Our Safety Speech... it's long, but we're serious about it!
Safety is our first priority. We pride ourselves in our ability to know our equipment and the weather conditions so you have the safest parasail ride possible. Our captain owns the boat. He knows it inside and out. He checks it every morning before working to make sure its in perfect running order. We take the boat out of the water, inspect it and clean it on a regular basis. We have modified the boat with a longer platform for easier and safer take off and landing. We also modified the winch for a more sturdy and steady release and return of your parasail ride.
First and foremost, we don't fly you over the beach. It may seem fun to wave at all the beach-goers and we realize other parasail companies do this, but we feel your safety is more important. Flying over the beach is usually done when the wind is coming out of the East so the boat can run outside the swim zone and the flying parasailer is over the beach or just above the shore line. There are too many unknown factors involved with this practice and we prefer to fly at least a 1/2 mile away so if there is a problem, the parasailer will land in the ocean, unclip themselves from the parachute and we are right there to get them safely in the boat. Of course all flyers wear life preservers and are instructed what to do in this type of worse-case scenario.
The captain is completely aware of the flying conditions. We are trained to analyze the weather and make sure the conditions are right. If you are on our boat, the captain has the right to change a tandem (2 persons flying together) to two separate single rides. He may have to take the time to change parachutes (we have 4 different parachutes ranging from 32 feet to 39 feet depending on the wind). The smaller chute is used for windy weather... less material equals less wind in the chute and the larger chute can hold more air and support the parasailers without the need for wind.. Weight in the chute is also a factor. The captain will assess if a tandem is too heavy or too light to fly together and will make necessary changes.
We will not fly in winds over 20 mph. The captain has a wind meter on the boat and checks it often. We will not fly with storms lurking within 5 miles. We will not fly with variable winds. The parachute is inflated before passengers are attached; If the captain feels the chute is "all over the place" he will immediately deflate and cancel the flight at that time. If you decide to fly with us, be assured your safety and comfort is our first priority.
We truly believe if even a thought of a risk enters the captain's mind, a risk must exist and he won't fly. period.
Thank you for reading!