Cliff Jumping in Howth

Jumping off a cliff into the sea is one of the easiest adrenaline rushes you can get. You step up, switch your brain off and you're airborne! It doesn't get any more simple. But as well as being a lot of fun, there's plenty of things that can go wrong so you have to take a safe, go-slowly approach. If you've never done a jump, the best thing you can do is find a spot where people jump regularly and get out there on a good day. Watch other jumpers and note the spots they're going off. Ask people about the different spots, but ultimately you're going to need to make up your own mind which jump spots are safe and which aren't. Start small and stay well within your comfort zone until you're ready to go bigger.

Ideally a jump spot should overhang the water below. Quite a lot of popular jumps involve clearing outcrops of rock below the spot. Steer clear of these until you're comfortable and confident about taking decent sized drops. Another very important factor is the area around the jump spot. Some spots are tight and won't allow you any kind of step-up or run-up and you have to do a standing jump. Taking a standing jump off an overhang is usually safe enough, but if you have to clear anything below you really need the momentum of a run-up or at least a strong step-up. Finally, the jump spot should be free of loose stones or rocks and anything else that could cause a slip or a trip.

The other factor you need to think about is the water under the jump. Obviously it needs to be deep enough that you aren't going to touch the bottom when you plunge in, and it should be free of isolated rocks or other hazards. You also need to consider the tide; a spot that is perfectly safe at high tide, might be a rocky boneyard at low water. The best way to avoid an accident this way is to only jump at known jumping spots at high tide, unless the spot is proven to be safe through all tides.

At the Bailey Jumps, Howth. Photo: niscratz

A well-known jumping spot in Dublin is at the Lion's Head on the south side of the Howth peninsula. It's a hard enough place to find, and the access is tricky in that you have to climb down a steep cliff to get there.  There's a lot of history behind the place and people have been diving and swimming there since at least the early 1900's. A university professor and some of his students found the place and popularised it by building steps down from the main cliff walk and installing diving boards, changing and washing facilities and even a simple latrine. Unfortunately the place became less well-used over the years and the steps slid off the cliff-face and the diving boards rotted away. These days you can see the remains of what used to be there, but the council has officially blocked access and you have to climb a fence to get onto the access path.

Diving at the Lion's Head, 1900's

The great thing about the jumps in Howth is the variety of different-sized drops. None of the jumps are massively high, but they are all reasonably safe, with plenty of water beneath (*AT HIGH TIDE*) and good clear jump spots. I've labelled the photo below, showing the five main jumps.

The Jumps

1. Baby Bailey. This is the smallest, and safest jump. There's no outcrop under it and it's not too high. To get an idea of the height, have a look at the old photo above... It's about 15 feet at high tide.

2. Four Bar. This is where the old high diving-board was, and until recently enough the bars that held the board to the concrete were still there, hence the name. This is the staple jump, about twenty-five feet or so. You can see from the picture that there's a good run up, and you don't have to clear a lot below.

3. The Natural. I've no idea where this one got its name, but it's a nice jump at full tide. It's a bit smaller than the four bar but has a small, sloping jump spot which you have step off. It's an overhanging jump.

4. The Ultimate. This is a bit of a tricky one. The jump spot is the white rock at the centre of the circle and you have to do a standing jump over a fairly sizable outcrop. It's over thirty feet though and gives a good drop.

5. No name. This is the tallest of the jumps and really the only properly dangerous one. There's a rock directly under it, so you need to take a strong run-up and get out into the middle of the 'v'. The grassy run-up is a slip hazard. Jump at your own risk!

I spend a lot of time at the Bailey jumps in my teens and I still get up there every now and again, but when you've done any jump enough, it takes the buzz out of it a little. The important thing to remember is there's always a bigger drop and going on the hunt for new spots is almost as much fun as making the jump! I'm going to do a post about some of Ireland's best jumping spots later, so stay tuned.

This one's on an island off the coast of Dublin. It's a good drop!