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.