Author: Detectorist, Wayne Aguiar

My name is Wayne Aguiar and I have been metal detecting for over 35 years. It all started when I moved to Connecticut in 1985. I had just joined a camera club and one day visited a club member's house. He told me he loved metal detecting and showed me some of his artifacts. After viewing a fistful of musket balls from a Revolutionary War site, I was hooked. I talked my dad into buying a metal detector so we could give the hobby a try. Our machine was a White's Di-Pro 6000 and I still have it to this day. Sharing a single detector did not last long, however, and I purchased one for myself, the Garrett Ultra GTA500. They now call me the "detector collector," since I've acquired several brands over the years. Currently, I am a member of two metal detecting clubs in Connecticut. I love being a hunt master and setting up events.   I still enjoy my other hobbies (including photography and fishing) but I'm a university professor and my passion has always been teaching. I now want to give back to our hobby; I have learned so much from other people and this is the time to talk about my many experiences. A friend recently convinced me that the best way to share my knowledge was to start a Facebook group and YouTube channel. Using these social media platforms, I have been making friends around the world. I do live streams and give back to my community in so many different ways. I am now known as "Professor Wayne" and "The Button Pirate." Our Facebook group has a pirate theme and it is made up of treasure hunters from all over the world. We do not plunder ships, but all of us have a passion for seeking adventure and artifact hunting. The best treasures we hope to gain are the friendships and memories we make along the way. I enjoy researching sites and sharing them with my friends; seeing people make great finds is what makes me happy. My current goal is to further unite our treasure hunting community by sharing even more ideas, so everyone benefits from each other's experiences. My idea is to teach newcomers the "game changing" techniques I use. I am currently involved with youth groups, encouraging them to pursue the hobby in the hopes of preserving history for future generations.