Zorbing

Includes: Globe-riding, sphering, harness zorbing, hydro zorbing, water walking, body zorbing , bubble football Outdoors, Adventurous activities, Water, Land

Age:
7+

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Zorbs allow you to roll, bounce, flip or float across water or land. Give your girls a high-energy experience with zorbing!

Overview
Planning and safety

Overview

Zorbing is an activity where girls move around inside a large, transparent ball.

There are several different kinds of zorbing. Girls aged 7 and above can undertake the following types:

Body zorbing – involves a harness that leaves your legs outside the zorb so you can run, walk, jump, flip and bounce into other body zorbers.
Zorbing on the flat – involves rolling on the flat without a harness.
Water walking – involves being zipped into an inflated ball and floated on a body of water.
Hydro zorbing – involves 1-3 participants sitting without a harness inside the ball with a small amount of water while the ball rotates around them. Girls must be aged 7+ for this activity.

More energetic forms of zorbing have higher age restrictions:

Harness zorbing – involves 1 or 2 people being harnessed inside the ball. Girls must be aged 10+ for this activity.

To take your girls zorbing, you will need to find an activity provider to run a session at a local venue.

Please note that some providers may have their own height and weight restrictions.

Zorbing is an adventurous activity and should follow the health, safety and welfare policy.

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Planning checklist

Do a risk assessment for the activity elements you’re responsible for with your unit leadership team. Update this as and when things change. Review with any qualified adults on the day.
Check out the guidance on joint activities if you're involving other organisations.
Organise your leadership team to make sure you have the right ratio of girls to leaders for the section(s) you're doing the activity with.
If the activity is outdoors, check the weather forecast for the day and the day before. Review the risk assessment and change plans if needed. Involve any qualified adults if not running it yourself.
Make sure all clothing/footwear worn is suitable and covers arms and legs. Remove jewellery. Check with your venue and/or qualified adults. Let people know if they need to bring anything else.
If the activity is marked as adventurous, follow our health, safety and welfare policy.
Make sure you have consent from parents and carers.
Make sure you have first aid cover.
Make sure girls have a change of clothing, suitable footwear and a towel.
Check the water classification for the body of water you'll be doing the activity on.
Make sure the water and venue are suitable for the activity, get advice if necessary.
If needed, arrange for water safety cover, like a lifeguard. See the safety information below to check what you need for your activity.
Follow the guidance on water safety, and check out what insurance you need if you're using your own equipment.
If you’re using an activity provider, check what swimming ability is needed for participants.

If you or another member of your leadership team is running the activity at an external venue/location, follow these extra steps.

Arrange for a home contact. Leave any route or other relevant details with your home contact and complete a home contact agreement form. Let them know about any changes to your plans.
Tell your commissioner.
Get a copy of the public liability insurance of the activity provider before you book.
Check you hold the relevant qualification (if one is needed) to run the activity and let your commissioner know you plan to run it yourself. If you aren’t sure, speak to your local adviser to check.
Check with the venue that they have the correct equipment and, if needed, specialist clothing that will meet the needs of your group.
Get any specialist equipment or clothing needed to run the activity not provided by the venue, and make sure this is in good condition and fit for purpose.
Check that any equipment is suitably insured by the provider and agree what happens to the equipment if it gets damaged.
Ask for a copy of the venue's safety guidelines and risk assessment (if relevant).
Make sure you have the correct ratio of participants (girls, leaders and volunteers) to qualified adults (those running the activity if a qualification is needed). This is different to the ratio of leaders to girls.
Consider the ability and experience of the participants and any disabilities, access needs or health conditions and plan the session accordingly.

Some venues might ask for a disclaimer or waiver to be signed for each person taking part in the activity. This is something which parents/carers must sign on behalf of their child. You can do this along with the consent form. Parents and carers should be given sufficient information from the provider along with the waiver so they can make an informed decision to sign it or not. Leaders can only sign disclaimers and waivers for their own personal participation.

If you're working with an external provider or external instructors to run this activity outside the unit meeting space, follow these extra steps.

Arrange for a home contact. Leave any route or other relevant details with your home contact and complete a home contact agreement form. Let them know if you make any changes to your plans.
Tell your local commissioner.
Tell the activity provider about the ability and experience of the participants and any disabilities, access needs or health conditions that need to be considered when running the activity.
Choose a reputable and licensed activity provider (where applicable).
Check the qualified adults hold the correct qualification to be able to run the activity (see the information below).
Get copies of the instructor qualiﬁcations and public liability insurance of the activity provider before you book.
Ask for a copy of the providers' safety guidelines and risk assessment.
Make sure you have the correct ratio of participants (girls and volunteers) to qualified adults (those running the activity). This is different to the ratio of leaders to girls.
Check with the venue that they have the correct equipment and, if needed, specialist clothing that will meet the requirements for your group.
Source any specialist equipment or clothing needed to run the activity not provided by the venue, and make sure this is in good condition and fit for purpose.
Check that any equipment is suitably insured by the provider and agree what happens to the equipment if it gets damaged.

No qualifications exist for this activity, so please send details of the risk assessments and operating procedures to the adventure team before booking ([email protected]).

If water walking, a suitably qualified lifeguard must be present. Please see our guidance on swimming for further information.

Check weather forecasts, as zorbing could become unsafe if there are extreme weather conditions or wind speeds exceed 20mph. Consult the instructor if you have any concerns.

For harness zorbing, each participant needs to bring a spare pair of socks and wear suitable clothing.

For hydro zorbing and water walking, ensure each participant brings a change of clothes and a towel. It's unlikely you'll get wet when water walking, but this cannot be guaranteed.

If zorbing on water, check with the qualified instructor and follow their guidance on whether buoyancy aids are needed, particularly for those with low water confidence.

Swimming ability and water confidence

For zorbing involving water, leaders must check the swimming ability and confidence in water of their girls and highlight those with weak swimming abilities or low water confidence to the instructor. This can be done through either the day events and activities consent form (PDF, 713KB) or residential event and activities consent form (PDF, 707KB) parents fill in that asks about water confidence and swimming ability.

Where weak swimmers or those with low water confidence are taking part, this should be risk assessed, and ratios may need to be amended.

You can get good swimmers who have low water confidence if the environment in which they are swimming is different to usual. Someone who is a good swimmer in a pool may not initially be very confident in cold open water.

Activity providers may have a swimming ability requirement to take part in this activity. Leaders should check with the activity provider before booking.

If a girl has a medical condition that will affect her ability to swim, tell the instructor so they can assess whether it is possible for them to take part safely.

International activities

If doing this activity abroad, please contact [email protected] .

The ratios below are given as a maximum. Ratios must be considered as part of the risk assessment, this may lessen due to any medical conditions, physical ability or other factors.

Leadership team ratio

As this activity will take place outside of your usual meeting place the leadership team adult to child ratio is mandatory.

Rainbows: not a Rainbow activity.
Brownies: 1:8.
Guides: 1:12.
Rangers: 1 leader with a recommended second adult.

Qualified adult-to-participant ratio

The qualified adult should determine what size of group is safe. There must be enough qualified adults to ensure the safety of all participants.

The number will be determined by any limitations placed on their qualification, permit or the rules of their operating organisation as well as the risk assessment. This should take into consideration the location, weather and experience of both the qualified adult and other participants. The leader should assess the risk and any concerns must be raised to the activity leader.