dom
Well-known member
Thankfully all seems to have ended safely this time:
Moment idiot plunges 200ft from Durdle Door as chopper called to rescue
Moment idiot plunges 200ft from Durdle Door as chopper called to rescue
Durdle Door again!
- Thread starter dom
- Start date
jimi
Well-known member
200ft is a bit of an exaggeration. I've climbed some of the routes there and from memory the most direct route from inside the arch to the top is about 80ft. You'd definitely want to pick your landing spot well, though, if jumping off.
Lightwave395
Well-known member
C'mon... it is the Sun 'reporting' after all, to their readers anyone with a pram dinghy is a 'luxury yacht owner'
Giblets
Well-known member
I'm surprised they didn't use the standard 'number of double decker buses' measurement for height!
Supine Being
Well-known member
I'm surprised they didn't use the standard 'number of double decker buses' measurement for height!
Nah, you're getting into "Nelson's Columns" territory for that terrifying leap*. Verging on a Big Ben!
*Allowing for tabloid exaggeration
Dipper
Well-known member
I think Durdle Door refers to the entire structure not just the arch. I have to agree that the arch itself seems significantly less than 200ft high. Nevertheless, the maximum height used in the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series is 27 metres and the divers are professionals with safety backup in the water so it's surprising that the idiots jumping off the top of the arch don't kill themselves.
penfold
Well-known member
Let them at it; Darwin should be allowed to rule.
Quiddle
Well-known member
Of course, it goes without saying that anyone with an above-average appetite for risk is an idiot. Like those idiots who went to the Moon. Or are only hazardous activities endorsed by Sun journalists deemed acceptable?
jimi
Well-known member
I do feature in a film from about 25 years ago of some daft escapades in Dorset, including a guy cycling at speed on a mountain bike off the top of a Swanage cliff ;-) (not me!!) although that cliff was only 70ft high.
Found the trailer showing the bike!
Found the trailer showing the bike!
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Supine Being
Well-known member
Risk is ok, as long as you're able to mitigate it somehow. If you're the sort that thinks drinking a two litre bottle of Diamond White before leaping is mitigation enough, then have at it!
DownWest
Well-known member
The blokes who went to the moon all came back. So some sort of risk assessment seems to be in place. Shuttle, less so...cold 'O' rings not taken into account.
Jumping off cliffs/mounts does have a slightly worse record. From the the early parachutists and flapping wing exponents somewhat dire records. Allways wondered why trying it off a hill or slight incline, rather than hundreds of feet up, was not the prefered option. 'Spose it looked as if you lacked confidence in your contraption.
The Wrights worked long and hard to get to stay up (and survive)
People now just want the glory., without the work.
Jumping off cliffs/mounts does have a slightly worse record. From the the early parachutists and flapping wing exponents somewhat dire records. Allways wondered why trying it off a hill or slight incline, rather than hundreds of feet up, was not the prefered option. 'Spose it looked as if you lacked confidence in your contraption.
The Wrights worked long and hard to get to stay up (and survive)
People now just want the glory., without the work.
grumpy_o_g
Well-known member
Risk-reward ratio in going to the moon can be justified by many people - I'd take those risks happily and I'm a risk-averse risk manager. The risk-reward ratio in jumping off the top of a very tall rock into unknown waters can't be explained by very many people at all, never mind justified (unless alcohol or immaturity is involved). In addition those going to the moon were actually highly risk-averse in the same way that many test pilots are. They don't want to take any risks they don't have to, but they accept some are necessary to achieve the aim - they want to understand what those risks are and that everything viale to mitigate them has been done. When the very aim itself seems to be simply to get a rush from taking a risk that becomes rather tricky.
Or to put it another way there's really no valid comparison between the two...
Stemar
Well-known member
I'd need a lot more than two litres! In fact, fortunately for my long-term survival prospects, by the time I'd reckon I'm ready to jump, I'd be incapable of standing, let alone climbing a cliffIf you're the sort that thinks drinking a two litre bottle of Diamond White before leaping is mitigation enough, then have at it!
Sandy
Well-known member
In Plymouth, and perhaps other areas, it's called tombstoning.
Dipper
Well-known member
What's that large object behind the windsurfer? It almost looks like a submarine.
Rappey
Well-known member
One of the solent forts.
Giblets
Well-known member
Indeed it is. They towed it over to Swanage for the filming!
mjcoon
Well-known member
Yes, going to The Moon was a really grown-up dare!
Stemar
Well-known member
No, no, no! It really isn't much of a dare going out into the desert. Viago's made that quite clear!
alahol2
Well-known member
At a guess it's Portland Harbour Breakwater Fort.?.