Is Deeper Really Better??

[bdahunter]

I get a lot of PM's asking advice about different aspects of underwater detecting, on this forum and on others that I belong to. The question I get asked the most and to be fair this is usually from Newbies is "Which detector goes the deepest?" It's as if this is the be all and end all of detecting to many new detectorists.
I try to explain that there is a lot more to our hobby than having the biggest gun at the beach but I know it falls on deaf ears a lot of the time. In my view detecting is 80% detectorist and 20% detector. Knowing Where, When and How to hunt is what seperates the top hunters from the vast majority out there swinging. You could put somebody behind a detector that would detect 10 feet deep but if they don't know Where to use it, When to use it and How to use it, you might as well give them a broomstick with a pie pan attached to the end.
Technology has its' place and we all want to detect a little deeper, that's true but it's not the real answer in my mind. After a certain point, extra depth is self defeating because who wants to dig 3 feet to find a penny, even if it is a nice Wheatie?
Learn your detector, learn where to hunt and recognize when there is an opportunity to hunt and you will succeed as a detectorist, as long as you have the drive and the desire to get out there and hunt.
For you veterans who already know what I'm talking about, I apologize for wasting your time. For the Newbies, please take note and I look forward to seeing the nice finds you'll be posting soon.

Cheers,

BDA

[ERnurse]

Very good post BDA. You are absolultly right. To much is placed on the detector, when the efforts should be on the person using the detector to learn their machine. My deepest find was with my Whites prizm III, not an expensive detector by detector standards. It's all in learning what your detector is telling you. Thanks for the post BDA!!

[crbhood]

Well put

[EBCIII]

Very well said BDA. I also find it curious that some of my "best" finds have been in the 3"-5" inch range. My oldest coin so far was about 2" down.

Now I did find a nice section of pipe about 10" down when I was just starting out, Beale.

[Buster]

Good post BDA..Big guns some times don't count... I am still working on my beach hunting...It is coming along good I think..I can find the trash line and hunt in the correct spots now.I also think that I understand more of the beach then I did last year at this time.. "E" and I are waiting for the coming of the spring breakers in a few weeks..That should be really a good time for sure. Again good post...Buster...... .

[bdahunter]

Originally Posted by Buster

Good post BDA..Big guns some times don't count... I am still working on my beach hunting...It is coming along good I think..I can find the trash line and hunt in the correct spots now.I also think that I understand more of the beach then I did last year at this time.. "E" and I are waiting for the coming of the spring breakers in a few weeks..That should be really a good time for sure. Again good post...Buster...... .

We're all waiting for the season to change and the sand to get swept out but there's always loot to be found if you think it through.

Good hunting to You and E.,

BDA

[rip]

Well said bud,research and knowledge are the key's.

[gordiesgirl]

Great Post, So True, I have been working with my detector for a year, I feel that I am one with My XLT and still read on and study the machine. When we hunt with others they say I find more because of my expensive machine, I say I find more because I took the time to learn my machine. I love to Metal detect and put my all in every hunt.

[MinelabMan]

Well put BDA, I think I'd be very hesitant to dig 3 feet unless I was sure it was something worth digging! You can't always be certain what you're digging at 3 inches sometimes

[EPC Guy]

Excellent post, BDA - I look at MD'ing as piecing together clues in order to solve a mystery...where is the area that would have the highest concentration of people? Do those trees look old enough to have been on the property at the time of the first people settled here? Is this virgin soil or has landfill or more topsoil been added? Where would they have crossed this creek or river? Where would they have located their outhouse? The land will speak to you...if you listen.