Information AboutCoasteering |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT COASTEERING | |
| water sports | |
| individual sports | |
A defining factor of coasteering is the opportunity provided by the marine geology for moving in the “impact zone” where water, waves, rocks, gullies, caves etc, come together to provide a very high energy environment. HISTORY Although all aspects of coasteering have been informally practised by people for a very long time, if only as a means of access to a cut-off cove beyond a headland, the term appears first to have been used in 1973. In a prescient vision in the book ''Sea Cliff Climbing'', John Cleare and Robin Collomb said "A few enthusiasts believe that coasteering will become popular and has a big future". In the 1990's it emerged as a commercially guided recreational activity initially along the cliff coastline of Pembrokeshire in Wales. By 1997 write-ups started appearing in the travel/recreational pages of the newspapers showing that several commercial companies were offering such activity. In 1999 one guide company licensed a trade mark incorporating the word "Coasteering" in a distinctive script. However, the word was by then in general use to describe the activity. The activity then spread to all regions of the UK where there are suitable rocky coasts, including Cornwall, Pembrokshire, Anglesey and the Highlands and Isles of Scotland. GUIDED ADVENTURE EXPERIENCE The rocky cliff coasts of western Britain provide the world's principal location for organised guided coasteering, where it is available from over 100 activity centres. Usually half day or one day trips are offered at a variety of levels catering for beginners, intermediates and advanced. Some trips are especially slanted towards study of the coastal ecology. Some centres cater for parties of school children. ADVENTURE RACES Coasteering may be included as one of the disciplines for a stage of an Adventure Race . This is especially common in New Zealand, but is also to be found in Australia, Canada, and the USA. SAFETY The basic individual safety equipment includes:
In the UK the HSE has an information sheet of good practice for the Adventure Activities Industry {Link without Title} In the UK, safety requirements {Link without Title} for commercial providers offering activities to people under 18 are laid down by the Adventure Activity licensing Authority - an organisation funded by the DfES . The authority's site also has a list {Link without Title} of 80 licensed providers of coasteering for schools and young people in the UK. |
|
|