Parasailing is designed to be towed by either a 4-wheel drive vehicle or a boat. The parasailor has a parachute attached or harnessed behind his back. He then snaps the harnesses of the parasail, after signaling to the driver of the vehicle or the boat. By lunging a couple of steps forward, he soars up, up and away.



Imagine feeling the wind across your face. You'll not only get the thrill of flying, you'll also see the beautiful scenery high up in the sky. By soaring thousands of feet up bodies of water such as rivers, lakes and oceans, the parasailor takes in the beauty of nature firsthand.

Landing isn't as daunting as it seems. The whole process is that the boat or the 4-wheel vehicle slows down until the parasailor lowers himself down to the ground.

Parasailing started in the 1960s. Pierre Lamoigne attached a couple of parachutes to his car. It was a less expensive way for him to teach on how to parachute. By lifting the parachuters up to a required height, Lamoigne and his crew set them free up in the sky. This procedure was referred to as parascending.

By 1961, a parachute company began franchising parachutes - making them under a protected brand which is a parasail.

In the turn of the 1970s, Mark McCullough set the standards when it came to parasailing. He was the first ever to use parachutes while at sea. Before, lifting parasails was practiced from the base line. It was McCullough who encouraged other parasailing practitioners to try out a different approach - which is launching the parasailor from a specially-designed platform.

It was also McCullough who invented the winch boat. This is a ship that assists the parachute by pulling it back to the boat. This invention changed how parasailors landed after their flight.

Parasailing is enjoyable and simply breathtaking. If you're worried that it might not be safe, rest assured it is stable. The ground crew and driver are all experienced. Besides, this is one of the few rides a parasailor can enjoy and there's no need for him to steer.

If you want to try this out for yourself, you can ask your local municipality where and who you can approach about this. Chances are there are dare devils in your community.

You can also try searching online. There are official parasailing sites that offer a complete list of where interested parasailors or parasailor newbies can gain the information they need about this past time.