Seatrekking is a sport that consists in exploring the shorelines of oceans, seas, bays, lakes or rivers both above and below the water over the course of several days, without the aid of a boat or a watercraft. Seatrekking involves

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

snorkeling Snorkeling (American and British English spelling differences#Doubled in British English, British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of human swimming, swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing ...

freediving Freediving, free-diving, free diving, breath-hold diving, or skin diving, is a mode of underwater diving that relies on breath-holding until resurfacing rather than the use of breathing apparatus such as scuba gear. Besides the limits of breat ...

and

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

, and combines all these disciplines into a distinctive form of sport and outdoor experience. Unlike

coasteering Coasteering is movement along the intertidal zone of a rocky coastline on foot or by swimming, without the aid of boats, surf boards or other craft. Coasteering allows a person to move in the “impact zone” between a body of water and the co ...

, seatrekking includes overnight camping and involves trips of longer distances.

Ethics

Waterproof inflatable bag for seatrekking

Waterproof inflatable bag attached to seatrekker using a leash

Seatrekking adheres to the

Leave No Trace Leave No Trace, sometimes written as LNT, is a set of ethics promoting conservation of the outdoors. Originating in the mid-20th century, the concept started as a movement in the United States in response to ecological damage caused by wilderne ...

principles. Additionally the sport is specifically committed to the conservation of natural environments along the coastline by travelling in small groups to minimize the impact on the environment and the disturbance on wildlife, and by complying with any local regulations and obtaining any necessary authorizations.

Hazards

Seatrekking can be dangerous, and is a physically demanding activity due to its engagement with the sea and open bodies of water. Seatrekking "...often involves a series of jumps into deep water.". Jumping from a height of 20 feet (6.1 m) results in a person hitting the water at 25 mph (40 km/h). Impacting with the water surface at this velocity is capable of giving a person temporary paralysis of the diaphragm, a compressed spine, broken bones, or

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

. In the United Kingdom between 2005 and 2015 there were 83 people injured and 20 people who died whilst jumping from height into water. When diving and

flipping In finance, flipping is purchasing an asset to quickly resell (or "flip") it for profit. Within the real estate industry, the term is used by investors to describe the process of buying, rehabbing, and selling properties for profit. In 2017, 207, ...

into water along the intertidal zone there is an increased risk of receiving an injury including a spinal injury

List of hazards

*Being swept away by strong currents *

Cold Water Shock Cold shock response is a series of neurogenic cardio-respiratory responses caused by sudden immersion in cold water. In cold water immersions, such as by falling through thin ice, cold shock response is perhaps the most common cause of death. Als ...

* Clothing or feet being caught in rocks or objects underneath the water surface *

Drowning Drowning is a type of Asphyxia, suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incidents. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where othe ...

Hypothermia Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe ...

* Impact with rocks * Impact with water surface * Submerged objects "...like rocks, fishing gear, mooring lines and other under water hazards

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

may not be visible"

Safety

A good physical condition, swimming proficiency, knowledge of outdoor safety, self-rescue and usage of adequate equipment are important to practicing seatrekking safely. Recommended safety equipment may include a

wetsuit A wetsuit is a garment worn to provide thermal protection while wet. It is usually made of foamed neoprene, and is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports and other activities in or on the water. ...

personal locator beacon An emergency position-indicating radiobeacon (EPIRB) is a type of emergency locator beacon for commercial and recreational boats; it is a portable, battery-powered radio transmitter used in emergencies to locate boaters in distress and in nee ...

, hand-held VHF radio and/or mobile telephone, dive flag, throw line and a

whistle A whistle is a musical instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It is a type of Fipple, fipple flute, and may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a s ...

. Weather and ocean patterns and forecast require particular attention. It is crucial for personal safety to keep up-to-date with local conditions regarding

tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...

, swell,

wind Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...

ocean currents An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by a number of forces acting upon the water, including wind, the Coriolis effect, breaking waves, cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences. Depth contours ...

rip current A rip current (or just rip) is a specific type of water current that can occur near beaches where waves break. A rip is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water that moves directly away from the shore by cutting through the lines of bre ...

s as well as the

weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloud cover, cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmo ...

Equipment

Seatrekking requires the use of a waterproof bag; this contains all equipment and food, and is dragged in the water using a rope or leash. Hydrodynamic properties of the bag are essential to reduce drag. It also acts as a supplementary safety flotation device in the water, especially when the bag can be inflated and maintain internal pressure. On land, the bag is carried as a normal backpack along hiking sections. At sea, other equipment consists of common items used for swimming, snorkeling or freediving, such as mask and snorkel, fins, and optionally a wetsuit depending on water temperature. On land, essentials are hiking clothes and shoes, as well as bivouacking equipment. Additional equipment is selected for its lightness, fast drying time and suitability for prolonged use in a marine environment.

