I might be a bit biased, but in my opinion there is nothing quite so exciting when strolling along the beach than spotting a gleaming piece of beautiful sea glass. Equally, there is nothing quite so frustrating as going to the beach for a good day of sea glass hunting only to come away empty handed!
If you’re wondering how to find sea glass on your next trip, look no further. In this article, I share my top tips for finding sea glass - including what types of beaches are best for spotting sea glass, where to look, and how to tell if what you have found is actually sea glass. You too can make some exciting sea glass discoveries of your own today!
HOW TO FIND SEA GLASS - 10 TOP TIPS
1. The best sort of beach for sea glass spotting is one with a mixture of pebbles and sand.
That's not to say you won't find any at all on completely sandy or purely pebble beaches - it is just harder. Typically being small, pieces of sea glass tend to get lost on pebble beaches (it involves a LOT of digging through stones to find them).
2. You will tend to find more sea glass on beaches with a lot of debris on them.
Beaches which are often deposited with debris are the ones in which currents are often stronger, more agitated, and there is more upwelling - which leads to more sediment and debris in the water. Sea glass is a (happy) by-product of glass pollution, so it is more likely to be found on beaches with strong currents where more debris washes up to the shore.
3. Look for beaches near where there used to be a glass factory.
This may be an obvious one, but you are far more likely to find sea glass in places where glass and decorative glassware used to be manufactured. Although more strictly controlled now, it was fairly common to dump glass waste in the sea. Case in point - [LINK]Seaham, in Northeast England - one of the most famous and abundant sea glass sites there is.
4. Take it slow.
Take your time, and walk along the shoreline whilst sweeping your eyes slowly from one side to the other. You can’t rush sea glass hunting - unless the colour is particularly vibrant and catches your eye, you will miss plenty if you walk too quickly.
5. If you’re having trouble, focus on searching for one colour at a time - it is easier for your eyes to pick out one shade of sea glass than be aimlessly looking for all colours.
6. Have your back to the sun. Squinting into the light is not going to help you, and it is easier to spot wet sea glass when it is gleaming in the sunshine.
7. Look for specific colours in wet and dry sand/pebbles. Green, brown and blue sea glass is easier to spot in wet sand/pebbles. Red, white/clear and purple is easier in dry sand/pebbles. The more you hunt, the more you will notice this.
8. Go early in the morning and/or look in low or high tide lines (the line of debris that the tide leaves at its highest or lowest point).
9. If you're not sure what you have found is sea glass, check for translucency! Hold the piece up to the sunlight, or put it in water and see if it becomes transparent. Very dark pieces of glass can often be mistaken for pebbles and visa versa. A quick way of telling the difference is by checking for translucency - if it is translucent against light, it definitely isn't a pebble!
10. Take a small bag with you. Preferably one without holes in, to put your finds in! Getting tiny bits out of the seams of your pockets is such a pain.
And finally… my bonus tip - ASK LOCALS! I cannot stress this enough. Locals will often know the best sea glass spots, and are usually very happy to help point you in the right direction.
That’s it! Happy sea glass hunting :) If this article helped you, don’t forget to comment below, share with your friends and tag @wildsoulseaglass on Instagram to show me your finds!
Found a piece of sea glass you love? Why not turn it into a piece of beautiful jewellery, to keep a part of the sea (and the memories of that day) with you always? I can design something beautiful using the piece you have found. Email info@wildsoulseaglass.com to enquire about bespoke designs.
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What a lovely article! Thank you. I’m coming to Dorset again for Christmas but have never gone sea glass hunting and I really want to! I have followed your recommendations and booked The Anchor. I am recovering from major surgery so my plan is to be well enough to find a piece of glass that you will make into a necklace for me! ( If you would!)