Zipline question

How frightening is ziplining? :confused: We are a group of 50 something year olds and have never done this. Thinking about Boddentours.com but need outside info before booking.

Thanks

We did it last year in Roatan at 61. I didn't find it scary at all, just thrilling and fun. The harnesses they use are very secure and safety is a priority with the zipline company. We did use Victor Bodden and did the Pirates zipline.

I'd gladly do another zipline sometime.

thanks......I need to think about this.:eek:

thanks......I need to think about this.:eek:

Remember, it is not the fall that kills you. It is the sudden desacceleration. :eek:

My Mom did a zipline in Hawaii and loved it. She was around 60 at the time. As long as the company that does the zip line in Roatan cares about safety then you should be fine. There should be someone helping you on the platform at the top and someone on the platform at the end to help you. In Hawaii it was a series of ziplines with the first one being very short so everyone can get used to it and practice. After that they got longer and a little steeper. Here is a link at youtube to my mom at the top of one of the ziplines. There are a lot more videos at youtube of people doing ziplines from all over. Just search youtube zipline.

I have a fear of heights. So, I am afraid if I sign up to it I will end up backing out and loosing all of the money. I think I would panic from being up so high. What could I do while the rest of our group are doing it if I do not do it?

I don't know what will happen if you back out in Roatan. It depends on the location. In Hawaii an off road vehicle brings people to the start and picks them up at the end. If someone backed out they would need to get a ride from that off road vehicle if it hadn't left yet. Only sign up to do it if you can convince yourself that you will do it. Maybe hypnotism could help. Good luck and have fun.

How frightening is ziplining? :confused: We are a group of 50 something year olds and have never done this. Thinking about Boddentours.com but need outside info before booking.

 

Thanks

My wife and I have done the zip lines before and she loves them. We are both 51, and actually have a zip line trip booked with the Boddentours you mentioned for our upcoming Valor Cruise. Attached is a picture of one we did in Mexico last year. Hope you have fun and enjoy.

Our family did a zipline tour in Hawaii. I thought I would be screaming the entire time, but I was having so much fun, I forgot to! LOL. Would do it again..no problem!!

I am terrified of heights, phobic on airplanes....can't breathe in high places - you get the idea.

I went ziplining over a 250 foot canyon in Colorado a few months ago...the last "Zip" going 1000 feet down into the canyon....

By the last zip I was going no hands.....

Woundn't have missed it for the world though I was crying when I jumped the first time and landed on the other side.

That's the hardest.....the first jump. After that you'll be taking a running start at the zipline!

I hope that helps!

Do It!

Just take the first jump and remember me!

You'll be SOOOOO glad you did!

;)

:cool: :cool: IN ROATAN DO THEY BRING YOU BACK TO THE START ALSO CAN YOU DO A TANDUM MY GRANDCHILE IS 5 YRS OLD BUT LOVES TO DO EVERYTHIN HER 8 YERAR OLD BROTHER DOES SO COULD SHE RIDE WITH HER DAD ALSO WHAT IS THE WEIGHT LIMIT FOR ZIP LINE THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE:cool:

We just returned from the valor and went ziplining in Roatan through Boddentours. Our guide recommended the jungle canopy. I have a fear of heights but by the end I was jumping off the platforms going upside down,handsfree. What a blast!

I'm a bit nervous too. I booked with Victor and asked for the safest, easiest one. How long does the actual ziplining take ? How do you stop ? How high are you ?

Appreciate any tips !:)

Well, after posting this question we were notified that we would not dock until 3 pm and leave at 8 pm so...................we won't be able to do much in the way of tours, or ziplining.

WSAntelope - where in Colorado did you go ziplining over a canyon ?

Outside of Vail www.zipadventures.com - It was fantastic!

For the info of other's on the forum....a couple of details from Victor Bodden and Jungle Canopy.....the South Shore zipline requires you to wear a glove and self-brake....you can also control your speed this way. A friend of mine who did the Colorado zip has done both ways and said both are good.

Both take children. I'm researching for my 5 year old. The South Shore the children can go tandem but must go with a guide.

Jungle Canopy will let children go with you tandem or with a guide.

They say you can bypass the foot bridges but most choose to do them. The youngest that has done them was 18 months. Jungle canopy said their tallest zipline was 45 feet which should be really easy - If I, the weenie, can do 200 then 45 should be easy for anyone. I'm thinking even my 5 year old! :p

We were on the Valor 12/23 and Boddentours took us to the Jungle Canopy to zip-line, what a blast! I hate heights but at the end I was jumping off the platforms upside down, hands free. You do not wear gloves or helmet. Basically your guide will stop you when you reach the platform. They do have a couple of rope bridges which you can by-pass but all members of your group have to do the same thing. We decided to go over the bridges and it was alot of fun.

We booked with Bodden on our March cruise on the Legend. We have a group of 10 - 3 of us want to zipline. The e-mail I received back said they would take the rest of the group to the Iguana Farm or other near by sites while we zipline.

We just returned yesterday and were in Roatan on Wednesday.

