Extreme sports and safety don’t exactly go hand in hand, but some are more extreme (and less safe) than others. If you’ve always wanted to get out there and try a wild outdoor sport but don’t want to end up as a pile of reddish goo, here are a few pointers for beginner extreme sports fiends.
Rock climbing: safer than you think. With a qualified instructor and the right equipment, rock climbing is much safer than it feels. You can even try it indoors, although that removes some of the bone-crushing terror that many climbers consider the beat part of their sport. Even outside, you can have the grand panoramic views and the thrills of rock climbing, without the risk of falling more than a couple of feet. Sure, it gets more dangerous as you become stronger, more skilled, and more independent, but worry about that later. Kids as young as five can enjoy beginner rock climbing safely.
Base jumping: just plain dangerous. With a qualified instructor and the right equipment, base jumping can still kill you dead. This sport is banned in many countries, and with good reason- there aren’t many pastimes where a light puff of breezy wind can be lethal, but base jumping is right at the top of the list. Because base enthusiasts jump off bridges, aerials, buildings, and cliffs rather than out of planes they don’t have much time in between launch and landing to get a parachute properly deployed. There are also a lot more obstacles between the jumper and a safe landing. Accident rates are high and if you hit that cliff face on the way down, it’s going to hurt.
Scuba diving: can be quite safe. Dive shops will always ask to see a valid licence before they let you hire scuba gear or fill your air tanks, but that doesn’t mean you have to go through the full Open Water training course before experiencing the underwater world. There are plenty of tour operators out there who will be happy to take you on an escorted dive with professional help right beside you. As long as you don’t panic, wrestle away from your guides and make a break for the surface, you’re pretty safe down there.
Rock fishing: surprisingly unsafe. While most people think of fishing as a fairly tame, chilled-out way to pass an afternoon, standing on the rocks with a fishing rod is actually one of the most dangerous sporting activities on the planet. A shocking number of people die when they are dragged out to see by unusually large ‘king’ waves, or they simply slip, fall in, and can’t get back out again. Be careful out there!
Surfing: can be very safe. Not only should your first surfing experience involve waves that are no more than 2ft high, many surf schools have gone one step further and introduced soft, foam covered surfboards to reduce any chance of harm, should you whack your skull on them. The soft boards are friendly and fun to play with but unfortunately they handle like a jolly tugboat rather than a sleek yacht, so they’re unlikely to catch on in the wider surfing world.
With a few notable exceptions, extreme sports are often safer than they appear- if you take the time to get professional instruction and work your way up to the scary stuff. Do it right and you can get out there and have your fair share of adrenaline without risking your neck.
About the author: Jess Spate works for a snowsports and outdoor gear company- Appalachian Outdoors can provide the equipment for most outdoor sports, including a couple of extreme ones. She is a keen climber and surfer, and a qualified scuba diver, but is yet to try base jumping.