Experience This: Soar Above Ocean City on a Parasailing Adventure
A PARASAILING ADVENTURE GIVES A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF OCEAN CITY
FOR JAMIE RICHARD, parasailing is much more than flying high, having fun and making memories.
“I actually met my husband in Ocean City, Maryland, when I went parasailing,” Jamie said about her spouse, Joel.
Now Jamie and Joel are owners of Ocean City Parasail here in New Jersey.
“It’s me and my husband, it’s our business since 1995 – that’s the first year we went into business,” Jamie said.
And over the years and again this summer, their sons Keegan and Logan, who are also parasail captains like their dad, will be operating their distinctive yellow and green adventure boats with the brilliantly branded red and yellow “smiley peace parachutes.”
“There was no parasailing in Ocean City,” Jamie said of when she met Joel. “So he took a chance, went into business, got the boat, and here we are 30-some years later, still there.”
For Cole Brennan, the boat captain of FlyOCNJ Parasail, the thrill of seeing customers sail above the ocean is a rush for him, too, as he goes into his 14th summer. And seeing lasting relationships blossom from the adventurous activity is also rewarding.
“I’d say the No. 1 thing for us is the people that come and work with you and work for you and watching their lives grow,” Cole said.
“You see these kids come in, they’re 17-18 years old, and then the next thing you know, you got one guy that’s a pilot up there in the Delaware Bay, and we got another guy that’s an engineer, and another guy that’s a police officer.
One thing that’s unique about Ocean City, even compared to Miami, and you wouldn’t believe this, is just the amount of sea life we see up there.
“I’ve been doing it long enough to watch families grow,” he continued. “We do get a good number of people that will come every year, like I can think of probably five or six different father and daughter combinations.”
FlyOCNJ Parasail offers rides up to 500 feet for views of the beach and Boardwalk, with options for single, double or triple flights.
Cole, a United States Coast Guard-licensed captain, recommends booking in advance, especially for busy days like Wednesday through Friday.
The minimum age to fly is six.
A group can “go private,” which would be booking the whole boat for up to 12 passengers, flyers or observers at FlyONJ Parasail. Trips depart every 90 minutes from 8am until 6:30pm. Each trip offers approximately 10 minutes of air time per flight.
FlyOCNJ Parasail offers photo packages to capture the experience.
Spectators may join any trip with available seats for a fec. Space for spectators is not guaranteed and may not be reserved in advance of departure time.
FlyONJ Parasail, which is open daily 8am to 8pm from mid-June through September, is located at 314 Bay Avenue, between Third and Fourth streets at Bay View Marina.
In the winter, Cole also captains parasail boats in Miami.
“One thing that’s unique about Ocean City, even compared to Miami, and you wouldn’t believe this, is just the amount of sea life we see up there,” Cole said about New Jersey. “There’s dolphins and sharks, and there’s just stuff everywhere. [In Florida] we see nothing.
“Up there, we go out, it’s like a wildlife TV show. ‘Oh, look, there’s a sea turtle. Oh, there’s 25 dolphins. Oh, a whale,” Cole continued.
Ocean City Parasail, which is right around the corner from Cole at 232 Bay Avenue, between Second and Third streets, also sees the bountiful sea life as well as many of the same customers over the years.
The Richards also spend the winter in Florida as Joel captains a boat in Key West. He has been in the parasailing industry since he was 16 years old. He has a Master’s USC License and has flown in Ocean City, Maryland; St. Thomas; Honolulu; Puerto Rico; Antigua; and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. He also trains new operators.
An observer is charged a fee if space is available at the time of your trip.
Ocean City Parasail will take 30 to 50 pictures of your flight using a Canon Rebel with a 300-zoom lens. Also, there is an optional combination package of the digital photo and Go Pro option.
“A lot of people are a little nervous about it just because they don’t understand how it all works,” Jamie said. “They know you’re up high, they know there’s a parachute and a boat and a line and just the whole concept of parasailing sometimes scares people.
“But if people could just get on a boat and watch how the whole thing evolves, most people will end up doing it. If you can get on last just as an observer, somebody watching, and then you see how the whole experience works from taking off to landing, it’s really very simple.
“I mean, it’s all controlled by the skill of your captain. And the wind and the speed of the boat and it’s just a more relaxing experience than it is scary,” Jamie added.
And, perhaps there will be more than the relaxing and adventurous and fun experience.
“You never know,” Jamie said, “who you’re going to meet on that boat.”
By Kevin Callahan