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This guide explains where to begin, how to obtain and use the detector, how to read its signals, which loot and hazards to expect, and how to choose between a broad map sweep and a safer confirmed-marker route.
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How many Dig Spots are on Riven Tides?
The strongest published count is a map-wide pool of 72 probable Dig Spot spawns, reported by AltChar in 2026. “Probable” means the points are marked as possible locations on the full map; it does not mean all 72 will be active in one raid or that every marker has identical spawn behavior.
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| Dataset | What it represents | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| AltChar map | 72 probable Dig Spot spawn points | Best for maximum theoretical coverage; inspect the complete visual map rather than expecting every point in one match. |
| Community map report | 50-plus player-confirmed Beachcombing locations; 1,000-plus total map markers | Best for a route built around points other players have verified; marker status can change. |
No complete written coordinate list for all probable points is available in the published text. For exact placement, pair this guide with the AltChar visual overview or a current interactive community map and follow the label attached to each marker.
What Dig Spots are and when they appear
Dig Spots are buried-loot mounds on the Riven Tides seabed and exposed shoreline. They are tied to Beachcombing, a minor map condition exclusive to Riven Tides. The official Riven Tides update describes the activity as sweeping sand with the Dockmaster’s Detector to uncover hidden loot. The detector occupies a weapon slot while equipped, so bringing it changes how much combat gear you can carry.
Beachcombing is the condition that makes a dedicated digging run worthwhile. If another minor condition is active, a route planned around buried mounds may produce little or nothing even when you know the terrain. Check the condition before committing to a long shoreline sweep.
Best places to begin your search
Exposed sand is easier to sweep than enclosed interiors. The Beachcombing guide identifies four practical starting areas in the north and along the coast:
Azzurro Beach
Use the open beach as an initial detector loop. Long, unobstructed sand gives you room to hear the signal change and to keep moving without repeatedly losing contact around walls or machinery.
Seabed
The Seabed provides another broad, detector-friendly stretch. It is useful when the nearest safe extraction point is on the same side of the map, because you can shorten the return leg instead of crossing the whole island after every find.
Wavebreaker
Wavebreaker is a good choice for a compact sweep. Mark a nearby elevator or hatch before digging so a successful find does not turn into a last-minute sprint when the condition timer is nearly over.
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Wreckage
Wreckage combines exposed shoreline with recognizable visual landmarks. Use those landmarks to keep your route organized when several detector signals overlap or when you need to retreat around cover from a patrol.
The hotel interior and dockyard interior are poorer first stops than open sand. They can still matter when a map marker leads inside or when you are already nearby, but they are less efficient places to begin because walls, floors and tight approaches make continuous sweeping harder.
How to get the Dockmaster’s Detector
You cannot interact with a buried mound without the in-game Dockmaster’s Detector. It is a field item, not a permanent character ability, and it uses a weapon slot while equipped.
Avian Alarm Stage 1
The most dependable documented acquisition route is Avian Alarm Stage 1, which awards one detector. If you want to run Beachcombing regularly, completing this first stage before planning a dedicated search removes the uncertainty of finding the device during the raid.
Apollo’s Shoring Up Defenses quest
Apollo’s Shoring Up Defenses quest is another documented way to obtain a detector. Check the quest requirements and reward in your current build before entering, because quest availability can depend on your progression.
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World loot on Riven Tides
Toolboxes and Industrial Crates on Riven Tides can contain the detector as random world loot. This route is opportunistic: it may let you start digging during the same session, but it is less reliable than earning one through the listed progression routes.
The full five-stage Avian Alarm project also awards Gel Patches, the Bird House backpack attachment, the Fist In Air emote and 250 Raider Tokens. Those are project rewards; they are not items found inside Dig Spots.
Detector procedure: from entering the map to extracting
- Confirm the condition. Enter Riven Tides only when Beachcombing is the active minor map condition if buried loot is your main objective.
- Carry or find the detector. Bring the Dockmaster’s Detector from your stash or progression reward, or search Toolboxes and Industrial Crates if you are relying on random loot.
- Move onto exposed sand. Start at Azzurro Beach, Seabed, Wavebreaker or Wreckage, or travel to the nearest marker on your chosen map.
- Sweep continuously. Walk across the sand with the detector equipped instead of standing still and waiting for a signal. A moving sweep lets you compare beep speed and volume over distance.
- Follow the signal. Faster, louder beeps indicate that you are getting closer. An orange indicator means a buried item is nearby; a green indicator means you are standing on top of it.
- Interact with the mound. When the indicator turns green, use the interaction prompt on the sand mound to begin digging.
- React to the warning. If the interaction indicates an explosive, stop treating the mound as ordinary loot. Back away, create distance and avoid standing directly over the dig as it finishes.
