wsia parasailing training manual · wsia wsia 2010 page 1 parasailing training manual the intention...

WSIA

WSIA 2010

Parasailing

Training Manual The intention of this document is to encourage better

safety and knowledge though out the industry.

As a member please read this document thoroughly and if you

have any questions please contact us:

Parasailing when done correctly is a fun and enjoyable experience

for the participants and operators; this is why it is important to

understand the content of this document. If done incorrectly you

could injure, maim or even kill someone and you would have that

on your conscience for the rest of your life.

Please, if you do not understand any part of this document we

recommended you partake in a training course.

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Index

Page 2 Location

Page 3-10 Equipment

Page 11-20 Pre Operation

Page 21 Maximum wind

Page 22 Maximum wave height

Page 23 Proximity to shore

Page 24-26 How and Why a Parasail flies

Page 27-29 Emergency procedures

Page 30-36 Captain and Crew Operational skills

Location

There is no such thing as a bad location, however there are some that could be considered bad locations such as Aruba

and Lanzarote (in Canary Islands) where winds are commonly blowing 25 to 35 mph, but there has been parasailing

there for 25 years with major no problems.

These are some tips to finding a good location:

• A family orientated area

• An area that attracts young people

• An area with a good location to operation from

• An area with historically good weather conditions for parasailing

• An area where the flight zone is highly visible to the customer base

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• An area where there is fresh circulation of visitors

Equipment

Vessel

Your vessel should be purpose built for parasailing by a commercial vessel manufacturer such as the following

examples:

CWS CENTURION

23/28 Nordic Aerial pro 30 Flight 33

Ocean pro 31 Ocean pro 35 Enzo flight 24

PREMIUM STRATUS ISLAND HOPPER

Premium 28 Stratasailor ISLAND HOPPER 28

PARACRAFT USA ALP AKSU

Paracraft 25 Warrior 32 Bunkjo 32

SURFRIDER INTERNATIONAL

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Apache 27 Warrior 33 Cherokee 30

Do not attempt to build your own, as in example below:

In no way is this boat acceptable for parasailing

Winch

Most new parasail vessels will comply with WSIA best practices on winch systems, if you are buying a used parasail

vessel or are unsure when buying a new parasailing vessel, you must look to see if parasail vessel complies with the

following:

It must be a hydraulic system powered by PTO, belt, or its own power supply. An electric system is incapable of

performing for the intention of parasailing.

PTO Belt drive Donkey engine electric

It must be fitted with a hydraulic release brake system and must not have the ability to free spool (run away

uncontrollably). The hydraulic release brake system means that when the lever is in neutral or the system is dead then

the brake will hold, not allowing the drum to rotate. Only when oil is pumped into the brake can the drum rotate.

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Examples below:

Brake, motor and counter balance manifold like this

or like this

A levelwind must be fitted to winch drums with a towline capacity greater than 300 ft.

With levelwind bars Without levelwind bar

Winch terminology

The system The drum

All vessels should have the correct numbers and types of:

Emergency life vest

Flares

Fire extinguishers

First aid and safety equipment

For the type and Passenger rating of your vessel

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Parasails (canopies, parachutes or chutes)

You should only use parasails manufactured by a commercial parasail manufacturer and never use any other type of

parachute i.e. skydiving jump chute, reserve chute, paraglider or kite.

Sky dive chute reserve chute paraglider kite

16 panel (gores) parasail

Parasail terminology

A little History

The 16 panel (gores) parasail was

invented in 1974 by Brain Gaskin in

the United Kingdom. Prior to this

parasails were made from converted

round jump chutes but these were

quite unstable and very difficult to

fly. There was also a 24 panel

Panel

E vents

Top / Front Outside Periphery tape Crown

Crown Periphery tape

G Vents

Starboard Ear

(stabilizer) Port Ear (stabilizer)

1 of 16 gores

Up & Down tape

Tow yoke

Trim zippers

High wind zippers

Bottom / Back

Center lines / Center pulls

Lines / Shroud lines

Label

F vents

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parasail made by Paracommander,

but due to its old and dragging

design manufacturing ceased in the

1990s.

