Every bungy site has limits, and they are the first thing people check before booking. At Bloukrans they are straightforward.

• Minimum age: 14 years
• Minimum weight: 35kg
• Maximum weight: 150kg

The limits apply to the bungy, the SkyWalk and the Zipline. Here is why each one exists, because the reasoning is more interesting than the numbers.

Why weight matters so much

Your weight is the single most important number in the whole operation. It determines which cord you jump on.

A bungy cord is chosen so that it stretches the right amount for the load it is carrying. Too light for the cord and you do not get enough stretch, which means a harsher deceleration and less of the smooth rebound the system is designed to produce. Too heavy and the cord stretches further than intended.

The upper and lower limits are the edges of the range the available cords are built to handle properly. They are not a rough guideline.

You will be weighed, and it is not negotiable

At check in you step on a scale and a number gets written on your hand. That number follows you to the platform and the crew use it to select your cord.

Do not guess it, and do not give an optimistic figure at booking. This is the one place where being coy about your weight has actual consequences. The crew have seen every number there is and they are not interested in any of them beyond the engineering.

Why 14 and not younger

Two reasons, and only one of them is physical.

The physical one is that harnesses and ankle attachments are built to fit adult and near adult bodies within the stated weight range, and a smaller frame does not sit correctly in them.

The other is consent. Stepping off a bridge has to be a genuine decision made by the person doing it. Below a certain age that is a much harder thing to be confident about, particularly with an excited family watching.

If you are under 18, expect to need parental or guardian consent. Check the current requirements in the FAQs or with the team before you travel.

Is there an upper age limit

No.

The oldest person ever to bungy jump did it here, at 96. What matters is health rather than birth year. If you are older and in reasonable health, there is nothing in the numbers stopping you.

Medical conditions matter more than weight

Weight and age are the easy filters. The important conversation is medical.

Speak to the team before booking if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, a back or neck injury, epilepsy, recent surgery, or if you are pregnant. This is not a formality. The deceleration at the end of a 216 metre jump is gentle by design but it is still a real load on the body.

Ask in advance rather than on the day. Nobody wants to have that conversation once you have already driven to the Tsitsikamma.

If you fall outside the limits

The limits are firm and the crew cannot make exceptions, but the day is not necessarily over. Depending on your circumstances there may be other ways to experience the bridge, so it is worth a conversation with the team rather than an assumption.

Full requirements are in the FAQs, and the Full Adventure Package page covers what is included.