West Wales is the home of Coasteering, one of Britain's fastest growing
adventure sports; it was developed here in the 80s and 90s. Pembrokeshire and
the Gower Peninsula remain two of the premier destinations for this exciting
adventure sport.
For the uninitiated, Coasteering involves squeezing into a wetsuit, buoyancy aid
and old trainers, then working your way around the coast at sea level - simple
enough if you're on a beach, but a different story if you're beneath craggy sea
cliffs - and you
will be.
If you're looking to get a taste of Wales' newest extreme sport, it's all here. Coasteering is an awesome activity combining swimming, climbing, jumping - and laughing - all the way around the coast.
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Your have to scramble, climb, swim, and maddest of all, cliff jump to complete a
good Coasteering route, and it's invariably an adrenalin-fuelled experience but
others simply love the feeling of moving through a dramatic landscape;
whichever way, prepare to get addicted.
The sport has now spread around the world but, as with most things, the original
is still the best. So head on down to Wild West Wales and discover just why...
How & where
Various stretches of coastline around the St. David's Peninsula, in South
Pembrokeshire, and along the Gower Peninsula are perfect Coasteering territory.
When you sign up to give it a go, you'll get a guide who will lead a group of
between two and maybe eight people on a route chosen to suit your abilities.
You'll also be provided with wetsuit, helmet and buoyancy aid, and routes
generally last half a day, for which you'll pay £30-40.
You don't need to have any special skills. You don't even need to be an
especially strong swimmer, as your buoyancy aid will help you float. Basically,
all that's required is a sense of adventure
and fun.
And don't be too concerned if the weather isn't co-operating on the day you
decide to coasteer. Your guide will know the local coastline like the back of
their hand and, with inside knowledge on the best location whatever the
conditions.
Top Tips
Think your life is tough? Look out for the various creatures that live around
the bottom of sea cliffs and think what they have to put up with - swirling
tides, baking sun and crashing waves. That's one of the great things about
coasteering - you also learn something along the way about one of the harshest
environments on Earth.
Surprising as it seems, coasteering is pretty much a year-round sport. Modern
wetsuits keep you warm in all but the coldest winter months, so you're not
necessarily restricted to summer for your adrenalin fix.
More info
Log on to
www.adventure.visitwales.com
for details of activity providers who offer coasteering.