The 16 panel (gores) parasail consists of 72 panels, which comprises 9 different panel types that are alphabetically

numbered; the vent layout varies a little between manufacturers. Examples below

Original 16 panel modern layout other common layouts

The correct size parasail can be determined for conditions and environment by looking at locations, wind speed, sea

conditions and surrounding land mass; common passenger types (if flying singles, doubles or triples). Commonly you

would have 3 parasail sizes on a parasailing vessel, one for local low wind, one for local medium to high wind and one

for local high wind. Contact your parasail supplier for the recommended maximum wind speed and maximum and

Left Riser

Left Riser

Passenger “D”

Rings

Lines

Center Pulls (lines)

Front Passenger “v” Rings

Yoke

Loop for towline

connection

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minimum weight restrictions for all the parasails. WSIA recommends that you do not exceed the manufacturers’

recommendations.

All passenger equipment

Harness

To fly a passenger use a waist connection seated harness that is manufactured by a commercial

parasail manufacturer (as in example image). The harness should be a good fit and be fastened

around the waist under the life jacket and never over the life jacket.

Never use any other type of harness such as a shoulder connection sky diving harness, paragliding harness, a gondola

chair or work man’s safety harness. A shoulder connected harness will pull from the shoulders causing the passenger

to be pulled underwater and possibly drown, unlike the waist harness.

Harness terminology Why must the harness be connected at the waist?

Waist connection Shoulder connection

Life jacket

When flying passengers must always wear a USCG type III life jacket and never use any other type. We recommend

that you use an open sided style life jacket as this fits over the harness best.

Hook / Clip

Hook riser

Back strap

Seat strap

Leg loops

Back pad

Buckle

Waist strap

Seat pad

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Recommended type types never to be used

Life jacket has to be an all round body type, so that it gives protection to passengers back and kidneys if they have to

land into the water.

Multi passenger equipment

All multi passenger equipment must be manufactured by a commercial parasail manufacturer and operators should

never exceed the maximum number the equipment is intended to carry. Below are some examples.

For flying two

For flying 1, 2 or 3

Multi-passenger equipment terminology

Towline

The tow line should be a braided line, have minimum tensile strength of 4800 pounds and must be a continuous

length. Normally 3/8”diameter double braided polyester line meets this requirement; if it is the intention to fly large

parasails or fly in windy and rough sea conditions then a 7/16”diameter towline should be used. Depending on the

vessel and winch setup it may be necessary to use a coated line to protect it from excessive wear. Also 5/16th

diameter

12 strand spectra can be used; this is common on winches that have low capacity drums in order to accommodate

line. Spectra should not be used anywhere that sea conditions are rough due to the low shock ability. Below are

examples of towline.

Padded bar cover

Aluminum bar

Adjuster slot Connecter hole

Passenger straps “D” rings

Passenger strap slot

Connection clip

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Double braided towline Uncoated towline coated towline

The towline should be connected to the parasail with a bowline through the loop in the tow yoke; the towline should

never be connected to the parasail with a metal connection or with a double loop through the tow yoke.

Please remember that the towline is intended to separate in the event of any extreme wind or sea conditions to

protect the parasail.

Bowline knot

Most knots will reduce a lines breaking strength by 50%, a Bowline knot will reduce the breaking strength by 25%. A Bowline knot

is easy to undo.

Take end Make a loop Take end of line and Take end of line Put end of line back

of line. in the line. pass up through the around the back down through the loop

loop in the line. of line. and pull tight.

Crew

A parasailing vessel should have two crew aboard the vessel at all times, one captain and one crew mate. The captain

and crew should meet all USCG licensing requirements and industry standards, this means that they must be able to

operate a parasail vessel, launch & recover parasail, fly passengers in multiples in all safe operating conditions safely,

perform all parasailing safety procedures in the event of a parasail emergency, understand all limitations and know

the correct ways to maintain the equipment. Captains must have completed a minimum of 500 complete flight

rotations, followed by an evaluation test. If crew is not up to any of these standards WSIA recommends that your crew

should attend a training course. These will bring safety and longevity to your business.

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Captain and crew should be up to date with first aid and CPR. Also all crew members should be participants in a USCG

approved drug testing consortium.

