View Full Version : Tombstoning / Most Dangerous Things
skinnydog
14-Feb-08, 21:53
There was an article in the news about tombstoning (jumping off cliffs, rocks, bridges etc into deep water) and how dangerous it is. Now I am not that old but when I was much younger it was something that happened every summer if the weather was good. You would go out in a crowd, jump off the end of the pier or some bridge into a river and no-one got hurt, well not seriously. The only difference between back then and now is that we didnt have mobile phones to record it on or YouTube to post it on. Did anyone else do that "back in the day"?
I saw a guy on the news in a wheel chair cos he tombstoned into water and landed on rocks that you couldn't see from the top of the cliff. :( He's paralysed and certainly recommends people think twice before doing it, or even better - do it from a diving board in a swimming pool.
It's something I've never done before and certainly won't be doing in the future. Would be interested if there are any orgers out there who've done it and/or still do.....
Whitewater
14-Feb-08, 22:16
I done many daft things in my young days. I know I'm lucky to be alive, nearly killed myself many times, not on purpose, but, I used to think I was immortal.........Ah! the joys of youth. Unfortunately, (or is it), I have more sense now and life is still exciting, but, what thrills me now is not so life threatening.
My trouble is when the grandsons do something daft, and their parents say "tell him it's dangerous grandad", I often have great difficulty in keeping the smile off my face when I'm supposed to be making them aware of the danger they placed themselves in, and I know I was just as guilty in my young days. Don't really like the double standard. But I guess thats life and why us grandparents are supposed to be very wise.......... If only they knew!
oh what fun we had when we used to go on holiday to embo there is a little harbour of the caravan site and we used to jump in a many a happy fun filled hour would pass this way.:Razz:Razz
northener
14-Feb-08, 23:00
There was an article in the news about tombstoning (jumping off cliffs, rocks, bridges etc into deep water) and how dangerous it is. Now I am not that old but when I was much younger it was something that happened every summer if the weather was good. You would go out in a crowd, jump off the end of the pier or some bridge into a river and no-one got hurt, well not seriously. The only difference between back then and now is that we didnt have mobile phones to record it on or YouTube to post it on. Did anyone else do that "back in the day"?
Yup, jumped off/climbed some things that scare me when I think back!
.
yep proper tomboy i was climbed all jumped all i could.Would kill my kids if they tried this stupid game.They need to think of their families before doing something so dangerous...
Climbed all the rocks, (without ropes or any type of climbing gear), from the old man heading south. Looking at those places today gives me an fearful adrenalin rush from the thought of what we were doing and what may have happened.
As kids we had no fear or maybe no comprehension of the danger we were putting ourselves in.
Dog-eared
15-Feb-08, 03:31
Used to climb around the cliffs etc when I was young. 60's - 70's
Reckoned that if there was a mate around or you were over water you were OK !
Climbed around Sinclair & Girnigoe , Wick Bay , Old Man.
No safety gear.
Took an old washing line one time but we didnt know how to use it when we got there !
Did lots of other scary stuff but -
Survived
didn't watch TV
didnt stay indoors
was very fit - as we should be
was back home by alotted time - in winter at street lights on time
learned about importance of friends
had great crack
Cycled eyerywhere we could get in a day on a jam piece and a neep out of a field !
Plus old wartime bases were a godsend for kids !
and we knew why Dockens grew near Nettles !
And climbing the ruined walls of the old Co-Op by the steps from the Mountain Dew down to the harbour.
Kids doing that these days ..............where are they. They have no life skills. Like knowing their limits.
If they lose at a driving video game it's game over ....but - hey- they can restart again on the videogame they think is life!
Dog-eared
15-Feb-08, 03:48
What's the most dangerous thing you did as a youngster ?
There was an article in the news about tombstoning (jumping off cliffs, rocks, bridges etc into deep water) and how dangerous it is. Now I am not that old but when I was much younger it was something that happened every summer if the weather was good. You would go out in a crowd, jump off the end of the pier or some bridge into a river and no-one got hurt, well not seriously. The only difference between back then and now is that we didnt have mobile phones to record it on or YouTube to post it on. Did anyone else do that "back in the day"?
I am afraid that the there is a big difference. The harbour or the realtively safe area of certain pasts of the sea cliffs is not the areas now of concern. Much more dangerous jumps are being undertaken and bravado takes over when the event is being film and placed on the web. This encourages much more dangerous activities than why I was youing.
However, if they want ti break their necks why should I concern myself?!
I did. But I knew the places I did it like the back of my hand and I spent 5 months of the year living on the beach. These kids are diving into water they do not know and are jumping from huge hieghts without any kind of practice.
These kids are diving into water they do not know and are jumping from huge hieghts without any kind of practice.
Which makes jumping off such fun. ;):lol:
Which makes jumping off such fun.
That is, until it all goes wrong and someone gets killed or badly injured!! :roll::eek:
On really windy rough days when the waves were as big as a house, we used to run down the slip and run back up before the water got us. If I caught my kids doing that they would be grounded for life and if my Dad had know I would never have been allowed over the door again, it was just plain stupid.
On really windy rough days when the waves were as big as a house, we used to run down the slip and run back up before the water got us. If I caught my kids doing that they would be grounded for life and if my Dad had know I would never have been allowed over the door again, it was just plain stupid.
aye but i bet you had great fun doing it, kids dont seem to have any sense of fear what so ever.
That is, until it all goes wrong and someone gets killed or badly injured!!
