South 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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You 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 South 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.
Take a look at our operators listings on the right hand side to find out more and book a coasteering session.
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.
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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.
In the interests of safety we advise that all outdoor activities are undertaken with accredited operators only under the supervision and instruction of their trained staff.
More info
Log on to www.visitwales.co.uk/active for details of activity providers who offer coasteering.