Remember if you or your crew does not understand any of the section

above we recommend attending a training course.

Pre-operation

Daily check and maintenance schedule

It is important to perform daily checks and have a good maintenance schedule to prevent accidents and unexpected

water landings, also logging this information will help the USCG in future equipment advisories and future problem

solving. It is the responsibility of the owner and operating captain that vessel and equipment are well maintained and

up to date with all regulations. At the end of this document will be some examples of daily check lists and vessel logs.

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Vessel

The vessel should be checked daily to make sure that it is up to date and complies with regulations for USCG 6

passenger or 12 passenger vessels. Also meets all local, state and federal regulations. i.e. registration stickers,

Engine

Daily checks – engines should have the following checked:

• Oil level

• Coolant level

• Belts and their tightness

• Fuel filter

• All hoses and clamps

• Power steering oil

• Power tilt and trim

• Gear box oil or drive oil

Scheduled maintenance should be performed on the engine and gear box / drive per the manufacturer’s

maintenance manual. Due to the fact that parasail vessel engines and drives work very hard while parasailing it is

important to keep the engine maintenance up to date. It is recommend when oil and filter are changed a note is made

on the filter with the date and engine hours of the oil change.

Winch

Daily checks – winch should have the following checked:

• Clutch – when engine is running switch on and off to make sure it engages correctly

• Oil level

• Hoses

• Look for leaks

• Mounting bolts

• Levelwind bar for damage

• All rollers

Bi daily the levelwind bar and guide bar should be greased

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Once a week the pawl should be adjusted and the bearing should be greased

Every 500 hours the hydraulic oil and filter should be changed or if system gets too hot the oil should be changed.

Annually the winch should be thoroughly inspected; all bearings, the levelwind and pawl should be changed.

Hydraulic oil and filter should be changed regardless of hours. As many parts as possible should be serviced to avoid

malfunction while operating.

Every 5 years all hydraulic hoses should be replaced.

Towline

Towline should be visually checked all the time while operating to check for damage to the line; if damage is

located then the towline should stop being used immediately and trimmed past the damaged area or replaced.

The towline should be trimmed regularly to remove the damaged area of line caused by tying the knot; to do this

the following should be undertaken to the bitter end of the line (bitter end is the loose end of the line):

• For polyester double braid towline trim at least 12 inches every 250 flights or before using after a period

of 7 days or longer of no active use. i.e. if no parasail operation for 3 months then the line would not be

trimmed every 7 day but would be trimmed before commencing parasail operations.

• For spectra towline trim at least 12 inches every 100 flights or before using after a period of 2 days or

longer of no active use. i.e. if no parasail operation for 3 months then the line would not be trimmed every 2

days but would be trimmed before commencing parasail operations.

Annually the towline should be replaced regardless of how long it has been on the drum; also it should be replaced

if the line shows signs of damage or excessive wear.

Recommend that all trimmed ends are kept and tagged with the date on them for one year.

Parasail

Daily checks of the parasail should be performed visually while in use, if any of the following is found the parasail

should be removed from service immediately:

• Holes in any panels

• Breaks in the periphery tapes and up & down tapes

• Crown damage

• Lines damage

• Tow yoke damage

Weekly inspection should be undertaken on all operationally parasail, the following inspections should be

performed and if the parasail fails any test the parasail should be sent to manufacturer for repair or retired:

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Canopy inspection (canopy is all the material panels of the parasail)

• Porosity: Check the canopy material for any significant increase in its porosity (ability of air to

move through the fabric). Check this by holding a small amount of the fabric in front of your

mouth and attempt to blow through the fabric – known as “Blow Testing”. When a canopy is

new, you will not be able to blow air or “breathe” through the fabric. After usage, if you can

blow air through the material easily, the porosity of the parasail canopy has been affected

and should be closely checked, preferably by the manufacturer.

• Seams: The seams of the parasail canopy should be checked closely throughout. Look for signs of fraying

or snagging of the threads which may affect the seams. If damaged seams are found they can be repaired

by a recognized, professional parasail repairer using nylon thread. If the length of any tear in a panel is

over six inches this should also be repaired professionally. Tears of less than 6” may be repaired by correct

repair tape on a temporary basis.

