Do you want a different perspective of the beach? Paragliding offers you the thrill of a lifetime on your next vacation. Many hotels and beach operators offer parasailing trips, and they aren’t as expensive as you think.
Getting 500-feet into the air over the beach and the waves is an exhilarating experience the feel of hanging in the air as the people on the beach watching you float under the sail will get your adrenaline pumping. Ten minutes in the air will seem like an hour.
Parasailing is plenty of fun, and you don’t need any previous experience or level of fitness to enjoy some time in the air. This guide unpacks everything you need to know about how to parasail.
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What Is It Like to Parasail?
Parasailing is a recreational activity, and most people encounter it for the first time when they take a beach vacation. If you own a boat, you have the option of buying yourself a parasailing rig, but it’s expensive, and you need to know how to maintain it.
Using a professional operator is usually the preferred choice for most people when taking on a parasailing adventure. An experienced operator will ensure that they have their gear in the best conditions possible and that you comply with all safety precautions in the air.
It’s important to note that there’s always an element of risk associated with doing an activity like parasailing. While it’s loads of fun, there are plenty of examples of people who sustained severe injuries or died from falling from the parasail when flying.
Don’t let that freak you out, though; the numbers are in your favor, and a vast majority of people that go parasailing have a safe experience. When you arrive at the parasailing venue, the vendor should give you a full safety briefing before you get out into the water.
Planning the Parasailing Experience
The first step in a parasailing trip is choosing your provider. You’ll find plenty of them online near your local area. Call them and ask them about the pricing and the time slots they have available for a parasail.
The company should offer you a complete parasailing experience. They should provide all the gear and have an enthusiastic team. All the instructors should have experience running parasailing tours, and safety should be a priority. Check the company out on Facebook to see what customers say about their parasailing experience with the vendor.
Failing to plan is planning to fail, and that could mean injury or death when it comes to your parasailing trip. So, after selecting a parasailing company, you’ll arrive at the venue or the beach for a safety briefing.
During the briefing, the instructor gives you the trip details, how the equipment works and what you can expect from the experience. It’s a good idea to call at least two days in advance to book your spot. If the weather changes, you can move your booking around to when the conditions improve; just don’t leave it till the last day of your trip.
Understanding the Weather – Wind, and Water
The weather defines the parasailing experience. The wind is the most significant factor affecting your parasail. The tour operator will only work on days where the wind is low, and there is no chance of bad weather on the horizon. Unfortunately, those days don’t arrive very often.
The wind determines the kind of air currents you can expect when you’re up in the air. High wind speeds could stress the sail lines, snapping them. It’s also impossible to go parasailing in rainy conditions, but the rain usually shows up with the wind in most locations.
The ocean conditions are also a byproduct of the wind. High winds out to sea churn out big swells. They also make the surface of the water choppy when it’s howling. As a result, it’s near impossible to take the boat out onto the water without increasing the sinking risk.
The tour operator will watch weather charts and know what winds to expect during the day. As mentioned, they will only go out when the conditions are perfect.
Parasail Flight Preparations on-Site
Most parasailing tour operators will take out a few couples for a parasail. The entire experience only lasts ten to twenty minutes, and it lowers the costs for the operator if they can take a few couples out at a time.
Usually, you’ll be out on the water for 90-minutes total. Before you get on the boat, the tour operator will give you a PFD to wear during the boat ride. Make sure you secure it and that it fits properly. The tour operator will ensure that everyone in the boat understands the entire process of launching the sail and what to expect when you’re up in the air.
When it’s your turn to go, the crew will secure you in the harness. Or the seat, depending on the system they use. The seated option is the best, but the hanging works too, and you can take one or two people into the air at a time, depending on the operator’s equipment.
Launching the Parasail
Thew launch is the most challenging aspect of the parasailing experience. Getting into the air is the hard part, and everything else depends on a successful launch. There’s a winch attached to the boat’s stern and the sail line.
The winch lifts the chute into the air without jerking, jolting, or jumping. The launch experience isn’t like a roller coaster. It’s a sudden lift that launches you into the air in seconds, and before you know it, you’re flying 500-feet above the water!
The winch-direct parasailing system is the gold standard for the industry and the safest method of getting you in the air. You don’t need any experience steering the parasail; just sit back or hang out and enjoy the ride.
Sit Rather than Hang
When you go parasailing, the tour operator will either use a seated parasail or a harness enabling you to hang in the air. According to all the data on record regarding parasailing accidents, the seated option is the much safer choice.
The gondolas might not offer the same thrill of hanging from a harness, but they still do a great job of getting your adrenaline going, and they are a comfortable ride. When you’re parasailing in a harness, ensure that your instructor briefs you about all the safety risks involved.
The harness should look new, and all the lines should be intact, with no frays and no rusted or damaged carabiners. Ask the operator what the procedure is if the line snaps – they should have an answer that’s something other than, “oh, that never happens.”
If you want to get more information on parasailing, check out a few videos on YouTube to understand what’s involved with the experience.
What’s the Best Time of the Day to Go Parasailing?
The early morning is the best time to get out onto the ocean for a parasail. During the morning, the temperatures are low, and the winds are soft. As the day heats up, the winds start to pick up, reaching a peak in the mid afternoon.
As mentioned, parasailing operators will only go out when the conditions are perfect, so they’re likely to do it in the morning before 11am. It’s also important to note that parasailing in the midday or early afternoon sun can get uncomfortably hot for the other people in the boat.
However, the weather usually depends on the location, local climate, and the time of the year. The winds are generally lower in the summer when the storms are finished for the year. Some beaches may also experience light winds ideal for parasailing throughout the day. Speak to your tour operator and ask them about the times they usually go out.
