A Beachcombing Treasure Hunter

Does anyone else remember this scene from Spaceballs? It still makes me chuckle. But what exactly do you need to comb a beach and search for hidden treasures? Ever since I was a small kid, I’ve wanted to own a metal detector so that I could hunt for treasure on beaches. There’s just something so romantic about it; there’s definitely an allure to treasure hunting. I know so little about metal detectors and beachcombing that I decided to learn about it and share it with our Uptake readers. I get half of everything you find!

First, you have to decide on your needs and how much you can afford, because apparently, you can spend anywhere from about $100 to over $1000 for a metal detector. (Yikes.) If you’re really dedicated to finding some treasure on a beach, perhaps you should go for one of the more high-end ones, but I suspect the cheaper models are just fine for beginners. This article goes into all the nitty gritty details of the different types of metal detectors available and the theory behind selecting one for your beach combing experience. Of course, if the treasures aren’t made of metal then you will likely not find them – but there’s a lot of very cool old stuff that contains metal jewelry, coins and the like), so detectors are a good place to start.

Outer Banks, North Carolina - Fertile Treasure Hunting Grounds

So, now you have a metal detector, and a burning passion to find something in the sand. Where to go? Apparently, the Outer Banks beaches in North Carolina often reward beachcombers with fine finds. Indeed, this area of the country has one of the highest concentrations of shipwrecks in the world, so the possibility of finding old coins and other old metal objects is higher than it might be elsewhere. And, as this article suggests, the best time to go beach combing is between November and April, when storms in Atlantic churn up a lot of stuff from the bottom and wash it ashore.

Always, always check local state laws before you head for the beach. Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island do not allow metal detecting, for example. Choose your beach widely, and you might indeed find some hidden treasure! Fellow Uptake Barbara Weibel wrote a nice piece about Lover’s Beach in Cabo San Lucas, which I’ve been to, and one follower commented what a great beach this would be to go metal detecting on. Lots of gold rings tossed on this beach, no doubt! Maybe next time.

Happy hunting! Be sure to share your own beachcombing stories.

Photos: Elsie, Esq. ,  Magnolia5777/Phyllis