Lost Wedding Ring near Biscarrosse France in Shallow water

[MickyB72]

Good evening. I have just got back from a holiday in France and while out in a shallow sandy lake near Biscarrosse I lost my white gold wedding ring. The water was shallow, just knee deep. I am planning to head back down to the south of France to try and find it.

Could you advise any decent detectors that would work in shallow water?
Do any members leave near Biscarrosse or are visiting soon?
What other equipment is out there for sifting through sand?

Thanks in advance.

Michael

[littleboot]

Besides a detector that deals with wet sand and is preferably waterproof (bear in mind that the water levels of lakes have been at record lows this summer and that will change as autumn kicks in. You will need a proper long-handled sand scoop for this as well.
In the event of getting a signal, digging in wet sand is a nightmare and without the proper kit impossible/frustrating.
Its best to try and get someone local to search for you ASAP. A good thing to be there as well if you can,...but get someone who has the kit and knows how to use it, especially in these situations.

Here is the contact page for the (sort of) equivalent forum in France (and French!) ...
http://www.detecteur.net/forum/memberli ... ntactadmin

Fill in the form ...remember Bing Translator is your friend....keep it simple, explain the situation (but don't divulge precise details at this time, just the locality) and ask if they can put you in touch with the local club etc and take it from there.

[MickyB72]

Ok thanks for the advice.

[MickyB72]

Hello,

I lost my wedding ring in France in shallow sandy water of a lake. I am planning to head back down to the lake next week for a couple of days. Could you advise or give any tips on shallow water detecting? Are then any companies in the uk that lease high spec detectors?

Thanks in advance.

Michael

[Incognito]

It depends what you mean by shallow. If it is knee height many detectors are waterproof at the coil so could be used (with care) , you would need a sand scoop. If you are snorkeling or wading deeper then a fully waterproof detector is nescessary, if you are snorkelling a sandscoop maybe but just a trowel is often good - depends how soft the sand is and if it fills in again fast. There are many kinds of waterproof detector for shallow water, as it is fresh water a vlf type would be fine, the simpler the better (i.e. easy settings available) if you haven't detected before. Not sure on where does rental.

[sweepstick47]

Hello Michael, An alternative option if practical under the circumstances ,would be to seek assistance from a local French club as they are liable to have the resources to recover the loss without too much hassle (permission/equipment/experience in water searching).
Good Luck, hope you manage a successful recovery. Regards ss47

[Keef the Frog]

The fine folk of the FNUDEM could help.
You could post in the "OBJETS PERDUS, demande de recherche" section of the forum.
Here's the link:

http://fnudem.forumactif.org/forum

[Saffron]

Michael,
I fully appreciate how it must feel to lose the ring and how keen you are to get it back.

However, running two threads on exactly the same subject does not help and can lead to confussion.

Detecting in even shallow water (knee depth) requires additional skills to your normal decting on land. So I VERY strongly suggest that you take advice of Littleboot and Keef The Frog and get local detectorists who will have the required equipment and skills to search for the ring for you.

Evan

[Incognito]

Michael,
I fully appreciate how it must feel to lose the ring and how keen you are to get it back.

However, running two threads on exactly the same subject does not help and can lead to confussion.

Detecting in even shallow water (knee depth) requires additional skills to your normal decting on land. So I VERY strongly suggest that you take advice of Littleboot and Keef The Frog and get local detectorists who will have the required equipment and skills to search for the ring for you.

Evan

MODS: The following are on the same subject, probably worth merging IMHO.

/viewtopic.php?f=133&t=113879
viewtopic.php?f=42&t=114049

I don't say there is anything wrong with asking others to search for the ring and it might well be best option , but it seems a bit of an exaggeration to dissuade someone from doing so themselves. There are different factors to take into account. For example is the searcher relatively fit and willing to put in some time and effort (probably more than a volunteer), is it important they find it themselves, do they want to trust others with the location ( my experience of that) is the sand relatively firm, does the area have a lot of foot traffic ( crowds) or waves ( even on a lake) that might cause the ring to sink etc. ? Some people actually enjoy doing this sort of activity, others would rather leave it to another, but there is nothing particularly difficult detecting in knee deep still water - it is more tedious (slower) because of coil drag, and using a scoop can sometimes take a bit of learning depending on type of sand, is all. If you are going to ask another be sure to offer/promise them the metal value of the ring, and then some - fair is fair, it dissuades anyone keeping it, and it allows the finder the honour of refusing payment.

Personally I would buy a brand name entry level detector ( £100?) , learn to use it some, then take it down there next trip, taping on a strong clear polythene bag over the control box , and spend a couple of afternoons going over the area. All else fails a local detectorist might try for you - they will be faster (so?), and possibly get a bit more depth. You could ask a local first, but then if it is not found you are going to maybe wonder if you are looking for a ring that is no longer there if you then try detecting it yourself. I'm (relatively) sure club members are trustworthy, but that does not change the equation. On the other hand it is nice to meet local people, and someone experienced might be able to whisk over the area quickly (if it is not a large area) and pick up the ring before whatever else might happen to it.

Anyone with the biceps ( for example Easylife?) , might try a rake net used for shellfish hunting, tied to the waste they go down a few inches, but that is hard work.

Anyway, it is Micky's call and I hope he manages to find the ring

[MickyB72]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I will seek help from some local groups.