There’s something that you need to consider before you even seriously contemplate para-sailing as an activity you want to try out on your Jamaican vacation. Namely, are you afraid of heights? That doesn’t mean you can walk up to the top of a high building without getting dizzy, but rather you wouldn’t be afraid being suspected from the top of it! How will you be suspended by little more than fabric and ropes being a human kite over the ocean below? Para-sailing is an extreme sport that’s not for the fainthearted, so if you watch the participants yelling with exhilaration as they take off, and think about wandering along to sign up – think long and hard about whether or not you’re really up to this one!
One way of finding out if you’re ready to take such a step into the unknown is to fly tandem. In this scenario, you will be attached to an experienced para-sailer who will make sure that you aren’t hurt. This should be enough to find out if it’s something you could do solo, or if the tandem flight was all the para-sailing experience you need!
Many of the hotels offer para-sailing opportunities, equipment and coaching as part of their activity packages and this is probably all a beginner needs. The things to watch out for are the force of the take-off when the jet ski starts up and you fly backwards up into the sky – and the tricky part of getting the landing just right. In the middle, just sit back and enjoy the ride – and if you’ve got the nerve, take a few pictures, but it might be an idea to have the camera fastened to some clothing so that if you lose a grip on it, you won’t lose the camera into the ocean below.
If you want to try something a little bit different, or get a bit bored of lying on a sun-kissed beach, para-sailing is certainly worth considering – but remember, if you can’t handle heights, it’s not for you!