The Parasailing Experience
So, what does it feel like to get 500-feet in the air on a parasailing experience? Most people think of it as the biggest thrill they ever have in their lives. When you get hundreds of feet into the air, the beach, ocean, and the surrounding towns take on a completely different perspective.
If you’re in a tropical location with blue water, like the Florida Keys, you’ll be able to see the detail in the reef, and the dolphins and fish are swimming around. The experience is nothing short of breathtaking, and you literally feel like you’re on top of the world.
We recommend taking an action camera along with you during the ride. Mount it to a headband or a selfie stick and record your experience to share with your friends when you get back home.
Remember to take along the sunblock with you. Even though you’re out on the water for less than two hours, that’s plenty of time to catch a sunburn.
Understanding the 3-to-1 Distancing Rule
When you’re parasailing, the operator will follow the general rule of 3-to-1 in distancing you from the shoreline. That means that if the operator is sending you 500-feet into the air, they must maintain triple the line distance from the shore for safety. As a result, the paragliding area is 1,500-feet from the beach.
Ask the operator how many lines they use during the flight and how far they run from the shore during the flight. If the operator claims they can take you as close to the beach as you want, it means they are risk-takers, and you should find another operator.
It’s also important to note that the normal max height of a parasailing adventure is 500-feet. Don’t go any higher than this. There are a few operators that will take you up to 600-feet. However, going over 600-feet is risky, and you should avoid going with any operator that breaks the 600-foot ceiling.
Going beyond 600-feet reduces the range of the communication equipment between you and the boat. It’s also important to note that the higher you go, the stronger the winds, and you’ll encounter more turbulence at higher altitudes.
Avoid going on the advertised “1,000-foot rides.” Staying safe is better than ending up as a statistic.
The Thrill of the Dip
If you’re in a tropical location, the tour operator will ask you if you want to experience “the dip” before you come back to the boat.
“The Dip” happens at the end of the ride. When you get close to the boat, the operator will dip your feet into the water to allow you to cool off. It’s a refreshing end to a thrilling ride, but it’s better in warm water.
When It’s Over
Once the flight comes to an end, and it’s time to start the descent, you’ve already informed the captain whether you want to dip your toes in the water before landing on the boat.
The crew activates the winch when the ride is over, bringing you back to the boat in a slow, controlled descent. You don’t crash into the water, and the winch brings you right back to the deck.
After you arrive back at the boat, the crew will help you out of the harness, and the next couple gets their chance to go up. You’ll sit down and wait for the rest of the tourists to have their turn and return to the beach an hour or so later.
What Should I Wear When I Go Parasailing?
Parasailing keeps you in the air and not in the water, so you can go parasailing in your shorts and underwear or your swimwear if you want. It’s all about choosing what’s comfortable for you during the flight.
You never get in the water during the entire flight, so there’s no worry about getting anything wet. If you want to remain dry throughout the flight, tell the tour operator that you want to skip “the dip.” Tour operators won’t care what you wear, but they’ll make you wear a PFD.
The Personal Flotation Device (PFD) ensures you float to the surface if something goes wrong and you land up in the water. The PFD can mean the difference between sinking to the bottom and drowning or a successful rescue.
The PFD should have a snug, secure fit and shouldn’t ride up. You should have a complete range of motion in your arms, and the PFD shouldn’t feel cramped around your neck. We recommend avoiding wearing flip-flops when parasailing as they are likely to slip off your feet.
If you have to wear shoes, go with sandals, reef booties, or something like Vibram Five-Fingers or sneakers.
What are the Risks with Parasailing?
Parasailing involves flying 500-feet in the air. If you drop from that height, it can result in a nasty injury or death. So, you need to understand the risks involved with parasailing and what to look for when assessing the safety of a prospective parasailing tour operator.
The Industry Doesn’t Regulate Safety
The parasailing industry has no regulatory body overseeing how operators conduct their business. That means there are no established safety guidelines for the sport.
However, most operators will give you a detailed safety briefing before getting out on the water. They should also run through the gear with you and put your mind at ease if you have any questions about the safety and condition of the equipment.
Check the Towline
Failure of the towline is the number-one cause of parasailing accidents. Check the two-line before you go out. If it looks frayed or weathered, refuse the trip. If the carabiners and other hardware on the equipment look rusty, it means the operator doesn’t maintain their gear.
A report from the NTSB shows towline strength reduces by more than 50% when using bowline knots. When the operator uses hitch and bowline knots together, it reduces line strength by as much as 40%.
Parasailing Restrictions in Florida
After a series of fatal parasailing accidents in 2014, the Florida State Legislature instituted the White-Miskell Act. Section 327.375 of the Florida Statutes outlines the safety guidelines for Florida parasailing operators. The operator may not go out on the water in the following conditions.
- Sustained wind speeds over 20-mph.
- Wind gusts higher than 15-mph above sustained wind speeds.
- Wind speeds during gusts exceeding 25-mph.
- Visibility of less than 0.5-miles.
- If a lightning storm comes within 7-miles of the area.”
Parasailing operators must keep a log of their trips and always pay attention to weather conditions when they take passengers out.
In Closing – Is Parasailing Scary?
So, is parasailing a terrifying experience? Are you going to be screaming and crying, or are you going to enjoy the thrill of the ride? According to most people who go up on the sail, the launch is a bit scary, but it’s like being on a giant Ferris wheel when you’re up.
Compared to bungee jumping and sky diving, it’s pretty tame. You’ll get an amazing view and plenty of fresh air above ground level. Provided you choose a reputable and trustworthy parasailing operator, you’ll have a fun trip in the clouds and a safe landing.
