Ziplining with infant?

[kiki&oz]

Before I post on the Port of Call and get told to leave my LO at home. The Pirates of Caribbean shows photos of a mom/infant ziplining. We hadn't planned on ziplining because of our 10 month old, has anyone done this? I'm not sure how the ziplines work but seem dangerous but if its really no big deal, we might consider it!

[ShanteS]

I have no personal experience on the subject but I wouldn't want to take my daughter ziplining with me. I'd think at 10 months they don't understand it enough to know what's going on and to enjoy it. Something like that would probably scare my daughter half to death but then again she's wary of most things until she's tried it once with mommy (like the carousel). Your baby might enjoy it but it just seems dangerous to do with a baby.

 

I'd just be too afraid that something could possibly happen. I'm too afraid to try any of my normal adventurous excursions this year because my daughter will be with me. I think more family appropriate excursions are the best/safest bet with an infant. You could always do the ziplining tour when baby isn't with you and DH on vacation or when he/she is old enough to be left at Camp Carnival for a couple hours. Good luck with whatever you decide and enjoy your cruise!

[irishnyc]

I would not have done that when DD was 10 months old, and I still wouldn't now at 4 years old.

[Mom2B&Z]

I zip lined with my DS1 who was 6yrs old at the time. We offered to take DS2 who was 4, but our usually adventurous child was vehemently opposed :). This was on a very tame zip line, no breaking, and no more than 20 ft or so off the ground. DS1 and I were in tandem, because neither of us would have made it to the end on our own!

Personally I wouldn't take an infant zip lining, but that's me. There is a small but real risk of injury, and I wouldn't risk it with an infant, especially in a foreign country. Plus they probably don't have helmets to fit the infant properly.

[queenL]

Are you serious?

[lovesublime]

No Way In Hell!!!

[boulders]

I just looked at that website. The baby wasn't even strapped to the mother. She was just holding it. :eek::eek:

 

OP, ziplining can be hundreds of feet off the ground. They go really fast. Would you hold your child in your arms on a big roller coaster?

[Athankfulheart]

We have been to the Pirates Zip line in Roatan. Everyone who zips was in their own harness . Small children zipping with parents each had a harness and were hooked into the lines together. This zip line has double ( separate) hooks, straps and cables which are redundant for safety reasons. If a cable or hook failed, the other would be there for safety. I researched several before choosing this one because of their equipment and the redundancy. I would feel safe allowing my children to zip. I wouldn't take a SMALL child who was afraid. When we go back in January, my 13yo will be hooked to her dad to zip because she gets very nervous about rollercoasters. I think that after the first zip she will be ok with going across by herself. We may need to really push her to try it, but as her parents, we know that this is necessary for her to overcome the fear. I wouldn't do the same with a preschooler. A baby wouldn't know TO be afraid if they are with their parent who they trust.

 

As for the baby who is pictured with her mom up at the hut, who knows if she actually zipped ? She is in a baby carrier that has probably gone through a rigorous amount of testing in order to be on the market. I don't know if I would take a baby zip lining, but I might.

[ShanteS]

A baby wouldn't know TO be afraid if they are with their parent who they trust.

 

As for the baby who is pictured with her mom up at the hut, who knows if she actually zipped ? She is in a baby carrier that has probably gone through a rigorous amount of testing in order to be on the market. I don't know if I would take a baby zip lining, but I might.

 

Which is exactly why I don't see the point in taking the baby zip lining anyway. OP, if you and DH really want to do it why not take turns going to do?? One can stay with baby while the other goes up and when they're done you can switch. Just an idea. Good luck!

[kelleigh229]

I wouldn't even consider it until my son was much older. I went zip lining in Jamaica years ago and there is no way I would take my son until he is much older. He is very adventurous and would love it, but not yet...there's plenty of time for that. And he's done little mini zip lines before. But not on one of the excursions...no way.

[celle]

Ziplining with a baby? That's absolutely nuts!

 

Zipline by yourself, by all means, but get someone else to hold the baby.

[cello56]

OK, so after seeing that photo I just HAD to find out the scoop. I am shocked to say the least at the reply I received from the company in question. There is no way in the world that I would ever do a zip line with an infant. If I need a helmet then so does my baby and that baby did NOT have a helmut on! At any rate, here is the reply I received.

 

One of your photos showed a woman with a small baby strapped in an infant carrier that appears to have just completed the zip line. What is the minimum age to participate? Is there a specific baby carrier that you provide or does the parent bring their own?

 

Hi ****, kids of any age that can securely fit in an infant carrier. You may bring your own if you'd prefer. Once the baby is securely fasten to the mother or father we will then put on the zip gear on the adult carrying the baby.

 

The gear at our zip line us much safer for customers riding the zip line that at any other zip line in Central America. Our harnesses have two straps to go and clip on to two different cables for maximum security in the event that one strap breaks, the other will hold you up.

 

At other zip companies the harnesses have two straps also but they connect into one strap just above your head so if the if the straps breaks in that area there's no safety strap to hold you up.

 

Also at our company the both cables are 1/2" steel cables as opposed to other companies that only have 3/8" cables.

 

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Thank you and have a great day!!!!!

[travelhound]

I'm in the camp that we've gone a bit overboard on uber safety with American kids, however - ziplining with an infant is crazy, IMHO. It sounds like they expect you to put the baby in a front carrier of your own and then strap yourself in. Yikes! 99% of the time that would probably work fine, but why take that chance? The baby isn't going to know what's going on. For me, this is a risk I'm not willing to take.

