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Zipline Big Island and 'Zoom'!
Big Island Zipline Tours in general are extremely popular, but Big Island Zipline Courses in particular are all the rage.
These fantastic courses that zipline Big Island terrain fly you through the jungle canopies past high trees, over immense gorges and over beautiful streams and waterfalls. Big Island Zipline tours have it all:
- long double ziplines to enjoy with a friend
- huge zipline lengths up to one half mile long
- beautiful scenery
- some of the most up to date zipline courses in Hawaii and for that matter around the world
- some of the friendliest and most helpful professional zipline staff to assist you on your zipline tour
If you're thinking about taking a zipline tour, the Big Island of Hawaii is the perfect spot to choose for your zipline adventure.
So, what is a zipline anyway?
Simply put, "a Zipline is an aerial runway consisting of a pulley suspended on a cable that is mounted on an incline. Ziplines are designed to allow a seated and harnessed passenger to traverse valleys, gorges or drop-offs along an inclined cable by being attached to a freely moving pulley while using gravity as a motor".
That is the basic physics of the experience but how does this all apply to the specifics of your various Big Island of Hawaii zipline tours:
What are the types of Zipline courses found on the Big Island of Hawaii?
Primarily zipline tours can be characterized by the type of terrain they fly over and by the overall topography of the zipline course. There are two types of courses:
- The Big Island of Hawaii is blessed with some of the most magnificent forests and these treetop canopies provide locations ideal for a zipline adventure. In some of these courses you never even leave the tree tops until the end of the course.
- Gorges, valleys and rivers are in many cases the physical locations that are crossed over and these exciting features provide some of the most beautiful landscapes to be found on the Big Island and add that extra touch of beauty to the zipline adventure.
What are the heights of the various Big Island of Hawaii Ziplines?
On the Big Island of Hawaii the heights above the ground of the various lines varies greatly between zipline courses and once again between the ziplines on the same course. It could generally be said that the height above many of the valley floors and streams running through them would range between 250' to the lowest beginning ziplines or "training zips" of about 25' in height.
How fast are the Big Island of Hawaii Ziplines?
The average zipline speed will depend on the length and steepness of the zipline, the inpidual weight of the participant and also upon the cross winds that may be happening at the time of your crossing. Most of the longer ziplines will have you averaging speeds of between 25 to 35 miles per hour.
Another factor which determines zipline speed has to do with how you hold your body during your zip. If you become aerodynamic and streamlined pointing your feet forward and leaning yourself slightly backwards during your zipline you will go faster. If you present yourself with wide body surfaces facing forward you will slow up.
How long are the Big Island Ziplines?
The ziplines vary greatly in length depending upon the valley to be traversed but the longest among them is about one-half mile in length.
How many Ziplines run on a single course?
Once again this varies with the Big Island zipline courses but 7 or 8 is a good average. Some of the zipline companies allow you to do just a partial course or all of the ziplines if you choose and some zipline courses even offer 'double ziplines' or 'side-by-side' ziplines that can be traveled by two persons at the same time. These ziplines are fun to enjoy with a friend as you race to the end.
How easy are Big Island of Hawaii Ziplines to use?
This is probably the most often asked concern of clients wanting to participate on a zipline. The simple answer is that it is very easy. There are relatively few things that you need to remember but you do need to listen at all times to the directions of the zipline guides. We have seen people in their eighties on these zipline flights participating without the slightest bit of trouble.
Popularity of Big Island Ziplines.
Wow! This is amazing! We have gone from having no zipline courses on the Big Island to having numerous courses in short order. During that course of time we have started at zero popularity and quickly grown to the point where it is often very difficult to arrange zipline tours on any of the courses at a given time. Some of the zipline courses are booked up for days at certain times of the year. If your know you want to do a zipline while visiting the Big Island, please book it early.
Pride of America Cruise Ship:
Please view the following Zipline Tours on the Big Island of Hawaii to see which ones will actually pick you up directly at the ship. They will be listed in bold letters in the descriptions. The rest of them can be reached by a Rental Car that can be arranged by Tom Barefoot's Tours that will pick you up at the dock with a shuttle. These Zip Line adventures are generally available to you on the Tuesday of your cruise itinerary while docking in the port of Hilo.
Checkout Tom's Tips and Insights about "The Big Island" of Hawaii Zip-line Tours
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Tom's Tips - Big Island Zip-lines
The zip-lines on the Big Island are among the very best in the state and probably the country as well. They are all located on the Hilo side or the northern coast of the island with most of them being found along the Hamakua Coast north of Hilo heading up to the Waipio Valley. This is the area of the island where we find massive rain forests, jungles, major streams and plenty of waterfalls. Many of the zip-lines will take advantage of these waterfalls and run their zips right above the middle of these raging rivers and fly above them. In many cases you are hundreds of feet in the air as you zoom past enormous waterfalls, one after the other... read more.
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Video Transcript
So, all of the major islands of Hawaii nowadays have zip lines and zip line courses. But the big island gives the other islands a real run for the money, in terms of the best zip lines that happen in the state.
Let me pull up the map. So, here is the island of Hawaii. Oddly enough, all the zip lines that we have in Hawaii are actually located on this side of the island. The Hilo side. Whereas actually, most of the snorkeling and fishing and all the lu'aus and everything happens on this side of the island. If you're into doing some snorkeling ... If you're into doing some zip lining, it's gonna be over here.
And it's probably not an accident that they chose this area to build this great zip line courses, because this is all the windward side. This is where we have all the jungles and forested areas. This is where we have all the rainforests and rivers and giant waterfalls, and huge crevices, and mountain areas, and valleys that make it really great to put a zip line course together with these natural features, and have these zip lines go over these valleys and into these areas.
Extremely beautiful, but extremely exciting because of the thrills that are provided by going over these valleys and going at such speeds, and so on.
We have kind of a number of different courses that are over here. They vary from somewhat timid, and that fits in for some people. You don't want to get too excited to the extreme where you've got 2,000 foot zips. We have one 2,000 foot zip itself that goes over six waterfalls as you're cruising down. It is one of the most amazing zip lines that you will find anywhere in Hawaii.
Another zip line course that goes over a 250 foot waterfall that is just off to your right as you're going down. These are incredibly exciting and incredibly beautiful. They're worth the drive out there. If you're gonna be going from Kona it's probably gonna take you ... You know, you're gonna go over there, you're gonna enjoy the zip lines, then you're gonna come back. It's gonna be a full day. But it's worth doing it. You might want to stop and enjoy Hilo, too, or the volcanoes. The national park while you're there, as well.
But doing one of these zip line courses is really worthwhile. We've got them that are suitable for more beginners, and suitable for people who are ... just really want the thrill. We've got single lines that go down, and we've also got double lines that launch where you can kind of race your friend. But the one thing about these courses up here is that they all ha
tremendous views, they're in forested areas that are so beautiful that they're almost beyond compare. And many people would make the argument that these are the most beautiful zip lines that you will find in the state of Hawaii.
So if you have any questions about tours or activities in Hawaii, just give us a call, or check out tombarefoot.com.
