High Times
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday May 10, 2003
Strap yourself in for a soaring trip.
Parasailing is the ideal adventure sport for those who don't really care much for physical exertion. Sydney Harbour Parasail even advertises this fact as a call to (in)action with the boast that "all you need is the ability to sit". Old, young, fit or flabby - with parasailing the playing field is completely level.
While $99 for a tandem and $56 for a single ride sounds steep for eight to 10 minutes in the air, it isn't so unreasonable when you consider the cost of a boat, petrol, equipment, and two-person crew.
We arrive 15 minutes early as advised and Birgit issues our tickets. She tells us business is the toughest it has been in its 11 years of operation, largely due to ever-escalating costs of public liability insurance. "So now it is more for love than money," she says with a wry smile and shrug.
Our cast of nine consists of two backpacking couples, a pair of middle-aged women with a hubby in tow, and ourselves. Expectant smiles all-around as we board the Cougar catamaran from Manly Wharf and are jetted quickly out onto the harbour. Insurance costs notwithstanding, it seems business is still buzzing from the brisk way in which the operator gets things under way without chitchat or a briefing on what to expect.
The first flyers are a pair who have opted for a "dry run", meaning they're not keen on being dunked into the harbour. The boat's engine has barely started running before the operator has them on deck, strapped into their life jackets, hooked into a seat-like harness then instructed to sit down on deck, facing backwards and ready for lift-off. Seconds later they're whooshed into the sky with a bright yellow, smiley face parachute billowing above them. Their nervous expressions soon give way to wide smiles for a snapshot. (If you bring a loaded camera the operator will take a photo free of charge.)
When our turn comes we decide we may as well go for the full shebang. As someone who's more than a bit scared of heights, I'm worried I will find the experience more terrifying than fun. But, to my surprise, the only scary part is observing how very small everyone looks from so high in the sky.
Floating 100 metres above the boat, there's something incredibly tranquil about being perched sky-high with your partner, above bustling beaches and the humming harbour traffic. Up here all is still and we have an exquisite view stretching from Manly Cove to South Head. We lean back and take it all in, chatting away as companionably as if at home on our sofa.
The wildest part of the ride is being dunked twice or thrice quickly into the sea before being yanked back into the air.
The coldness of the water is exhilarating; we'll give it that. It's also an effective hangover cure. But if you're going to get wet it's best to bring a change of clothes and a towel.
Or at least wear gear that's water-friendly.
Our high time is over all too soon and we're winched back to the boat, shivering and dripping, but not quite as chilly or blue as the backpacking Brit in her bikini.
Sydney Harbour Parasail is located on Manly Wharf in front of the ferris wheel. Bookings are advised, phone 9977 6781 or 0414 405 454 or see www.parasail.net for details. Prices: $59 single, $99 tandem.
© 2003 Sydney Morning Herald