[Mom2B&Z]

OK, so after seeing that photo I just HAD to find out the scoop. I am shocked to say the least at the reply I received from the company in question. There is no way in the world that I would ever do a zip line with an infant. If I need a helmet then so does my baby and that baby did NOT have a helmut on! At any rate, here is the reply I received.

 

One of your photos showed a woman with a small baby strapped in an infant carrier that appears to have just completed the zip line. What is the minimum age to participate? Is there a specific baby carrier that you provide or does the parent bring their own?

 

Hi ****, kids of any age that can securely fit in an infant carrier. You may bring your own if you'd prefer. Once the baby is securely fasten to the mother or father we will then put on the zip gear on the adult carrying the baby.

 

The gear at our zip line us much safer for customers riding the zip line that at any other zip line in Central America. Our harnesses have two straps to go and clip on to two different cables for maximum security in the event that one strap breaks, the other will hold you up.

 

At other zip companies the harnesses have two straps also but they connect into one strap just above your head so if the if the straps breaks in that area there's no safety strap to hold you up.

 

Also at our company the both cables are 1/2" steel cables as opposed to other companies that only have 3/8" cables.

 

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Thank you and have a great day!!!!!

 

Wow. All I can say is infant carriers start at newborn size, and that makes this even scarier, as infants don't even have head control to protect their spinal cord. Plus I'm fairly sure this isn't an approved use of a baby carrier :rolleyes:

I was comfortable zip lining in tandem (individually harnessed but connected together with equipment) with a 5 yo, but even then I think that's pushing it.

[celle]

OK, so after seeing that photo I just HAD to find out the scoop. I am shocked to say the least at the reply I received from the company in question. There is no way in the world that I would ever do a zip line with an infant. If I need a helmet then so does my baby and that baby did NOT have a helmut on! At any rate, here is the reply I received.

 

One of your photos showed a woman with a small baby strapped in an infant carrier that appears to have just completed the zip line. What is the minimum age to participate? Is there a specific baby carrier that you provide or does the parent bring their own?

 

Hi ****, kids of any age that can securely fit in an infant carrier. You may bring your own if you'd prefer. Once the baby is securely fasten to the mother or father we will then put on the zip gear on the adult carrying the baby.

 

The gear at our zip line us much safer for customers riding the zip line that at any other zip line in Central America. Our harnesses have two straps to go and clip on to two different cables for maximum security in the event that one strap breaks, the other will hold you up.

 

At other zip companies the harnesses have two straps also but they connect into one strap just above your head so if the if the straps breaks in that area there's no safety strap to hold you up.

 

Also at our company the both cables are 1/2" steel cables as opposed to other companies that only have 3/8" cables.

 

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Thank you and have a great day!!!!!

 

I don't care how safe they say their zip lining equipment is! Do you know what compulsory safety checks they undergo? Companies often say their equipment is safe - until the one, unforseen accident.

 

IMHO, taking an infant zip lining is exposing the baby to unnecessary risk - both from falls and from physical damamge caused by rapid acceleration and deceleration. It would be irresponsible to do that.

[cello56]

Just to make sure everyone understands, I think zipping with a baby would be incredibly irresponsible and dangerous. I only looked into this as I could not believe it was actually true.

[celle]

Just to make sure everyone understands, I think zipping with a baby would be incredibly irresponsible and dangerous. I only looked into this as I could not believe it was actually true.

 

I'm glad you feel that way. I hope that the OP does too!

 

I feel very strongly that zip lining with an infant would be "reckless endangerment."

[Mack2]

Third world activities are GREAT! Zip lining with a baby, motorcycle riding with a baby, family land-mine reclamation fun!

 

Vacation holidays don't get any better than that!

 

/ end sarcasm

 

 

 

We zip-lined in Roatan about 5 years ago. The youngest kid in our group who zipped was 4 years old, and he zipped in tandem, strapped to the guide. A baby? Ehhhh.... probably NOT a good idea. You might not always land on your feet when you zip to a platform. You're not slamming into a tree... you're just wobbly while strapped to the wire, trying to get your footing.

 

I wouldn't feel confident about taking a baby. Things are different in Roatan, though... fewer attorneys.

[BeagleOne]

Taking an infant zip-lining is idiotic. The child isn't going to get anything out of the experience and won't be able to try to protect himself if something DOES happen.

 

As for a zip-line's "only" being about 20 feet off the ground...that's two stories high. That's PLENTY of distance for someone to be seriously injured or killed if they fall.

[gerif]

I'm just wondering about the mindset of someone wanting to do this - the baby will get absolutely nothing positive from the experience. If its because the parent wants to do it and can't arrange child care - nope, wrong answer, grow up and be a responsible parent.

[cello56]

Yeah, somehow being the safest option in a third world country does not inspire me too much!

[KatieCharlotte]

I could understand taking a toddler ziplining IF the zipline company provided a toddler helmet and a secure harness designed for a small child that was securely attached to the adult harness, with a double safety line. Not a helmetless baby in an infant carrier. Unless the only line was the ten-foot-high practice line at the place I've ziplined. And I'm not at all an overprotective helicopter type parent. But I don't think considering it and getting more information is being a terrible, irresponsible parent, so please don't feel bad OP.