Parasailing: 'Pleasure of the ride,' and a great view, too!

Many of us local shore goers are faithful visitors of Long Beach Island. We’ve traveled practically every inch of the 18-mile haven from Holgate to Barnegat Light. We’ve seen the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean and the sunset over Barnegat Bay. But many of us probably haven’t seen the area from a bird’s eye view, 350 feet above ground. Well, I have.

The sky was overcast, threatening scattered thunderstorms and a day to be spent indoors on a recent Thursday morning as I drove to Beach Haven Parasail in Beach Haven Gardens. Looming gray clouds sprinkled down a fine mist, coating everything with a dewy glimmer.

Photo by Ryan Morrill

When I arrived at Bay Haven Marina, a group of 13-year-old girls and their mother, who had traveled from Morristown to spend the week on LBI, were ardently waiting on the dock, hoping for me to hurry up and get on the 34-foot parasail winchboat so we could motor out to the bay and become human kites. Pulling away from the pier, with music bumping in the background, Beach Haven Parasail owner Tracey Newsome snapped a photo of the four girls eagerly awaiting the trip.

“This is just in case we lose one of you,” he said, joking. “Nah, we can’t get anything past you guys.

“They were here yesterday,” he added, turning toward me.

The girls had planned their parasail trip for July 18, but after watching a group of guys struggle with that day’s strong wind, Newsome decided to take the group back in and reschedule their trip for this day.

“It was so windy yesterday,” emphasized Marina Piccolo, who claimed she wasn’t one bit nervous about parasailing for the first time. “We watched as two of the guys came down and landed on the boat after (parasailing), and they were wobbling all over the place, trying to keep their feet on the ground,” she added, a hint of underlying fear in her voice.

Good parasailing conditions really depend on the strength of the wind and a person’s weight. According to Newsome, an individual or combined weight of 120 pounds is sufficient enough on a day when the wind is blowing at five miles per hour, or less. If the wind is moving faster than 20 miles an hour, at least 250 pounds of weight is needed to guarantee a safe, steady ride.

Newsome has been in the parasailing and water sport business for 30 years. He originally ran a charter boat business in Boston before moving to Florida and manning a boat that traveled with nearly 100 people on-board at a time. Eight years later, he was introduced to the owners of the Black Whale Cruises dock marina in Beach Haven, where he chartered yacht goers back and forth between the Island and Atlantic City. A couple of years after that, he took over the parasail business at Bay Haven Marina, where he’s been working ever since.

“I love everything about this job,” Newsome said with a big grin. “People always come back with a smile on their face. It’s not like fishing, where people come back angry if they haven’t caught any fish. Since the whole time I’ve been in this business, maybe only two or three people have come back from the trip upset. Even the people who don’t really seem into it, at first, come back happy.”

Besides Piccolo and I, the rest of the group had already been parasailing before. Kelsey McCluskey, Mary Grace Vallacchi and her mother, Grace Vallacchi, had given the sport a try with Beach Haven Parasail in 2011.

“We’ve been renting on Long Beach Island on and off for the past 20 years,” said Grace Vallachi. “We tried parasailing last year with these same guys, and we loved it. So we came back to do it again.”

After reaching the middle of the bay, Newsome suggested I take a seat while Aaron Milks, the aeronautical pararigging technician (a fancy title he gave himself), let out 500 feet of line and opened up the large, colorful parachute, which blossomed like a flower sprouting to life in fast-forward in a nature movie clip.

Photo by Ryan Morrill

Milks is working his third season at Beach Haven Parasail. He was just about to head back to Chicago after working in the Coast Guard on Long Beach Island, when Mandee Bellarosa, a friend of his who has worked at the marina the past nine years, helped him get this job.

“It’s fun working here, because people come in looking for a great, unique time,” said Milks. “Parasailing is so smooth and tranquil; it’s like you’re floating in the air. And you get that bird’s eye view of the whole Island.”

McCluskey and Piccolo were the first to parasail on this trip. Grins spread across their faces before they were even hoisted into the air.

As Newsome operated the hydraulic winch system, which slowly lifted the two girls above the bay, Milks quickly snapped a photo and encouraged them to wave.

“Most people calm down when they’re about 20 or 30 feet away from the boat. As soon as they let their hands go in the air, they realize how secure they are,” Newsome explained.

A typical ride with Beach Haven Parasail lasts between 12 and 14 minutes. Trips are only taken on the bay, where the water is warmer and calmer than the ocean. Milks explained that a ride over the bay is also better because you get a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean, the Island, Barnegat Bay and the mainland.

After a bit, Newsome decided it was time to bring McCluskey and Piccolo down for the big free fall dip in the bay.

“Let’s get these girls wet! They’re coming down!” he shouted.

As Newsome pressed down on the lever of the winch system, the girls slowly began descending toward the bay. Giggles and excited yells erupted as their feet hit the water.

“The bay is 85 degrees; it’s like being dunked in a bathtub,” Milks remarked.

Next, it was Vallachi and her mother’s turn. With huge smiles plastered on their faces, the two of them waved furiously the moment they began ascending into the air.

“Most people leave like this,” said Newsome, holding his arms near his face with his hands balled in tight fists. “And come back like this,” he concluded, his arms in the air.

Laughing, I hoped that I would feel the same way when it was finally my turn.

Because I only weigh 95 pounds and the minimum weight requirement for the day was 120 pounds, when considering the low wind speed, I decided I would have Piccolo join me. This way, I could meet the weight requirement, and all of the girls on the boat could say that they had gone parasailing twice.

After strapping on a life jacket and stepping into a harness, I anxiously awaited my departure. When Vallachi and her mother arrived on-board, Milks led Piccolo and me to the back of the boat, where he buckled us into the tandem bar. Sitting down, with the harness positioned underneath our legs, he grabbed his camera for a quick goodbye photo while Newsome manned the winch system. And up we went.

I held on for dear life, until everyone on the boat waved at us. I waved back and felt all of my anxiety float away.

The sky was gray, which made it difficult to make out the different shops and restaurants that dotted the coastline. Yet gliding around in the air was so peaceful, I realized that, at least for me, the trip was more about the pleasure of the ride than it was about the view. I was surprised by how safe I felt, even 350 feet above water. Leaning back in the harness, I was reminded of those slow, spinning swing rides found at amusement parks, which I loved as a young girl and still love to this day.

Photo by Ryan Morrill

When Piccolo and I noticed we were descending for the free fall dip, she told me to keep my mouth shut so I wouldn’t swallow any saltwater. I just wish she had told me that my bathing suit bottom might fall down.

“That’s why I held mine up,” she said, laughing at me.

We were pulled back up before Newsome dipped us into the bay again, and then gently dragged us back to the boat. This time, I kept my mouth shut and my bathing suit bottom up.

Getting out of the harness and life vest, I realized I hadn’t brought a towel. I was freezing, so I quickly slipped into my tank top and shorts, while Newsome and Milks packed up the parachute.

As we arrived back on land, another group of customers were already lined up, excitedly waiting to get on-board. Stepping out of their way, I wished them a happy and safe trip.

If you’re interested in participating in your own unique parasailing experience, visit bhparasail.com (609-492-0375), or for sailing over the ocean from Barnegat Light, visit LBIParasail.com (609-361-6100). Photos, T-shirts and movies of your trip are available for purchase.


This article was published in The Beachcomber.