Coasteering in Wales
| 12:47 UK time, Thursday, 23 July 2009
The ancient Welsh sport of jumping off perfectly good cliffs into the sea 'for fun' seems to have had something of a resurgence lately...
I was sat watching Â鶹Éç Countryfile with my cup of coco a fortnight ago when I saw Julia Bradbury, clad in rubber from head to toe.
Now, there's nothing wrong with that, but she was leaping off cliffs into the sea and seemed to be enjoying it...
It seems as if coasteering has finally become mainstream. 
I like to think that myself and a few friends invented this sport back in the 70's when as kids growing up in pembrokshire, we'd scour the coastal path looking for cliffs to jump off but it's much more organised these days and they even have insurance! ;)
I asked the guys at www.tyf.com to write an article on this a few years ago for our Â鶹Éç Wales Outdoors Portal so I'll summarise what was said.
The sport encompasses a range of activities - pulling together climbing, swimming, body surfing and cliff diving.
The basic premise involves cliffs, deep ocean water jumps and people clad in wetsuits, trainers and helmets scrambling around cliffs, having the time of their lives.
"This is a coastal adventure for everyone. From extreme rock-pooling to high adrenalin sea-survival, you can take part in coasteering at a level that will leave you buzzing."
If you're going to participate in this sort of activity then use a proper outdoors pursuit company that is used to dealing with this kind of sport and has the necessary safety precautions, insurance and equipment to make your day safe and enjoyable.
What you'll need:
- Helmet
- Wetsuit booties or trainers
- Wetsuit
- Life vest/ buoyancy aid
The company you book through will normally provide everything you need, so make some enquiries before booking.
Most coasteering in Wales happens around Gower, Pembrokshire and the Lleyn Peninsula where clear seas and high cliffs make for a spectacular back drop.
- Have you been coasteering lately? Tell me about your experiences.
Gull
Some coasteering links:
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