Recovering In or Near The Water

[NYSandman]

Hey Coastbusters,
I'm new to the forum but not to beach hunting. I've been sticking to the dry beach sand down to the high tide line but the recent 7 day rain and wind have changed the beach, adding many inches of sand and covering the goodies. Yesterday, we had a minus low tide, so I thought I'd try near and in the water. Well, I got a lot of signals but when I started to dig, the hole kept collapsing and got bigger and bigger and kept filling up with sand and water as fast as I could dig it out.
I need to know the secret, if there is one, to digging in or near the water.
The beach I hunt is Long Beach NY. I was using a Whites Surf PI and 2 scoops; a large plastic feed scoop and a 5" short handled galvanized scoop. Seems to me like a full size shovel was needed but it would be awkward to carry. What do you people use and how do you do it?
Apppreciate any help or tips that you care to share.
Thanks,
Bob

[raw-war-digger]

Hey Bob, I haven't hunted the Beach but hunt mostly for Civil War Relics. I use a Lady Gardener shovel (smaller width than a regular shovel) cut off the handle about half way. Round off this cut and use a hammer carrier (made to slide a belt through).
Hope This Helps, HH Roger

[hoser]

Bob, I have hunted the waters close to the beach and had the same problem with the hole filling in. I got kinda tired of it and didn't have a formal beach scoop so I took a plastic pail and cut the bottom out of it. If you don't mind carrying something like this around it worked great for me. When you locate a target and have it pinpointed, you start shoving the pail or tube if you will down into the sandy bottom. This way as you dig for your target the sand around the hole can't fall back in and it makes finding the target a lot easier. Plastic pails you can get for free so it won't cost ya a dime to try. A five gallon pail was kinda bulky, so I looked around for a smallr version. Remove the wire bail and replace it with small rope to pull it out of the sand when you have finished.

[marine03116092]

Thats a cool idea! I never thought about that!

[dougdann]

Definitely a good idea.

Difficult trying to dig faster than the waves bring in the sand in.

Although many times I try and mark or remember where the spot is than go back to those spots after the tide goes back down.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Doug

[NYSandman]

Bill,
That's an excellent idea and I thank you for it.
It's one of those "Why didn't I think of that", solutions
but honestly, I never would have come up with that one!
Thanks to all....I'l let you know how it works for me!
Bob

[Cfmct]

Hi Sandman...

You need a big sand scoop... I detect with a PI PRO and use this scoop:

http://surfscanner.com/Surfscan3/Babbs_Scoop.html

I use the one with the stainless lip for digging deeper... Most of my ring finds are in chest deep water at lowtide, It costs a little more but its well worth it... In 3 months since I started water detecting I have over 40 rings... I was a longtime dirt digger but the water is my new home :)

[NYSandman]

Bill,
I was just wondering what you use to dig within the pail?
Bob

[hoser]

Bob, sorry it took me so long to get back to your question. I don't hunt in the water very much and I just use my normal garden trowel inside the bucket. The sand in the bucket does sift back in the hole, just not as bad as it would if I didn't use the "dam"

[boomer]

Great idea. I always wanted to water dig, but I only drown once!!