1834 carrying 300 sovereigns in a box.
SYDNEY: The ship ‘Dunbar’ was lost off Sydney Heads in 1857. It was carrying ₤70,000 in coins and treasure. Some of these have been found by some lucky treasure hunters on the nearby beach.
VICTORIA
CAPE OTWAY: Off Cape Otway the ‘City of Rayville’ sank in 1940. It was claimed that ₤34,000 in treasure was contained in the ships strongroom.
TASMANIA
DERWENT RIVER: Near the mouth of the Derwent River (between Betsey Island and the Iron Pot – now known as Hope Beach) the ship ‘Hope’ was wrecked on the 29th April 1827 which is supposed to have been carrying a chest of coins valued at ₤30,000 for the troops stationed at Hobart.
KING ISLAND: This island in Bass Strait is the resting place of the ‘Neva’ that sank somewhere around this island which was rumoured to be carrying ₤50,000 which was to pay the troops and officials stationed in Tasmania.
PORT DAVEY: In about 15 fathoms of water somewhere near Port Davey lies the ‘Brier Holme’ which was carrying ₤40,000 in silver plate and jewellery.
SWAN ISLAND: This island can be found on the most north-easterly tip of Tasmania. The ship ‘Union’ was carrying ₤2000 in gold when wrecked on a reef about a mile and a half north-west of this island in 1852.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Possibly the most popular known shipwrecks in Western Australia are the ‘Batavia’, ‘Zuytdorp’ and the ‘Gilt Dragon’, These are not covered here.
FREMANTLE: The ‘Lancier’ was wrecked on Straggler’s Rocks, Rottenest Island, near Fremantle in about 1839. Whilst sinking, a chest containing 7,000 sovereigns being transferred from the ship to a boat alongside was accidentally dropped into the sea.
PELSAERT ISLAND: This island is within the Abrolhos Island group also known as Houtman Rocks about 45 miles west of Geraldton. On the 13th September 1842, the ship ‘Ocean Queen’ was wrecked on rocks on the eastern side of the island. It is claimed that a chest of gold was buried on the island’s beach.
ROCKINGHAM: Near here a reef, the Carlisle Castle’ was wrecked in 1899, and was said to have been carrying ₤50,000 in gold, none of which has been recovered.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
A basic metal detector will not have the advanced bells and whistles as the more expensive detectors – but they will still have the basics to get you started.
FAQS
Can metal detectors detect gold underwater?
Gold is the most common type of metal that people search for with a metal detector on the beach. While some detectors are capable of detecting gold underwater, other detectors are better at finding gold when it’s on land. The Fisher Gold Bug Pro metal detector is an excellent choice for finding gold when it’s on land, while the Garrett ATX Extreme is a good option for detecting gold underwater.
How deep can a metal detector detect gold?
The depth at which a metal detector can detect gold varies depending on the type of metal detector and the properties of the gold. Most metal detectors can only detect gold in shallow waters at depths of up to 20cm (8 inches), but some detectors can detect gold in depper water at depths of up to 60cm (24 inches).
What are some of the best places to find gold with a metal detector?
Some of the best places to find gold with a metal detector include old mining towns, abandoned homesteads, and creeks and rivers. However, the best place to find gold depends on the properties of the gold and the type of metal detector that you’re using. For example, while a VLF metal detector is better at detecting gold on land, a pulse induction metal detector is better at detecting gold underwater.
Can you use a metal detector to find coins on the beach?
Yes, you can use a metal detector to find coins on the beach. In fact, many people use metal detectors to find coins on beaches because there are often lots of people walking on the beach with metal items. A VLF metal detector is your best option for finding coins on the beach because these detectors are better at finding metals that are close to the surface.
What type of metal detector should you use in a river?
The Garrett AT Max 4 needs to be used when searching for gold in rivers because it has adjustable settings for different mineral content in soil. If you want to find treasure at a deeper depth, you should choose an underwater pulse induction metal detector, while a VLF metal detector is ideal for shallow water searches where there’s little risk of dropping the unit in the water.
What’s the difference between VLF and PI Metal Detectors?
VLF metal detectors are good at finding objects that are close to the surface while pulse induction (PI) metal detectors are better at finding objects that are deeper in the ground. Pulse Induction metal detectors provide excellent performance for underwater and wet sand searches, and they’re also great for trashy areas and highly mineralized soil conditions. VLF metal detectors excel when there’s low signal interference along with less ground noise. Because of their ability to find small pieces of treasure, even gold rings can be located by a VLF metal detector.
Many top selling brands such as White’s, Garrett and Fisher use VLF technology giving you many choices to take advantage of this type of technology still popular today due to its cost-effective and operation friendly features.
