Deep water soloing – How and where to DWS

When you get more into climbing you are likely to stumble upon deep water soloing or psicobloc. This is a type of climbing where you fall into water if you are unsuccessful on the climb or sometimes after topping out you jump down in to the water. This cliffdiving style of falling or routes makes it safer to fall and opens up a lot of new crags to climb. Deep water soloing is a lot of fun, especially on hot summer days with a nice group of friends. 

In this article we summed up how to get started in DWS climbing, what gear you need and where are the most famous spots for DWS.

How to start deep water soloing safely

1. Know the area and what to expect: Check out where and how to enter the climbing area. Do you need ropes and harnesses? Can you traverse the cliff to the site and is that safe? Can you go in with a paddle board, kayak or boat? How do you get out of the climb, do you top out or jump in to the water. Can you get back to the traverse from the water? 
2. Check the weather and the wildlife: You should prepare for changing weather as well as what lives in the water. If its too cold there is a big chance to get cold water shock of hypothermia when DWS climbing. If the weather is or turns cold or you get a storm or even rain at the spot it can make the activity turn from fun to survival. In the ocean there can be different kinds of corals, jellyfish, sharks or seasnakes. These are often not dangerous, but should be taken into consideration as well. Another thing to consider is if there are animals that are nesting or rare might mean that climbing should be ceased in the area. You should find out if there are currents that can sweep you away after falling or if the weather is going to take a turn for the worse. 
3. Make sure the landing is safe: The first tip is in the name itself as its important to make sure that the water is deep enough to safely fall into. Even if you go to an established and popular DWS site its always your own responsibility to make sure its safe to climb. Somethings to take into consideration are also tides as the shallower waters at low tide can have the rocks a lot closer to the surface. Even larger waves in the water can expose rocks quite suddenly.  Also there might be something floating on the surface, like another climber or a tree trunk that can be dangerous to fall on. If the cliff is not overhanging, it might be necessary to push off the rock when falling to make sure you hit the water in a good body position and spot. 
4. Know what you are doing: Before going DWS climbing you should know at least the basic climbing skill. You should also know how to swim in water that can be moving due to natural forces such as  waves or that can be dark and intimidating to some. Although the water is there to break your fall you should know how to fall as well. As falling face first, on to your stomach or in a multiple other ways can be bad for you. You should hit the water with your feet first and have your body straight. If you fall off suddenly and in a bad body position you can try to fix it by swinging your arms. If the water is not really deep you might want to have the feet a little bit to the front and arms to the side to slow down the descent once in the water. Its a good idea to have the legs close to each other and not to look down at the water on impact. You might want to either close your nose with a hand (also protects the face) or blow out of the nose to prevent water from getting in through your nostrils. Its also a good idea to take some practice falls from lower parts of the cliff so you get this dialed in and can focus more on the climbing. 
5. Bring the gear you need: The most common things to bring are shoes for climbing and you should bring a pair that you won’t mind getting wet. Another thing is chalk. I like to use liquid chalk and the bottle is easier to keep dry and stashed at the start of the routes, but you might want to bring a chalk bag, especially for longer routes. Its not a good idea to fill the chalk bag to the brim if you expect that you are going to fall, but rather have some chalk at the start or on the boat to fill it up. You might also want to consider bringing two pairs of shoes and two chalk bags so that you can switch after falling. Quite often the wind and sun can help dry the first pair while you are sending the route. 
6. Bring some climbing friends: Like with most climbing activities DWS can be a lot safer and a lot more fun with friends. Having someone look after your SUP board, kayak or the boat while you are climbing or to help out in case of an emergency is really important. When you or your friends fall the others should take a good look at how the fall goes, and make sure the climber is ok when surfacing. A good policy is to always show the ok when surfacing if you are in fact ok. When the sign is not made, others can immediately get started to help you out.