Parasailing in Jamaica: What the Ride Is Like, and How It Compares With Jet Ski and Sea Tubing

Parasailing in Jamaica is a short ride, about 10 to 15 minutes in the air, and it is one of the easiest water activities to say yes to because you never actually have to get wet. You sit in a harness, the boat pulls away, the line pays out and you lift straight off the back deck. We book it in Montego Bay and in Negril, and on the same beaches we also set up jet ski rentals and sea tubing, so this is the honest rundown of what each one is like and who it suits.

What is parasailing in Jamaica actually like?

Most of the time goes to the boat, not the flight. You meet the crew on the beach, sign the waiver, get a life jacket and a quick briefing, then ride out past the swim buoys to open water. The whole thing usually runs about 45 minutes to an hour from the beach back to the beach.

When it is your turn, you sit on the back platform, the crew clips you to the bar under the parachute and the captain eases the throttle. There is no running and no jumping. The line pulls you up gently, and in less than a minute you are a few hundred feet above the bay with the boat looking small underneath you. The surprise for most people is how quiet it is up there. You hear the wind and that is about it.

From Montego Bay you look back at the hills behind the city, the airport runway and the long reef line. From Negril you get the full length of Seven Mile Beach on one side and the cliffs of the West End on the other. Then the captain winds you back in. Ask for a "dip" on the way down if you want the crew to let your feet skim the water before you land on the deck again. Say nothing and you stay dry.

Who can go up, and who should not?

The usual rules from the operators we work with:

• Solo flyers need to weigh roughly 90 pounds or more, so a light child flies tandem with an adult.
• Tandem (two people) or triple flights have a combined limit of about 450 pounds. The captain has the final word on this, and on windy days the limit drops.
• Children around five and up can fly with an adult. Minors always ride with a guardian on the boat.
• It is not for anyone pregnant, anyone with a back or neck problem, or anyone who has been drinking at lunch. The beach bar can wait until after.

If you are nervous about heights, know that the harness feels like a swing seat and there is nothing to hold yourself up with. You just sit. Most people who are scared on the way up are grinning on the way down.

What should you wear and bring?

Swimwear or quick-dry shorts, a rash guard or t-shirt, and nothing loose. Hats and sunglasses come off before you launch unless they are strapped on. Leave phones with someone on the beach or bring a float strap and a waterproof pouch, because the crew will not stop the boat to fish a phone out of the sea. Our drivers keep a dry bag in the vehicle for exactly this reason, so ask. Our longer packing list for an excursion day covers the rest.

When is the best time of day to go?

Early. The wind on the north and west coasts is lightest in the morning and builds after lunch. A 9 or 10 am slot almost always flies, while a 3 pm slot in December or January can get cancelled for gusts. Morning light is also better for the photos the crew takes from the boat. Your driver can collect you at the hotel, get you to the beach for the first launch, and have you back by midday with the whole afternoon still ahead of you.

How does it compare with jet ski and sea tubing?

Jet ski is for people who want to drive. The standard rental is about 30 minutes with a safety briefing first, and you stay inside a marked area off the beach. Two people can share one machine. You need to be an adult to drive, and in rough water it is a real workout for your arms. It is the loudest and fastest of the three.

Sea tubing is the one for groups and kids who want to scream. You sit in a big inflatable tube towed behind the captain's boat and bounce across the bay for a few minutes at a time. You will get soaked and you will probably fall off at least once, which is the point. We book it out of Ocho Rios.

Parasailing is the calm one. It is the only option of the three where a grandparent and a seven year old can do the exact same ride and both enjoy it. It is also the one with the best view.

Many guests do parasailing and jet ski back to back on the same beach in Montego Bay, which takes about two hours including the waiting around. In Negril, parasailing pairs well with a lazy Seven Mile Beach afternoon, and in Ocho Rios, sea tubing fits neatly before a snorkel trip on the reef.

How do you book it with us?

Tell us which coast you are staying on and we will set up the slot with the beach operator and the ride to get you there. From a Montego Bay hotel the beach is minutes away. From Negril or Ocho Rios we can also run a day trip across to the other coast if the sea is calmer there. You can book a tour online, or add the beach morning onto your private airport transfers so your first full day is already sorted before you land.