fan or scoop?

Steve

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Bought a Nemo for shallow diving. Wondering what others use to retrieve targets. I'll mostly be hunting in thick, dark, sludge like mud. I have tried yet but I imagine fanning will take an hour per target. Plastic will bend and snap in short time... I do have a couple Stavr scoops hanging around.. I can mod 1 to have a short handle on the back if it becomes necessary.

Anyone have any suggestions for hunting in sludge like mud around 6ft depth?
 
yeah, stand up instead of diving if its only around that depth. if it's only 6 ft why don't you just use a snorkel, a mask, and a shovel?
 
yeah, stand up instead of diving if its only around that depth. if it's only 6 ft why don't you just use a snorkel, a mask, and a shovel?

Used to. Going to try the Blu3 out now and try a different approach. This also gives me the option to go out past 6ft if I want to.
 
I've got a nemo and another hooka. The best thing about the nemo is the light weight and ability to turn it off via the regulator and revert to wading, it prolongs the battery life.

Don't waste your time trying to scoop underwater. All you will do is push yourself off the bottom, unless you strap about 40 pounds of lead on yourself.

You've got a clay bottom and it's a swiming area? There's gold there for sure you'll do well. Use your hands, for clay I generally dig one hand into the clay to remain stationary and use the other to gouge out hunks from the bottom rather than fanning. Fanning is best for sand and crevicing.
 
Sludge = bacteria/staff. I'd not want to be down in that fanning. Especially if it's fresh water. If you've got a good current pulling the fanned sediment away from you in the ocean than you might want to try fanning.
In 6' I'd stand up and dig out those targets with a long handled scoop in those conditions. Ruslan makes excellent scoops:yes:
 
I don't think its possible to fan compressed mud :lol: or gravel and rocks... you are welcome to come try though... I'm sure the silversides and minnows would be happy.
 
Trying to carry a scoop with a Blu3, detector, weights, mask and snorkel and goodie bag would be a joke. The bottom is garbage. What about digging with a dive knife?

Only you will be there, Sounds like you just have to try a few things
 
Bacteria and other cr@p at this spot is definitely a possibility. Not uncommon to see kids and the occasion adult dropping a deuce at the high tide line.

Won't be in the water with any little cuts or scratches. Goggles, gloves, boots, wetsuit already soaked in hot water and taking a long hot shower after.

Carrying everything is going to be troublesome. Usually I'm wearing waders, scoop, detector, my sifter and hop into a taxi to the beach... I'll figure something out, the effort and determination will make it happen.

The bottom is like a suction of mud. Impossible to just dig quickly even in the wet area. The scoop needs to be wiggled and such to break the suction.... yet somehow the gold sinks quickly (6"-18")
Im hoping the gold is sitting less than 6" deep further out.. As for clawing with my hands, I use a PI. I've pulled some sharp dangerous objects out of this spot and not too fond of the idea of sticking my hands in holes looking for metal objects.
 
If you've EVER had staph or MRSA, or even Cellulitis its no joke. My ex from yrs ago was/is an RN and she brought me a wonderful gift once. Boils. I thought it was simple staph and its relatively common. Well, it was vancomycin resistant MRSA. Look it up. %#$^@# sucked. I would get a tiny little pimple. Pop it thinking nothing of it. Then it would turn necrotic and in a day and a 1/2 I'd be in the ER getting it lanced. I didn't have a cut or a scratch that introduced it to me. It just found the smallest break in the skin and entered.
My point: If your water is that bad.. Stay out of it. It aint worth 10gr of gold. Whats your ER visit deductible? NO thanks.
And if you think that showering and using anti-bacterial soap will help. Try again. It kills staph... It kills the good AND the bad. Which do you think is stronger? I say PASS!
 
Trying to carry a scoop with a Blu3, detector, weights, mask and snorkel and goodie bag would be a joke. The bottom is garbage. What about digging with a dive knife?

Only you will be there, Sounds like you just have to try a few things

i was thinking about modding the scoop so there is a handle at the back and the scoop tip is going to be modded into something of a knife point. i can just stab,scoop, punch a hole lift up the scoop and let it sift once i have it out.
 
Rtg

Makes an aluminum and stainless hand scoop , I have the stainless along with a scuba tector good up to 6 inch depth , if your diving the stainless hand scoop will do you well .
 
What I have found to be my quickest recovery of a target diving with a Excal I hunt in all metal as I am in fresh water looking for swim platforms and in all metal I hear metal so I know I am in the right area then switch to disc. to decide to dig. In disc mode I locate target slide the coil 2 to 3 inches to the side lift one side of the coil up and slide my hand under the coil and start digging with my fingers when I move the target I can hear it in my headphones at that point I take a hand full of mud twist my wrist back and forth if I hear it moving in my hand I raise my hand up slightly and slide my sifter that is mounted on the detector under my hand and I have the target, I have dropped many targets from my hand trying to put them in a bag. This works best for me.
 

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If you've EVER had staph or MRSA, or even Cellulitis its no joke. My ex from yrs ago was/is an RN and she brought me a wonderful gift once. Boils. I thought it was simple staph and its relatively common. Well, it was vancomycin resistant MRSA. Look it up. %#$^@# sucked. I would get a tiny little pimple. Pop it thinking nothing of it. Then it would turn necrotic and in a day and a 1/2 I'd be in the ER getting it lanced. I didn't have a cut or a scratch that introduced it to me. It just found the smallest break in the skin and entered.
My point: If your water is that bad.. Stay out of it. It aint worth 10gr of gold. Whats your ER visit deductible? NO thanks.
And if you think that showering and using anti-bacterial soap will help. Try again. It kills staph... It kills the good AND the bad. Which do you think is stronger? I say PASS!

I always wear GLOVES never leave home with out.
 
What I have found to be my quickest recovery of a target diving with a Excal I hunt in all metal as I am in fresh water looking for swim platforms and in all metal I hear metal so I know I am in the right area then switch to disc. to decide to dig. In disc mode I locate target slide the coil 2 to 3 inches to the side lift one side of the coil up and slide my hand under the coil and start digging with my fingers when I move the target I can hear it in my headphones at that point I take a hand full of mud twist my wrist back and forth if I hear it moving in my hand I raise my hand up slightly and slide my sifter that is mounted on the detector under my hand and I have the target, I have dropped many targets from my hand trying to put them in a bag. This works best for me.

Thanks Jim
 
i was thinking about modding the scoop so there is a handle at the back and the scoop tip is going to be modded into something of a knife point. i can just stab,scoop, punch a hole lift up the scoop and let it sift once i have it out.

If you sift underwater it'll make a cloud just like fanning.
Reading through the discussion I actually think fanning is going to be your best option. You don't want to dig in with your hands and sifting isn't going to work the way you think. The dynamic is totally different due to bouyancy. If it's not clay and slity you'll stir it up no matter what, and the key to good fanning is pumping clear water down with your hands so the cloud of murkiness is pushed away.
 
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