A Beginner’s Guide to Parasailing in Tampa Bay
MADEIRA BEACH – With year-round visitors attracted to Florida’s beautiful beaches, many people are inclined to participate in the extracurricular activities found there.
According to Bill Shirley, a sales representative at John’s Pass Parasail on Madeira Beach, the busiest times of the year to parasail are during the summer months, the various schools’ spring break vacations and Easter. It is the “snowbirds” who keep the sails flying during the winter months.
They are the majority of our customers,” said Shirley. “They’re usually the only passengers to parasail during the winter months.” Parasailing in the Gulf of Mexico, Shirley said, gives people a unique perspective.
“On a clear day, you can see all the way to Tampa,” he said. “At John’s Pass, when you go up, you see a drawbridge, beaches and a boardwalk. It brings uniqueness to the area.”
Parasail 101
Parasailing has been an adventure sport for more than 25 years. It is primarily an amusement ride, but it has recently become international competition. The objective of parasailing is to be pulled into the air while harnessed to a parachute and towed by a motorboat. Generally, one to three riders can simultaneously experience the thrill of being whisked up to 1,000 feet into the air, drifting downward until touching the cool water of the Gulf of Mexico and then brought back up into the air again. Parasail riders have little or no control over the parachute while riding.
There are three different types of parasailing: beach, platform and winchboat. Each of the three methods is differentiated by the location the passenger begins and finishes the ride. Riders may begin their ride on land via beach, on a platform
surrounded by water, or pulled by a hydraulic winch, taking off and landing on the very motorboat that sends the riders into the air. As the boat increases in speed, the hydraulic winch system gradually releases the rope as wind fills the parachute and sends the passenger into the air. Parasailing via winchboat is the most popular method in Tampa Bay and represents more than 90 percent of all commercial parasailing offered throughout the world.
The basic parasail price for an 8- to 10-minute ride generally ranges from $45 to $50 in the Tampa Bay area. Many watersport operators along the barrier islands offer different parasailing options. Some of the various options include different priced packages that increase in proportion to the height flown, longer-timed rides, number of tandem riders, dipping passengers down to their knees in water; even the option of riding totally nude.
According to Leon Robbins, employee of Flying High Parasail on St. Pete Beach, the top three tips to enjoying parasailing are, “Don’t wear any clothing you don’t want to get wet. Make sure you have sunscreen on. Even going out on the water for 30 minutes or less you can get burned. And you probably don’t want to be in a state of mind where you’ve been drinking or have just eaten a heavy meal before going to parasail. Some people tend to get motion sickness either on the boat or in the sail. If needed, take motion sickness medicine, but when you’re in the sail it’s a smoother ride than when you’re on the boat. More people get sick on the boat than in the sail.”
Flying High Parasail boasts as being the longest continuous-running parasail company in the whole world, having been in business since 1978 and never has had any mishaps during that time.
Weather to Parasail or Not
The secret to parasailing success is to only go out during calm weather conditions. Sounds easy, but flying in choppy waters during windy conditions may lead to parasailing accidents. Ideal parasail conditions include sunny days with no wind. If there are any threats of serious rainstorms within the area, parasail operators will shut down operations entirely, until the storms have passed.
So, when would be the best time of year to parasail locally? “When the water is warmer,” says Robbins. “From Memorial Day to Labor Day is our key time to go parasailing. Around here, starting in November to February the water starts getting chilly because it’s shallow. Other than those months would be fine.”
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 each year, with storms coming and going each day, but this time frame doesn’t mean parasailing shuts down completely. “If we have a hurricane, it would be a bad time to go out,” notes Robbins. “If we have those 4 o’clock afternoon thunderstorms, but we have light winds up until 3 o’clock, the light winds are perfect for parasailing all day. More people seem to think that more wind is needed to parasail, but actually, the less wind is better,” says Robbins. “We create our own wind with the speed of the boat. The less wind you have the smoother seas.” Even if the skies look grey, parasailing may be OK.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
When parasailing within the Tampa Bay area, knowing the direction of the prevailing winds is also noteworthy. During the summertime, morning winds come from the east and evening winds come from the west. The following information should be followed in order to safely parasail:
– During flight, the passenger is required to wear a life vest.
– Never parasail in winds stronger than 15 mph.
– Never parasail in busy waters. Find a large, uncrowded body of water free of obstructions such as trees, rocks or bushes with a takeoff area at least 50 feet deep.
– Passengers should know specific instructions before takeoff, in case of emergency.
– A small team of six or more people is recommended for parasailing, including the boat
driver, ground crew, observer, safety-release person and parasail passengers. The
average number of passengers per parasailing winchboat can range from 10 to 12
people, depending on the size of the boat.
When choosing a parasail operator, safety is foremost. The industry, as a whole, is largely unregulated by state, federal or local agencies, but the Office of Marine Safety and Environmental Protection requires all commercial parasail boat drivers to hold a Coast Guard license.
Good Day, Tampa Bay
Robbins offers several safety tips when choosing a parasail operator. “You should look at how long a company has been in business, look at the equipment being used and when calling, ask to speak to people who are directly related to operation, such as the parasail captain or crew. Ask them how long they’ve had their Coast Guard-approved captain’s license.”
“Parasail companies, at this point in time in the state of Florida, are regulated by their insurance companies. Insurance companies regulate how much line you’re allowed to let out, how many people you can put in the ‘chute at the same time, how far off the beach to you are to fly people, all that. People should feel free to call their local Coast Guard, because they would have records to any possible accidents and you can call the Better Business Bureau. Those would be the top two companies to call.”
Organizing Parasail Safety
Another organization passengers may contact for operator information is the Professional Association of Parasail Operators (PAPO), which is a non-profit organization designed to create self-regulatory industry standards and guidelines. “Right now, insurance companies are already following PAPO guidelines, it’s just not official yet” in the parasail operator community, says Robbins. “To get insurance in the state of Florida, you have to follow these guidelines. PAPO is a member-driven organization but pretty soon, all parasail companies will have to become a member of PAPO to be able to have a legal parasail business. It’s supposed to become a governing body. You can call PAPO to find information on any business; they may also have information on businesses which are not involved with PAPO as well.”
