Shallow water hunting accessories

In this blog I will explain a few accessories that will compliment your CTX 3030 and make shallow water hunting much easier, starting with water hunting apparel.

I personally like to wear a wet suit when shallow water hunting for safety and comfort. Wet suits come in different styles from ‘shorties’ that just cover the torso with short sleeves and legs, to full suits covering the whole body. The thickness of the wet suit required will depend on the temperature of the water that you intend to search.

In South Florida I wear a 0.5 mm full wet suit during the summer months and a thicker 3 mm full wet suit during the winter months. Light weight neoprene and rubber dive boots and gloves provide the final protection from jellyfish, sea lice and the elements.

I like to use a thin dive hood with a snorkel and mask when searching in chest to shoulder deep water, but if I am only going to be searching in knee to waist deep water I prefer to wear a flap hat for protection from the sun.

An alternative to wet suits for warm water hunters are surfer style long sleeve rash guard shirts and board shorts, although they offer less protection from jellyfish and sea lice.

Recovering targets in the water is a breeze with the correct tool for the job. Your initial investment in a good water hunting scoop will pay dividends in the water as a good scoop will help you to retrieve more valuable targets in a shorter time.

Water hunting finds like these platinum and gold bands recovered in the last few weeks using my CTX 3030 and long handled scoop.

Platinum and gold bands

A long handled stainless steel scoop is a must have water hunting accessory, it can have a handle made of wood or metal as long as the basket is made of stainless steel. An aluminum scoop is a good second choice, but lacks the weight of stainless steel and is easily moved around over the target area by the current inside the water.

Using a heavier stainless steel scoop will help during the underwater target retrieval process. A stainless steel scoop basket will not buckle or tear like an aluminum scoop basket will in rocky areas. Retrieving targets in the water is much harder than retrieving targets on the beach, which is why I like to make every move count in the water, saving time and energy.

Smaller diameter holes in the scoop basket also save time recovering targets, helping to prevent smaller items of jewelry such as ear rings and charms from falling back into the water. The width of the scoop basket can also make a difference in the water, finds such as chains, bracelets and sunglasses are more likely to be recovered undamaged using a wide scoop basket.

Scoop

Once you find something in the water you are going to need to keep it somewhere safe and the most secure way of storing your finds in the water is a nylon zippered water hunting pouch. There are several brands of finds pouches specifically designed for water hunting with mesh bottoms allowing water to drain from the pouch. I prefer to use a two pocket zippered pouch with a larger pocket for normal finds and a smaller pocket at the front for jewelry finds.

Finds pouch

Another useful accessory is a personal flotation device or PFD, this is an inflatable belt sold at most dive stores. This accessory is a very good insurance policy worn around the waist for anyone not used to searching in the water with a metal detector in one hand and a long handled scoop in the other.

All of these water hunting accessories will help you to be a more efficient water hunter with your CTX 3030 or Excalibur, choose the accessories that help you to maximize the time you spend metal detecting in the water.

Good luck and may gold be in your scoop!

Gary T. Drayton
www.garydrayton.com