Call Surf City Ring Finder ASAP!
I had the pleasure of looking for Lauren’s engagement ring today. She knew the area where the ring fell into the sand. This was a quick search and she was okay with that! 
Lost your ring/cell phone/keys… Call ASAP 24/7 Service- Chris 778-838-3463
I received a phone call in regards to a lost gold wedding band in Richmond BC at a heritage house. The young man told me while he was playing volleyball the ring must have come off his finger, here’s the thing Joe couldn’t remember if he had it on or if he took it off and put it in his pocket. He searched for an hour with the whole team, but could not find the ring. They came back with a store bought Metal Detector, but still could not find the ring.
The lady that happened to work at the heritage House knew me from many many years ago when I used to buy Metal Detectors from her store. She told the young man to call TheRingFinders, and he did.
We set up a time the next day and we met in the pouring rain where he and his mother were still searching. I got my specifics got the location and did a north – south grid search didn’t find it during that time so I brought out the tape measures and did an east west grid and I popped the ring out of the grass!!! as you can imagine, he was ecstatic. You see this young man had only been married for nine months, a newly wed and you can imagine how that must’ve felt when he lost his ring. He’s got it back now!
I love my job!!!
🌊 THE RING SHOULD HAVE READ 50… IT READ 21. WHY? 🤔💍
The Ring Finders of Maine, With Recovery and Return #231
I received a call from Kevin late Sunday afternoon. He told me that approximately five hours earlier, he had lost his tungsten wedding ring while in the water at Old Orchard Beach. 🏖️
Kevin was not far from the Oob Pier lifeguard stand, right in front of the carousel at Palace Playland. He had lost the ring at high tide, and as the tide receded, he searched the area where it had come off.
After hours of searching, the ring was nowhere to be found.
As you all know, once a ring comes off in the surf, it settles under the sand and out of sight. 🌊⏳
Kevin wasn’t giving up, though. He asked the lifeguards what else he could do to find his ring. The lifeguards told him to call The Ring Finders of Maine—and here we are! 📞✨
I told Kevin that I could be down there in about a half hour, at 5:15 p.m., and Kevin agreed to meet me there.
He told me he would meet me after helping his wife get their four children back to the cabin they were renting for their week-long vacation in OOB. 🛖👨👩👧👦
🔍 The Search Begins
Once I arrived in OOB, I made my way down the beach to the area near the lifeguard stand.
Kevin hadn’t arrived yet, and not knowing the exact area where he lost it, I just started searching at the bottom of the beach bank slope.
As I finished my first pass without finding the ring, Kevin arrived. He said he wasn’t that close to the slope, and he sized up the area to establish the parameters of where I should search. 📐
I decided to grid search from the lifeguard stand to the carousel, going back and forth while working my way toward the water. 🚶♂️🔙🔛🔜
I started in front of the carousel as I made my way toward the lifeguard stand and pier. I received a few targets, including the storm runoff pipes deep under the sand.
The only non-ferrous item was a recently dropped quarter. 🪙
When I dug it up, I could see Kevin watching intently. I told him that this wouldn’t be his tungsten ring but would be a quarter. When I pulled the quarter out of the sand, he was impressed that I knew what it would be before digging it! 🎯
📱 Talking “Shop” & Target ID Numbers
I told him that modern U.S. quarters ring up on the Minelab Manticore metal detector in the 88–90 area on the Target Identification (TID) screen.
I told Kevin that his tungsten wedding ring should have a TID of around 45 to 55, although I have found them as high as the 60s. Size, thickness, and purity play a role, but for the most part, I find them in that 45 to 55 range.
I finished up my first grid pass, turned around, and headed south. Within a minute of this grid pass, I received a nice non-ferrous target of 21. 🤔
Lots of low-conducting metals can have a TID in the low 20s, including gold. I told Kevin it probably wasn’t going to be his ring, but it was too nice of a target to pass up.
