Parasailing will give you an adventure like no other. You’ll be over 400 feet up in the sky along the shoreline with a stunning bird’s eye view of the world around you. But your parasailing adventure doesn’t have to break the bank.
Parasailing usually costs about $80 per person but can go as high as $150 for a single rider. Tandem and triple rides might be discounted to a rate of about $70 per person. Riding along in the boat as an observer is between $20 and $40. Capturing photos and videos of your ride will cost $20 to $50.
What you end up paying for your parasailing ride will depend on the company you ride with and additional packages you decide to purchase. So, let’s go over everything you need to know about the cost of parasailing.
Single Parasailing ($60 to $150)
Most parasailing companies will charge per person. On average, you should expect to spend about $80 a person, but some companies will sell rides for between $60 and $150 per person. This rate will usually stand whether you’re riding single, tandem, or triple.
How much you actually spend will depend on a few things.
Length of the Towline
The longer the towline used, the higher you’ll be flying through the air behind the boat. This gives you a bit more of an adventure and is exactly why some companies will offer different pricing for towline length.
On the lower end (between 400 and 500 feet), you’ll probably be spending between $60 and $80 per person. Longer lines up to 1,200 feet long will probably have you paying at least an additional $50 per person.
If you have the choice in towline length, you’ll want to think about how fearless you are and what you’re willing to spend. After all, it wouldn’t make much sense to shell out over $100 for a 1,000-foot towline if you’re absolutely terrified of heights. Beginners to parasailing should choose the shortest towline for an introduction to the sport.
Time in the Air
You’ll be on the boat for an hour or two in most instances, but the amount of time you actually spend in your harness (or gondola) and in the air will depend on the company. Expect between 7 and 15 minutes actually parasailing.
Companies that offer longer journeys will probably be charging you a little bit more. A 15-minute parasailing ride might be $100, while a 7-minute ride might be closer to $60. So it’s important to weigh how long you really want to be up in the air.
Just keep in mind that a lot of companies are tight on time, especially if your boat has 15 parasailers that want to ride solo. Your promised 15-minute ride might only last about 12 minutes, so you might not always be getting your money’s worth.
Group Rates
We’ll be going over discounts and coupons that you can claim later on, but you might be able to secure yourself a lower cost for the entire group by booking as a group. These rates vary greatly and you’ll have to call ahead to find out what they are.
There aren’t any guarantees in this sense. It’ll depend on how busy the company gets and whether or not there’s even room for an entire group. Booking a boat well in advance can be the perfect way to celebrate a special occasion too.
Tandem & Triple Parasailing ($140 to $250)
Though you’ll be paying per person in most scenarios, there are some companies that will give you a discount of sorts if you choose to tandem or triple parasail instead. You might be paying about $70 per person instead of an average of $80.
Observer ($25 to $40)
You don’t have to sign up for parasailing to go on a parasailing boat. You might be able to reserve a seat on the boat for a mere $25 to $40 per ride. This is a great way to bring the entire family along with you, even if they’re not ready for such an adventure on their own.
The problem is that you’re not guaranteed a seat in most cases.
Whether or not you have a seat will depend on how many passengers the boat can fit and how busy the company is. A company would rather fill their seats (usually between 6 and 15) with parasailers paying $80 a person rather than $25 just to watch.
There’s a possibility that you can secure a guaranteed seat for a little extra money if you call ahead of time.
Digital Photos ($20 to $40)
In 2020, you probably want to capture photos of your big adventures to post on Facebook, Instagram, or VSCO. There’s a good chance that your parasailing company will offer a digital photo package for between $20 and $40.
Now you don’t have to risk dropping your iPhone 400 feet into the ocean below.
Opting for one of these packages will secure photos from a professional photographer on board. These photographs are taken with high-quality cameras with incredible zoom and clarity for pictures worth saving and posting.
Just how many photos you receive will vary.
Some companies will offer as few as 8 to 12 photos combined from the boat ride out to sea and parasailing. Others might capture 50 or more photos, which will give you a glimpse of your journey from the boat ride over up until the boat ride back.
You’ll get to take these photos home in the form of a memory card or they might be sent to you in a digital form via email.
Still unsure whether the GoPro video package is worth the money? Here’s a look at what your video might look like!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HVPsdcgKRs
GoPro Video ($30 to $50)
When you get home, don’t be surprised if your buddies ask you what you did while on vacation. Words simply cannot explain how exciting parasailing was. So you might want to show your friends and family instead.
If that’s the case, opt for a GoPro video package offered by the parasailing company.
For between $30 and $50 on average, you can relive your parasailing experience for the rest of your life. The boat operators will strap a GoPro to your head or even give you a selfie stick to record your 15 minutes above the ocean from start to finish.
Long gone are the days where you rely on shoddy home video to remember the most exciting moments of your life. GoPro video is typically high-definition and you’ll be able to bring your video home with you in the form of an SD card.
Note: You might be able to get a discount on a combination of photos and a GoPro video. Also, the fees for photos and videos might be per person or per group, so be sure to check the website before signing up for this package.
Commemorative T-Shirt ($15 to $30)
The best way to remember a family vacation or exciting experience is by bringing home a T-shirt souvenir. Any parasailing business looking to bring in a little extra cash will sell tank tops or T-shirts on site (or on the dock) at a price of $15 to $30 on average.
What better way to brag to your friends back home that you did something wild and crazy while on vacation? Some companies even offer a free T-shirt with certain packages that you can choose to buy.
Tax (4.4% to 8.66%)
You know that just about everything in America comes with an added sales tax that goes to the government. Parasailing is no different. That’s why you’ll want to find out if the price listed on a company’s website includes sales tax already or not.
