Dangerous Hobbies for Men
While it's good to have a hobby, it's even better to enjoy a pastime that pushes your adrenalin levels to the max. For many of us, the thought of diving in deep sea caves or climbing across snow covered mountain peaks might not appeal, but for a select band of men, the higher the risks then the greater the thrill factor.
If you're looking for a life changing experience then some of our assembled hobbies come with real risk attached to them. You'll need skill, experience and dexterity in order to do all of them well. However, a little bit of lady luck will also come in pretty handy too.
That's especially so with the last hobby featured on our list, which gets a high danger zone status as it affects a lot of people simply because they happen to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time...
Heliskiiing
The pastime of heliskiing first took off in the 1960s and enables skiers to gain access to normally unreachable locations such a high alpine glaciers by using a helicopter to drop them off.
However, there is a risk associated with such an exclusive sport, with the threat of avalanches being the biggest although unpredictable terrain and the usual ski-related injuries also make it a dicey way to spend your weekends.
Deep-sea cave diving
Combining the hobbies of caving and Scuba diving, this is not a pastime that would be enjoyed by claustrophobics.
While the pursuit has its dangers, it also relies on stringent safety measures to keep risks to a minimum. This includes encouraging people to go through rigorous training and using a guideline at all times.
Participants are also required to follow stringent depth rules and keep an eye on air management settings as well as using sufficient lighting.
BASE jumping
BASE jumping is widely regarded as one of the world's most dangerous recreational activities.
Having grown out of skydiving, BASE jumping comes packed with risks, with everything from difficulty in getting to the top of the jumping area through to finding somewhere good enough to land proving problematical. What's more, you'll probably face the wrath of the authorities when you arrive back on terra firma.
Big wave surfing
Regular surfing pales into insignificance for the folk who get bitten by the bug of big wave surfing.
There are numerous prime locations around the globe for riding enormous waves, including our very own Newquay in Cornwall where you can take on the might of the Widowmaker.
Monstrous waves, being held under the water for long periods and pressure on eardrums can all take their toll.
High-altitude climbing
This is a decidedly precarious pastime and severe injuries or death can occur at low-key locations around the globe along with well-known mountains such as Everest.
The perils range from unpredictable weather patterns, falls and avalanches and even problems with oxygen supplies, which all add to the danger value of this pastime. However, with even the most stringent of training, many incidents are often down to human error.
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing is a fast-and-furious pursuit that uses the power of the wind and sea to provide the thrills, but it comes with a high-risk status.
Sudden wind gusts, hitting random obstacles or other kitesurfers, and losing control of the kit are all known to get people into trouble with this pastime. Nevertheless, the rewards are high in terms of the adrenalin buzz that comes alongside the risks.
Street luging
Lying on a board only millimetres from the tarmac makes street luging one of the most adrenalin-charged hobbies you can have, although speeds reaching nearly 100mph can mean a painful end to proceedings if you get it wrong.
The recreational pastime was born out of Californian skateboarders looking to squeeze more velocity from their decks.
Bull running
Unlike bullfighting, anyone can have a go at bull running and it takes place around the globe, with the annual Pamplona seven-day festival being the most notable event.
While fatalities are thankfully fairly minimal, injury rates are high due as much to the stampede of people as to the marauding bulls that run through the streets of the Spanish town every July.
Horse riding
If statistical evidence is totted up from down the years, then the 10 or so deaths that occur annually in the UK from horse riding soon turns the grand total into millions worldwide.
Riding horses is unpredictable and, without the right skills, can land you in very deep water. Alongside a growing catalogue of fatalities, a lengthy list of head and spinal injuries is also ascribed to horse riding.
Golf
You'd think the relatively sedentary sport of golf would be hazard-free but, it seems, some five per cent of annual deaths from lightning strikes in the USA happen to people playing a leisurely round.
If that's not enough, there is also a large probability of being hit by a ball at some point too, which is somewhat akin to being hit by a small rock at high velocity. And that's going to leave a mark.
