Need help and advice searching local river

[skywalker71]

Hi guys!

This is my first post. I'm a newbie and have only just started metal detecting so go easy on me!

I have been out a few times searching a local river and have a couple of questions...

Firstly, what gloves would you recommend to search on the river bed with? It is extremely rocky unfortunately so the last few times I have been out has almost worn my fingernails down to the bone which I know you shouldn't really do!!

Secondly, are there any tried and tested methods for getting the best results from rocky rivers? I have a scoop but this is no good on the rocks. In shallower areas I have my hands down but it is quite a sooty river so visibility can be a little poor!

One thing I definitely need is a waterproof pinpointer. I've read the Vibra-Probe is the only waterproof unit... Is there anywhere in the UK I can get one from?

Cheers in advance for your replies!

John

[clint]

Well John,
I think as a newcomer to detecting you`ve jumped in ...at the deep end!Sorry couldn`t resist!Havn`t done rivers myself..land is hard enough.What advice??Practical stuff really I suppose..Don`t go alone,get some kevlar gloves,get some innoculations..be aware of weils disease etc.Don`t take risks.

be lucky

Clint

[richierich]

get into a nice ploughed a rolled field!! river detecting should be left to the experts id say mate very tricky and can be risky as said with weils disease etc.. if you are attracted to the water maybe a beach is the way to go

[tigtog]

get some decent waders take a mate with you, use a sharp /pointed steel bar or similar if the grounds real rocky, then scoop the loose stuff good luck

[ShandyJack]

Hello

Get / make a non metallic sieve. Easy enough to do. I got a washing up bowl and drilled loads of small holes in the bottom. You can then dig a big load into it, rescan to check you have your find then take it onto land and use your pinpointer in the dry.

Weils disease will more likely come from the bank where rodents run than the water itself. Wash your hands well before you eat.

Always make sure you're safe and ensure you're not disturbing fisheries. i

Happy hunting

[Pav]

I have no river MD experience but do have river skills.
A warning.. A shallow river with a moderate current can pull your feet out. In that event you are at risk.
A B.A helps but you are at risk of entrapment if you fall in a current. It is best to take a defensive position. On your back, looking down stream, feet up. Exit in an eddy.
Massive risk from tree roots, fallen branches, old fence posts with barb wire etc. If you get pinned against any thing similar the weight of the water will pin you. Incorrect rescue can make things worse so a buddy is good but they need river skills otherwise they can be a risk to you. I once was pinned against a fallen tree and had to scream at a friend who was trying to help me to back off as he was going to put me (and him) at greater risk until another buddy with experience was able to get back to me.

Stay well away from weirs unless you understand water flow. The back flow (stopper) can be a killer. Often the ones that do not look much risk are the worse.

Just a precautionary tale. Good luck, just stay safe!

[BaldRick]

Youve had lots of good advice before mine, but if your dead keen on doing rivers (which isnt a bad thing) then why not spend hours watching youtube clips. Theres everything you will ever need on there, including Americans digging in rivers, and UK digers digging under bridges etc, etc. There are some good gloves in garden Center shops, for around a fiver, they should last a couple of months. If your thinking of waterproofing a Garret Pro Pointer be sure you do it correctly, again all the info is on youtube. Good Luck and dont forget to share your finds with us.

[skywalker71]

Some excellent advice...thanks! There seems to be some top guys on here and I appreciate your input! I've been out a few times and I definitely need a pin-pointer...that is my next investment. I also need gloves so are there any recommendations for water searching at all? The crow bar is a great tip and will get one...they are cheap enough!!
I have been out a few times and found some modern coins and pre decimals (earliest a 1906 half penny). I need to spend a whole day searching but am quite busy with work at the moment I've not had much of a chance.
The slow flowing river I am currently searching is knee deep at most so poses no great threat. There are deeper sections but pointless searching as recovery of items is a little tricky at the moment unless I get the mask and snorkel out (something for next Summer...maybe)!
The biggest danger I have had so far was when a woman threw a stick for her dog from the embankment and nearly hit me!
Thanks again for all your help!
John

[pasttarg]

rocky bed is nigh on impossible to do even with a Vibra .
(i got one from treasure mountain))
so many factors to consider inc is there any reason for any finds to be there in the 1st place?
boots on the ground ,where were they.was there any traffic ?
even near bridges there could be naff all.we have tried many .
i have been doing rivers for 30 years and 99% are a waste of time ,finds could be 5 foot deep .
but some are ok as we saw earlier this year in durham .

[skywalker71]

Hi Targets...
When you say 'rocky bed is nigh on impossible to do even with a Vibra' why is that?
Cheers,
John

[Mega B]

I take it you have the land owners or possibly multi land owners permission to detect the river,if the land owner owns land both side of the river then its just the one permission,but if the land on the other side of the river is owned by another land owner then you have to get that permission as well.

I do river detecting as well,use chest waders and a long handle sand scoop,the detector i use is not a expensive waterproof one as its Musketeer on a very long straight shaft to gain the extra depth,the control box is mounted on a harness around my neck,this in theory gives me vital extra depth.

I use the small 7inch coil so that although its not a fast running river you dont suffer drag from the flow of the river,also i tend to detect up-stream so that any 'silt' that is disturbed does not cloud my vision,have a floating sieve that can be made up cheaply and currently working on making a clear bottom bucket so that i can see the bottom of the river bed better.

Although in theory a fully water proof machine is best suited for the job its not essential as i have proved,mine was a old machine that i had laying around but just by mounting it on a straight shaft it gained me a few extra inches and can push it with the bottom rod out to about 36inches depth which is more than i ever need to detect.

Safety is paramount,so do tell some one your exact location just incase infact its much better to detect with someone else,but not always possible.

Great fun and not necessary a high costing form of detecting either

[pasttarg]

Hi Targets...
When you say 'rocky bed is nigh on impossible to do even with a Vibra' why is that?
Cheers,
John

you cant cover much area .unless you want to clear an area of rocks and then detect the cleared area .

guys are over optimistic about rivers ,there can be good areas but finds can be very deep as they get covered up by silt over the millenia ,other areas have finds on the surface if your lucky .
even in areas next to castles and ancient houses naff all is found .
even ancient bridges where you would expect good finds ,naff all again.
i dug an ancient bridge under maidstone in kent ,you would have sworn good finds ,but naff all .
it was covered over by the parking lot some years back .

[lorncha]

hi john the trouble with rivers is its real easy to go wading about with a detector in knee deep water and not find much, if you have a good spot there will almost certainly be good stuff there but a lot of the time its out of detector range especially on slow flowing rivers where the overburden has built up over the years. we use a variety of methods to remove this, but where we can we prefer to use a floating 5 inch dredge and scuba or hookah gear. with this gear you can work in most places other people think impossible and there is no need for a metal detector, although we still use one sometimes for sampling. good luck. charlie