Otherwise, you might end up short on cash.
What you end up paying in tax will depend on the state where the parasailing company is based out of. Here’s a look at the sales tax rates in U.S. states along the coast.
- New Jersey: 6.60%
- Virginia: 5.65%
- North Carolina: 6.97%
- South Carolina: 7.46%
- Georgia: 7.31%
- Florida: 7.05%
- California: 8.66%
- Hawaii: 4.44%
Will the added sales tax break the bank for you? Probably not. This might end up adding an additional $8 to your subtotal. But it’s a good idea to bring along a little extra money for additional packages or tax.
Gratuities (15%)
Just as you don’t technically have to tip a waiter when you go to a restaurant, you also don’t have to tip the boat operators for their services. But it’s a good way to show your thanks for such a memorable experience for the entire family.
Just how much you choose to tip will be up to you.
Since there are no standards for how much to tip for your ride, you’ll want to tip about 15% of the total you’re spending on the trip. So for an $80 ride, you might tip about an extra $10 or more per person.
Possible Discounts (10 to 15%)
You might find the cost of parasailing to be a little ridiculous. Though your trip out on the boat might last an hour or two, you’ll probably be spending no more than 15 minutes actually parasailing behind the boat.
The good news is that you might be able to secure yourself a discount to save yourself a little bit of money for the ride home. Discounts, coupons, and sales will vary from company to company but can make parasailing a bit more affordable.
Early-Bird Specials (10 to 15% or $10 to $20)
First thing in the morning is the best time to parasail. Not only is the weather usually working in your favor in terms of temperature, but the ocean water isn’t as rough as it might be mid-day.
There’s one more benefit of parasailing in the morning: An early bird discount.
Many parasailing companies will offer a discount if you’re on the first boat to leave shore or if you schedule your parasailing ride before 10 AM. You could save between 10 and 15% on the cost of a ride or a flat rate of $10 to $20 off.
Once your ride is over and you make it back onshore, you still have the rest of the day to get down to the beach or give jetskiing a try.
Military & College Discounts (10% or FREE)
Don’t forget to bring your military or college ID card with you when you go on vacation at the beach. Quite a few parasailing companies will offer 10% discounts for military members or college students. You might even be able to lock down a free parasailing ride if you’re a wounded military veteran.
Booking Early or Online ($5+)
Simply showing up to a parasailing company down the shore and expecting there to be room on the next boat for you and your family might leave you disappointed. Seats sell out quickly and many parasailing companies will even give you a discount for booking early online.
This is also a solid way to guarantee yourself a seat.
To save a minimum of $5, head to the website of a reputable parasailing business and use the calendar feature to schedule your parasailing adventure. This can help you to better plan out the rest of your vacation too.
The Total Cost of Parasailing
Now that we’ve gone over every little detail of parasailing, it’s time to figure out what your total will be for a single ride. Here’s a breakdown of the total cost of parasailing:
| Package | Average Pricing |
| Parasailing (Per Person) | $80 |
| Digital Photos | $30 |
| Sales Tax (est. 6.53%) | $7 |
| Gratuities | $18 |
| TOTAL | $135 |
The chart above details how much you would be spending for a single rider that opts for photos. Remember that you might be able to secure a group rate, an early-bird discount, or even distribute the photos and videos across your entire group. In that case, every additional rider would be about an extra $80 plus tax.
Is There a Way to Save More Money?
It’s definitely a little crazy to spend over $130 on parasailing per person. But the last thing you want to do when doing such an extreme activity is to look for ways to save a lot of money.
Here’s why.
Parasailing obviously comes with a risk of injury or death, though the statistics show that these aren’t as common as they seem to be. The issue is that getting a solid deal of $40 per rider might leave you riding with a company with a less than favorable reputation.
The company might not change equipment as necessary or break the guidelines set in place for how high you can actually fly when parasailing. Hint: It’s 500 feet. So it might be a little risky to choose a 1,000-foot line that may very well be violating the FAA rules.
Choosing a Reputable Company
Instead of looking for the best way to save money on parasailing, you’ll want to spend your time looking for a good company to work with instead. This can ensure you and your family a safe ride without any of you ending up in the hospital.
So, what makes a good parasailing company?
The first thing you’ll want to see is that the company has been in business for a long time. There are many parasailing businesses along the coast that have been in practice for 20 or even 30 years. If they’re still around after decades, there’s a pretty good chance they still bring in a good stream of customers and have very few (if any) injuries on their hands.
You’ll also want to make sure that you’re getting the safest ride possible in terms of equipment and boat operator skills. Since there aren’t any federal guidelines on how a parasailing company should be run, you’ll be the one that has to vet the business.
Here’s what to look for:
- A boating license for the captain
- Fire extinguishers on the boat
- User reviews, previous lawsuits, or negative news stories
- CPR/AED certified staff
- Towlines that aren’t frayed or worn
- Harnesses and life jackets that are sized appropriately
- Boating occupancy (doesn’t exceed the maximum number of passengers)
At the end of the day, your safety should come before saving a couple of bucks on parasailing. If you get the feeling that something isn’t right or that a company isn’t run properly, it’s best to find another company to ride with. There’s no shortage of parasailing companies in popular beach towns and resorts, so this shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Conclusion
You don’t have to spend your entire life savings to have a good time while on vacation. For a single rider, you should expect to pay about $80. Additional packages like photos and videos might cost you an additional $50 or more.
Even though you want to save money, you want to be careful about the company you decide to ride with. Parasailing can be dangerous through faulty equipment, so you want to be using a company with a good reputation. A few extra dollars for peace of mind is much better than potential hospital bills if the towline breaks.
