As you’re pondering the many different things to do on Hawaii, you may find yourself picking out activities based on how safe they sound. Some of the best of what there is to do in Hawaii involve high speeds and higher altitudes. You might wonder if you should just linger around the hotel, enjoy a luau, and relax on the beach.
Take, for instance, ziplining. It sounds like a great thrill, dangling over the dense forest attached to little more than a harness and wiring, but when you get down to the nitty-gritty, it’s actually one of the safer activities you can partake in on the islands. This is especially true considering that many of Hawaii’s zipline operators have been clamoring for mandated safety regulations. To these operators, client safety is the top priority, so you can strap yourself in and release your worries to enjoy one of the most exciting— and safe—activities the Hawaiian Islands have to offer.
What’s Keeping Me Safe?
Sure, anyone can just say you’re safe, but it’s another thing to actually hear what’s in place to ensure you can enjoy the ride down each course without worrying about what could happen. When it comes to the cabling used for most of Hawaii’s ziplines, you’re attached to lines that are around ¾” thick, rated at around 50,000 lbs each. Neither you nor the harness you’re attached to weighs near that much, so there goes your concern about the line snapping! Ensuring safety during your ride even more are the cables that anchor the entire system in place, which are rated at around 70- to 75-thousand pounds.
According to zipline operator Jeff Baldwin, these lines are overbuilt for safety, and even though the weight limits on the cables are incredibly high, most courses also have a maximum weight limit to further ensure rider safety and peace of mind.
What About the Speed?
On top of being high above the ground, around 500 to 600 ft up, you’ll be zipping down courses at an average of nearly 30 mph. While you can reduce or increase your speed a bit based on how you position yourself, you typically do travel at fairly high speeds. So, you have highly-rated cabling keeping you up, but what’s in place to regulate your speed for a safe approach to the upcoming platform?
You’ll see the words “state-of-the-art” quite a bit when looking at Hawaiian ziplines and with great reason. Many of the predominant zipline courses on Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, and Kauai are equipped with a highly efficient, modern braking system. You may have heard about ziplining experiences where the rider regulated the speed and had to brake in time for the next platform, but that’s not the case with these newer systems.
Everything is automated, meaning you can fully enjoy your zipline experience without having to think about when you need to brake. Your hands are free, so you’re able to capture the experience on your camera and fully enjoy your ride at the same time.
Feeling Better?
As you can see, when you zipline in Hawaii you’re in perfectly good hands, so get out there and enjoy one of the most thrilling activities available in the Islands!
