What Should a Coasteering Guide Carry?
Coasteering is an adventure sport increasing in popularity across the UK. With so much coastline on offer, we are pretty spoiled for choice. The geographical landscape of the British isle is as diverse as the weather. From Cornwall to the West Coast of Scotland and everything in-between.
Depending on where you choose to Coasteering or where your adventure company operates coasteering, I’m sure the equipment which we carry is pretty similar. I hail from a canyoning background which I believe helped shape the type of items I carry and how I carry them.
Kit can verify from guide to guide or even adventure company to adventure company, but most will have a standard list of items that are carried during a coasteering trips. I come from a canyoning background where accessibility into and from remote cavernous areas is usually extremely difficult. For this reason, I probably overcompensate when selecting what items that I should carry coasteering.
Good shoes are very important for a coasteering guide
What I carry in my kit:
- Knife
- Dry bag
- Dry barrel (3L)
- First aid kit
- VHF radio
- Whistle
- Survival blanket
- Watch
- Goggles
- Paracord (3 meters)
- Throw line (15 meters)
Ideal for anyone working in the coasteering industry
I believe my ability to respond and process a developing situation is massively increased, having great movement and stability over uneven ground is vital to any emergency or assisting struggling clients. I’ve seen guides coasteering wearing running shoes or old trainers, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, they do not protect your ankle from rocks or provide support properly, like a shoe dedicated to that type of environment.
I usually wear Adidas Hydro Pro or FiveTen canyoneers, the rubber being outstanding on wet surfaces and really supportive for your ankle. Bestards are also pretty respectful in a coasteering environment.
I’d love to know what items you carry and why.