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Labadee zip line GoPro/camera question


MattHird

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Hi,

Booked to do the Dragons Breath zipline in Labadee in a couple of weeks and want to record it. I’m sure some of you have done this already so I’m looking for some tips please.

If you used a GoPro type camera where is best to mount it, head, chest, wrist? 

Can it be handheld on a floaty style grip? 

Any tips greatly appreciated. Thanks

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Definitely can't be handheld, even with a wrist strap to secure it. Staff requires all guests riding the zip line to have both hands free to grip the handle bar. My wife and girls all confirmed this when they came back from their time on it, after making sure to have wrist straps for their phones to use them one-handed.

Most of the YouTube videos I've seen of the Dragon's Breath appear to have been done with a head mount.

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41 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Definitely can't be handheld, even with a wrist strap to secure it. Staff requires all guests riding the zip line to have both hands free to grip the handle bar. My wife and girls all confirmed this when they came back from their time on it, after making sure to have wrist straps for their phones to use them one-handed.

Most of the YouTube videos I've seen of the Dragon's Breath appear to have been done with a head mount.

That must be a new requirement.  I've done it three times with my handheld GoPro.  One time I had my phone in one hand and GoPro in the other.  Somehow my phone ended up in square mode and I had to fix it in flight.  My last zip was September 2017 so it's possible they changed the rules.

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20 minutes ago, twangster said:

That must be a new requirement.  I've done it three times with my handheld GoPro.  One time I had my phone in one hand and GoPro in the other.  Somehow my phone ended up in square mode and I had to fix it in flight.  My last zip was September 2017 so it's possible they changed the rules.

Thanks twangster, I had thought about GoPro on head and possibly phone in hand! 

My only concern about head mount is it flying off on touchdown at bottom

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Just now, MattHird said:

Thanks twangster, I had thought about GoPro on head and possibly phone in hand! 

My only concern about head mount is it flying off on touchdown at bottom

It's not violent.  If it were lots of people would have neck issues.  Your feet fly up from momentum but I don't recall any strong head forces.

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1 hour ago, JLMoran said:

Definitely can't be handheld, even with a wrist strap to secure it. Staff requires all guests riding the zip line to have both hands free to grip the handle bar. My wife and girls all confirmed this when they came back from their time on it, after making sure to have wrist straps for their phones to use them one-handed.

Most of the YouTube videos I've seen of the Dragon's Breath appear to have been done with a head mount.

Thanks JLM I’ve seen head mount and wrist/chest on YouTube but have also seen some that appear to be holding a camera. How recent was your wife and girls trip please? 

Think I might opt for head if I feel it’s secure enough. Is the landing likely to fire it off my head!?

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Just now, MattHird said:

Thanks JLM I’ve seen head mount and wrist/chest on YouTube but have also seen some that appear to be holding a camera. How recent was your wife and girls trip please? 

Think I might opt for head if I feel it’s secure enough. Is the landing likely to fire it off my head!?

My wife and girls did their run in April of this year. It’s quite possible they just got some stricter staff and not all are that way, or as @twangster said they may have tightened up the rules this year.

I didn’t see any indication of head mounts coming off or loose in the videos I saw, but I’ve never used a GoPro so I don’t know what options there are with that.

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Both my daughter and I used a hand held with the zip line in March 2018.  Yes, they tell you to use both hands but they didn't stop anyone from using a hand held camera. It could have been a less strict staff or we may not have worried about the rules unless they would have said something at the top.

The excursion staff will suggest you to grab the handle bar based on your weight and the weather conditions.  My DD18's run, staff told her not to hold the handle bar until the end and to make sure she laid back for most of the flight to ensure she got down.  My bigger football player DS15, was told to make sure sat up and he grabbed the handle bar about half way down to slow down.  I just grabbed the handle bar one handed when I came in at the end.  No one was told to grab the handle bar the entire way down.

It wasn't a violent motion coming in but your legs do kick up.  

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13 hours ago, MattHird said:

Thanks melski94, didn’t realise the handle bar influenced the speed so much. Good to know. Think I will try doing handheld but take a head mount with me in case they are more strict. 

There are two positions they teach you.  One is laying back with legs pointed out and crossed.  The other is sitting up with your legs spread and arms up.  The latter produces more drag and slows you down.  

Depending on conditions that day, they'll consider your body weight and tell you when to switch from the 1st position to the 2nd position.  For light people they'll likely tell you stay in the 1st position until just before the landing zone.  For heavier people like myself they'll tell you to change positions part way down. 

There are five globes mounted on a cable that parallels the zip line.  I think they are there so aircraft can see them and not fly into the wires.  They'll say something like at the second to last ball change positions.  

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 11/10/2018 at 9:59 PM, JLMoran said:

My wife and girls did their run in April of this year. It’s quite possible they just got some stricter staff and not all are that way, or as @twangster said they may have tightened up the rules this year.

I didn’t see any indication of head mounts coming off or loose in the videos I saw, but I’ve never used a GoPro so I don’t know what options there are with that.

My wife used a handheld grip on November 12. The crew were amazing and had no problem with people holding GoPros or other action cameras.

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  • 2 months later...

Hey Everyone, 

I have a non-GoPro question (although I was interested in it) related to the zip line since there are so many people who seem to have done it.  Is there a place at the start where you can lock up your towel and other gear when you start the tour so we can head right out to the beach afterwards?  Thanks in advance!

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3 minutes ago, Drewww said:

Hey Everyone, 

I have a non-GoPro question (although I was interested in it) related to the zip line since there are so many people who seem to have done it.  Is there a place at the start where you can lock up your towel and other gear when you start the tour so we can head right out to the beach afterwards?  Thanks in advance!

Yes, they have lockers at the starting location for the zip line, I don't know how booked up they were because I didn't use one.

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