Parasailing vs Skydiving | What’s the Difference?

People who are not familiar with parasailing or skydiving can often get confused. After all, they both involve parachutes, harnesses, and flying through the sky. Plus, they’re both enjoyable! So, what is the difference?

Skydiving involves jumping from a plane at a certain altitude while strapped to an instructor in a harness, your parachute deploys to slow you until you touch the ground. Parasailing also involves a harness and parachute, but the parachute is designed to lift you in the air behind a boat while you are being towed by a long rope.

In this article, I’ll talk about the differences between parasailing and skydiving so that you can understand a bit more about how they differ, what they cost, and what you can expect!

What’s the Difference Between Parasailing and Skydiving?

Both skydiving and parasailing are entertaining sports. Parasailing is done from a boat, as opposed to skydiving, which involves leaping out of a plane.

With skydiving, you experience a freefall, and then the instructor will deploy a parachute which you both will use to float to the ground. But in parasailing, you sit in the harness under the parachute, which lifts with the wind and speed of the boat.

What is Parasailing?

In parasailing, one or more participants are pulled into the air behind a boat while linked to a device like a parachute, which acts like a kite in the wind and raises the participants into the air. Cars and trucks can also be used to parasail over land.

Most parasailing takes place over water, with a large motorboat as the propelling device. An anchor vehicle is connected to the parasail by a tow line, and the parasail is connected to the parasailers via a harness. Although three parasailers can be allowed occasionally, parasailing typically includes one or two.

Interested in parasailing? You can read our related guides:

What is Skydiving?

Skydiving is a more established extreme activity that has been practiced since the first parachute leap in 1797.

Skydiving’s fundamental concept is to jump off an airplane or mountain, fall to a particular altitude, soar for 30 to 180 seconds, and then steadily float in the skies until you land safely on solid ground with a parachute.

The sport has advanced significantly technologically since 1797, growing in popularity worldwide.

Interested in skydiving? Read our detailed skydiving guides:

Is Parasailing or Skydiving Safer?

Parasailing is more or less risk-free because you never soar that far into the air, you are always over water (in case something goes wrong), and the canopies they employ are also reliable.

Even though skydiving is very safe, there are a lot more possibilities of problems that could arise. Although parasailing is a bit safer, there is undoubtedly a difference in the level of safety expected in these two professions.

For example, parasailing involves individuals who tow you up and let you land. In contrast, tandem skydiving includes an individual who straps themselves to you and risks your lives together. Both are safe, so you shouldn’t be hesitant to attempt either.

Parasailing Safety Statistics:

The organization that keeps track of accidents, injuries, and fatalities related to parasailing is the Parasail Safety Council. Their website is fascinating since it includes information on the development of parasailing since the 1960s.

Thank you to the Parasail Safety Council; we have more than 30 years’ worth of data. The group tracked 170 million parasail trips between 1982 and 2012. Over this time period, 1800 people suffered injuries on those rides.

Remember, that’s over a 30-year period rather than a single year. If injuries occurred at the same rate each year, parasailing would result in an average of 60 injuries per year.

Only 70 deaths happened during those 30 years, an even lower death rate. While assuming an equal number of deaths are reported each year equals an annual average of 2.3 deaths. Driving and hiking are commonplace activities that cause far more fatalities.

Skydiving Safety Statistics:

In 2021, in more than 210 USPA-affiliated skydiving facilities nationwide, almost 39,412 USPA members made roughly 3.57 million jumps. Skydiving is a popular sport in the U.S. (with an average of 91 jumps per member).

The USPA reported 10 fatal skydiving incidents in 2021, the fewest ever, at a fatality rate of 0.28 per 100,000 jumps. This is comparable to 2020 when there were 2.8 million fewer jumps by participants, and 11 fatalities were reported by USPA, representing a rate of 0.39 per 100,000.

Each loss is tragic for the skydiving community, who work together yearly to learn from these incidents and develop the sport. The sport has now become safer than ever thanks to innovations in technology, equipment, and training programs for skydivers.

In the first year USPA (then known as the Parachute Club of America) kept information on annual fatalities, PCA counted 14 skydiving fatalities. Over the following two decades, the numbers significantly rose, reaching a high in the late 1970s, when deaths were at the 50+ level for several years.

Which is More of a Thrill?

If you’re looking for near heart-stopping action, then skydiving will be the sport you want. Parasailing is fun; however, you have time to relax while floating through the air. As soon as you’re at your flying height, it’s rather soothing.

On the other hand, skydiving is a non-stop adrenaline rush from when you suit up and get on the plane until you land. While both are extreme sports, skydiving is excellent for those who want to push themselves to their limits.

Interested in adrenaline rush activities? Check out these guides for some crazy activities:

What’s the More Popular Action Sport?

Parasailing is the most popular sport. Around 3 to 5 million people enjoy parasailing yearly, whereas about 2 to 3 million skydive in that same timeframe.

The popularity difference stems from something other than how fun the activity is but instead from the risk people are willing to take. If you crash from a parasail, you are more likely to survive than crashing during a skydive.

