What would it be like to be a pirate?

If you were a pirate, your mission would be to find treasure. The question is between the vastness and depth of the sea, how could you ever find such a treasure? There are no treasure maps. You could look in history books to find coordinates of where they believe ships have crashed in the past, take those coordinates, and search for those sites. However, you may find the site only to realize the boat never carried any treasure that could stand the test of time under the water. The treasure may have wasted away.