Walking on the beach in the is undeniably one of the most relaxing activitiesthat you can enjoy right outside one of our manyOuter Banks vacation rentals. The sand between your toes, sunlight warming your skin, it all adds up to one of our favorite ways to enjoy the OBX oceanfront. And looking for treasures along the way can be incredibly rewarding! You can find a multitude of shells and collectable items washed up on Outer Banks beaches. Nestled amongst the whelks and starfish, you can even find sea glass. While sea glass might not be as easy to find as shells, following the tips and tricks below is a great place to start:

1. Plan to go an hour before or after low tide

Youre most likely to find sea glass if your beachcombing explorations are well planned out. Going an hour before or after low tide is ideal when looking for sea glass. Seasoned beachcombers will tell you that the winter months are an especially prime time to look.

2. Look for a "dirty" beach

Were not talking about trash but a beach full of shell beds rather than smooth sand is going to be a more likely place to find sea glass. Take your time looking through shell beds along low and high tide lines, where there is the most ocean debris.

3. Don't just walk in a straight line

This isnt a sobriety test, walking in a straight line isnt the best idea. Move in a zigzag pattern between the high and low tide lines. This way, youre able to cover the most ground and have a much better chance of finding some amazing sea glass.

4. Walk with the sun behind your back

This is entirely dependent on the season and time of day. Walking with the sun behind your back allows you to avoid straining your eyes while the sea glass will be highlighted in the sunlight. Go ahead and leave your sunglasses at home theyll make it harder to see the sea glass.

5. Look ahead, not down

Rather than looking straight down at the sand closest to your feet, keep your eyes focused a few feet ahead of your path.

6. Focus on shell beds

Remember when we said to look for a dirty beach? Thats because of a little thing called shell beds those patches of shells and pieces of shells that typically pop up around low tide (and after storms). When you find one, search through layer by layer and keep your eyes peeled for sea glass.

7. Have patience

Training your eyes to find sea glass can take time. Be patient and move slowly, its entirely too easy to miss something when youre rushing.

8. Aim to go in the morning

The thing about beachcombing is youre most likely to find sea glass if youre searching before everyone else. Thats why planning to come in the early morning (especially during a morning low tide) is a safe bet that youll beat the competition. Check out some of ouroceanfront Outer Banks vacation rentalsto be the among first people to search the beach every day!

9. Remember which colors to keep on your radar

When youre searching through shell beds, its easy to get distracted by vibrant purples and pinks. Train your brain to instead focus on the shades of sea glass.

10. Bring a bag or bucket

Help keep the beach beautiful while youre at it carry a bucket or reusable bag and collect any trash you come across during your search for sea glass. Now that you've read our 10 tips to find some hidden beach treasure, check out some of ourOuter Banks vacation rentals to use as your basecamp. Happy treasure hunting!