Lost Gold Wedding Band Found at Capitola Beach

I found the e-mail on my computer Sunday evening. A newly married couple had lost a wedding band in the surf line at the Capitola main beach on Saturday. They were devastated and desperately wanted to recover the husband’s ring. As fate would have it I had also had some misfortune on Saturday and was nursing a cracked wrist and a separated ribs from slamming on my skateboard. I was still too sore to give it a shot but I was hoping to be able to try on Tuesday. After analyzing the tides and swell I knew a dawn patrol search would be the most optimum time so I was down at the Capitola main beach at first light. The swell was small but the ring had been lost near the jetty where the swell tends to focus. Since I was still very sore and stiff I was unable to stretch on a wetsuit so I stepped into the chilly Pacific in board shorts, booties and a beanie. I had my White’s Dual Field P.I. detector which is made specifically for this kind of search, that being said anyone who’s ever searched right in the shore break knows that it is exponentially more difficult than on dry land. I was giving it my best try but digging up heavy piles of wet sand in my scoop was taking a heavy toll on my injured wrist and shoulder. An hour and a half into the search I was running low on time and the pain was also pushing me to stop. The couple had been married for just over three weeks and I knew I could very well be their only hope so I decided to continue till I either found it or was forced to leave by the notorious Capitola police gestapo. Helping the newlyweds get their marriage off on a good start was all I was thinking as I pressed on. Just about two hours into the search a faint signal came through. After scooping the sand two times the signal was still in the hole but getting stronger, an indication I may be on the right trail. On the third scoop my detector indicated the object was now out of the hole and in the scoop. I flushed the sand out with the receding waves and was stunned to look down into the scoop to see the largest gold band I’d ever seen . . I was speechless. The ring had already burrowed down approx. 8″ into the sand. This was an enormously satisfying find because of all the factors combining to make it a tough challenge. Hard work and perseverance payed off but in all honesty there’s always a bit of luck involved. This time it was on my side.