There’s something uniquely empowering about ziplining.
It literally feels as though you are soaring through the air unaided.
Whereas many such extreme activities might be called off at even the hint of bad weather, you might assume ziplining would be different.
So, can you zipline in the rain?
As long as the rain is not too heavy, most ziplining companies will allow you to zipline without any trouble. You should take extra steps to prepare, such as wearing waterproof clothing. You’ll also need to be careful of slipping on platforms. But as long as there’s no lightning, your zipline should go ahead.
So, the short answer is probably yes, you can zipline in the rain.
Of course, if the rain is particularly torrential or there is a lightning storm underway, then the likelihood is your ziplining will be called off.
Otherwise, have fun soaring through the wind and rain!
Let’s find out more.
Is ziplining affected by rainy weather?
It depends. By and large, no, it isn’t.
A small amount of rain will not get in the way of your ziplining, and won’t really affect the ride at all, except in how it feels.
If it’s raining hard enough it might be quite a harsh zipline ride, in that you’ll have the rain bashing against your face.
But it won’t be anything too extreme.
There’s just a couple of pieces of advice we would give.
Firstly, think about your footwear, and where you’re standing.
In many ziplining outlets, you’ll be standing on wooden platforms to start your zipline.
These can become slippery in the rain, so just be very careful of where you’re standing.
The ride itself, though, should go just as it normally would.
You won’t really notice any difference.
Weather in general doesn’t really have a huge effect on ziplining.
The most problematic weather is actually very high temperatures because this can affect the tension of the cable, making it longer and affecting how the ride generates speed.
In any case, you’re just going to have to listen to the advice of the instructors with the company. obviously, whatever they say goes, and if they have a policy to avoid ziplining in any adverse weather conditions, then that is entirely reasonable.
But rain generally won’t be a problem unless it is a full-on thunderstorm—but I’ll get into the dangers of that shortly.
What should you not do on a zipline?
There are a few important things you should avoid doing on a zipline.
The first is just, as I said, to listen to the advice of the instructors.
What they say goes, and you won’t get very far if you ignore them.
Then there are a few basics that any experienced zipliner will tell you.
Don’t come hungover, for one thing, and don’t wear inappropriate clothing—especially if it’s raining.
Engage with any and all safety instructions and try to limit the number of gadgets you bring with you.
Everything has to be left somewhere if you don’t want it falling out of your pocket from a great height.
If it’s a very sunny day, or there are a lot of insects around, make sure to wear suncream and insect repellent—you’ll be a prime target hanging up there!
What about thunderstorms?
Can you zipline in a thunderstorm?
Generally, no, ziplining companies will not allow you to use their ziplines while there is a thunderstorm happening.
There are many potential risks associated with this.
Lightning is obviously attracted to metal since it is a good conductor, and there is a lot of metal on a zipline.
Whether the line itself, the buckles on your harness, there’s something for it to be conducted into.
This can, obviously, cause very serious injuries and even death.
You hanging up in the open up there puts you at real risk of being struck by lightning, however relatively low the chances may still be.
Ziplining in a thunderstorm is very dangerous, and you most likely will not be allowed to go ahead.
Can you zipline in jeans in the rain?
While ziplining in jeans in the rain won’t really be a problem for you as far as the actual zipline goes, it won’t be tremendously comfortable, either.
If you’ve ever worn jeans in the rain, you know that they soak up a lot of water and become very heavy, and ultimately very uncomfortable.
If you have waterproof trousers, or some kind of tighter fitting tracksuit bottoms, then this will work better and be more comfortable.
You want to ensure your legs are covered, ideally—shorts are okay, but not ideal.
You’ll make a lot of mosquito friends.
If it’s only a bit of light rain, then jeans will work just fine.
You won’t notice any issues.
If you’re thinking of ziplining regularly, though, I would advise getting some ziplining pants, like tight-fitting tracksuit pants of some kind.
In most cases, then, a bit of rain will not get in the way of your ziplining fun.
You’ll have to take one or two extra steps to make sure you’re covered against the harsh weather, but other than that, it will most likely go ahead just fine.
Thunderstorms are probably going to be a no-go, however—that’s quite dangerous given that the zipline is made of metal, as is your harness in parts.
But a bit of rain won’t be an issue.
