Frequently Asked Questions

We wish! Unfortunately, the pools at the bottom of both waterfalls are only 3-4 feet deep, so it is unsafe to jump.

Tours are not cancelled due to rain. This is the Garden Island after all – how do you think it stays so green? However, tours will be cancelled due to flash flooding, lightening, and any other extreme weather conditions that are deemed unsafe.

If your tour is cancelled, we will let you know as soon as possible, and you will be given the option to reschedule if possible, or to get a full refund.

We do not have changing facilities at the waterfall property – only porta potties. If you bring a change of clothes, you can lock them up in the trailer while on tour so you don’t have to carry them.

If you have extra things that you don’t need on the tour, your guides can lock them up in a trailer at the waterfall property. This may be preferable to locking them in your car.

Yes! Expect to get your shoes and clothes both wet and muddy on both the rappelling and hiking tours.

During certain times of the year, depending on the weather, there can be lots of mosquitos at the waterfall property. We strongly recommend bringing bug spray on tour as we would hate for this to ruin your experience.

When you book your tour, a confirmation email will be sent to you containing a link to the waiver for your activity. We strongly recommend filling out the waiver online, prior to the day of your tour to save time. Each adult in the party must sign their own individual waiver. If there are minors on the tour, one of the parents can complete the waiver for themselves and the minor(s).

If necessary, the confirmation email can be sent to the other members in the party so that they may fill out their own waiver prior to the day of the tour. Please note that if you have a rappelling spectator in your party, they must fill out the same waiver as all of the rappellers.

If for some reason you are unable to fill out the waiver prior to the day of the tour, you can fill one out on a tablet at check-in. If you have not filled out your waiver ahead of time, please check in an additional 10-15 minutes early so the tour is not delayed.

• Wear clothes that you are okay getting wet and muddy.
• For men, swim trunks or board shorts tend to work best under a harness.
• For women, longer shorts or leggings are best. If shorts are too short, the harness can chafe the legs. Swimsuits are not recommended as this leaves you vulnerable to chafing, ropeburn, and possibly losing your top in fast flowing water.
• Shirts should be relatively tight fighting so that they do not get caught in the friction device.
• Long hair needs to be pulled back in a ponytail, braid or bun.
• If you would like, you can wear a ball cap under your helmet. It can help keep some of the water out of your eyes while rappelling.
• In winter months, or during rainy weather, a light jacket is recommended.

Special shoes are included in the price of the tour, and are required. So the best shoes to wear when you arrive are actually flip flops. When you are done, you will give our wet and muddy shoes back to us, and you can just slide your feet back into the flip flops. Socks and shoes are sometimes hard to put on after the tour because your feet will likely be wet and muddy.

It is best to pack light for your tour. Things you may need are:

• A waterproof camera or phone (preferably in a waterproof case) for pictures.
• Bug spray – mosquitos can be quite bad during certain times of the year. If you do not have bug spray, it can be purchased at check in.
• Sunscreen.
• Towels are optional and are likely to get muddy.

If you need glasses to see, we strongly recommend that you wear a strap for them while rappelling. Otherwise it is possible that you could lose your glasses in the waterfall pool.

Sometimes guests that wear contacts are tempted to bring goggles. However, in our experience, goggles are usually more trouble than they are worth. They often fog up making it difficult or impossible to see, and the force of the water can sometimes push them off the eyes, and into the face of the rappeller.

If you wear contacts, the best option is to ask your guide to demonstrate how to tuck your chin while rappelling to avoid getting excessive water in the eyes. Wearing a ball cap under the helmet can also help to keep much of the water out of the eyes.

Glasses straps are recommended.

That is totally okay! You can join the tour as a “Spectator” and watch and cheer on your friends/family! This comes with a discounted rate.

Note: Spectators must also have a decent base of fitness and balance to navigate the steep, uneven, and sometimes slippery trails.

Spectators will still get water, juice, and snacks just like rappellers. They will be given shoes to hike in, and a dry bag if needed. The spectator will stay with the tour the entire time. They will hike with the rappellers, and then stand at the bottom of the waterfalls to watch the others in the party as they rappel. They may swim in the waterfalls as well, so long as it doesn’t interfere with rappelling or belaying.

This tour definitely requires a decent base of fitness. However, you don’t need to be made of muscle to be a good waterfall rappeller!  Unlike rock climbing, rappelling is more about technique than strength.

The most important qualities for waterfall rappelling are probably: BALANCE, coordination, and the ability to take coaching. If you have these three things – then our guides can make you into a rappeller!

You also need to be in good cardiovascular shape to navigate the steep and uneven trails. But we’ve had people from age 12 to age 80 successfully complete the tour!

Believe it or not, we often have people on our rappelling tour that are afraid of heights. What better way to conquer your fears than to tackle them head on? Our guides are very patient and understanding – they will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone, but won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.

Rarely, we will have a guest that rappells the 30’ waterfall, but then opts out of rappelling the 60’ waterfall. There is nothing wrong with this! Everyone starts at a different level. However, refunds will not be issued if a guest decides not to rappel one of the waterfalls.

