I haven't gotten to deep into it yet. Got the detector (Whites Spectrum XLT) about 5 or 6 years ago, before going down to SW FLA with my folks. They were starting to have difficulties with airports and traveling so I was going down for about a month. Thought we were going to get back in a few months but due to Pnumonia and other health problems, they couldn't travel so the detector just sat for another year till I could get back. I then shipped it back to Chicago and have finally had the time recently to get out for an hour or two here and there.

It is quite relaxing and nice to get out on the beaches in the sun and fresh air. With the beaches so crowded right now. Probably with a lot of the older kids, (HS and College age), who might be such a nuissance as you describe I prefer to stay away from the lake right now. Until now though, my only harrassment came from a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds who saw me detecting on a local beach and tried to help me dig. One grabbed a nice rock that I had found in my scoop and didn't want to give it up. I didn't care though. It was only a rock and besides, I found 3 more just like it on my way out of the park that night. Their nanny was standing there trying to get the kids to stop bothering me. They seemed to be having as much fun as I was though. Mostly, I have been just cleaning the beaches. Finding nails, pull tabs and other sharp pieces of metal. I do, usually, find a couple bucks in modern coins. Enough to by a 20 Dew at 7-11 on my way home. I hate to think what some of this junk, on our beaches, could do if someone stepped on it in bare feet etc.

Lately, I have been trying to stay in the sand. Like you say, so much easier. Hitting the play lots around town, late in the evenings. It was a bit hot last night and perspiration was pouring off me as I kept getting hits at 7.5" in the hard compacted base or wood chips. Personally, I do prefer the loose sand. Have been finding some good, old coins, in the play lots, by going deeper. That is telling me that they didn't remove the old lots to put in the modern ones. They probably compacted them, installed the new equipment and spred the chips or several inches of sand over the top. It just seems odd that some of these old coins, 1930s 40s and 50s are coming out of lots with brand new equipment. Also, the schools have only been there since about 1960. Could be the source of the sand that might have been trucked in, I suppose. Some of these play lots, while they are yielding some good finds, are proving to be too much work though. I can't wait to go back to the beach.