References

{{reflist, refs= Parshley, Lois. ''A new way to explore Croatia`s Coast by Land and Sea''. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. 05 August 2016

/ref> {{Cite web , author=Weiss, C.C. , title=Innovative waterproof backpacks power the new sport of seatrekking , website=newatlas.com , date=2012-12-13 , url=https://newatlas.com/waterproof-backpacks-seatrekking/25428/ {{Cite journal , author=Schophoff, Julius , title=Wasser, marsch! , journal=Die Zeit Archiv , language=de , url-access=registration , volume=30 , year=2013 , url=http://www.zeit.de/2013/30/seatrekking-schnorcheln-italien-portifino/seite-3 {{Cite web , author1=Rossmann, Julia , author2=Jost, Malte , title=Zehn Outdoorerlebnisse von wild bis waghalsig , date=30 December 2024 , publisher=GEO.de / Europa für Abenteurer , url=http://www.geo.de/reisen/reise-inspiration/15482-bstr-zehn-outdoor-erlebnisse-von-wild-bis-waghalsig/217217-img-mit-seatrekking-eine-neue-sportart-ausprobieren {{cite web , last=Kunst , first=Britta , date=4 July 2017 , title=Neue Sportart: Sea-trekking.DAS! , url=http://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/das/Neue-Sportart-Seatrekking,dasx11520.html{{Dead link, date=May 2024, fix-attempted=yes {{Cite web , author=Sanktjohanser, Florian , title=Die Wasserwanderer , publisher=Süddeutsche Zeitung - Reise , issue=190 , date=2015-08-20 , page=23 , url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/reise/sportreisen-die-wasserwanderer-1.2611268 {{Cite web , title=Trekking the Seas , publisher= RNZ RADIO NEW ZEALAND , date=2017-03-18 , url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup/audio/201837010/trekking-the-seas {{Cite web , author=Nowak, Niklas , title=Seatrekking: Wandern für Wasserliebhaber , website=www.trainingsworld.com , date=2017-07-19 , url=https://www.trainingsworld.com/sportarten/seatrekking-wandern-fuer-wasserliebhaber {{Cite web, author=Blinda, Antje , title=Tauchsport Seatrekking, Meereswanderer mit Nabelschnur , language=de , publisher= Der Spiegel (website), Der Spiegel , date=2013-05-02 , url=http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/seatrekker-bernhard-wache-a-896347.html {{cite web , last=Blechschmidt , first=Silja , date=February 2017 , title=Europas grosse Tauchzeitschrift. Die Wassernomaden , url=http://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/das/Neue-Sportart-Seatrekking,dasx11520.html{{Dead link, date=May 2024, fix-attempted=yes {{Cite book, last=Bowman , first=Jeffrey , date=March 2014 , title=The Outsiders, New Outdoor Creativity , publisher=Gestalten , isbn=978-3899555134 {{cite magazine , last=Bielefeld , first=Marc , date=May 2017 , title=Wanderer zwischen den Welten , magazine=GEO WALDEN No.2 {{cite magazine , last=Neumann-Delbarre , first=Alexander , date=August 2014 , title=Wir Meeresnomaden , url=http://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/das/Neue-Sportart-Seatrekking,dasx11520.html, magazine=PLAYBOY REISEREPORTAGE{{Dead link, date=May 2024, fix-attempted=yes {{cite magazine , last=DeBoer , first=Timo , date=2016 , title=Trekking ter land en ter zee , magazine=HIKE & TREKKING. No.1 {{Cite web , title=Seatrekking , publisher=DIVEMASTER, issue=89 , date=2016-07-05 , url=http://divemaster.de/tag/seatrekking/ , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122032239/http://divemaster.de/tag/seatrekking/, archive-date=2017-01-22 {{Cite web , author=Hoch, Martin , title=Trekking the Ocean, Seatrekking - noch nie gehört - Travel Blog, 02 , publisher=Globsession , url=https://www.globesession.com/edition02/artikel/trekking-the-ocean/ , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418081607/https://www.globesession.com/edition02/artikel/trekking-the-ocean/ , archive-date=2016-04-18 Unknown
{Dead link , date=May 2024 , fix-attempted=yes Hiking Water sports

Ethics

Hazards

List of hazards

Safety

Equipment

See also

References