<DIV>Since the appearance of the first commercially available metal detectors in the 1960s, the hobby of metal detecting has developed rapidly and, as the technology has improved, more and more people have become metal detectorists. This is not surprising since metal detecting is an enjoyable and exciting leisure-time pursuit that is accessible to almost everybody, regardless of age or fitness. Moreover, metal detecting need not be an expensive hobby and there is a wide range of metal detectors to suit almost every budget. Contents include how to go about buying your first detector, the principal types of detectors, their advantages and disadvantages and how to use them, how to recover and identify buried objects and clean them, detecting inland, on beaches, and underwater, and the safety precautions required in all three environments, and the law relating to metal detecting, how to research for potential sites, and how to gain the necessary permission to search on private land.</div>