Reprint from “The Digger” Newsletter 11/25/20
The following is a reprint of an article I wrote in my newsletter “The Digger” when I was at my old website. It will be in three parts. each to follow on consecutive days. Part three will be a new article with my prediction of what is coming in the series “The Curse of Oak Island.”
No TV show has caused me to go full doozy bots, as we Italians like to say, as much as "The Curse of Oak Island."
For the sake of my sanity, I've tried not to comment on that show as much as I have in the past. But God almighty, I need to vent. It helps to keep me anchored to any sense of right-mindedness.
All I have is you to lean on. My wife is sick of hearing me scream at the TV when I’m watching that series. She says I'm drinking way too much bourbon while I'm watching it, and tells me that even the neighbors and their pets are upset with my screaming. My neighbor's dog, a cute little thing, used to love me, but now when I come near him, he tries to bite me.
I don't know. Maybe my distaste for this series is because when I had my TV series, I wanted to be sure that it was perfect and not phony in any way. I was knowledgeable about treasure hunting with 35 years of experience when I decided to film. My co-host John Decharo (RIP pal) had the same amount of years treasure hunting. We knew what we were doing. So when I see a treasure-hunting show trying to pull a Three-Card-Monty on its viewers, it just burns the hell out of me. I guess I need to stop comparing what I did to what others are doing.
How in God's green earth did Gary Drayton become the "metal detection expert" for that show? Seriously? I've seen people with just a year's worth of experience have just as much or more knowledge than he has. Gary's been coronated as the Guru of metal detecting. He's so important, that he doesn't even dig his finds. His digging friend, Jack, a nice guy I'm sure, digs up everything Gary locates. Jack also destroys the proper ethics behind the technique of digging up relics by hacking away at the ground with a shovel big enough to dig a grave.
So here's Gary with his trusty detector and Jack on the beach of Oak Island. Gary explains with his years of wisdom, and I'm paraphrasing. "Mate, when the tide comes in, it washes relics up onto the beach. There's no telling what's here, Mate."
Really Gary? You had to explain that to Jack. My nine-year-old granddaughter loves picking up seashells along the beach. EVEN SHE KNOWS THEY WASH UP ON SHORE LIKE MANY OBJECTS DO WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN. Sorry for screaming. Geesh!
Then Gary says to Jack, "Okay, Mate, I'm gonna zig zag this beach. It's the best way to determine where the relics are."
WHAT!!!!!! "The best way to determine where the relics are?" Are you serious Gary? I thought you were a “metal detection expert.”
Gary, as a “metal detection expert” you should know that working a grid pattern to locate finds is 100% better than going zig-zag. And using a grid pattern is especially beneficial if you have the time to do it. Using the grid, you overlap each swing of your coil, and you'll miss very little in the way of finds.
Gary? You're on that island every day for four months. Why zig zag? You have more than enough time to do a grid. Come on, you’re the metal detection Guru. You should know that you Grid and not zig.
Now back on the beach, Gary finds the ultimate tell-all to the Oak Island treasure.
After Jack hacks away at the ground with his man shovel and unearths the find, Gary, smiling ear to ear, says, "Matey, WOW. IT'S A PICK."
Jack, happy as all get out and smiling ear to ear says. "Ya, maybe it was used to dig one of those tunnels that lead to the treasure."
That was about the time I moved closer to the edge. Then Gary replies with an even huger smile. "Mate, you got that right. Wait till the boys hear about this. Let's call them."
But the orgasmic pick find doesn't end there. NO, Gary and Jack take the pick to a blacksmith shop for authentication. And, the blacksmith says…wait for it. "Ya, it's an old pick for sure."
The smiles on Gary and Jack were priceless.
Remember, Grid, don't zig.
My metal detecting/treasure hunting TV series, “Exploring History’s Treasures” EHT, was the first REAL, reality, show of its kind. There was no scripting, no planting or salting the ground with finds before we dug them. Exploring History’s Treasures can now be viewed here.
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