Coasteering

It’s a new term to me – “coasteering”.  It’s a sport that combines adventure and exploration in a mixture of ocean swimming, rock climbing (without ropes), caving, jumping and diving and about anything else you might need to do to explore the rough and high energy interface between ocean and land – without a boat and typically wearing a wet suit.

The term was apparently coined in 1973 by Robin Collomb and John Cleare in their book Sea Cliff Climbing in Britain. Wales seems to be the epicenter of the sport.  Guide Jon Haylock says “I can understand why coasteering might sound scary, but the amazing thing about the Welsh coastline is it’s so indented you can tailor coasteering to all levels. You’re in a wetsuit, buoyancy aid and helmet, so you’re warm, comfortable and safe, and it’s so simple that anyone can do it.”

Nonetheless, it involves a lot more adrenaline than a walk on the beach!