Our instructors know the routes we use inside and out and have extensive knowledge of the effects of tides, winds and swells. However, with that said, no two sessions are alike, and instructors need to think on their feet to match routes to the groups' levels of ability. The act of scrambling is not the same as walking down the street; every step must be taken into consideration. Here, common sense prevails; stand on the grippy and avoid the slippery. The texture of the rocks, especially if they have barnacles, will help you keep your balance. When possible, keep away from anything green or smooth and wet. The third point of contact, such as holding onto a rock while you scramble, can also reduce the risk of slipping or falling. The swimming element while coasteering is different from your regular swimming in a pool for several reasons. In the first place, you are in a totally wild environment, and the scenery is stunning! You will be navigating your way through gullies and lagoons. Waves will push and pull you while you swim, lifting you up and down. It's just a matter of going with the flow. Secondly, it takes some time to get used to swimming in coasteering gear. Your buoyancy will cause you to float on the surface like a cork. Having this advantage allows you to completely relax if you become tired and bob around while taking a breather. Most of the climbing we do is traversing; they are more sideways than vertical. During the climb, we will be climbing above water so that if you slip, you can exit safely into the sea (this is called bailing out). Most of our climbing will be climbing to get somewhere, which will often be jumping or climbing onto ledges and platforms extending from the sea. When most people think of coasteering, they picture cliff jumping! You will have plenty of opportunities to jump during your session. During the session, the jumps are tackled in ascending order, starting with the smaller jumps and working our way up to greater heights. As we progress from low to high heights, you will be expected to demonstrate a safe technique for jumping and landing in the water. You will be given the green light to jump higher if you jump well. The option of swimming or scrambling around a jump and avoiding it while watching others jump is always available, as jumping might not be for everyone. Some people simply cannot get enough of the jumps, and most want to try at least some of them. Additionally, there will be safe platforms where you can dive, belly flop, bomb or stunt jump. From time immemorial, kids have scrambled over shorelines, swam in the sea, and jumped off rocks. In recent years, it has only been that coasteering has gained popularity enough to be featured in weekend travel supplements. For over a century, there have been various activities containing some elements of coasteering, including climbing clubs circumnavigating headlands by sea-level traversing. The R.A.F. at St Mawgan also used the activity to train military personnel. Coasteering began as a commercial activity around 30 years ago in Pembrokeshire led by Tyr-y-Felin and has since spread to many coastal regions of the U.K., such as Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Scotland and Wales. Coasteering has now been entered into the English Oxford Dictionary; coasteering means exploring rocky coastlines by climbing, jumping, and swimming.