Considering Underwater Treasure Hunting? Read Dive Detecting by Steve Zazulyk

The possibilities are endless of what you may find while dive detecting, designer sunglasses, watches, money, colorful rings, coins, or even a GoPro. Dive Detecting by Steve Zazulyk is a complete guide on how to start metal detecting underwater, filled with personal stories from his own adventures to essential tips that he has learned over the years. 

How to Choose Your Metal Detector

Zazulyk explains how to choose the right metal detector for underwater dive detecting based on what type of water you are in, the location, and the depth. Preference and the brand come into play, too when deciding which metal detector to buy. Dive Detecting also explains in-depth the different types of metal detecting technology; pulse indication, very low frequency, Multi IQ, and broadband spectrum, and covers where each one should be used and what for. 

Safety Tips

One important takeaway from Dive Detecting is to always follow the local laws of where you are metal detecting. Zazulyk goes over the common rules and guidelines to abide by while traveling internationally to prevent you from ending up in jail in a foreign country. Some other important pieces of information that are gone over thoroughly are to always have a mentor and a dive partner that you can trust, coming up with a dive plan, and going over your dive signals before getting in the water. 

Zazulyk also explains the importance of doing a pre-dive safety check before you head to the water to dive detect. Some precautions he mentions and explains further are doing a self-check, a weather check, a water check, a dive plan check, and an equipment check. 

Choosing the Best Equipment for Underwater Metal Detecting

Having the correctly sized equipment that fits properly is also important, oversized equipment that doesn’t fit always risks the threat of tiring too easily, strain and fatigue on your muscles and joints, or worse, getting yourself into a situation where you are too exhausted to get out of. Dive Detecting is full of helpful suggestions, such as going to a local swimming pool in full dive gear any time you get a new piece of equipment to get used to using it. This way you will get accustomed to the weight, movement, feel and fit of it. Other diving accessories that will aid in your safety and are recommended and explained further are a dive hood, gloves to protect your hands, footwear to help prevent injuries on your feet, as well as knee pads, leg protectors, fins, headphones, dive masks, a buoyancy compressor device, a scuba horn, and weights. Zazulyk comprehensively explains how each accessory can be useful for your dive and why it is important. He also goes into detail about how a dive computer, grid search markers, ropes, diver floats, diver flags, gold or coin dredges, and mailbox blowers can all be useful in your search for treasure.  

Properly Taking Care of Your Equipment

If you’re going to invest in dive equipment, make sure you take care of it properly to increase its longevity. Storing your equipment is key. Whether you have an insulated storage shed or a cabinet, Zazulyk covers the important ways to keep your dive detecting equipment clean, dry, and safe. Cleaning your tools and equipment is just as important as storing them properly. In this guide, Zazulyk tells you his favorite products to clean and maintain his dive detecting gear. He also goes over what tools work best to repair your equipment. From Q-Tips to an electric air compressor, you will learn an immense amount of information to help prevent user neglect and aid in your equipment lasting longer. Checking all crevices for sand by using an air compressor or small toothpick was just one of the useful tips about properly maintaining your dive gear that  Zazulyk provides in Dive Detecting.    

Understanding Your Metal Detector 

Getting to know and understand your metal detector is vital, especially if you are going to be using it underwater. Dive Detecting covers the key information to know before you get digging, from breaking down the three different parts of the detector’s tones to the differences between ferrous and nonferrous metals. This guide is packed with valuable information. Zazulyk even explains each of the settings on a metal detector and how to manually set it up based on what you are looking for. 

Steps to Take Before Dive Detecting

Metal detecting underwater is a little more complicated than metal detecting on land. The element of water adds a lot of different variables, such as visibility, currents, debris, powerful tides, large rocks, and a limited air supply. Dive Detecting goes over how to adjust your swing and search pattern because of the uneven terrain underwater to make your search more successful. Learn how to dive detect using underwater search patterns such as Mowing the Lawn, The Circular Search Pattern, The Double Rainbow, and The Expanding Square just to name a few that are detailed and explained further.  

The steps you take before you dive can be just as important as the ones you make while dive detecting. Scoping out the area by snorkel before you dive in is important to get an idea of what you will deal with underwater. Decide on your search pattern beforehand and, depending on if you are looking for something specific, map out where your drop zone is. Zazulyk is also helpful in explaining the methods to recover targets efficiently while underwater. Fanning, kick digging and patting the sand are all explained further and will help you decide which one to choose and why. 

Picking the Perfect Location

Learn everything you need to know about metal detecting at the beach, from the different water zones to the colors of the sand. You will learn which types of treasure are more likely to be recovered and where. Even learn how drones and boats can aid in your dive detecting adventure. Zazulyk guides you through picking the perfect location to find treasure based on the rules and regulations of the destination. He discusses the pros and cons of renting equipment versus bringing your own and some tips on renting if you choose that route. There is also a complete list of what to bring on your dive detecting trip to make sure you don’t forget anything essential. 

If you’re ready to jump in the water and start recovering valuable treasures on your own, Dive Detecting also goes over common areas to dive detect. Zazulyk provides expert tips on where to search swimming holes, beaches, waterfalls, amusement parks, rivers, and more.  

Valuable Information 

This guide provides many useful tips that will help you save time fanning for rings underwater, as well as advice for finding other treasures and making sure you don’t miss out on valuable targets that may have otherwise been overlooked. 

There is also an entire chapter dedicated to important lessons that Zazulyk has learned on his own or through other metal detectorists. Some useful information included is, watching out for wildlife and how to behave if you ‌run into a dangerous sea creature.

Conclusion

From Zazulyk’s stories about recovering valuable jewelry off the coast of Venezuela to the chapters dedicated to teaching the most useful tips about dive detecting. Dive Detecting is packed with practical information that will leave you wanting to find treasure of your own.