Ocean magnet fishing is something that you have probably entertained the idea of. Regardless if you’re a seasoned magnet fisher or only considering trying it out. It may seem absurd at first. The ocean is deep after all, and you probably don’t have miles of robe that you’re willing to plunge into the abyss. But when you consider the amount of people that go to the beach, there’s a LOT of stuff in those waters. Magnet Fishing is a sport, after all. There is no ‘correct’ way of doing it.
We’ve discussed magnet fishing in urban areas, check it out for more information if you live in a city and don’t have time to take beach trips often.
Let’s go over some strategies for ocean magnet fishing.
Why the ocean?
The ocean is big, beautiful, awe inspiring, mysterious and fun. It’s the #1 destination for vacations. Most people make an annual beach trip with their family, other’s go all the time. Virtually everyone has been to the beach at least once in their life. Almost HALF of the entire population of the world lives near the coast! That’s a LOT of people. Lot’s of people means lots of stuff. Some of that stuff is magnetic!
Let’s look at some of the best places to go magnet fishing in the ocean:
The Beach
Beaches have been the quintessential places for treasure hunter’s employing metal detectors. Due to the ease of digging through sand, and the numbers of people drawn to the beach like flies to honey. In most countries the coastline is the most densely populated areas. Tourists lose all types of things, and most only get in the very edge of the water. Depending on the tide, it could be just out of reach for traditional electric metal detectors to find. This is where the magnet comes in. Give it a try and see what you find. You just may be surprised as what you find. Watch out for swimmers!
Fishing Piers
Fishing piers often prove to be an ideal location for magnet fishermen. The benefit here is that most things will be relegated to a smaller area. You could literally just drag the magnet all around the pier and usually find tools or fishing gear at the very least. There’s also the chance for some better loot. The possibilities are endless. Magnet fishing form a pier isn’t just an ocean thing, but when it comes to ocean magnet fishing, a pier isn’t the same as the one’s at lakes and ponds. For one, they are generally a lot longer and a lot more people traffic them.
Boats
Let’s be honest. A day on a boat is a good day. Magnet fishing from a boat could be the ultimate way to do it. You can access virtually anywhere, and you don’t have to worry about people bothering you. You can chuck your magnet in any direction and pull it in with treasure! Or trash! I wouldn’t recommend magnet fishing form a cruise ship. It might not be the safe and it’s probably against the rules, but there’s nothing stopping you from doing it from a sailboat, pontoon, or bass/ski boat. I would stick to boats with fiberglass hulls. You don’t want to get the magnet stuck to a metal hull.
Sandbars
It’s like fishing from the beach, except you can throw it in 360 degrees! You’re also farther out into the ocean than you would be if you were magnet fishing from a pier or the beach. You never know what kind of items the waves could bring in.
Obstacles to Avoid
While the vast majority of the ocean is fair game, there’s a few things that you should probably try to avoid. You may not consider many of these a threat, but there are a lot of added risks that come along with wielding a neodymium magnet. Some may not be so obvious.
Sunken Ships
No matter how tempting, you should really avoid sunken ships and shipwreck sites. First of all, most of these areas are very deep, so the rope would have to be pretty long. A wet rope get’s heavy pretty fast. Not to mention, some of these shipwreck sites are historic and probably illegal to tamper with.
Oil Rigs and Platforms
If you’re along the gulf coast (especially Texas or Louisiana), you will likely have to navigate through a myriad of oilfield equipment. These things are made out of steel and are very magnetic. You will almost certainly lose your magnet if it clinks on to one of these giants. There’s also lots of underwater parts to offshore rigs that you won’t be able to see. This includes pipes and valves that run between them. Losing your magnet isn’t the biggest risk associated with being around these. There’s also plenty of safety reasons. There are machines that could malfunction. Divers are often down there working. You could cause millions of dollars’ worth of damage or worse kill someone. Stay away!
Ocean Disposal Sites
It’s probably a good idea to make sure you’re not magnet fishing over these dumping sites. It should go without saying that this is dangerous. Aside from the safety factor’s, how would you like to pull up cache of diapers or a bag of syringes? If it’s in a garbage dump, then it’s probably garbage. Magnet fishing is about finding lost or old items. Not garbage. If you’re going to do this just skip the water and go wade through a landfill.
Here’s a map of the EPA’s listed Ocean Dumping sites.
Reefs
You don’t have to be a tree hugger to see the value in preserving the environment. We’ve written here about how magnet fishing has many environmental benefits. It’s important to acknowledge because it’s a great way to clean our oceans, but some things, like coral reefs can actually repair and clean themselves, thus they are better left alone. Some coral reefs are upwards of 10,000 years old. Dragging a big hunk of metal will likely do way more harm than good.
Aside from the environmental damage. You’re almost certainly going to lose your magnet the first throw. There’s lots of nooks and crannies to get it hung up in. Perhaps the most important reason you shouldn’t go magnet fishing on coral reefs are the divers. Diving can be a very dangerous activity. Divers also wear a lot of metal gear, like masks, air tanks, and weight-belts. A 500lb magnet could do major damage to a diver who has not decompressed. Even at depths of 20ft, divers need to decompression stops every few hours. A strong magnet, latching on to a part of the tank rigging, or ripping off a face shield could result in a fatality.
Magnet Fishing in Saltwater
One thing to note is that most of the objects that are attracted to magnets will be primarily composed of iron. Corrosion of any kind occurs more in saltwater do to the abundance of electrolytes. The older the object is, the more likely it is to have been ruined. There is good news though! Metallic items that are intended to be used in saltwater applications are designed to tolerate a fair amount of rust. Most saltwater equipment is galvanized or protected by passivation. Passivation is a phenomenon in which surface corrosion creates a rust barrier. Consequently, this stops the corrosion from penetrating deeper and rusting the item away. Anchors, for example, may turn color but they do not crumble away.
Good Luck!
Don’t let these negatives scare you. The ocean is the biggest pond in the world. Humans have been attempting to conquer it all throughout history. There’s a lot of treasure (and junk) to be found.
Have you been magnet fishing in the ocean? We are eager to hear your experiences. Let us know your thoughts on this post.
Also, we always love to see what our reader’s find while magnet fishing. If you have something you want to show off, let us see it. We may even post it in the gallery.