• Attachment Points: Where the crown (usually 8 points) and the lines (usually 16 points) attach to the

canopy are high stress points. These all need to be checked regularly. If any of the attachment points are

damaged, they need to be repaired or replaced.

• Strength Test: The strength test should be performed by taking a panel between two hands and pulling

the material tight. Then push one thumb into it, if the thumb goes through the material then it may be

time to retire the parasail. Check all the colors in the parasail and areas of strange discoloration. As some

boat cleaning products can discolor and damage material.

Lines and centre pulls inspection

• The shroud lines and center pulls should each be checked on a regular basis for signs of fraying or

snagging. All of these lines comprise a core and outer protective case. If any lines are damaged it will be

necessary to replace them.

• Also check the looped points, at yoke and edge of canopy, these are prone to wear.

• Check the attachment point where the center pulls attach at the crown and also the “D” rings or “V” rings

on the yoke as these are also prone to wear.

Tow yoke inspection

Thoroughly check the tow yoke end on a regular basis for snags, tearing or fraying. Pay particular attention to the

following areas that are most prone to wear.

• The loop on the tow yoke end, where the bowline attaches on the towline.

• Yoke attachment to risers, where the yoke is attached to the front risers on the tow yoke assembly.

• “D” rings are the metalwork where the flyers are attached by means of their harness.

• Line attachment to both front and back risers.

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The Canopies, lines and yokes should be rinsed periodically to remove salt that affects the performance and life

expectancy of the parasail. It is recommended to wash with fresh water weekly. NEVER USE CLEANING

DETERGENTS ON PARASAIL.

Annually all the parasails should be returned to manufacturer for an inspection.

Harness and multi-passenger equipment

Daily checks of the harnesses and multi-passenger equipment should be performed visually while in use, if any

of the following is found the harnesses or multi-passenger equipment should be removed from service

immediately:

Harness

• Damage to the clips, oil when necessary

• Damage to the clip straps and other webbing

• Buckles working correctly

• Damage to stitching

• Seat and back pads are in good condition

Multi-passenger equipment

• Damage to the main hooks, oil when necessary

• Wear on the connecter hole, adjuster slot and general corrosion of the bar

• Damage to the webbing of passenger straps

• Damage to the bar cover

Weekly all harnesses and multi-passenger equipment should be thoroughly checked for snags, tears, and

fraying or pulled stitches to webbing and deterioration to metalwork and the following test should be performed. If

the harness or multi-passenger equipment fails any test the harness or multi-passenger equipment should be

sent to manufacturer for repair or retired:

Harness

Special attention should be paid to joints for wear. On joints that you see wear you should perform a stress test.

• Stress test place one side of worn area on the ground and place your foot on top of it, take the other side

of worn area in the your hands then pull as hard as you can. If you hear any popping, cracking or ripping

sound then this area is compromised and the item should be sent for an inspection.

Multi-passenger equipment

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Special attention should be paid to joints for wear. These areas are the connecter

hole and where the passenger strap passes through the passenger strap slot.

Look for wallowing of the hole and fraying of the passenger strap. If there is any

similarity to these images, they should be sent for an inspection.

Weekly rinsing of the harnesses and the multi-passenger equipment with fresh water to remove salt will

improve its life expectancy. Do not use any cleaning products on the harnesses and the multi-passenger equipment.

Annually all the harnesses and the multi-passenger equipment should be returned to manufacturer for

inspection.

Safety equipment

All safety equipment should be checked daily to make sure it is working, up to date and incompliance with all

USCG, State or local regulations. i.e. fire extinguishers, flares, vhf, emergency life vest and first aid kit.

Parasailing lifejackets

Lifejackets should be checked daily and weekly for the following:

• Buckles lock properly

• Straps are not damaged

• Flotation pads are not damaged

Any lifejacket that fails the above should be removed immediately from service and replaced. All lifejackets should

be washed with fresh water regularly.

Flight zone safety

It is important to have a good knowledge of the local areas weather, sea conditions, navigation and local laws. It is

important because wind and sea conditions vary by region such as sea and wind conditions in Hawaii may be very

different from those in Florida. Having this knowledge will help to ensure parasailing is kept a safe activity.

