My Cliff Jumping Journey Begins
Last summer I got obsessed with trying cliff jumping in Italy after watching those insane Amalfi Coast videos. Started researching online like crazy but kept finding conflicting advice about gear. Honestly felt overwhelmed – everybody was arguing about whether you need special shoes or just waterproof bandaids or what.
So I decided screw it, I’ll just go and figure this out myself. Booked flights to Sorrento, then realized… crap, I actually gotta pack the right stuff. Didn’t want to be that tourist who shows up with flip-flops and ends up bleeding on sharp rocks.
Testing Gear Like a Maniac
First things first, hit my local swimming pool to test footwear options. Brought:
- Cheap water shoes (felt like flimsy plastic bags)
- Rugged dive booties (couldn’t feel rocks through the sole)
- Basic sneakers (felt like concrete blocks underwater)
The dive booties won by a mile – crazy grip on wet surfaces and protected my toes when kicking hidden rocks. Threw the water shoes straight in the trash after testing, absolute garbage quality.
Next drama: goggles or no goggles? Borrowed my buddy’s snorkel mask and practiced jumping off the 5m board. Hated how water rushed up my nose on entry. Fixed it by using a simple nose clip from the drugstore – total game changer for avoiding that awful sinus burn.
On Location in Italy
Landed in Naples and took the chaotic train to Positano. My backpack felt heavy as hell cause I’d packed:
- Dive booties with thick soles
- Quick-dry microfiber towel
- Waterproof phone pouch
- Travel first-aid kit
- Reef-safe sunscreen stick
- That dorky nose clip
First jump spot had locals doing backflips barefoot. Tried copying them and sliced my foot open on barnacles within 10 minutes. Felt so stupid ignoring my own gear test! Patched myself up with antibiotic cream from my kit while sitting on a rock like a sad puppy.
Gear That Actually Saved My Butt
Over next few days near Capri, my essential kit became super clear:
- Thick-soled booties were non-negotiable after seeing broken glass underwater
- Sunscreen stick reapplied hourly prevented lobster-face
- Microfiber towel doubled as cushion when sitting on sharp docks
- Phone pouch survived salty splashes when documenting jumps
The nose clip? Used it every damn jump. Saw other tourists coughing up seawater after entries – felt smug grabbing that $2 plastic lifesaver.
What I’d Pack Next Time
If you’re gonna try Italian cliffs, here’s the stupid-simple packing list that worked:
- ROBUST dive booties (test sole thickness before buying)
- Adhesive bandages + Neosporin (rocks are sharper than they look)
- Compressed microfiber towel (dries fast, packs small)
- Nose clip (seriously, no one talks about this)
- Sunscreen stick (reef-safe unless you wanna be hated)
- Waterproof phone case on a lanyard (use wrist loop)
- Reusable water bottle (hydration stations everywhere)
Left my fancy GoPro at home – phone shots worked fine near sandy coves. Wish someone told me half this stuff beforehand instead of learning through bloodied feet and saltwater sinus headaches!