However, both sports are as safe as they can be. Just make sure that you’re participating with professionals.

Does Parasailing or Skydiving Cost More?

Skydiving costs more than parasailing. For a skydive, you will pay around $300 on average, and that is without the video or photo package. Parasailing costs between $75 and $150, depending on where you go and how old you are.

There is much more involved with skydiving than with parasailing when it comes to time, gear, and risk. Therefore, all of that is reflected in the cost.

Which is a Longer, A Parasailing Ride or a Skydive?

The entire process of skydiving lasts quite a bit longer than parasailing. This stands true in a few different ways, as skydiving also has different altitudes from which you will jump.

Below, I put together a little walkthrough so you can better understand the amount of time it will take for each sport.

How Long Will It Take To Skydive?

While the dive only lasts a handful of minutes, the process can take around 4 to 5 hours. Below, I’ll give you a breakdown of what this entails.

However, if you’re going for a halo jump, this will take an entire day and a half. The first day you will be there for safety training strictly for around 4 hours. Then, the next day, be prepared to be at the facility for 10 to 12 hours.

But below is more of a walkthrough for your basic jump.

Check-In For Your Jump: 15 – 20 Minutes

Before your jump, most facilities will ask that you show up around 15 to 20 minutes before your scheduled time to ensure they can process all necessary paperwork. It’s the best time to buy add-ons such as a video package or photos.

Required Safety Course: 1 Hour

The safety course is going to be an essential part of the day and will take you around an hour. This is when you can learn about the different body positions you’ll need to know and what to do for your initial jump.

Gearing Up: 10 to 15 Minutes

It takes 10 to 15 minutes to get strapped to your instructor and ensure that the harness fits you well. At this time, you’ll have your goggles and any other gadgets you need for the jump.

Getting On The Plane And Jumping: 20 to 25 Minutes

Boarding the plane is quick, especially with a smaller group. The flight to your altitude takes about 15 minutes, depending on how high you’re going.

If you are undertaking a halo jump, this will be about a 30-minute flight. However, to lower altitudes such as 10,000 feet or 14,000 feet, it will take around 15 to 20 minutes to reach.

Freefall: 40 to 90 Seconds

How long you freefall all depends on the altitude you jump from. This journey phase will take anywhere from 40 to 90 seconds.

Parachute Cruise Time: 5 to 7 Minutes

No matter how high you jump, your instructor will always deploy the parachute around the 4,000-foot mark. It will then take around 5 to 7 minutes for you to reach the ground.

Taking Off The Gear: 5 Minutes or Less

Taking off your gear only takes about 5 minutes or so. It doesn’t matter how the gear comes off; it only matters how it gets on! Just make sure you don’t ruin any straps in the process.

Wrapping Up: 20 Minutes to 60 Minutes

This is the time when you make it back to the facility. Sometimes that’s a 5-minute walk or a 20-minute drive. After that, you will have your photos and videos ready about 20 to 40 minutes after you land, and then you’re free to go home!

How Long Does It Take To Parasail?

Parasailing is much quicker than skydiving, as the entire trip from start to finish takes about an hour. Below is a brief glimpse of what you can expect for a full day of parasailing:

Check-in: 5 Minutes

Checking in takes a little time, and you must show your ID and pay for your flight. Since it will likely only be you and a couple of others, this is a relatively quick process.

Safety Training: 10 Minutes

The crew will go over the hand signals with you, what to expect during your flight, and what you should do in case of an accident. This only takes about 10 minutes.

Getting Into Position: 15 Minutes

Once you walk out to the docks, you will be handed a life vest before boarding the boat. Once on the boat, it takes just a few minutes to get into position and get the parasail ready for you to get into it.

Parasail Flight: 14 Minutes

The number 14 might sound weird to you, but this involves a few different steps. First, it will take about 2 minutes to get you harnessed up and ready to rock and roll.

Then, it will be about 60 seconds until you reach your cruising altitude. Once you reach that, your flight will be around 10 minutes in total. Then, returning and getting out of the harness will take another minute or so.

Are Parasailing Parachutes or Skydiving Parachutes Bigger?

Parasailing parachutes are larger than skydiving ones because the parasail is meant to lift you, whereas the skydiving parachute is intended to glide you.

Therefore, you will need more area to lift someone on a parasail than the area you will need to slow down a freefalling person.

Plus, you carry your skydiving parachute as you jump from a plane, so it can’t be overly large. While parasailing, the parachute is lifted before an then you are connected to it, so the size doesn’t need to be as small.

Final Thoughts

Both skydiving and parasailing are fun ventures, but they’re both drastically different in the way that the sport is experienced and how it is conducted. The one you choose depends on the adrenaline level you are looking to get.

For a more relaxed but still adrenaline-inducing activity, I suggest parasailing. However, if you’re looking for something more extreme, jumping out of a plane is the way to go!

Heather Wright

When Heather is not participating in extreme sports you can find her working the events across the country, or writing about these amazing adrenaline rushes. She loves to go skydiving, snowboarding, parasailing, hang gliding, dirt boarding, off-roading and hiking.