Firstly captains have to become weather men, gathering as much information as possible about the flight zone

conditions so as to operate safely.

Forecast of wind speed, weather and sea conditions

Daily the Captain should collect as much information from television weather reports, marine radio weather

reports and internet website weather reports before operating. The captain should log these forecasts and look

back at them later to see how accurate they were. Look for any common differences between the forecast and the

actual weather, this can prepare you for expected conditions in the the flight zone.

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Visual and data collection of the wind speed, weather and sea conditions

Before and during operation the captain should take an inspection of the flight zone. Captain should take a visual

look at weather, looking for distinct weather features which would indicate changes in or adverse weather. The

current wind speed should be taken using an anemometer (wind meter) to determine if the wind speed and gusts

are safe to operate and assist in parasail size selection. Also determine visually if sea height and periods are of a

safe operating condition. A visual observation should be made of the fight zone to see if there are any new

obstructions, such as tarp buoys, nets, suck vessels, banner planes etc.

Maximum flying altitude

At the beginning of the season Captain and owner should contact the FAA to determine the maximum AGL (above

ground level) that can be operated in the stated flight zone. And periodically throughout the season contact the

FAA, USCG, and local County for any changes or special events that could cause changes to the AGL or flight zone.

If there is uncertainty or inability to obtain information on AGL then it is best to follow standard air law as follows:

The air law states “all aircraft must not fly closer than 500 feet to people” so the parasail should not fly above 500

feet. Banner planes, helicopters, powered parachutes and hang- gliders to name just a few are a law unto

themselves! Give way to them.

If the operation is at the end of a runway or in a flight path (ATZ Air Traffic Zone), permission will be needed from

the local authority (ATC Air Traffic Control) to operate. Airports have restricted air space, 1.5 miles in all directions.

Weather conditions (Meteorology) and the affect on your operation

Dead calm

Easy flying for parasailing as the boat can go anywhere it wishes but because of this the boat will use more fuel to

operate as it will be traveling fast to make the wind. A dead calm day can be determined by the glassy affect on the

water.

Winds

The maximum wind speed you can fly in depends on the location of operation and size of parasail that you use. For

maximum wind speed of parasail follow the recommendations from the manufacturer.

Wind can be our friend or our enemy depending on the situation, so it is important to use as many signs as possible

to find the direction and speed.

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Windspeed is judged by using an anemometer (wind meter) to measure the speed at sea level, then we look at

changes in sea conditions to see if the wind is changing i.e. if white caps are forming then the wind is getting

stronger. If the water is becoming glassy/shiny then the wind is dropping. Also, the parachute will tell us that the

wind speed is changing i.e. as the parasail gains altitude and the vessel decreases in speed to keep the parasail

flying safely the wind speed is increasing and if the vessel has to increase in speed to keep the parasail flying safely

then the wind speed is dropping.

On vessel telltales can be used (small pieces of ribbon that are tied to many parts of the vessel that stream in the

direction that the wind is going) to indicate the wind direction on the vessel. Flags on the beaches and on other

vessels around us that can tell us by the way they are flapping, sailing vessel and the way are tacking to the wind,

the ripples on the water by the way the curve of the ripple is going is the direction of the wind, the parasail by its

location to the vessel when flying.

Wind can also be coming from different directions at different altitudes, an extreme example is the diagram below,

so we should be aware of this and make changes to our flying accordingly. You can sometimes see this if there is a

tall structure nearby with a flag flying.

180 ̊wind change

45 ̊ wind change

Sea level wind direction

Also at different altitudes there are different wind speeds called Wind Gradient, the only way to see this is by the

way the parasail is flying. Below is a diagram showing an extreme example of this.

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Gusts

Gusts in the wind speed can and do affect the flying of the parasail, this can especially be a problem when bringing

the passengers onto the vessel. This is why a limit of upto 10 mph gust is acceptable; if as captain you are

uncomfortable with the way the gusts are affecting the parasail then you should stop at a lower gust level. Example

acceptable and unacceptable gusts, Wind is blowing 10 mph, gust reading 21 mph = 11 mph not acceptable,

Wind is blowing 10 mph, gust reading 15 mph = 5 mph acceptable.

