In the spring of the year after the vernal equinox the surf is rough and high for nearly two months and during the month of May here the currents in the surf begin to change the bottom of the swimming areas from a gentle slope into the deep cuts and sandbars we see in summer. At the same time that the sand is tossed onto the beach to build until the Fall
Today I could hardly believe how much the bottom had changed and although it was changing into the cuts and bars mode of summer there were deep holes being scooped out and in some places the bottom was like a minefield. The current was terrible and a strong riptide almost carried me out to sea. I have been waiting for bottom to change again as not only does it provide a cut for jewelry but also it digs deeply into the bottom that was filled in very shortly after the autumnal equinox last fall. Now last fall there was a mother load of gold dropped along the beaches into the cuts by the tourists and in only a couple of weeks the sea just filled in the cuts!
I have been wanting to return to the cuts and holes that the strong surf has made and look once more for the golden goodies that I know were still there for the most part since last fall. When gold is dropped so fast and then covered it may eventually sink in the sand out of range of detectors but if the currents remove the sand covering them I may once more get a chance to find them in range of my detector.
Some of the holes in the surf that are in the process of being dug may tend to average out in summer so it is a good idea to check them now. In some places the holes may cut down to a hard bottom of clay, coral, or rock so it may be possible to locate a great number of old coins and jewelry. Take care and watch out for the strong currents and it is a good idea to wear one of the inflatable life preservers that the divers use. You may be fortunate enough to have clear water but my surf is dirty and sandy. I recall one day last year when the surf was cutting a new bottom and I couldn't even walk because the seafloor was like a minefield with holes all over and as I would stumble away from one I would step into another. A good time of the year to take extra precautions.
Many who hunt the coastlines have such heavy surf that the only way that they can hunt it is to strap on divers weights to hold them in place while they scoop the rings. Remember that for surf hunting an opportunity may open up for only a short while and then pass quickly so it pays off good to make sure that you NEVER miss an opportunity!
When I was a child Galveston Island was vastly different than it is now. Now the beaches have eroded so bad that only a sliver of beach remains of the wide, clean sand beaches then. There used to be very small clams from one forth of an inch long to a half inch and they were colored with rainbow colors and could be found in millions along the shore. Now they are all gone, perhaps killed by pollution but I don't think so. In the past Galveston Island just pushed all the garbage off into the back side of the island into the water and the clams were healthy then. Now they have cleaned it up the clams are gone and all that remains of them is the huge mounds of the tiny shells when the surf digs them up again this time of year. That makes it hard to dig into the bottom in some areas because the shells won't fall through the scoop. I still hunt in the clamshells because I have found rings embedded in the thick piles of shells.
All our beaches are somewhat different but they all have many things in common. Watch your beach closely and note the date that you see the changes happen and you will find that you are building a resource to help you hunt the surf. It will help to tell you what time of year is best for certain places and under types of surf conditions. Make a log of when you found jewelry and just where you found it. You may notice as did I that it shows up in the same place next year!
