How Can You Enjoy Metal Detecting on Your Next Vacation?

By Daniel Bernzweig

Vacations are something everyone needs from time to time. Taking a break from everyday life provides us with many different benefits. No matter where you go, you can enjoy having the opportunity to meet different people, unwind, enjoy beloved hobbies, and, try new things too.

A fun activity for any vacation is metal detecting. Whether this is a personal hobby or a totally new activity for you, metal detecting on vacation is an exciting way to spend some (or all!) of your free time. Be sure to read our related blog post entitled "Vacation Memories You Will Treasure."

For many people, their perfect vacation involves the beach. The sun and sand, the waves crashing into shore, everyone young and old having a good time; it's easy to understand why pretty much any beach is an ideal vacation spot. But, did you know the beach is also an excellent location to enjoy metal detecting too?

It is! This is mainly because there's so much to find on the beach. Consider for a moment just how many people go to the beach on any given day. Now, think about how many of these people end up bringing valuables to the beach. Some tuck them away for safekeeping and end up bringing them home successfully, but, many, many others end up losing them in the sand. If this is where your interest lies, be sure to read our article entitled "What are the Best Metal Detectors for Metal Detecting on the Beach?"

Others wear their jewelry into the water; you wouldn't want to leave your wedding ring on your blanket of course! Unfortunately, all too often these precious pieces are lost at sea never to be found again… unless of course, someone like you comes along with a beach metal detector that is! These metal detectors are usually very successful at recovering lost jewelry. Quite often, the finders are actually able to track down and return many of these pieces to the former owner. This can be an unexpected and very gratifying experience.

In order to fully enjoy an expedition in these conditions you will need a machine with a few special features. One of the primary issues folks face using their metal detectors on the beach is the fact that mineralized rocks, called hot rocks and minerals in the salt water can interfere with many metal detectors. As a result many land based metal detectors will produce false signals and lots of extra chatter. This can be frustrating to say the least. A good beach metal detector, on the other hand, will feature either Pulse Induction (PI) or a Very Low Frequency (VLF) design with a ground balance control to combat this issue. For a good overview of the options, take a read of our article entitled "Underwater Metal Detectors — Reviewing the Best Options."

Metal detecting on a vacation like this isn't limited only to recoveries on the beach though. Currently, there are some excellent options for snorkeling and diving with metal detectors as well. For complete details read our article entitled "Scuba Diving with a Metal Detector." While quite a few metal detecting enthusiasts will hit the beach itself, only a few will venture deeper into the water with their metal detectors. This coupled with the many shipwrecks that have occurred over the years, means the probability of finding something exciting is even greater! If you are looking for a shipwreck, be sure to read our related article entitled "What are the Best Metal Detectors for Underwater Search & Recovery?"

When looking for an underwater metal detector, choose either a Pulse Induction or a VLF model with a ground adjust control for best results. Diving with a metal detector that features one of these two designs is highly reliable given their ability to best combat ground minerals. However, you may end up digging up junk as well as treasure since these metal detectors often times offer limited discrimination capabilities.

Don't just sit around on the beach during your vacation letting all those lost valuables just languish there in the sand and surf. Head out treasure hunting with your beach metal detector and your vacation will be fun, relaxing, and possibly even rewarding too!

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