I dug a scoop full of sand, and the target was out of the hole. I used my pinpointer to locate it, and once it was located, I was completely surprised to see a tungsten wedding ring! 🤩💎
I showed it to Kevin and asked him if it was his. As he took it from my hand and looked it over, he said:
“Yup, that’s mine. I can see the crack in it.”
AWESOME!!!! 🎉🥳
Kevin thanked me, shook my hand, and asked, “Can I give you a hug?” Of course! I love smiles and hugs. 🤗
Kevin then sent a photo of the ring to his wife, still smiling ear to ear. 📸😁
💡 The Science of Eddy Currents
I told Kevin that I really didn’t think a TID of 21 would be his wedding ring. But once I heard him say the ring had a crack in it, it all made sense! Metal detectors work like this:
Metal detectors rely on a phenomenon called Eddy Currents. 🌐
1️⃣ The Loop Effect: A metal detector’s search coil sends an electromagnetic wave into the ground. This induces circular electrical currents (eddy currents) to travel around the unbroken, continuous loop of a ring. ⭐
2️⃣ The Result: This unbroken loop creates a strong, secondary electromagnetic field that the metal detector detects as a highly conductive, solid object (giving you that clean 45–55 reading for tungsten). 🔋
3️⃣ The Break: The moment a ring is cracked—even a hairline fracture that goes all the way through the band—the continuous loop is broken. The eddy currents can no longer travel around the circle. 💥
Instead of detecting a large, round object, the metal detector now views the ring as a bent strip of wire or an open staple.
Because the electrical path is restricted, the detector perceives it as having drastically lower conductivity (hence the reading of 21!). 📉
⚙️ My Past Career Connects!
Now, for 26 years, I worked at Nichols Portland (NP) in Portland, Maine. 🌲
NP is a manufacturer of gerotors, among other things. Gerotors are powdered metal components that were prone to cracking if not handled properly.
Because Nichols Portland takes cracked parts seriously for both us and our customers, we actually used an eddy current machine (a crack detector) to detect cracks in our parts prior to shipping them out. Our reputation for quality parts was second to none! ✨
Eddy currents are nothing new to me, and as soon as Kevin told me about the crack, I knew immediately why the ring had such a low TID. 🧠
Sorry for my rambling, but I haven’t talked “shop” in five years since my retirement. Some things you just never forget! 🛠️👴
❤️ A Heartwarming Ending
As Kevin and I parted ways, I kept metal detecting as I walked down the beach and back to my vehicle. All of a sudden, I heard Kevin and turned around to see him running toward me! 🏃♂️💨
He held his phone up and said, “My children want to thank you for finding my wedding ring.” 📱
I saw four young children all smiling and thanking me for finding “Daddy’s ring.” 🥹
I told his children it was my pleasure as they waved to me over the phone.
It just doesn’t get any better than that. It warms your heart to know you’ve touched theirs. ❤️
✨ Remember: “If it Matters To You, It Matters To Us.” ✨
I have the best job in the world. I love my job! 🔍🏝️👑
Alex called me around 7:45PM on July 2nd from a park in Gallatin, TN. He’s from NY and was in TN visiting friends and family at a park and was enjoying a nighttime game of volleyball. Alex had only been on the sand volleyball court for about five minutes and only hit the ball twice when he realized his 22K gold and diamond ring wasn’t on his finger. The game came to a halt and everyone began sifting through the sand with their fingers looking for the heavy gold ring. After about an hour Alex’s brother found my contact info on TheRingFinders directory.
I made the 45 minute drive to Gallatin and met Alex at the park. He and his friends were still playing volleyball on the same court much to my surprise, but maybe they were hoping someone would step on it and feel it under their feet. I began a grid search and immediately began getting lots of signals, resulting in lots of pennies, dimes, pieces of aluminum can and other miscellaneous metal bits. At one hour and twelve minutes into the search I got the tone I was hoping for. It was Alex’s ring, about two inches deep in the sand and at least twenty feet away from where Alex thought his ring would be. Alex was extremely happy and said it would have been very painful for him to return home to NY without that ring.