- Leave with time remaining. Route toward an elevator or hatch as soon as your bag is worth keeping. The Beachcombing condition rotates, and a long search can leave you exposed after the objective is complete.
How to read the detector accurately
The detector is a proximity tool, not a list of coordinates. Use the sound and color together:
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- Slow or quiet beeps: the target is farther away; continue sweeping in a broad arc.
- Rapid, loud beeps: you are closing in; narrow your movement and check adjacent strips of sand.
- Orange: a buried item is within the nearby search area, so reposition rather than digging at the first orange reading.
- Green: you are over the mound; stop moving and interact.
When the signal changes abruptly, turn 90 degrees and sweep again. This cross-check helps distinguish a real mound from a signal you are approaching diagonally. Keep a landmark—such as a wreck, beach edge or structure—in view so you can relocate the spot if combat interrupts the dig.
What can be inside a Dig Spot?
Reported contents range from cash and consumables to suitcases, weapon cases, ship models and natural resources. The published guides do not establish a fixed item table or guaranteed value for any individual marker, so treat each mound as variable loot rather than planning around one specific reward.
Some mounds are trapped. AltChar and AllThings How warn that mines or other explosives can detonate when digging finishes. A detector signal confirms a buried object; it does not make that object safe. Keep enough health and space to survive a bad result, and do not let a valuable-looking marker override the warning prompt.
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Threats that shape a safe route
Other Raiders
Open beaches make you easier to see, and the sound of a dig can draw competitors. Scan before interacting, avoid lingering in the same exposed patch after the loot opens, and use hard cover for the inventory step.
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ARC patrols
ARC units can cross the shoreline while you are following a detector signal. If a patrol blocks the shortest line to the mound, circle around it rather than forcing a fight that consumes healing items and extraction time.
The floating ARC Turbine
The official update identifies the Turbine as a new hostile ARC machine over Riven Tides. Its presence makes open-sky travel a route-planning issue: favor cover and a nearby return point, especially after a successful dig when your priority is survival rather than another marker.
The condition timer
A Beachcombing run has an expiry risk even when no enemy finds you. Plan the exit before the first interaction, then stop adding distant markers once the return trip would become uncertain. An elevator or hatch is a destination, not an afterthought.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing a search strategy
| Approach | Strength | Weakness | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full probable-spawn sweep | Maximum coverage of the published map pool | More walking, more exposure and no guarantee that every point is active | A planned Beachcombing raid with a detector and a safe extraction route |
| Confirmed-marker route | Prioritizes locations recorded by players | Community markers can be incomplete, outdated or reclassified | Short sessions where you want a compact, repeatable loop |
| Opportunistic search | Fits digging around another objective or quest | Less control over condition, detector availability and extraction timing | A raid where you find a detector in a Toolbox or Industrial Crate |
Use coverage, efficiency, safety and information quality as separate decisions. A broad map is strongest for coverage; exposed northern beaches are strongest for detector efficiency; a short loop near an elevator or hatch is strongest for safety; official notes explain the mechanic while community maps provide point-level navigation.
Troubleshooting common problems
There is no dig prompt
First verify that the detector is equipped and that you are on a sand mound rather than a decorative patch of terrain. Then confirm Beachcombing is active. A marker from an older community-map version may also be approximate, so sweep a small circle around it instead of standing on one exact pixel.
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The beeps never become faster
You may be moving away from the target or crossing a marker that is only probable. Reverse your last line, compare the sound from two directions and then widen the search. Do not assume every point shown on a map is active in the current raid.
The indicator is orange but nothing is visible
Orange means nearby, not directly underfoot. Walk short parallel lines across the exposed sand until the indicator turns green. Structures, wreckage and uneven shoreline geometry can make the mound hard to see from the first approach.
The dig warns of an explosive
Cancel the close-in posture, back away and let the detonation risk resolve from a distance. If the route to extraction is already long, leave rather than gambling your inventory on a trapped mound.
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The condition is ending
Stop searching and follow your preselected route to an elevator or hatch. The detector can find another mound later; losing the session’s loot because you stayed for one more signal is the worse trade.
What “all Dig Spots” means in practice
There is no single raid checklist that guarantees every point. The 72-point figure is a probable spawn pool, while the 50-plus figure is a separate set of community-confirmed locations. For a complete visual reference, open the full AltChar map; for navigation during play, use a current searchable map with screenshots, routes and coordinate-capable markers, and treat each community entry as provisional until your own raid confirms it.
The reliable fundamentals do not change with marker updates: activate Beachcombing, secure a Dockmaster’s Detector, search exposed sand first, follow the beep and color progression, check for explosives, and keep an extraction route in mind before you start digging.
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