So Cal King Tide Question

Really need big surf with that. Otherwise it smooths out the dry for easier hunting. And does pull some targets down off the towel line a bit. So hunt high. I was at Balboa a few days ago it was bad. But during the recent storm with 8' cuts...it was much different

mike_i said:

I was wondering what if anything the resent king tides did to the local beaches...

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KOB said:

Really need big surf with that. ...

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Kob is right : These massive high/low tides (King tides) don't, of themselves, produce results.

Some people think that since it's going out to its furthest low points during the year, that , since you can now set foot on what was currently inaccessible underwater zones: That it's un-tapped zones. Therefore filled with coins and rings that were previously never exposed & accessible till this time of year. Right ?

But it doesn't work that way. If the sand is "in" (ie.: no erosion lately), then the sand in that was previously off-shore underwater, is JUST as prone to "sand in", as any other point on the inter-tidal zone. So even if 100's of people played and splashed there @ the previous summer months, it simply doesn't matter that it's "now exposed" (and prior mere mortals couldn't reach it with detectors). Because if the sand is "in" (and thus the beach is sterile), that holds true for this very-low-tide section as well.

So the question is not "where" (ie.: what zone of the beach), but rather WHEN (when erosion is or isn't occurring ).

If there has been no erosion going on, then the only thing that these super low king tides do, is create GIGANTIC swaths of real estate, to walk around in and find nothing in. Doh !

I drove down to So Cal this week to enjoy my new truck camper and hit some beaches. My Go To spot was decent. A good -1.3 low tide and in the thigh deep water there wasn't much but at the tide line I came up with 3 silver rings. Then I saw the only other guy on the beach about 30 yards from me get all giddy. He found a nice 8g comfort fit mens 14k band. Bastard. 20 more minutes and it woulda been mine. OH WELL . Next night I camped at San Elijo. Nothing but slaw. BUT, at the cliff line hard clay was exposed and there were plenty of VERY hard to retrieve coinage. Probably a ring in there somewhere but I didn't have a pick on me to blast thru it. Today I relaxed and tomorrow I drive back home. In So Ca the best times in my opinion are during the Dec - Mar low tide times during bad weather. Good luck ~

i hunt doheny state beach i hunted a low to high tide pattern and nearly all my diggings were 4-6 feet from hightide wet sand . i found a silver saint Christopher pendent and a silver toe ring and the usual change

Hammer1 said:

i hunt doheny state beach i hunted a low to high tide pattern and nearly all my diggings were 4-6 feet from hightide wet sand . i found a silver saint Christopher pendent and a silver toe ring and the usual change

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I hunt there on rare occasions. Lots of rocks. Gold is in them at very low tides , but tough to walk in. Not to mention the trash. I think they closed the campground area for sewer line replacement. HH

I hunted there once, the cobblestones made it too difficult to hunt.

KOB said:

I hunt there on rare occasions. Lots of rocks. Gold is in them at very low tides , but tough to walk in. Not to mention the trash. I think they closed the campground area for sewer line replacement. HH

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mike_i said:

I hunted there once, the cobblestones made it too difficult to hunt.

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The "boneyard" is the famous surf spot , but people don't swim there. Just get wet close to shore. Gets very packed in summer. Camping area you get more swimmers , not as many rocks. But for quite a few years now that whole Dana , Capo beach area is known for a Great White shark nursery.

Last time I was there was a few months after they tore half of the PCH bridge down. I saw a lot of the camping area got washed away.

KOB said:

The "boneyard" is the famous surf spot , but people don't swim there. Just get wet close to shore. Gets very packed in summer. Camping area you get more swimmers , not as many rocks. But for quite a few years now that whole Dana , Capo beach area is known for a Great White shark nursery.

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As for the OP, King tides dont mean squat if the waves aren't pulling out the sand. If its a direct push and pull it's a null. 2016-2017 was epic. Big El Nino action. Lots of scissor cuts in the tide line. Lots of old stuff. Since then not so much. Hard for me now that I moved a few hundred mi away. I can't predict anything other than just watching tide reports and positive wishing. I'll be camping out at Silver Strands on the 30th until dec 2nd checkout and I'm certainly gonna continue the hunt in that time. Getting a Gold Monster 1000 for xmas ( i think) so i can hit the deserts since thats my new demograph.

low tide said:

.... 2016-2017 was epic. Big El Nino action. Lots of scissor cuts in the tide line. Lots of old stuff. Since then not so much.....

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Good analysis . Yes, the last 3 years have been meager and lame erosion. Ingredients haven't lined up in a long while