Thunder storms

Thunder storms can commonly have strong winds upto 7 miles in front of them. Lightning can strike in clear skies

near a thunder storm (been known up to 4 miles). Thunderstorms can also collapse causing a shock wave of wind or

micro bursts to come from them travelling for miles at high speed. So watch them carefully.

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Fronts

Fronts can come in different forms; high altitude ones and very low altitude ones (known as a wall cloud), normally

a front can be seen by a band of cloud moving through the sky, these can bring strong winds upto 2 miles ahead of

them. On the water we can see a change in the wind, when looking at the horizon you will see a black line coming

towards you, as it gets closer it will begin to get a lot of white in it. This is a sign of a strong wind coming towards you

and the parasail should be winched in and deflated immediately.

Upper altitude front clouds low altitude front clouds (wall cloud)

Adverse conditions

Adverse weather is basically a storm; this can be rain, strong wind, thunder storm etc. we should allow 45 minutes

of distance from any adverse weather to give us time to stop parasailing safely. We do this visually by using our best

knowledge and judgment to estimate the approaching weather. Also when possible we use radar to gain more

information about the size of the front/storm, speed and direction.

Visual of a storm approaching Close up & far radar with direction & speed

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Wind off the land

When operating a parasail in a location where the wind is off the land problems are experienced with turbulence. If

the land is flat there may not be too much of a problem, but if the operating area has mountains, hills or large

buildings then beware of air rolling off of them, these are called rotors. The effects of this can be the parasail

bouncing around in the sky, more extreme than this would be that the parasail descends and climbs rapidly also

darting around the sky. The most extreme of this could be that the parasail would descend rapidly down and land in

the water. Below is a diagram of wind coming over a mountain.

×

High seas, big troughs

It is harder to fly in high seas, if there is high wind the vessel will be going through the waves slowly but if there is

very little wind the vessel will take a pounding as it makes headway. The parasail will fly level, but the vessel will be

going up and down. If the troughs are too big you could injure a flyer when you bring them back onto the flight deck.

Remember the flight deck rises and lowers with the waves your flyer doesn’t, if you feel it is too dangerous to land

on the deck then it is better to land them in to the water for safety.

Rain

It is possible for the parasail to fly in the rain but we do not fly in rain for two reasons. One is that as a passenger it is

very painful from the rain hitting you and secondly the rain does not allow parasail to dry meaning that it gets

heavier and heavier until it cannot maintain its altitude with passenger weight causing it to descend into the water.

Warm air

Warm air is thinner making the parasail less efficient and so it does not lift weight as well, causing you to have to use

a larger parasail to do the same job. Also you can get thermals; these can make the parasail do strange things as it

passes through the thermal. Below is rough diagram of a thermal.

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Cold air

Cold air is thicker so the parasail is more efficient and will lift more weight.

Thin air

The higher the altitude we go the thinner the air gets. If the operation is inland e.g. a lake and at altitude, it may be

necessary to reduce the maximum flying weight by up to 35% depending on the altitude of the operation.

Maximum wind

The maximum operating wind speed will be determined by the location and the size of the parasail being used. The

maximum for the parasail is determined by manufacturer. Operating location is determined by many factures these

are wind direction, sea conditions, flight zone proximity and global location.

USGC sectors /

max wind speed

Onshore

wind

Offshore

wind

Lakes / Rivers

Charleston 20mph 22mph 18mph

Corpus Christi 20mph 22mph 18mph

Delaware bay 20mph 20mph 18mph

Honolulu 20mph 24mph N/A

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Outside the USA the only limitations of the wind

speed is the parasail size and operating conditions,

in the USA to bring as much safety to the

parasailing industry as possible we have maximum

wind speeds for each USCG sector allowing for

common environmental differences of each sector.

Below is a map of the USCG sectors and table of the

wind speed for onshore, offshore conditions and

lakes.

Maximum wave height

Maximum wave height is determined by the speed, direction of the wind and wave period.