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Taylor went in the water after seeing some goggles skimming around in the light surf. About thigh deep, just out beyond the small rocks, he bent over and reached in to grab the goggles. When standing upright, his ring slipped off his finger and vanished in the lofty sand.
A seemingly simple recovery, mildly complicated by several metallic targets in the immediate vicinity. Also, about 50 young kids let loose in the exact area, for lake/beach day care swim time. About an hour of searching, nearing the cut-off time to leave for work, a last minute good signal, gold wedding ring in the scoop! Mailed it back to Taylor.
On July 2, 2026 just before 11 a.m., I got a call from John saying his wife had lost her rings in the dry sand and asked how my service worked. After explaining that I do this on a reward/gratuity basis and then donate 10% to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, he gave me the details of what happened. He said the rings were lost in the dry sand where they were sitting. I told him I’d be there in about 30-45 minutes, grabbed my Equinox 800 and headed to their location. On the way, I text John saying, “If you’re digging for them, stop. You could either bury them deeper or move them.” He wrote back that he told her to stop.
When I arrived, I found one of my secret spots to park and sent John a text saying, “I’ll be walking out on the beach shortly.” When I walked out on the beach, it was packed with people, two and three families deep from the slope back into the dry sand. John called me and said, “I’m waving at you.” I made my way down to where John, his wife Ashley, and a few others were sitting. Ashley explained that the rings were on the arm of the beach chair, which she moved. She had already found 1 of the rings but the other 2 were still buried. I swung the coil over the area where the chair was with no luck. We moved other chairs, bags, etc out of the way and I followed the small path where Ashley had moved the chair. A couple of swings in the new area and I got a solid 10 on the VDI (visual display indicator), bingo, found 1. I handed that one to John and swung the coil and hit another solid 10. Scooped that one up and let Ashley reach in the scoop and retrieve it. All 3 rings were back where they belong and safe. I suggested to Ashley that she put her rings in a safe place in her bag, which she did.
John and Ashley – Thank you for trusting me to help find your treasures. Have a great vacation and stay safe.
Jim
If you have lost your wedding ring, a bracelet, golden grill or a necklace don’t waste the time or the money buying or renting a metal detector. Instead hire an expert metal detecting professional like Dave The RingFinder! Dave is the “metal detective” and knows how to stack the odds in your favor to get your precious jewelry back. Call or text Dave at 805-290-5009 so he can create a plan to get your ring back!
I got a text Saturday evening from Damian asking if I could help find his ring. He had been having a picnic at San BuenaVentura Beach in Ventura and had put up a small tent during the course of the feast. Somehow his ring had become dislodged off his finger and had ended up somewhere in the sand. I told his I could be there at sun up and that if his ring was there I would find it.
As I always do I took time out to pray and ask God to help me find his ring and when I arrived at the beach I simply asked for God to direct my steps and lead me right to where Damian’s ring was. The area was large so I started walking to the high tide line to begin my search. I got to the location, turned on my machine, took one step and one swing and got a loud 37 on my Minelab Manticore. I plunged my CKG scoop into the sand and heard the rattle of what could only be a ring and sure enough, there was Damian’s ring. Since Damian had already returned to his home in Los Angeles I agreed to mail him back his ring and now all is well.
Don’t Wait — Time Is Critical After a Ring Loss in Ventura or Santa Barbara County
Whether you lost a ring, necklace, bracelet, or other jewelry on a Ventura or Santa Barbara County beach, in shallow surf, in a backyard, at a park, or in an open field — the clock starts the moment it’s gone. Shifting tides, moving sand, and other detectorists can all work against recovery the longer you wait. Skip the metal detector rental and trust the expert — Dave The RingFinder.
