Closer to the sky (Parasailing in Boracay)

This can be found here
Closer to the Sky

by Paul John Caña

I suppose it was partly because of boredom that I found myself wanting to try out parasailing. I’ve been to Boracay more than a few times and always, I’d fall into the same routine: lounge by the beach, have a few shakes at Jonah’s, get a massage, take advantage of happy hour and party all night. I was never the type to try out all those water sports: banana boats, Flying Fish, jetskis, etc. From my spot on the front beach, a cool banana-papaya shake in one hand and a stick of hotdog in the other, I’d gaze out to the horizon and see those colorful parasails hovering in the distance and never imagined I’d be on one myself.

But boredom really does make you do crazy things.

It was a couple of years back when I was in that hotbed of hedonism (yet again) with a couple of friends. Boracay has it all: the best beach in the world, countless food choices that can satiate every kind of appetite, and a kickin’ party scene. On that particular trip though, the objective was just to kick back and relax. We didn’t have a set itinerary and there weren’t any concrete plans to do anything specific. My friends and I simply decided to let the island winds take us wherever it wanted to go. I had no idea how literal that statement was going to be.

If you’ve ever been to Boracay, you’d know about those “salesmen” that line the beach offering various seaside activities to passing tourists and passersby. “Mam banana boat po kayo?” “Sir island-hopping?” “Mam snorkeling?” If you were like us who just wanted to be left alone, the correct thing to do, of course, is to smile politely and just walk away. But for some reason, I got to talking with one particular “salesman,” who wanted us to try parasailing. Like I said, we hadn’t planned on doing anything else beyond working on our tans while drinking fruit shakes and/or beer by the beach, but chalk it up to the whims of fate, and before I knew it, we had made arrangements with the guy to take us out on this unique adventure.

We had questions for him, of course: was it safe? How long would we be up on air? Has anybody ever fallen off to his or her death? And most importantly, how much? He answered them all: yes, it was perfectly safe. We’d be strapped in to a harness that was securely attached to the parasail. We’d be up there flying for approximately 15 minutes. And no, they’ve never known anybody to fall off while they were airborne. As for the price, we were initially quoted P2,000 each for the 15-minute ride, but a friend of mine was a master at haggling, and she managed to bring the price down to P1,500 each. It was now or never.

We boarded a small, motorized banca that then took us to a much bigger, much faster speedboat. It was going to be my friend and I who’d be going up in tandem, while another friend would stay on the boat and take pictures. We zoomed off about a kilometer out to sea, presumably so we wouldn’t get in the way of all those vacationers swimming by the water’s edge and interrupt all those other people in their banana boats and Flying Fishes.

And then it was time. After sitting on the edge of the speedboat and getting strapped on, the attendants slowly let the line loose. The wind caught the parasail and gave it a mighty tug that suddenly yanked us out of the boat. I let out an involuntary gasp. The boat attendant fed the line and I felt us going up, higher and higher. It was at that point, I think, that the enormity of what we were doing dawned on me: we were tied to a gigantic modified parachute and launched 100 feet into the air, with what seemed like flimsy straps attached to steel hooks the only things keeping us from hurtling down into the blue water below. I was terrified. I felt my breath catch in my throat and saw my knuckles turn nearly white, hanging on for dear life at the thin strip of metal overhead. My hands got all cold and clammy, too, and you can bet the wind had nothing to do with it. I turned over to my friend and he was speechless; he was obviously petrified too.

I closed my eyes for a minute and tried to calm down. I remembered the words of the guy who led us here in the first place: parasailing was perfectly safe and nobody ever fell off into the sea (as far as he knew anyway). When I opened my peepers again, I started to relax. I looked around and started to take in the sights: the front beach way out in the distance, the sun starting its descent in the horizon, bancas near the shoreline that looked like tiny toy boats. I looked over at my friend and he was beginning to loosen up, too. It was surprisingly quiet and peaceful up there; the wind, which I thought would be howling, was gentle and soothing. I still couldn’t let go of the piece of metal over our heads, but I started to really enjoy the experience. The P1,500 was so worth it, I thought to myself while we were gliding over the waters.

Suddenly, and all too soon, the 15 minutes were up and we slowly started to go down. Some people get their kicks out of motor racing, bungee jumping or skydiving, and these are all pursuits that I have yet to experience. But personally I’m glad I got to scratch parasailing off my list. I’d do it again in a heartbeat, and next time, my eyes are gonna be wide open the whole way through.


Travel Notes
Parasailing is fast becoming one of the more popular seaside attractions in many of the major beaches around the country. The next time you’re in Boracay, it won’t be too hard to find operators who offer parasailing services. It’s a good idea to inquire with your hotel front desk for reputable boat operators so you don’t get scammed. You can also try negotiating with the numerous beachside “salesmen” who try to talk you into various watersports activities. If you don’t feel comfortable with the person you’re talking to, it’s perfectly okay to refuse and simply walk away.

Expect to shell out between P1800 to P2500 for your 15 minutes up in the air. If you’re lucky though and a champion haggler, some operators may charge less, especially during the off-peak season. For further inquiries, and a list of reputable watersports operators, call the Department of Tourism Office at +63 36 2883669 or the Boracay Tourist Information Center at +63 36 2883704.

If you are planning on vacationing in other islands apart from Boracay, ask your resort if they can arrange a parasailing adventure for you. Cebu, Bohol, Palawan and Negros are also great parasailing destinations.