Helpful ideas and Tips

Call for help as soon as you can

Especially if you have lost the item in the ocean. Sand and waves move items quickly and the faster I can search for the item, the better chance I can find it. I wish I could find every item I’ve been called out that was lost, but often people will wait hoping the item will show up somewhere else in which time isn’t our friend. Owners can forget details, memory gets hazy or if in water the ocean moves so quickly it’s rare if an item stays in the place you drop it.

as soon as you can, mark the area you lost the item

Because we’re all human and our memory can play tricks on us, as soon as you can take photos of the area you lost the item. Make a note of which buildings you are around, where you have been/moved around that day, and have you changed clothes/moved anything since the item was lost…I’ve seen items get caught in clothes or on animals when dropped that even though were checked, still showed up later. We often panic at the time we realize the item is lost, but it’s easier for a detectorist to know all factors that happened so they can check all areas.

inscribe contact info on your item

Most detectorists want to get you your item back and try to keep an eye out on lost items boards to see if anyone has posted if we find an item at another time. If you can, put a symbol, phone number or email on an item (even rings) so that it’s easier for someone to contact you if a detectorist happens to find the item at a later time.

beware of scams

When people post lost items on Facebook, scammers look out for the posts to scam you out of money. Often they say they found your item, but because they’ve already left the area your item was lost, they need shipping money to return the item. Ask for photos of your lost item, details that they wouldn’t know unless they found it or a video of the item. Make sure when you post lost items you only say so much info online so if you area contacted, you can ask more questions to make sure it’s not a scam.

buy a pinpointer

Detectorists use a pinpointer to help with pinpointing an item in sand, dirt or water. I often recommend if you can to purchase one online as they are very helpful tools to use. One of the best pinpointers I often suggest is a Garrett Pro-Pointer AT found here: https://garrett.com/garrett-pro-pointer-at/

Make sure you only purchase this item from Garrett as there are several copycats out there that don’t work as well. You can find several videos online to show you how they work, very easy to use and waterproof.