This year was the most organized, most well rehearsed Great Southern Beach Shootout ever! From a participant’s point of view, it was flawless.Everything went on schedule and there were no politics as can sometimes be the case in an event such as this. In simple terms, it was just good old fashioned fun! Belle and Dayton Peyton along with Lonna and Ray Leist kept activities flowing so smoothly that everyone had a great time. The volume of large prizes and awards is always so alluring that there were smiles on everyone’s face.

The hotel and amenities were spectacular. The huge and beautiful ball room comfortably accommodated so many more people when compared to previous hunts. There was live music entertainment, a luxurious Olympic sized swimming pool and an exhilarating overall environment.

     

The designated hunting field was ample and larger in size than last years hunt, making the hunt field less crowded and congested which resulted in a better hunt. To watch 12,000 silver coins being buried in the designated hunting area is a hunter’s dream come true. There were plenty of refreshments at the hunt. The time interval between the hunts was just right, not too long and yet not rushed.

The weather was beautiful and cooperative with the activities. Daytona Beach is always a nice place to be during the month of April. You couldn’t pick a better place to have a beach hunt. The local restaurants and atmosphere of this area are hard to beat. A balcony view of the Atlantic Ocean is always a breathtaking and relaxing sight.

Many people would think that $200 is a fairly high entry fee, however, it seems to me that few people left the combined hunts with less than $200 in silver coins or prizes and many people did substantially better! There were various prizes, ranging from a Grand Prize of $5,000 cash to top of the line metal detectors to gold and silver bars. Vendors and manufacturers donated many of the prizes to sweeten the pot.  With the possibility of finding one of the top cash prize tokens and the high probability of making back at least your original investment, this competition is almost a no-lose situation.

Overall, a highly enjoyable event. This is definitely a great way to spend a family vacation, for both hunters and their non-hunting family members. Obviously, plenty of metal detecting activities for the hunter and the attractions of the Daytona Beach area for those family members not yet enlightened to the hobby. Many detectorists look forward to this annual event and this year they were definitely NOT disappointed!