Metal Detecting Forums
News, Announcements and Services => Clubs, Hunts and Events => Topic started by: Chris Twine on April 30, 2013, 09:56 PM
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Ok, so we have enough Capetonians on here, so I think its time to organise a beach dig.
I assume a weekend is best for most, so lets start with who prefers what:
Sat vs Sun?
What time is preferred?
Which Beach?
Which weekend in May?
Lets do it!
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Morning
I suggest that you decide when and where and those that want to join do.
I mentioned our Hout Bay outing on this forum a few weeks ago, awesome weather and no one pitched...just Clive and I. We found a variety of things, lots of debris but it was a great hunt.
I have permission and am off to search some ship wreck sites in June... if the manifests are correct it could be VERY interesting.
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Hey all,
I have been following some of the posts on the forum and for what its worth here is my 20c.
It looks like there are a number of guys on here that are new to detecting and that's really cool. I am also on a few other forums and you guys seem to have a lot of energy - organizing digs / hunts, just trying to get something going. As I said this is only my 20c and is not meant to piss anyone off. I have been detecting for a while, please feel free to take a read off me on Newbies.
Planning a dig / hunt on land is very different from planning a dig at the beach. On land things are stable - if there is something to find the conditions are stable and you basically need to get your coil over the target and its yours. That's why you can book a metal detecting holiday on some old battle site and walk away with something cool.
The beach is rather different. If any of you are on the International Metal Detecting forum (Tom1) and have followed posts over the last few months, take a read again about the posts on the conditions at Strand.
Over the Easter time there was a lot of gold taken off the beach. But it was from a small area and that area had to be found and then there was a short window of opportunity when the sand moved and the old heavy items were accessible. The bottom line is that you can go to a beach and detect for a long time and find nothing or only light junk or you can monitor the conditions and when the conditions are correct - you can find some really cool things.
So to try and respond to you post of organizing a beach dig. If you want to increase your chances of good finds, (1) when is spring tide? (2) are we going from a no moon into a full moon or from a full moon into a no moon? (3) what has been the swell size and direction leading into the spring tide? (4) what has been the secondary swell directions, size and intervals? (5) what are the predicted swell sizes for the next few days? (6) which winds have been blowing and are predicted to be blowing in the next few days?
These are some pointers that may help. Just looking at Strand between now and the 5th we will be getting some big swells. Magicseaweed is projecting swells of over 18ft for Thursday evening and at 16s intervals - so there is going to be rough seas. The secondary swell is only 2ft at 13s intervals but the direction is wrong as Strand will be shelters and the swell will hit the Kleinmond side, so the chances of a strong cross current is less - which normally means less sand moving across the beach. The larger swell may push sand up or pull it off but there is less chance of deep cuts which are good for gold. On the 5th the swell projection drops to 3 to 4 ft. The tides are not good with the low being at about 0.6m. So monitor the sand movements on the 3rd and 4th and if the sand is being push up the beach, there is a chance of some finds at low tide on the 5th, which will be at about 6:30am or 6:40pm.
Which Beach to go to? Kleinmond will have a higher chance of sand being pulled off due to the secondary swell.
As I said this is my 20c if it sounds to complicated or like a load of bull, please delete it.
Happy hunting.
Alan
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Thank Alan for the informative post! Its the kind of info we need and just shows why I am not the right person to try and organise a beach hunt!
I may have set up the forums but am a complete newbie myself to detecting. For me (because I am a noob at this still) I dont mind going to the beach to "play" even if the conditions are not 100% at this stage, just so I can still get used to the detector. Would be nice not to be the only one on the beach hunting, so others are welcome to join.
Of course, first prize is to be able to go and detect (and learn) when the conditions are correct and be able to be with the experienced guys like Alan but this will be limited to the tides etc as Alan mentioned!
I would prefer a beach closer to Muiz / Fish Hoek / Hout Bay while I am still learning as it is much closer for me.
Please guys this is an open forum, suggestions and comments are most welcome and invited as this is how we will learn. No one should take offence at any others opinion.
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Very informative post Alan! Thank you for your wise words.
I for one will keep an eye out for those deep cuts....
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Hey Chris,
The nice things about the beaches closer to you is that they all have web cams that you can access online so monitoring the sand movement and wave action is rather easy.
This is a site that I have found useful for beach cams
http://www.kapstadt.de/reiseinformationen/suedafrika-webcams
Enjoy the hunting and hope to see you on the beach sometime.
Alan
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Thanks Alan - great post.
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Hello Pushin Tin
I will only be available on the weekend of the 18th due to work.
Sat or Sun.
Any Beach within an hour of CPT is cool with Me.
If it can be organised for that weekend, great. If not, I will see all at the next meet.
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I can also be available on that weekend
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Great stuff...
Should we make it for the morning of Sunday 19th May?
How about Llandudno Beach? Its a small beach but should be safe, its an upmarket beach so possibly some jewellery lying buried around?
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Can do , lets work out the logistics next week ;)
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Sounds like a plan.
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Hey All,
Just checking if anyone was able to get to the beach this weekend? We were on a spring low (with a no moon) and there was very little swell around. I have been watching the sand movement on G.Bay and went into the water on Saturday to see what has opened up and was able to find this nice little ring.
Enjoy,
Alan
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Sweeet..
Looks like some dark arts student ring. :o OR beuty school, what's the differance anyway.
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I will be there at 9.00 am, let me know who is coming
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Sorry, I know I tried to organise but I might have to give tommorow a miss - havent been feeling so great, so might just take it easy tommorow.
Good luck and enjoy to those who attend.
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Sorry, I know I tried to organise but I might have to give tommorow a miss - havent been feeling so great, so might just take it easy tommorow.
Good luck and enjoy to those who attend.
Hi Chris, just seen this now, lets make a definite date for next time, as no-one else seems to be going I will be giving Noordhoek Common a going over today instead, if you feel ok and want to join me, sms me on 082 four nine two 234 oh
Cheers
Dave