by Shayne Benowitz

This time of year, it is not uncommon for us to fly upwards of sixty people per day on the parasail boats. At least a few people out of that sixty get on the boat and are so nervous about parasailing they have already decided not to try it. Usually the fears people have about parasailing are completely unfounded, and I would like to dispel a few of those worries so that more people can enjoy their time without undue stress.

1. Parasailing is NOT a rollercoaster. Some people get on the boat and are afraid that it’s going to be a thrill ride. Coming from a girl who was afraid of rollercoaster’s until age fifteen, you can trust me when I tell you that parasailing is not scary. The ride is very smooth and relaxing. You feel like you’re just floating in the air and its very peaceful and quiet. No butterflies in your stomach—guaranteed!

2. You are harnessed in securely. Once we clip you into the tandem bar, your work is done. Time and again, customers get ready to fly and are holding onto their straps so tightly their knuckles turn white. It doesn’t take any strength to parasail. In fact, you don’t have to hold onto the straps at all. You’re in there!

3. You don’t have to know how to swim. Aside from a dip in the water—most people swear that’s the most fun part—you’re soaring high above it or you’re on board for a fun boat ride. No swimming ability necessary!

4. Dry take offs and landings. Sometimes we have a customer who parasailed twenty years ago in Cancun or Acapulco (my mother is included in this group) and has terrible memories of having to run on the beach to take off or of having to steer the parachute while landing. At Fury, we have the latest technology to reel you in and off the boat using a mechanical wench so that you take off and land safely from the back of the boat.

The most important thing to remember when parasailing is to just relax and have fun. Rest assured that your captain is a pro and has taken many factors into account before he puts anyone in the air. Hope to see you soon!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer who is working on her debut novel. Shayne can be reached at sbbenowitz@gmail.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 9:11 am and is filed under Parasailing in Key West. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.