So coasteering is an activity where the purpose usually is to explore the coastline and have fun! This involves entering caves, playing in moving water and jumping off rocks, (sometimes a bit of sea-level traversing too). Awesome activity that can be done when its too rainy for land-based sports as you're getting wet anyway!
The UK's coastline is brilliant for this as its not just one long flat beach, instead is covered by rocky features. Depending on where in the UK you go will change whats involved ever so slightly.
The UK's coastline is brilliant for this as its not just one long flat beach, instead is covered by rocky features. Depending on where in the UK you go will change whats involved ever so slightly.
In Dorset the main sites used by every outdoor centre in the area are Dancing Ledge and Hedbury. Both disused quarries on the sea front. Dancing ledge being a slightly more progressive introduction to coasteering and Hedbury being less so.
Both sites have massive caves, one of them having a duck under joining two caves together, (if the sea conditions are right).
If its jumps you enjoy, both have their equal share, boasting high jumps of about 6-7m at both sites, with hedbury having a jump over a cave which when standing on the edge seem much higher than it actually is!
My favourite features, (specific parts of a site), though are ones where you stand/sit and let the water move you around. The best I think being the big gauntlet at dancing ledge, which is a corner in the rock, with a ledge under the water that you can stand on. This underwater ledge makes the waves break, releasing their power on you standing there. (Its a lot more fun than it sounds!)
Both sites have massive caves, one of them having a duck under joining two caves together, (if the sea conditions are right).
If its jumps you enjoy, both have their equal share, boasting high jumps of about 6-7m at both sites, with hedbury having a jump over a cave which when standing on the edge seem much higher than it actually is!
My favourite features, (specific parts of a site), though are ones where you stand/sit and let the water move you around. The best I think being the big gauntlet at dancing ledge, which is a corner in the rock, with a ledge under the water that you can stand on. This underwater ledge makes the waves break, releasing their power on you standing there. (Its a lot more fun than it sounds!)
Another of my personal favourite features is the aptly named ‘washing machine’ also at dancing ledge. This is a cave with a ledge that just sits under the water, which is undercut. This makes the water enter the cave, raising the water and you towards the ceiling, then drops again! However for this feature to work you have to go on just the right sea conditions for it to be fun and safe.
With loads of sites around the UK and quite a few providers of this fun activity, nows the best time to get out there and give it a go. Best to get a group of friends together and go as one so there is a bit of rivalry. However coasteering is a dangerous activity and you should go out with a organisation/individual that operates under the national coasteering charter.
A full list of providers can be found here:
http://www.nationalcoasteeringcharter.org.uk/download/dorset-providers-2/?wpdmdl=1014
A full list of providers can be found here:
http://www.nationalcoasteeringcharter.org.uk/download/dorset-providers-2/?wpdmdl=1014
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