Parasailing
I am a big chicken and really don't like to do things where I could get hurt. I don't mind heights as long as I feel secure but a lot of activities that seem thrilling to other people only seem crazy to me. The one exception for me has been parasailing. I have wanted to do it for a long time because it was the perfect thrill to safety ratio for me. I love the water and the idea of flying up behind a boat sounded exciting and fun.
When Josh and I went to Bermuda on a cruise four years ago, he had planned to take me for my birthday and I was very excited about it. I should mention I am also terrified of sharks, even though I absolutely love the ocean, but around Bermuda there are very few sharks because of all the coral so parasailing around the beautiful island with pink sand and no sharks sounded amazing. Unfortunately, there was terrible weather while we were there, thanks to some hurricane, and I didn't get to go.
For my birthday this year, Josh tried again and my present was a parasailing adventure to be had while we were in North Carolina the week following my birthday. The first day we were scheduled to go they ended up cancelling because of high winds and I was losing hope that this was ever going to work out. But the next morning, we made it. We got on the boat with our family and another couple and boated out for a while into an estuary area with lots of little green islands and some wild ponies. Even just the boat ride was fun; I really love motor boats.
Josh and Lily went first and it was fun to watch them to know what to expect. Then it was my turn and Curtis came with me. We had life jackets and harnesses on and they had us sit on the back of the boat where there was a platform and then the captain just picked up speed a bit and all of a sudden you are floating off the boat and you start going up! It was all very gentle and calm. Just like a big kite they let out rope and you just go higher and higher until we were 400 feet up. I was gripping the harness but looking down surprisingly didn't make me nervous. The water was so beautiful and from up there we could see the beach and Cape Lookout, the cute town we had walked around the day before, and lots of little green islands. I love flying and have been in a helicopter and pretty recently a small plane and this had a very similar feel except you are just sitting in a harness. I love looking down on the land and seeing it like a map and how everything fits together.
The only thing that did make me nervous was it seemed like our bar was a bit tipped. The guy had asked us our weights to balance things but somehow I was lower than Curtis and that did make me a bit uncomfortable. I thought maybe I was really way off on my weight (we had been eating ice cream every night) but when I got home I was only a few pounds off so I felt good about that. Curtis must not weigh as much as I think he does or else the guy messed up a bit on our harnesses. It did make me feel a bit like a tubby though.
It wasn't windy or uncomfortable and Curtis and I could talk without a problem. The guys working it all had mentioned we might see a lot of sting rays because it was mating season and so I'll admit I was a bit nervous about falling into a pile of mating sting rays but I couldn't see any wildlife from so high up and I think that was good for me. Except we did a seagull flying below us and that was kind of fun to be higher up than it.
It was a 12-minute ride and then they started reeling us back in. I was kind of sad but at the same time felt like I had had a wonderful experience so it was okay for it to be over. We landed back on the boat really gently, just like sitting down on it. They unharnessed us and had us move quickly so the last couple could go. I think the tricky part for them was keeping the parachute flying smoothly behind the boat while switching people. It was so much fun and I enjoyed sharing the experience with my family. It was smooth and easy and my favorite part was that first moment of when the parachute catches and lifts you off the boat. I would definitely do it again if given the opportunity. It was an amazing birthday present!
When Josh and I went to Bermuda on a cruise four years ago, he had planned to take me for my birthday and I was very excited about it. I should mention I am also terrified of sharks, even though I absolutely love the ocean, but around Bermuda there are very few sharks because of all the coral so parasailing around the beautiful island with pink sand and no sharks sounded amazing. Unfortunately, there was terrible weather while we were there, thanks to some hurricane, and I didn't get to go.
For my birthday this year, Josh tried again and my present was a parasailing adventure to be had while we were in North Carolina the week following my birthday. The first day we were scheduled to go they ended up cancelling because of high winds and I was losing hope that this was ever going to work out. But the next morning, we made it. We got on the boat with our family and another couple and boated out for a while into an estuary area with lots of little green islands and some wild ponies. Even just the boat ride was fun; I really love motor boats.
Josh and Lily went first and it was fun to watch them to know what to expect. Then it was my turn and Curtis came with me. We had life jackets and harnesses on and they had us sit on the back of the boat where there was a platform and then the captain just picked up speed a bit and all of a sudden you are floating off the boat and you start going up! It was all very gentle and calm. Just like a big kite they let out rope and you just go higher and higher until we were 400 feet up. I was gripping the harness but looking down surprisingly didn't make me nervous. The water was so beautiful and from up there we could see the beach and Cape Lookout, the cute town we had walked around the day before, and lots of little green islands. I love flying and have been in a helicopter and pretty recently a small plane and this had a very similar feel except you are just sitting in a harness. I love looking down on the land and seeing it like a map and how everything fits together. The only thing that did make me nervous was it seemed like our bar was a bit tipped. The guy had asked us our weights to balance things but somehow I was lower than Curtis and that did make me a bit uncomfortable. I thought maybe I was really way off on my weight (we had been eating ice cream every night) but when I got home I was only a few pounds off so I felt good about that. Curtis must not weigh as much as I think he does or else the guy messed up a bit on our harnesses. It did make me feel a bit like a tubby though.
It was a 12-minute ride and then they started reeling us back in. I was kind of sad but at the same time felt like I had had a wonderful experience so it was okay for it to be over. We landed back on the boat really gently, just like sitting down on it. They unharnessed us and had us move quickly so the last couple could go. I think the tricky part for them was keeping the parachute flying smoothly behind the boat while switching people. It was so much fun and I enjoyed sharing the experience with my family. It was smooth and easy and my favorite part was that first moment of when the parachute catches and lifts you off the boat. I would definitely do it again if given the opportunity. It was an amazing birthday present!
That sounds so fun! I have always wanted to try parasailing, so it was great to read your first-hand account!
ReplyDelete