Dave The RingFinder serves the entire region including:
Ventura County: Ventura · Oxnard · Port Hueneme · Camarillo · Thousand Oaks · Moorpark · Simi Valley · Fillmore · Santa Paula · Ojai
Santa Barbara County: Santa Barbara · Carpinteria · Goleta · Montecito · Summerland · Lompoc · Santa Maria · Solvang · Buellton
Notable beaches and recovery locations served: Mondo’s Beach · Surfer’s Point · San Buenaventura State Beach · Rincon Beach · Carpinteria State Beach · East Beach Santa Barbara · West Beach Santa Barbara · McGrath State Beach Oxnard · Silver Strand Beach · Mandalay Beach
About Dave The RingFinder — Ventura County’s Metal Detecting Specialist
Dave The RingFinder has been recovering lost jewelry with a metal detector since 2011 and has operated full-time as a professional ring and jewelry recovery specialist since 2017. Also known as The Metal Detective, Dave brings professional-grade equipment, deep local knowledge of Ventura and Santa Barbara County beaches and tides, and a genuine passion for reuniting people with their most treasured possessions. Every recovery is personal.
July 1, 2026
Well summer and a heat wave have arrived in time for the 4th of July festivities. Getting a head start, Kevin was testing the water, which was still a bit on the cool side, when his white gold wedding band slipped off his finger to land on the sandy bottom of his condo’s lake. He saw the ring resting and did a shallow dive to retrieve the ring only to have it slip through his fingers and vanish into the sand.
After several tries to re-locate his ring failed he gave up the search. A couple of days later a search on the internet for someone that could help him find his ring. To his credit he chose “TheRingFinders.com” to help in his search. Navigating the home page to the country, state and person he chose to reach out to me.
His call came in as I was heading to a doctor’s appointment, but I would be available around 5pm. I arrived about 4:30, had a brief discussion on where the ring was lost. Then it was out to chest deep water in an area about one quarter of the swimming area. I started covering the area in a grid pattern and after a few passes Kevin said he thought he might have been several yards from his initial recollection. So I move to the new area. And several more minutes of searching I was shown to still another area.
About 10 more minutes passed with only two coins, a fishing weight and two pull tabs in my pouch I started a grid pattern that encompassed all three areas. Another 10 minutes of my detector not giving me a signal to stop and dig, I heard the familiar sound I was listening for, a sharp, repeatable signal and a steady numeric ID number on the detector screen. A single scoop a quick shake to remove the sand from by scoop and I saw the white gold ring. My searching had been completed in about an hour.
All that was left was to take a few pictures, tell a few stories of other returns I have made and I was homeward bound, just in time for dinner.
I will end this story with one tip to those that have read this far and find themselves in a similar predicament as Kevin had been in. And that is to stay in the spot the loss happened, have someone bring you a few coins and drop them in the area your lost item should be. Then call for one of “TheRingFinders” to come and help retrieve your item.
Until then … have a HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!
Ring Recovered After Yard Cleanup!
My friend Tyler reached out after losing his wedding ring while clearing thick vines from his fence. As he pulled the vines loose and tossed them into a brush pile, he his ring had slipped off somewhere in the process.
When I arrived, we narrowed the search to the area where the vines had been thrown. The search wasn’t easy because the ring was lying very close to the metal fence, making it difficult to distinguish from the fence signal with my detector. After about 40 minutes of carefully working the area, I switched to my pinpointer and slowly searched along the fence line.
Success! The pinpointer led me right to Tyler’s ring hidden beneath the brush. Seeing the relief on his face made the search worthwhile.
If you’ve lost a ring or other valuable item, don’t give up hope. Many recoveries happen just like this one, and with the right equipment and patience, there’s a good chance your lost item can be found.
It’s always a great feeling to reunite someone with something they thought was gone forever.
I received a text from Kathy asking if I could help find her ring that was lost recently. I learned she had been spending time in her backyard, enjoying the pool and sunshine. She had been lying out on a blanket in the yard and set her ring on it so it didn’t come off in the pool. Later she shook the blanket off, forgetting about the ring. I was able to go over the same day to help. When I arrived, Kathy was on her hands and knees searching the grass. As I walked over to her, I could see she was visibly emotional. I got started right away in the area she showed me she had shook the blanket out. After about 30 minutes, and a little outside the original search area, we got the signal were looking for. A loud 28 on my Equinox 900. The sad tears were now happy tears, the ring was back on her finger and it’s story continues.