I will post a total review of this port later but regarding the Jungle Canopy Zipline we had a group of 12 of us with 5 children ranging from 5-10 years of age.

What an incredible experience!

I have never been in a "Real" jungle before (You don't see it until after you "Suit up") and this was a great experience.

You suit up and then drive by van to the "Start" where you walk down into the jungle on some pretty steep but fairly sturdy stairs (There are a few loose ones).

(Restrooms at top and bottom)

You do need some agility on this excursion but if you are in at least moderate shape you should do fine.....Just make sure you don't have a knee or other leg disability and you will be A-OK.

After you go into the jungle (5-10 minute walk) you get the "This is how it works" speech and then you start the course in groups of four to a guide.

You are in the "Tree Platforms" an hour to and hour and 1/2 so don't plan on a short trip. You do have to manuver around some on the platforms (Which are kind of small) as well to avoid other zippers...(You are clipped to the cable the whole time so risk of any kind of fall is minnimal.) You are fairly high up but not so high that those scared of heights wouldn't be ok. It's like standing on the balcony of maybe a 2 story building? Maybe only one story.

The main purpose of my review is to say that all the kids were great and the staff was great with them.

I wouldn't take young children who are the timid, afraid of new experience, whine and cry type. All the kids with us were very easy going and did great except my son who was scared for about 3 minutes on one of the higher up bridges.

They allowed them to zip alone, attached to you OR attached to them. We did it all three ways.

Equipment was totally safe....all guides spoke good English.

The bridges you read about are in the line of the course up in the trees and they are more fun than anything....again, you remained clipped so even if you fall you'll just hang there like a monkey! :eek: (No one fell!). I didn't find them THAT difficult.....just added some fun to the course and the kids liked something new in the middle. Even my 5 mos pregnant SIL went!

Drinks and a nice sitting area at the end.....

Definately would take some bug spray.

I wouldn't worry too much about wait limit....good equipment....I would say if you weigh over 250 you might think twice about it but whatever the company says I think I would go with.

http://www.roatanjunglecanopy.com

They were very quick to answer my emails.....

Oh, and we got there with Victor Bodden our tour guide who will get his own seperate review.

Can't say enough about him! Excellent Man - Excellent time!

Victor personally was our guide and we were SO lucky to have him!

Zip away!!!! :D

I've been debating taking my (then) 5 yr old son and 7 yr old daughter. So they will allow them to zip with one of us? I think they'd feel more comfortable if that is the case. CAn you tell me a bit more about how that works? Did the children in your group like it?

THanks so much for the review, I've been hoping for more info on younger kids going!!

THANKS for the review. We're going with our 5-yr old son in 2 weeks. He's a daredevil, so I wasn't too worried, but it's nice to hear about someone else his age having a blast. We're using Victor Bodden as well. I'm so happy you enjoyed it!!!!!! Debbie

Do you pre book the zipline excursion, we are already booked with Bodden tours.

thank you for any info

cruisrmom

We booked a tour with bodden tours last May, and were so happy. There was 4 of us (myself and brother, 21 and 22, and our parents). We hired a driver for the day (I think it was $20-$30/person). His name was Albert and he was fantastic. Very friendly and knowledgeable. We told him what we had in mind for the day, and he said to do the zipline first before it got busy. We wanted to go to South Shore Canopy, as we heard it was the best, and it was AMAZING. My parents didnt wanna do it, so they waited at the office and had a beer and talked with Albert. The zipline was AMAZING, and I'd recommend it to everyone. There is a little bit of walking, but not too bad. The guides are great and I always felt safe. My brother even went with the guide upside down and like superman. We had two guides for 4 of us (another young couple was with us). The front guide offered to take my camera and took pictures of us coming down every zipline. The couple didnt have a camera, so he took pics for them that we later emailed to them. It was fantastic.

After that we drove around sightseeing, and went to a beach that his friends worked at. I'd recommend picking a beach out from reviews here. We just told him to take us where he thought was good, but it could have been better. It was very small, covered by trees, and lots of ants. There were women who kept asking to give foot massages, and children selling necklaces. I didnt go in the water, but my family did. Had good snorkeling, and a floating dock that they used. Cant be sure that it was from this... but that evening their bathing suits smelled really bad and had to be washed on the ship, and we think it was from the water.

After that we went and did more sight seeing and stopped for photos. It was a very enjoyable day!

Victor Bodden pre-booked Jungle Canopy for us.....

Yes, all the kids in our group loved it! As mentioned...my son was only a little nervous on one of the longer segments towards the end we made him do alone.

They will let them go with you, with them (The guide) or alone.

You are always clipped to the cable and basically you're all on the platform and they clip you in the order you are going to go. There is always a safety clipped in front of you so no one goes before you're ready....if your child goes with you you're both clipped seperately to the cable one behind the other and you just hold your child around the waist and hug them as you jump.....hard to explain but very easy to do.

You'll love it!

Hi wsantelope, thank you so much for the detailed info, it helps to know we can assist our son and hold him if he needs it, at this point he is saying he will do it himself, but we aren't on the platform yet!!! I will contact Bodden tours to see if they have booked the ziplining tour or what we need to do. Cruisrmom