The sea is dangerous, know the tide times, if you are out alone make sure someone knows where and when you should return. This also means they cook dinner for you when you get back.
Mobiles phones have limited signal below cliffs don’t rely on them for help- think before you get into difficult situations. If you are in a cove make sure you have a way out or know a safe place above the tide.
Rocks, weed and water make a great combination for ice skating, try to walk on barnacle covered rocks they give great grip. Watch those rocks that you do not think will tip when you stand on them, they have a strange sense of humour and love to rock at the wrong moment.
Always take a drink, warm in winter cool in summer, if you get cut off and need to sit it out at least you have this. A snack is a good idea as well.
Our cliffs are fragile, they fall on totally random occasions, even a small rock at 200 feet will leave a big dent. So be extremely careful at the bottom of cliffs or overhangs and in caves. In caves make sure you know how high the ceiling is, leaving scalp behind when you stand up is not fun and your screams of abuse will echo down the beach.
Never climb cliffs unless there is a clear path, sheep paths do not count they have a suicide streak, so it is best not to follow them. When sheep fall they do not bounce neither will you.
If you wear glasses invest in a strap they love falling in rockpools.
Never put anything down on a rock, once you move away from it they all look the same and your things are lost.
If like us you scramble under rocks only do it on a falling tide, if you get stuck it gives you longer to identify the sea slug you were looking for before you drown.
Never walk on honeycomb worms they do not appreciate the damage. Avoid walking on dense seaweed you never know what is hiding under it. Don’t keep creatures for more than a few minutes, be gentle, if you need to use force you will hurt them.
If you lift rocks don’t lift that huge one that will have loads of crabs under it, it will slip or be too heavy and either crush your toes or all the crabs that were avoiding you.
Safety in this environment is paramount, the simple rule is think first - what would i do if that happened?