Well if things go bad, that's the chance you took and the future you must accept. :)
gosh that brings back memories of my child hood, every summer we would go in a large group down to the local river and jump off the foot bridge that was about 25 ft above the water, i know thats not really high but when you are 8 years old its like the top of the world,
Also used to jump off the peir at skegness when the tide was in, and the only dangerous thing about that was the sewage in the sea!!:D
used to cycle off the end of the harbour on our bikes brill... wonder could i still do it
lets put it this way went i went out i would not like my parents know wat i woz up to..............;)
I did. But I knew the places I did it like the back of my hand and I spent 5 months of the year living on the beach. These kids are diving into water they do not know and are jumping from huge hieghts without any kind of practice.I totally agree with you Ju, what I and my friends did as kids whilst dangerous, we were still well aware of our surroundings through the experience of older folks passing on their knowledge to us.
used to cycle off the end of the harbour on our bikes brill... wonder could i still do itI have done that lol. Diving in the pow off the trinkie was another adrenalin rush.
Dog-eared
15-Feb-08, 22:45
Cycling off the end of the pier ......WOW!
You don't know your limitations until you've pushed them a wee bit as a kid -
And if you have, you can pass that on to your kids.
And be more confident as a person.
If you sit on your fat bum and let the kids play the playstation all day, where is that getting society ?
People read too much doom and gloom in the newspapers.
The bad things reported in the SUN is not happening every day to every one of millions of people in Britain . Let alone up here.
And if people move up here for a safer environment then they have to leave their paranoid views behind them. ;)
omg we use to go cliff diving all the time!
we knew the water very well though and it was deep enough that theres no way you can hit the bottom.. unless you can go 20-30 feet!
but it was always loads of fun. it is dangerous though.. and thats no lie. but if you like adrenaline and want to do extreme sports then you have to take the risk that something can and may happen.
we use to go tubing down white water and go over falls in the summer as a family.. some of the best memories of are going of ladyhole falls!
I did. But I knew the places I did it like the back of my hand and I spent 5 months of the year living on the beach. These kids are diving into water they do not know and are jumping from huge hieghts without any kind of practice.
Ju, I still have fond memories, of my days at sea, and when visiting Funchal.
The wee laddies diving for coins thrown from the Liners into the sea, they had no fear of the depth, or the sea. I envied their swimming skills.
tombstoning is good if its not more than about 10 feet...
Add me to the crazy crew ! Jumped of the bridge into the river where i grew up, swam in the river on xmas day, it was so cold i couldnt breath properly. Went into the sea when the red flag ( danger flag ) was up to have fun in the huge waves, now that was fun .Rode a motorbike in a quarry up big hills and near on fell backwards, all this was when i was around 13. My mum used to ask what sort of day i had had, oh nothing exciting mum just round so and so`s house, if only they knew. :eek: jan x
Dog-eared
17-Feb-08, 01:51
Good on you , folks.
Its good to feel alive. :D
Cinderella's Shoe
17-Feb-08, 12:46
I've done crazier things since I supposedly grew up than I ever did when in my childhood or teens
northener
17-Feb-08, 13:44
If you want an huge adrenalin rush close to home, go up to John O'Groats during the season and book yourselves on 'North Coast Explorer' for a trip.
You can take the 1 hour Wildlife trip (all ages and abilities) which takes you right into the caves and geos around Stroma - very informative and lots of photo opportunities - or, for those over 12 who feel life is getting just a tad tame, book on the 1/2 hour Whitewater trip.
She seats 12 on proper seats, is a 450hp Jet-Drive boat that is used by rescue services and Special Forces and will throw you across the Pentland Firth at over 35 knots (40mph-ish) on the Whitewater trip:eek:
Being a Jet drive, she can crash stop from full speed to full stop in just over her own length and do some very silly turns. Brilliant fun.
Waterproofs are provided by the crew but, you WILL get very wet on the whitewater trip and you WILL enjoy yourselves!
Go on......
.
If you want an huge adrenalin rush close to home, go up to John O'Groats during the season and book yourselves on 'North Coast Explorer' for a trip.
You can take the 1 hour Wildlife trip (all ages and abilities) which takes you right into the caves and geos around Stroma - very informative and lots of photo opportunities - or, for those over 12 who feel life is getting just a tad tame, book on the 1/2 hour Whitewater trip.
She seats 12 on proper seats, is a 450hp Jet-Drive boat that is used by rescue services and Special Forces and will throw you across the Pentland Firth at over 35 knots (40mph-ish) on the Whitewater trip:eek:
Being a Jet drive, she can crash stop from full speed to full stop in just over her own length and do some very silly turns. Brilliant fun.
Waterproofs are provided by the crew but, you WILL get very wet on the whitewater trip and you WILL enjoy yourselves!
Go on......
.
Sounds real fun , when i do get back up i will have to pay a visit. Thanks for that Northener. jan x
Valerie Campbell
17-Feb-08, 19:46
If people know the area well then I don't see what the problem is BUT many young folk have done it without this local knowledge and have whammed their heads on the rocks. They haven't known about the rock below the water. I've never done it and don't intend to.
Dog-eared
17-Feb-08, 23:52
The whitewater trip is great but the handrail in front of you for hanging on ( and you really need to ! ) is quite a large diameter - about 2 1/2" so after a while it's very hard to hang on. And I have largish hands.
we used to jump of the esplande at Thurso beach when the tide was out, i look at it now and feel sick. Its amazing how much courage you have as a kid, its just a shame kids nowadays have lost the common sense you needed to go with that courage that seperated fun from madness!!
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