While it's good to have a hobby, it's even better to enjoy a pastime that pushes your adrenalin levels to the max. For many of us, the thought of diving in deep sea caves or climbing across snow covered mountain peaks might not appeal, but for a select band of men, the higher the risks then the greater the thrill factor.
If you're looking for a life changing experience then some of our assembled hobbies come with real risk attached to them. You'll need skill, experience and dexterity in order to do all of them well. However, a little bit of lady luck will also come in pretty handy too.
That's especially so with the last hobby featured on our list, which gets a high danger zone status as it affects a lot of people simply because they happen to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time...
Heliskiiing
The pastime of heliskiing first took off in the 1960s and enables skiers to gain access to normally unreachable locations such a high alpine glaciers by using a helicopter to drop them off.
However, there is a risk associated with such an exclusive sport, with the threat of avalanches being the biggest although unpredictable terrain and the usual ski-related injuries also make it a dicey way to spend your weekends.
Deep-sea cave diving
Combining the hobbies of caving and Scuba diving, this is not a pastime that would be enjoyed by claustrophobics.
While the pursuit has its dangers, it also relies on stringent safety measures to keep risks to a minimum. This includes encouraging people to go through rigorous training and using a guideline at all times.
Participants are also required to follow stringent depth rules and keep an eye on air management settings as well as using sufficient lighting.
BASE jumping
BASE jumping is widely regarded as one of the world's most dangerous recreational activities.
Having grown out of skydiving, BASE jumping comes packed with risks, with everything from difficulty in getting to the top of the jumping area through to finding somewhere good enough to land proving problematical. What's more, you'll probably face the wrath of the authorities when you arrive back on terra firma.
Big wave surfing
Regular surfing pales into insignificance for the folk who get bitten by the bug of big wave surfing.
There are numerous prime locations around the globe for riding enormous waves, including our very own Newquay in Cornwall where you can take on the might of the Widowmaker.
Monstrous waves, being held under the water for long periods and pressure on eardrums can all take their toll.
High-altitude climbing
This is a decidedly precarious pastime and severe injuries or death can occur at low-key locations around the globe along with well-known mountains such as Everest.
The perils range from unpredictable weather patterns, falls and avalanches and even problems with oxygen supplies, which all add to the danger value of this pastime. However, with even the most stringent of training, many incidents are often down to human error.
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing is a fast-and-furious pursuit that uses the power of the wind and sea to provide the thrills, but it comes with a high-risk status.
Sudden wind gusts, hitting random obstacles or other kitesurfers, and losing control of the kit are all known to get people into trouble with this pastime. Nevertheless, the rewards are high in terms of the adrenalin buzz that comes alongside the risks.
Street luging
Lying on a board only millimetres from the tarmac makes street luging one of the most adrenalin-charged hobbies you can have, although speeds reaching nearly 100mph can mean a painful end to proceedings if you get it wrong.
The recreational pastime was born out of Californian skateboarders looking to squeeze more velocity from their decks.
Bull running
Unlike bullfighting, anyone can have a go at bull running and it takes place around the globe, with the annual Pamplona seven-day festival being the most notable event.
While fatalities are thankfully fairly minimal, injury rates are high due as much to the stampede of people as to the marauding bulls that run through the streets of the Spanish town every July.
Horse riding
If statistical evidence is totted up from down the years, then the 10 or so deaths that occur annually in the UK from horse riding soon turns the grand total into millions worldwide.
Riding horses is unpredictable and, without the right skills, can land you in very deep water. Alongside a growing catalogue of fatalities, a lengthy list of head and spinal injuries is also ascribed to horse riding.
Golf
You'd think the relatively sedentary sport of golf would be hazard-free but, it seems, some five per cent of annual deaths from lightning strikes in the USA happen to people playing a leisurely round.
If that's not enough, there is also a large probability of being hit by a ball at some point too, which is somewhat akin to being hit by a small rock at high velocity. And that's going to leave a mark.
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