One of the many thrilling activities on offer at Gold Coast Watersports is parasailing. Effortlessly gliding through heavenly, clear blue skies above some of the world’s most beautiful beaches (which are right here on the Gold Coast) is an unbeatable experience!
At Gold Coast Watersports we make parasailing look so easy and safe! That’s because we use only top quality parasails and gear for our parasailing adventures based on proven performance and reliability ensuring the stability of the parasail and ultimately the safety of our clients. Our professional staff are fully trained in our parasailing activities so our all our clients experience is absolute, pure fun.
But did you how the parasail came to be? The parasail evolved from its humble beginnings in 1962, when a French engineer by the name of Pierre-Marcel Lemoigne, developed the Ascending-Gliding Parachute which was a modification to the Para Commander parachute.
Pierre-Marcel Lemoigne trained new parachutists by towing them behind a vehicle until they reached altitude. He then released them so they could practice descending to landing. These practice landings using a vehicle meant they were economically viable than using air planes.
From 1962 we move to the period 1971 to 1974, where Mark McCulloh took the design and function of the parasail to new levels. Through trial and error, Mark McCulloh created in 1974 the Winchboat, a recovery vessel that used a hydraulic winch that launched and retrieved the parasail canopy from a launch pad, that would see the commercial parasailing industry now aspiring to new standards.
In 1976 it is said Brian Gaskin of Kent, England, together with a group of friends developed the 16-gore (16 suspension lines) Parasail, replacing the 24-gore modified Para Commander parachute.
With the parasailing product now well and truly evolving, it lead to contracts with the US Air Force for Mark McCulloh who produced winchboats as training vessels for Air Force personnel.
The late 1980’s saw parasailing become an extremely popular new pastime through advertising along with new design concepts introduced like the Gondola which allowed the parasailers to recline in a basket as an option to hanging from the canopy of the chute along with the ability to inline tandem parasail.
Through the years the parasail concept has continued to develop and steadfastly remains a preferred watersports activity, not just on the Gold Coast but throughout the world. At various tourist spots around the globe, where there is water, there will be parasailing.
At Gold Coast Watersports our clients can’t enough of this adrenalin pumping ride that stretches high into the sky. We are even able to assist persons with disabilities experience the thrill of parasailing with a dedicated and professional team ensuring our clients safety is a priority at all times.
If you’d like to experience parasailing, be sure to talk to us at Gold Coast Watersports so you can experience the thrill of a lifetime with the best parasailing company of the Gold Coast.