90% of our guests have never rappelled before! No previous rappelling experience is necessary. Our guides are excellent teachers and are excited to show you the ropes! So step out of your comfort zone, and learn something new with Da Life Outdoors!

Please do, you have to have proof that you rappelled a 60’ waterfall! The way that the tour works is that one person rappels at a time. The guides will typically divide the parties up, so that one member of the party rappels first, while another member of the party takes photographs on their phone/camera from the bottom of the waterfall. Then they switch roles – the photographer becomes the rappeller, and vice versa. That way everyone has pictures of themselves rappelling.

The guide on top of the waterfall will also have a camera! If you would like, they can take photos from that top down angle that you won’t be able to get yourself. Feel free to throw a shaka for the camera, or pose as you would like. The guides will also try to capture some different action shots as well. At the end of the tour, the guides will assemble a photo album of the tour, and these will be available for purchase.

At 6:00 PM HST everyday, a link to purchase your tour photos will be sent to the email you booked the tour with. From this link you can view all the photos taken on your tour and purchase the album or individual photos online if you wish to do so.

Sometimes the link to the photos end up in people’s junk mail, depending on the settings. Also, if you booked through a vendor, you may not get a link, as they do not share your email with us.

But no worries! If you did not get your link, you can still purchase your photos from the main menu of this website. Look for the “Buy Photos” button, and then select your tour date and time. You can view all the photos taken on your tour and purchase the album or individual photos online if you wish to do so.

Absolutely! We have a lot of people bring GoPros out on tour. While all types of mounts are welcome, some tend to work better than others. Here is what we have found works best:

• Helmet mount – this is our personal favorite. It doesn’t interfere with rappelling, stays put, and allows the rappeller to look around and get footage of the whole experience since they can look around, up, and down at the falls. The only thing it doesn’t allow you to capture is your reactions. We have mounts on some of our helmets – ask your guide for a helmet with a mount! Just make sure to bring the piece that screws into the bottom of your camera.
• Wrist mount – this is a good option. Put it on your non-dominant wrist. It stays out of the way when rappelling. It is great for capturing your reactions, and can also be pointed at the surrounding scenery as well.

We have found that the following mounts may be a bit problematic:

• Head Strap Mount – on the 60′ waterfall, this mount often slips off the helmet, and into the rappellers face. For the dry wall training and the 30′ falls this mount works okay. Overall, this is our least favorite option.
• Chest mount – this option is okay, but not our favorite. On the plus side, it is out of the way and doesn’t interfere with rappelling. On the downside, the hands, feet, and rappelling devices often end up being the stars of your footage. You also can’t capture the surroundings as with a helmet or wrist mount.
• Floating handle (with wrist strap) – this option often gets in the way when rappelling. Especially for beginners who should use two hands. For experienced rappellers this may be an okay option. It does allow the whole experience to be captured (your reactions as well as surrounding scenery).

Waterfall Rappel Restrictions:

• Must weigh between 70 lbs and 250 lbs.
• Must have a waist measurement between 22 and 48 inches.
• Minimum age of 12 years old; not recommended for those over 65.
• This tour is not appropriate for people with back problems, recent surgeries, bone/joint problems, heart conditions, or women who are pregnant.
• Participants must have good balance, be able to navigate slippery and uneven terrain, and climb up and down at least 10 flights of stairs without assistance.
• This activity is intended for participants who are physically fit and enjoy rugged activities.

Da Life Outdoors reserves the right to refuse to honor bookings at the time of the tour if participants are in anyway unfit for the activity. If you are unsure if you meet the restrictions for this tour, please call to inquire prior to booking.

This is a rugged activity which requires good health and fitness. If you have had a recent injury, suffer from an old but nagging injury, or have had surgery within the last year, please call to inquire about whether or not this tour is appropriate for you prior to booking.

Please note that Da Life Outdoors reserves the right to refuse to honor bookings at the time of the tour if participants are in anyway unfit for the activity.

In rappelling, friction is the name of the game. Da Life Outdoors uses friction devices that are adjustable, and have 5 different friction settings. Guides will adjust your friction device appropriately based on your body weight. The more you weigh, the more friction you will need.

However, even the highest friction setting is not enough for those over 250 pounds. This means a person over 250 pounds would travel faster down the rope (imagine zip lining…) and would be prone to rope burn or injury.

The belayer (the guide who acts as a safety net by pulling the rope tight to catch a falling rappeller) would also be subject to injury because there is not enough friction on the system.

Therefore, due to safety concerns for both the rappeller and belayer, we are unable to accommodate individuals over 250 pounds, no matter their fitness level.

Absolutely! Safety first. Always.

Our guides are vigorously trained and have impeccable safety records. We meticulously maintain all gear and have redundancies built into every system we use.

Wear a swimsuit under your clothes if you plan to swim. We do not have changing rooms located at the waterfall property. Wear clothes over the swimsuit that you do not mind getting wet and muddy. White and other light colors are not recommended.

Shoe Rental – $10.00

It is best to pack light. Some things that are recommended are as follows:

• Water shoes.
• Waterproof camera or phone in a waterproof pouch for pictures.
• Bug spray and sunscreen.
• Towel