I am at the local hole-in-the-wall testing a theory on permissions. I was kind of hoping that if I struck up a conversation about metal detecting that it would blossom into this epic discussion and earn me some permissions. Not so much. I am sitting at an empty bar with my laptop writing this post.

My chosen topic of the day is ‘mentors in metal detecting’. I can not stress my appreciation for my mentors. Everything I’ve learned and written about here in my blog has been courtesy of my mentors.

A lot of people are under the impression that this is an independent and antisocial hobby. Technically, it can be. You put on your headphones, you swing your coil, you dig. I enjoy hunting on my own, but I also love hunting with a partner and learning their techniques. You can learn so much just from watching someone detect, especially someone who has been at it longer than you.

When I first bought my metal detector from Robert Wyatt at Quality Metal Detectors, he went above and beyond the typical salesman routine. He taught me about using historical areas and coached me in asking for permissions–anyone who knows me knows that I might be a good writer but I get all tongue-tied in person. So, Robert Wyatt was my first mentor.

After Robert, I began to earn some momentum in the hobby. I started frequenting the groups on Facebook–God knows there are like fifteen billion. I started researching historical aerials and getting permissions to detect. I even started to learn my new machine. Even after pulling a ton of pie tins and aluminum cans out of my neighbor’s orchard, I still had a passion for the hobby and what I could accomplish with my metal detector.

A couple days after my machine arrived in the mail, Michael Sheesley posted something in one of the facebook groups about finding someone to help him detect a field that had served as a civil war camp. I must have been one of the first to respond. The next day, I was out in that soy bean field with a venti white mocha and my Garrett Ace 250. I found a crowbar, some nails, and a stainless steel thinger-ma-bob that fell off a tractor–nothing special.

Of course, Winter hit soon after and I have been cooped up ever since–with the exception of that one time a couple weeks ago where I took my screwdriver to a frozen beach to relieve some stress.

Since I started my blog to try and ease the winter blues, I have met so many interesting people with so much to offer in this hobby. Everyone is so friendly and eager to share their experience and stories. I’ve met Howard Hewitt from Travel Channel’s Dig Fellas–which you should check out on YouTube right now. Howard is so knowledgeable. I feel like we are on the same wave-length because we are both driven by our passion for history.

I’ve also met Dominique Ivy De Silva who is a female metal-detecting icon! Check out her channel on YouTube. I’ve been watching her brave the snow and freezing temperatures all winter long. Meanwhile, I am hiding behind my computer screen and thinking… I should be more dedicated like Dominique… maybe I’ll just write a post about being more dedicated.

I’ve also met a lot of metal detectorists that you haven’t heard of, but all of them have so much knowledge to offer.

My point in writing this blog is to encourage you to find someone else who shares your passion for metal detecting. Finding others in the hobby is so rewarding. I have learned so much. Try posting in one of the local facebook groups to try and find someone in your area. You will not regret it.