Key west 20mph 24mph N/A

Jacksonville 20mph 22mph 18mph

Lake Michigan 20mph 20mph 18mph Except lake

Michigan 20mph.

Los Angeles–Long

Beach

20mph 20mph 18mph

Miami 20mph 22mph 18mph

Mobile 20mph 22mph 18mph

North Carolina 20mph 22mph 18mph

San Diego 20mph 20mph 18mph

San Francisco 20mph 20mph 18mph Except lake

Tahoe 20mph.

St Petersburg 20mph 23mph 18mph

All other sectors 20mph 20mph 18mph

USGC sector / max wave

height

Open

waters

Protected

waters

Lakes /

Rivers

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Outside the USA the only limitations of the wave

height is the parasail size, passenger weight and

wave period, in the USA to bring as much safety to

the parasailing industry we have maximum wave

height for each USCG sector allowing for common

environmental differences of each sector. Below is

map of the USCG sectors and table of the maximum wave

height for open, protected waters and lakes/rivers.

A wave period is the time between the highest point of each wave. Example below

Proximity to shore

The reason for having a minimum proximity to shore is in case of an emergency, allowing time and room to fix the

problem. When a parasail is in free fall it creates forward momentum called forward drive, depending on the weight in

the parasail is how much drive it has. But it has approximately between 8 to 12 mph forward drive, so if there was no

wind the parasail would land forward of the point it stated descending, if the wind was the same speed as its forward

Charleston 6 ft 4 ft 3 ft

Corpus Christi 5 ft 4 ft 3 ft

Delaware bay 6 ft 4 ft 3 ft

Honolulu 6 ft 4 ft 3 ft

Key west 4 ft 4 ft 3 ft

Jacksonville 6 ft 4 ft 3 ft

Lake Michigan 4 ft 4 ft 3 ft

Los Angeles–Long Beach 6 ft 4 ft 3 ft

Miami 6 ft 4 ft 3 ft

Mobile 5 ft 4 ft 3 ft

San Diego 6 ft 4 ft 3 ft

San Francisco 6 ft 4 ft 3 ft

St Petersburg 4 ft 4 ft 3 ft

All other sectors 5 ft 4 ft 3 ft

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drive it would land in the same place that it started descending and if the wind speed was stronger than the forward

drive then it would land backwards of the point in stated descending.

So to give us time here is a simple chart of line length, wind speed and distance from shore.

1. O-10 mph

a. Minimum of 500ft from shore = 0 - 500ft of towline

b. Minimum of 1000ft from shore = 500 - 1000ft of towline

c. Minimum of 2000ft from shore = 1000ft and over of towline

2. 11-15 mph




3. 15-20 mph




4. 20-25 mph



c. No flying over 1000ft of towline in 20+ winds

These are minimums, more distance is always better.

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How and why a parasail flies

Lift and drag

A parasailing parachute is a crude flying machine. It uses the same principle as any aerofoil section to fly.

The air believes that the

parasail is a different shape

than it actually is, as

demonstrated by this

diagram. The end of the

created aerofoil can extend

up to 20 to 30 ft from the

back of the parasail.

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The area of lift is only as wide as the G panels. Most of the lift is created by the front 5 panels this creates a long

narrow aerofoil section. The E, F & G panels (vented panels) help the aerofoil section to keep its shape and are an air

management system to maintain stability.

The aerofoil works by creating a low pressure area over the upper surface. As air passes over the top of the aerofoil it

is accelerated, thinning the air and creating low pressure with slower moving air underneath staying at normal

atmospheric pressure, the aerofoil is then sucked up creating lift. As with all things passing through the air there is air

resistance that creates a small amount of drag.

As the aerofoil is tilted in the air flow (angle of attack), the air passing over the top accelerates even more, creating a

greater low pressure this in turn creates a lot more lift and a little more drag.

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If the aerofoil is tilted too far, air passing over the top of the aerofoil starts to break away creating turbulence behind

and losing lift. The turbulence creates a void behind that causes a lot of drag, this is called stall.

The thicker the aerofoil the greater the lift, but this creates more drag and puts more pressure on the tow line.

Trimming a parachute

If your parachute is not flying straight it may have a Bias and need trimming.

