The Average Costs to Go Parasailing

Whether you’re planning on going solo or bringing the entire family, parasailing is a fun, adventuresome activity with massive appeal. Before you schedule your first parasailing trip, you wonder what you’re going to pay. How much does it cost to go parasailing?

The average price of a day of parasailing is $45 to $200. Factors such as the location of the parasailing, the duration, and whether the tour is guided can drive up costs.

In this article, we’ll present a variety of real parasailing prices all over the world so you can determine how much you might spend to see breathtaking views of the sea and clouds while dozens and dozens of feet up in the air!

Average Parasailing Costs with Real Examples

One of the best parts about parasailing is you can do it virtually anywhere. You need only a sunny day, a beautiful beach, a boat, and some good winds and you’re ready to go! Depending on where in this world you most crave your parasailing experience, you’ll pay closer to the lower end of the average price ($45) or the higher end ($200 and up).

Let’s take a closer look at parasailing costs globally.

Parasailing Costs in the United States

From Waikiki to Seattle, Miami to Madeira Beach, and Cape Cod to Cape May, the United States has no shortage of places for a thrilling parasailing adventure.

Here are some parts of the US outside of Florida that are popular for parasailing as well as the starting costs:

Waikiki, Hawaii – $74 for a one-hour guided tour
Seattle, Washington – $129 for an hour
South Padre Island, Texas – $79 for 45 minutes
Maui, Hawaii – $107 for an hour
Lake Tahoe – $80 for 45 minutes
Honolulu, Hawaii – $75 for an hour
Virginia Beach, Virginia – $85 for an hour
Ocean City, New Jersey – $75 for 45 minutes
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – $85 for an hour
Marina Del Rey, California – $95 per rider
Cape May, New Jersey – $70 for an hour
Cape Cod, Massachusetts – $100 for an hour

Few places in the country are more beloved for parasailing than Florida. This makes sense considering the temperate weather this state experiences practically all year long. Whether you’re visiting the northernmost tip of Florida or further south, you can parasail. Here are some Florida parasailing costs to familiarize yourself with:

Madeira Beach – $80 for an hour
Miami – $145 to $200 for an hour to three-hour rides
Walt Disney World – $200 for two riders
Pensacola Beach – $90 for an hour
Panama Beach City – $80 for four miles
Marco Island – $75 for an hour
Fort Myers Beach – $90 per rider
Cocoa Beach – $79 at 1,000 feet

Parasailing Costs in Australia

Perhaps your family vacation takes you down under to Australia. The steaming hot summers here will have you begging for the relief of the cool ocean air as you parasail. In the large city of Sydney, you might pay around $65USD per person.

Looking at these Australian parasailing listings courtesy of activity resource Viator, the cost of parasailing for about an hour seems to be $80USD or so. For a three-hour tour, you might pay between $200USD and $400USD.

You can even go on private parasailing tours across Australia, but this is pretty costly at close to $800USD!

Parasailing Costs in South Africa

Even in the usually cold winter winds of January, over in South Africa, the temperatures linger at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit in Johannesburg. The prices for parasailing in this part of the country are $50USD to $100USD.

Parasailing Costs in Thailand

If you’d prefer even warmer weather than what you can find in South Africa, try Thailand, especially Phuket. In January, the highs are 91 degrees and the lows 76 degrees. In February, the weather gets even warmer, with average highs of up to 92 degrees. January has about four days of rain a month and February two days, so you can ensure sunny weather on your winter getaway.

To parasail in Phuket, the prices are $30USD to $90USD, making this one of the more inexpensive places to get your parasailing fix!

Factors That Affect Parasailing Costs

Are you wondering why some locations like Phuket offer parasailing for next to nothing, but in Florida, the prices are up to two times higher? We touched on this in the intro, but here are the factors that can make parasailing more expensive around the world.

Location

The more premiere the location, the more cash you can expect to fork over if you want to go parasailing there. Florida is known worldwide for its sandy beaches, warm weather, and clear waters. Phuket has the same types of beaches, but Florida is the more popular destination of the two.

Plus, with Florida’s many tourist traps, including Disney World, as you venture throughout the state, you should expect to see higher parasailing prices. If you look at the list of US-based parasailing places and their accompanying prices, you’ll also notice that well-known destinations are costlier.

For example, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina attracts about 14 million people each year. It makes sense that you’d pay close to $90 to parasail there.

Number of Parasailers Per Trip

Traveling light is always advisable, and that can go for the number of parasailers in your party as well. If you’re riding solo, you only have to pay for your own ride, making the experience a cheaper one. As you add on more riders, such as two or three, you could be doubling and even tripling your price. Of course, some parasailing companies might offer group rates so you can save more money by increasing the size of your party.

Flight Height

This one was interesting but can’t be overlooked. While it won’t be the case for every parasailing company, in our research, we did see some companies that charge you more to ascend higher. For example, in Clearwater Beach, Florida, to ascend 800 feet while parasailing, the experience might cost you $69. If you’d rather reach incredible heights of 1,000 feet, you’d pay $79.

Given that it’s more effort on the part of the boat operator to raise you higher in the air, we’d say it’s worth the $10 for the extra 200 feet in height if you care about going as high as you can!

Parasailing Duration

If a parasailing company doesn’t charge you by height, then they’ll likely base their rates around your overall time in the sky. Most parasailing flights last an hour, but others are shorter at 45 minutes. Although with some parasailing experiences, you’re losing out on 15 minutes, you’re still paying the same as you would for an hourlong flight.

Does even an hour in the sky seem like too little time for you? No biggie. Some parasailing companies offer flights lasting several hours, including up to three hours, even three and a half hours! These are more expensive flights, about $300 on average, which is about $100 an hour. That would make these longer flights in-line with the prices cited in the last section.

Extra Fees Associated with Parasailing

Those starting prices are only some of what you’ll pay for a day of parasailing. These other fees also come into play, so make sure you allocate the room in your budget!

Equipment Rental

If you already own parasailing equipment such as a harness or a seat, you may be able to bring it with you. You might also rent equipment and use that too, which will cost you extra. We’d recommend calling or emailing the parasailing company and asking directly. Some companies might insist you use their equipment to avoid liabilities.

Photos and/or Videos

You can make some incredible memories up in the sky while parasailing. To capture these timeless moments, you can request the parasailing company take photos and/or video. For 50 photos, you might pay around $20, maybe as much as $40 depending on the company. Videos will be more costly, like $50 to $60 and up, but the footage is often high-quality and shot by a professional.

If your budget is especially tight, you can skip this feature!

Cancellation Fees

We have to talk about cancellation fees, even though this is not a guaranteed charge. Listen, sometimes things happen and the big parasailing trip you were looking forward to can’t happen. If that’s the case, then you should get in touch with the parasailing company as soon as possible to let them know you’re canceling. You at least want to give them 24 hours’ notice.

Canceling an hour or two ahead of your flight will more than likely incur cancellation fees. These can be a portion of what you paid, the full price, or even a custom fee, so always be courteous when canceling!

Final Thoughts

Parasailing is not necessarily an expensive activity, with an average price of $45 to $200 for an hour in the sky. Even if you leave US soil and parasail in places like Australia, Thailand, or South Africa, you’re not looking at prices that are much higher. We hope this article helps you realize that parasailing is indeed within your budget!