Sites for metal detecting in San Diego.. help!!!!

[foxglove]

My husband and I are new to the hobby of metal detecting. ;DWe'll be in San Diego on Feb 21!! We just bought out detectors last Dec. and we can't wait to try it out. It's impossible to do it here coz of the cold weather! So we're excited to go to San Diego for a week to make the search worthwhile!

I need help.. please suggest a place where I can go metal detecting without getting into trouble. Anyone knows if Balboa park is accessible to treasure hunters? I mean, can you actually use a detector and dig? If you can suggest more sites that are a great location for metal detecting, please.... TELL ME!! Thank you!!!

Belle

[zman]

try the hotel de coranado its on the beach and has a long history to it many old coins and jewelry have been found there, as to the qestion of wether it`s legal at balboa, as long as it`s not an historic site your most likely ok, there are usually signs posted that tell the rules, if not ask an official there, they can be very helpfull and sometimes tell you were well used area`s are to hunt, i was just in florida and they are maniacal about metal detecting certain beaches, they will take your detector,car, then cite you for it, here in california they are very permissive, as long as you don`t leave holes open, or if your in a grassy area pull a plug of dirt instead of digging, it`s much neater looking. anyhow i wish i could help you more but i dont get down there much, good luck.......zman

[LodiTom]

Welcome to the forum,as for San Diego I'm not sure where to go not from that area.But there are a few that are.hopefully they can help you out.Good luck and HH,Tom

[foxglove]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REPLIES... OKAY, I'LL GO CHECK CORONADO OUT. BEEN THERE ONCE BEFORE, BUT I'LL CHECK IT OUT. AND YA, YOU'RE RIGHT... I GUESS I SHOULD JUST ASK. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO BEGIN. THANKS!!!

BELLE

[OT]

Hello Foxglove,

First of all I would like to welcome you to the Kinzli forum, and as far as San Diego I'm not to sure were to hunt but there is a local metal detecting club there and you might be able to get a contact person off the internet and they might suggest a good spot for you and your husband to hunt.
I see by your profile that you are from Dover, Delaware. I have a good friend that lives in Seaford, Delaware and works in Dover. He and his fiance Karen do a lot of detecting in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. They belong to a Club near Dover but in Maryland. They have an active club that does a lot of field trips and planted hunts. Also their club went to England last year for a week and had a blast. If you get a chance you might want to give John Rebman and Karen a call, his number is [phone], if you call tell him Tom Elliott says hi.

:)T

[foxglove]

Oh wow.. that's great!! We always wanted treasure hunting buddies! Yes, I'll definitely give them a call. Do you have their email address if they have any? So I can write them first. And I will also check on San Diego clubs for tips. Thank you so much and thanks too for welcoming me.

[OT]

Hello Belle,

I've looked everywhere for John's address in Seaford and I can't find it. I'm sure he is listed in the phone directory if you want to give that a try. Here is a photo that John sent to me from last summer and it was taken at Leed's castle in England, John is on the left and Karen is on the right, the guy in the middle is an English friend of theirs.


OT

[foxglove]

Well, they seem nice!! Okay, i'll go take a look at their addresses on the phone book, but I guess the phone number would suffice for now. Thank you again!! You're a big help. Wish there were more like you.

Belle

[OT]

Your Welcome Belle,

I think that you will like John and Karen, they're both into history and love detecting the old sites. John on the side sells metal detectors, mostly Whites, so if you have any problems or question about detecting he would be a good person to talk with. John and me have been to England many years together and he is a very good detectorist and loves to share his knowledge.

Happy Hunting

OT

[TominSalinasCA]

I would digress from the advice to ask if md'ing is allowed in Balboa Park. If there's no signs about it, and if you're not in an obvious historically signicant monument type spot, then go for it. I have seen first hand people ask if they can metal detect in a park, and get told "no" by some desk-bound clerk in city hall. Huh? funny, we md'd that park for years, and no one ever said anything to us. Now we were scared that somehow it was now off-limits By asking, you're only casting aspursions on your hobby, as if, somehow something were "wrong" with it.

If someone wants to tell you to skat, they're more than welcome to, but it won't result in fines and confiscations, unless it was somewhere posted. I can't believe they're taking vehicles and such in Florida, unless someone couldn't take a warning, or snuck into a archaeological place, etc....

[foxglove]

hmmm.. you do have a point. thanks for that!

[zman]

i too would look for signs first, tom`s right about the city hall paper pushers, i was reffering to someone working at the park,but even then you could get the wrong answer. i always assume if it`s a state park it`s ok ,and usually is, unless there is an historic site there, and yea TOM they will take your car and detector, anything that helped you supposed destroy,dig,or change in anyway ,these protected beaches,or dunes, and it is posted,in the lot and on the beach itself, if you werent looking at the signs you could find yourself in trouble there,not certain they would prosecute to the full extent of the law,if your just a tourist, but the sign clearly states that they will do those things, i wasn`t willing to chance it. so the sign worked for me......zman

[OT]

Hello foxglove,

Here is John Redman's email address; [e-mail]

OT (Tom Elliott)

[foxglove]

Great!! I'll go email him tomorrow. Thanks so much Tom!

[cyberdan]

Foxglove, I hope this is not too late. You will be in S.D. tomorrow. I live in SoCA and hunted in SD last Sept., just read your post.

There are MANY beaches in SD, old ons too. I can't remember the names but try the one near the wooden rollercoaster. Also, I tried hunting for old smaller parks. Those I found were not on the safe side or foam padded totlots.

There are a LOT of public parks and beaches around the Sea World area. Look on the local maps just east of Sea World. San Diego is a crazy mixed up mess of roads, I always get lost, but it is small and somewhat easy to retrace your route.

Old Town would be a great place to hunt (turn of the century village) but it is all off limits to hunters and very touristy.

Balboa might be OK, stay away from the museum areas though. There is a big Victorian glass building that is full of tropical plants. In front is a big Koi Pond just full of coins. My wife had to pull me back to keep me from taking a swim. ;D

Bring rain wear 70% chance of rain 2-21 and 80% on 2-22 where I live, about 75 mi north.

Have fun.