Beachcombing Tips!

Since I started beachcombing for colourful pebbles, sea glass, terracotta pottery and other surf tumbled delights, I learnt a few techniques that might help a beginner to this wonderful past time; and thought I would share them with you..

1 The best time to go beach combing is after a storm, where the waves have pounded the beach and littered the sand with stones, sea glass and other delights.

2 Whether you have recently had a storm or not, the best time to go to the beach is at low tide. This simply means that more of the beach is exposed and more interesting objects will have been left behind.

3 Stand at the start of the beach you wish to explore, and look for the high tide line mark, and also lower tide marks created by the natural shape of the beach. Here, at these points you will find most sea glass, left there by the receding tide.

4 If you are looking for stones, and maybe certain kinds of stones, be it size, colour, texture, or shape, notice that if you look at the beach closely, certain types of stones tend to clump together. In one area you will find flat stones, another area will hold more rounded, spherical stones, and another will have more square, rhomboid, and angular stones. By observing the beach closely this will identify these areas and make your search more fruitful when looking for certain pebbles.

5 Take a plastic spray bottle with you. This is invaluable for when there has been no recent rain because it allows you to spray the stones and see their wet colouring, and therefore it is easier to find what you need.

6 When looking for sea glass along the tide lines, get down on your hands and knees and make your way along the line, you will be amazed at how many more pieces of glass you will find that you would otherwise miss by simply walking and standing.

7 Take a flat piece of wood with you about a foot long and 4 or 5 inches high, and use it to move the pebbles around on the top of the sand, you will find all sorts of extra sea glass and pebbles you othwerwise would have missed by doing this.

8 Take a break every 30 minutes or so when beach combing. You might think this is wasting time, but in actual fact you will find way more by doing this, as your mind will remain sharp to the task.

9 Take a notebook so that you can write down helpful reminders about your visit to the beach, including stone formations, amount of stones at low tide, types of stones, how much sea glass there is; and give the beach an overall score for each item.

10 Take food and water with you, a thirsty or hungry beach comber is not very effective!

Thanks for reading, and do post your own beach combing tips..