July 22, 2010 - 12:31 
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Cornish Cliff Diving - Taking A Positive Look At The Sport
Tags: Diving, Jacob Cockle, Kelvin Batt
Area:
Lizard Local award winning photographer Jacob Cockle captured the moments that his friend and extreme sports fanatic Kelvin Batt from Porthleven made the calculated leap in to 40 feet of water below.
With recent negative and uneducated press reports about so called 'Tombstoning' always finding it's way on the news, Batt, a fully trained former lifeguard and experienced diver and swimmer explained "This is something that we have been doing since we were 15, so it's not a new fad to many of the boys down here. It's called diving, because we dive. The media have blown the whole scenario out of proportion"
Safety and Planning
"Safety with all of our jumps comes first. We do a reccy of the area, test the winds, the tides, the depth for about an hour before the jump to ensure their is no risk" added Batt.
Those who were there with Batt also wanted to distance the act of tombstoning. "We don't recommend jumping into the unknown and we wouldn't advise anybody to jump unless they were qualified and experienced, just like you wouldn't drive a car unless you knew how'' said another local who wished to remain nameless.
We wouldn't recommend jumping into the unknown, safety comes first, each jump is calculated to eliminate risk
Cliff diving has been a traditional sport in Cornwall for generations and that will never change. People who do so have lived in and around the sea for the majority of their lives and have an understanding and knowledge of when it is acceptable to jump and where is safe to jump. All of the recent negative media publicity has tarnished the sport. In Acapulco, which is home to the World Cliff Diving Championships the sports used to be screened on TV across America.
Advise to Others
Batt echoed his friends comments by adding "We've been doing these jumps for over a decade, we grew up in the sea all of our lives, unless you are very experienced it would be unwise to do so of course. Every jump that we do is calculated with maximum preperation and planning. It's a sport, and accidents happen in sport sure, but by ensuring you take the necessary steps and have the knowledge that we do such accidents can be avoided"
Images courtesy of Jacob Cockle
Comments
Anonymous July 23, 2010 - 09:22
Lots of people may have been throwing themselves off rocks in Cornwall - either intentionally or unintentionally. It does not make it right.
Yes it has been going on for decades it originally started as young kids jumping off rocks. These young adults have taken it to the extreme and throw themselves off high cliffs. Presumably for the adrenaline rush but please do not class it as a sport.
In some cases emergency services have to be involved ambulances, air sea rescue, Cornwall Air Ambulance, cliff rescue, lifeboats, hospitals etc etc. Should they have to risk their lives for these so called "sportsmen"?
Everyone who pays taxes and contributes to charities such as the Cornwall Air Ambulance and RNLI voluntarily pay for these services. I am one of those people. I contribute to the charities because accidents do happen - especially on the water around our coastline. However throwing yourself off a cliff after "assessing all the criteria required for a safe landing" is not being responsible, let alone an accident. It is foolhardy.
I for one would charge them for the services they use. Why should I pay for their foolhardiness.
And yes, I am Cornish and can trace my ancesters back hundreds of years. I am not Cornish just because my parents moved here.
Harbour Wall Jumper July 23, 2010 - 10:15
I can't see any harm in this what so ever. People moan about kids jumping off harbour walls and that has been going on for years. I myself have participated in this and not once did i ever injure myself or witness anyone else getting injured.
The emergency services time and money is wasted on other areas like Newquay on a Friday and Saturday night. How many times have you walked past someone who has passed out in the street or are bloodied and bruised from a fight after consuming too much alcohol.
What exactly are the accident figures for people injured from 'cliff jumping' anyway? Pretty low i expect. It's a bit like saying don't go into the sea for a swim because you might get into difficulty and waste the emergency services time and money.
There are far more dangerous 'crazes' out there and i think it's refreshing that youngsters are getting out and about and keeping fit with a natural adrenaline rush.
Enormous July 23, 2010 - 15:08
I think watching Bargain Hunt is both 'foolhardy' & 'irresponsible', but when you have a heart attack induced by furiously masturbating over Tim Wonnacott's mustache, I'm not going to deny you healthcare.
Mr Anonymous, you should respect peoples right to have fun. (And you should probably give Bargain Hunt a miss too)
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Lots of people may have been throwing themselves off rocks in Cornwall - either intentionally or unintentionally. It does not make it right.
Yes it has been going on for decades it originally started as young kids jumping off rocks. These young adults have taken it to the extreme and throw themselves off high cliffs. Presumably for the adrenaline rush but please do not class it as a sport.
In some cases emergency services have to be involved ambulances, air sea rescue, Cornwall Air Ambulance, cliff rescue, lifeboats, hospitals etc etc. Should they have to risk their lives for these so called "sportsmen"?
Everyone who pays taxes and contributes to charities such as the Cornwall Air Ambulance and RNLI voluntarily pay for these services. I am one of those people. I contribute to the charities because accidents do happen - especially on the water around our coastline. However throwing yourself off a cliff after "assessing all the criteria required for a safe landing" is not being responsible, let alone an accident. It is foolhardy.
I for one would charge them for the services they use. Why should I pay for their foolhardiness.
And yes, I am Cornish and can trace my ancesters back hundreds of years. I am not Cornish just because my parents moved here.