Very few beachcombers expect to strike it rich, but the anticipation of possibly discovering a diamond ring, or something of value, along with relaxation and excercise makes treasure hunting popular at the Jersey Shore.

How do these objects wash up on the beaches? It is a complicated process involving the oceans currents. One current caries it to another, where it is caught in a storm and pushed onto a beach. If there wasn't a storm, it would have circled the ocean, or have been caught in a huge gyral, which is place where ocean currents pass each other. Debris can stay there for years, until it finally washes up on a beach. Most of the time, it is just pushed out to sea again or shattered on rocks.

If you want to try your hand at beachcombing, be prepared to go outside in the worst of weather, for that is when objects come onto the beaches. If you don't feel up to going during the storm, go right after a storm,or after an unusually high tide. It probably will be nice and there still will be plenty of interesting things to see. The best time of the day is late afternoon, after the beach has emptied.

The best way to treasure hunt is to locate a section of beach where crowds usually congregate, and plan the area to comb, ensuring the same arae is not covered twice. When the detector beeps, scoop the sand and let it filter through the sifter.

To treasure hunt, you'll need a metal detector, headphones, a sand scoop, sifter and prober. This equipment can range from $200 to over $1000.