Hawaii Zip Lining Experience

While in Hawaii I went zip lining and had a really fun time! I’ve been ziplining twice before. One of the times was during a whole day excursion in Mexico with friends so the zip line portion was just a few short lines in the middle of a lot of other activities and sightseeing. The other time I went zip lining was when I was visiting a friend in Guatemala and we started on a mountainside and zipped on multiple lines back down.

This past trip to Hawaii I went to a ziplining place called Umauma Experience in Hakalau. They offer a few different types of zipline and outdoor activities. The one I went on was the Umauma Falls Zipline Tour, which consists of 9 lines. The company describes it as “nine (9) long lines with 2 MILES  of spectacular ziping through paradise, over 14 waterfalls and great ocean views“. I have to say, not as only is the whole experience fun, but they’re not lying about the views you see while ziplining!

After signing in after I got there (we had made reservations in advance), our group was brought out to start getting our harnesses strapped on, helmets adjusted, etc. The group I was in had approximately 15 people (I don’t remember exactly) so we took 2 vans up to the starting point. I think one of the guides said it was a 10 minute ride up, but it didn’t feel like that long because during the ride he went over everything with us like which lines would be over water and tips to either speed up or slow down. The lighter you weigh, the slower you go so there’s a good chance that on some of the lines you won’t make it all the way to the end. This was my biggest fear! I mean, obviously, there’s nothing to worry about because they wouldn’t leave you hanging there, but I was worried about feeling embarrassed. Falling wasn’t even a concern for me. Plus this place uses a 5-point harness so you can even go upside down while you’re zipping if you want! Not that I did that, because my main objective was getting to the next platform without stopping! So, if you are lighter/smaller, they suggest tucking your legs in like you’re doing a cannonball. Can you guess what I looked like on each of the 9 lines? There was only 1 line I didn’t make it all the way on, but I came so close! I came maybe 8-10 feet short of the platform, but not to worry because the guides are experts and do this really cool thing where they zip out to you, hook themselves to you and then turn upside down and use their feet on the line to pull you in! Think, upside down tightrope walkers, except they kinda cycle their feet like they’re riding imaginary bicycles on the line.

While hoping not to get stuck on any of the lines, I looked around each time I was zipping with the wind blowing around me and the views of the ocean, grass, hills, ravines, and trees were gorgeous. It’s exciting and fun and you don’t have to do any work because the guides do all the work with the lines and hook you up/unhook you each time and tell you when to go, what to do etc. And you don’t have to worry about stopping or braking on your own – no finding the thingy to pull Divergent style. The guides and staff are incredibly nice and friendly and you can tell they definitely take safety seriously so I had no worries in the back of my mind making me nervous.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures from the actual activity because I left my camera and phone in my bag at the base, but if you check out the Umauma Experience website which I linked to above, you can see lots of pictures and get a better idea of what I experienced! Here are the few pictures I do have.

Top: Mudd via Kohls (similar here)
Shorts:  Express
Sneakers: Nike Free