UPDATE: Changed example pictures to a better match at high and low tides.
Water depth was the cause of the recent tombstoning incidents, and this made me think about if we had any pictures in our archive highlighting just how much the tide affects water depth. As one commenter on our first YouTube video put it…
thats the harsh thing with tombstoning, it all depends on the tide.
1day you could be fine the next its goodnight irene.
Below are two pictures (unfortunately from different angles) and a mock-up showing just how much the tide changes at Stair Hole. The first was taken back in 2006 when we first started taking a waterproof camera with us to get some pictures; the second was October last year. Each picture has a caption attached when opened.
The variation here highlights a couple of things…
- It has completely obscured a metre square section of rock around water level, which if you weren’t aware of, you could land on.
- Your falling distance and water depth are both affected by the tide. So at high tide it could be a 25ft jump in to 15ft of water, but the same jump at low tide might be a 30ft jump in to 10ft of water; much more dangerous!
To combat this I recommend using a website like EasyTide to check tide times.
If you pick a port very local to your jumping spot, although it can’t actually tell you the depth of the water, it can be a great reference. If you know a 40ft jump is always safe when the local tide buoy is at 2 metres then you can plan your trip to the coast without the chance of arriving at a really low tide.
Also if you go to a spot frequently enough you should start to recognise the tide state and depth by checking the water level against a familiar point on the cliff or wall.
Lastly, I cannot recommend enough, following the information already in the safety section about checking out the water below before making your jump.
This information will be added to the safety section, but I felt it important that it spends some time on the front page as well.
May 25th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
This article is the exact same issue with what I am trying to tackle as a product designer. Recent media interest over the past year or so has highlighted the dangers of rock jumping and through research carried out by myself in both primary and secondary sectors, I have tried to innovate a product that will aid rock jumpers but yet keep the adrenaline thrill. I have designed a buoy that will be aimed to be brought by local councils/safety personnel and be positioned at popular rock jumping sites. The Buoys reads the depth of the water, and through research I have highlighted water depth is the main cause of deaths and fatalities. For further information on this product, please feel free to contact me or pass my details on to someone who could benefit from this product. If not my work will be exhibited at the bristol design show in mid june.