The River Thames Foreshore 'Why I Go Digital'

I can say with full confidence that metal detecting on the River Thames here in London Town has to be one of the harshest environments to hunt. Many just can't cope with it so they either give up before they've started or go mud larking 'eyes only'. For me I enjoy the utter chaos that detecting on the Thames brings. To master the foreshore you need to understand your detector inside and out, the sheer number of signals and sounds feels like electroshock therapy, but between the chaos there's treasures to be had. It's common knowledge that I use analog machines out in the fields but a reoccurring question that people ask me is - Why Do I Go Digital On The Thames?

There's a number of reasons which I'll explain in this blog, firstly I need a robust waterproof unit, my analog machines aren't waterproof and even though I have covers for the battery housings and the interfaces, it's no way near enough protection. The foreshore is littered with sharp metals, rocks and an insane amount of stinky mud, I don't want to be worried about damaging the switches and dials on my analog machines. Not only that but I hunt the waterline a lot so I have the tide splashing at my feet, I can't risk any of the interfaces or battery packs getting filled with water.

The detectors I choose to use on the foreshore get a lot of abuse, due to tide times I like to swing fast and dig fast, I get into a a pretty intense mode. Nine times out of ten, once I've pinpointed the signal I'll drop my machine to the ground and extract 'said target' fast. I don't want to be worrying about getting heavy handed with my analog units, I have no problem chucking my Equinox 800 around. Considering the abuse I've inflicted on it, I've had zero breakages and problems and it works remarkably well on an environment such as the foreshore. 

Because my analog machines rely so much on the correct ground balance, dialling them in and keeping them stable can be a real head-ache on terrain like the foreshore. Because the ground conditions change so much and so often it takes too much constant adjusting to keep them running smooth. I don't have to concern myself with this when using my Equinox, due to the filters the machine possesses, 'even before I've adjusted anything,' it makes it so much easier and hassle free to literally turn it on and start swinging. This is one of the main points I make about digital machines, so much is taken care of for you so you don't have to think about anything.

Another important aspect is the coils, I use a 6' inch coil on my Equinox and I have no problem with it getting scratched, banging on shale, rocks, metal objects or getting it completely covered in rancid mud and silt, it's very resilient. Taking into account that some of my Nexus coils cost as much as an Equinox 800, I'm not inclined to potentially scratch and damage them. I don't want to be thinking about any of this kind of stuff when I'm on the foreshore I just want to get on with detecting. 

Cherry Picking and digging by tone is another great advantage, I hunt in 5 tones and my brain is tuned into what I call 'coin tones'. All coins give a specific tone and pitch and you can literally call them before you've dug them up, not only that but the 'coin tone' is a great way to hear for potential masked targets. Due to the sheer number of metal objects both on the surface and underneath the ground even if I hear a whimper of a 'coin tone' from one small angle I'll have a dig to see if it's a masked coin. On more occasions than not it has been a coin masked by iron junk.

The other advantage being able to cherry pick is time, I can't always get down to the foreshore as the tide is going out, sometimes it's when it's coming in. In these situations I don't have the luxury of time so I want to move fast, being able to be more selective over what I dig tips the odds in my favour to potentially find treasure. Why Do I Need To Act Fast? simple, because new offering that have washed up could disappear very quickly once the tide comes in and whisks them away.

The final and probably the main reason why I choose digital on the Thames is potential theft and mugging, a couple of my spots are in really dodgy areas of London, because my hunting time is dictated by tide times. I can find myself on the foreshore quite late at night. Many times up on the Thames path there are groups of youths, homeless and sketchy people, on many occasions I've been eyed up. I'd have no problem giving up my Equinox if I had a knife pointed towards me, but due to the value of my Nexus machines and how unique they are, there's no way I would risk having them stolen off me and I'd be reluctant to give them up even if threatened with violence. In London you've got to be aware of your surroundings at all times, even more so on the Thames foreshore.