Which Challenge Course Gear Needs Manufacturer Inspection or Recertification?

Short answer: Some challenge course, zip line, and adventure park equipment needs more than your normal daily or annual inspection. Certain devices have to go back to the manufacturer or an authorized service center for inspection, repair, service, or recertification on a set schedule. If you miss that date, the equipment may need to come out of service until it is current again.

And yes, we’ve found overdue equipment during annual course inspections.

That’s not when you want to discover it.

Some Gear Has Its Own Service Schedule

There isn’t one rule that applies to every piece of gear.

Some devices need to go back every year. Others follow a different schedule. Some have parts, such as ropes, that need to be replaced at certain intervals.

Equipment we commonly see with manufacturer service, inspection, recertification, or replacement requirements includes:

• French Creek devices
• Older SKYLOTEC/DEUS units
• EDELRID Smart Belay lanyards
• ZIPKEA devices by Hackwell
• Hackwell Autoprusik replacement ropes
• TRUBLUE Auto Belays
• ISC ALF and R-ALF devices

And that list can change.

So don’t assume you remember the schedule from the last time you sent something in. Check the current information for your exact device.

We Find Overdue Equipment During Inspections

We’ve shown up to perform an annual challenge course inspection and found equipment that should have already been sent back to the manufacturer.

The operator wasn’t ignoring it. Usually, somebody just didn’t know.

Maybe the person who handled it last time left the organization. Maybe new staff took over the gear room. Maybe the paperwork from three years ago is sitting in a folder nobody knows about.

But the result is the same.

If that device is past its required service or certification date, it can fail the inspection until it is properly serviced and recertified.

Now you may have part of your course you can’t use.

That can turn a fairly simple piece of preventative maintenance into a much bigger operational problem.

You Don’t Need Fancy Software

People sometimes make equipment tracking harder than it needs to be.

A spreadsheet works. A Google Calendar reminder works.

But one of the simplest systems we’ve seen is literally a piece of printer paper.

Take a picture of the device. Print it on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Write the date when the certification or required service expires.

Then hang it in the gear room.

Put it right beside the equipment if you want.

Now everybody sees it.

And when you have staff turnover, the reminder doesn’t leave with the person who used to manage the gear.

Simple works.

Finding the Right Form Shouldn’t Be the Hard Part

This is another place where operators can get stuck.

You know the device needs to go somewhere. But where?

Who services it?

Is there a form?

What needs to go in the box?

Where do you ship it?

How much does it cost?

That’s why we keep a Manufacturer Gear Repair, Inspections, and Recertifications resource on both the Challenge Design Innovations and High Country Hardware websites.

Find your equipment on the page and click the link next to it.

For many of the devices, you’ll get a form that collects the information needed for the service. The completed form can be emailed to you so you can print it and include it with the equipment. We also try to provide the shipping information and service cost when that information is available.

One place. The information you need. No hunting through old emails trying to figure out what somebody did three years ago.

Check Your Gear Room Before Your Inspector Does

If you operate a challenge course, zip line, aerial adventure park, or climbing facility, take 15 minutes and look through your equipment.

Look at the manufacturer.

Look at the model.

Look for certification or service dates.

And ask one simple question:

Does this device need to go back somewhere before that date arrives?

It is much easier to put a reminder on the calendar today than to find out during your annual inspection that a piece of equipment you planned to use tomorrow is out of date.

FAQ

Does all challenge course equipment need manufacturer recertification?

No. Requirements depend on the manufacturer and the specific device. Check the current manufacturer instructions for each piece of equipment.

How often does challenge course gear need to be recertified?

It varies. Some equipment has yearly requirements. Other devices use longer or changing service intervals. Never assume every device follows the same schedule.

Does our daily gear inspection replace manufacturer service?

No. Your regular equipment inspections and manufacturer-required service are different things. If the manufacturer requires a device to be returned for service or recertification, your normal in-house inspection does not replace that requirement.

What happens if equipment is past its recertification date?

We have found overdue devices during annual inspections that could not pass inspection until they were sent in, inspected, and recertified. You should take expired devices out of service and not use them again until they have been inspected/certified. Depending on how that equipment is used, that may mean part of the course or even an entire course cannot operate.

Where can I find the forms for sending equipment in?

Visit CDI’s Manufacturer Gear Repair, Inspections, and Recertifications page. We maintain links for many common devices so you can find the form, service information, shipping details, and available pricing in one place.

Let us know if you have a device not listed and we will add it.