• If the parachute has trim zips adjust as necessary. Follow manufacturers guidelines.

• If the parachute has no trim zips adjust using a safety pin on the rear G’s.

• NEVER SHORTEN THE LINES TO TRIM A PARACHUTE

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Emergency procedures

It has been shown that in many accidents the passengers have not been injured or killed due to the events of the

accident but due to the captain and crew not knowing how to recover the passengers safely. So it is important that the

captain and crew completely understand these emergency procedures as they may never get to practice these. The

most important thing is DO NOT PANIC and STAY CALM.

What to do if engine/boat fails

In high wind

Drop the anchor or use a Para-snail to stop the parasail pulling the vessel backwards, radio/telephone for assistance

from another vessel. When the other vessel arrives one member of parasail vessel crew should board the other

vessel. They should take a piece of rope and lasso the line or clip to the line with a carbine/shackle, tie it off to a

strong point on the assisting vessel, then drive slowly towards the parasail, this will bring it down to the assisting

vessel. When arriving at the parasail use another piece of rope to tie through the tow yoke and secure it to the

assisting vessel. When this has been done collapse the parasail and disconnect the passengers, sometimes it may be

necessary to disconnect first and cut away parasail. Never cut away parasail with passengers still attached.

Should you get too close to the shore and run out of room there is nothing wrong with restarting the recovery, take

the assisting vessel connect it to the front of the parasail vessel. Once it is connected the parasail vessel can be

towed off shore to repeat the recovery process again.

In low wind

Do not drop anchor as the parasail will slowly descend to the water, do not get the passengers to unclip and do not

send crew swimming to the parasail, it is quicker for the crew to use the towline and pull the boat to the parasail

using the strength in your legs as shown in diagram below. When the vessel arrives at the parasail, first bring the

passengers onboard, last thing pull the parasail onboard.

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If, when pulling the parasail in it stays partially inflated, take in a few coils of line and release the line letting out the

slack, this will cause the parasail to collapse and then continue recovering the parasail normally.

What to do in the event of a line break

Technique 1

In the event of a line break, turn the vessel starboard and run along parallel to the parasail. Make sure you are not too

close so that you do not run over the line trailing from the parasail; if the line broke at the yoke it will be trailing

behind the vessel, winch it in quickly. DO NOT RUN OVER THE LINE. Talk to the passengers on the parasail, keeping

them calm. When it is safe to do so pull in front of the parasail and slow the vessel slowly to match the speed of the

parasail. Then allow the parasail to catch up slowly so that the parasail comes over the back deck, once it is there take

a boat hook and catch the back of the parasail with it. Pull the parasail down to the deck

once crew has a secure hold on the parasail. The Captain should then put the vessel into

neutral, turn of the engine and go on to the deck to assist the crew with holding onto

the parasail. The parasail will collapse over the vessel and the crew can use the lines of

the parasail to pull the passenger to the vessel. Once at the vessel unclip and remove the

passengers one at a time. Always keep talking to the passengers keeping them calm until they

are onboard.

When matching the speed of the parasail with the vessel and you feel the parasail is catching

up with you too fast then move forward quickly and away to the side so the passengers do not

collide with the vessel, reset and repeat the same process until you have the parasail collapsed and passengers

onboard. Stay calm and do not panic. NEVER throw your crew from the vessel on to the parasail to collapse it.

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Technique 2

Follow the same as option 1 until the point of pulling in front of the parasail; instead of pulling in front pull up

alongside the parasail. Using the boat hook the crew hooks the ear of the parasail and pulls it to them. Once the crew

has hold of the ear the captain will stop the vessel and turn off the engine. By holding the ear the parasail will be

turned out of the wind and collapse. Recover the passengers in the same way as technique 1.

The only problem with technique 2 is that it brings the back of the vessel very close to the passengers when using

small size parasail.

Man overboard

If you lose someone overboard throw them a life ring and take a bearing of your position. Order someone on the

vessel to not take their eyes off the person overboard, it is best to have them point their arm at them the whole time.

Bring the parasail back to the vessel as quickly and safely as possible (no dipping etc.) and collapse it (do not worry

about packing away the parasail). Keeping the vessel as close to the overboard person as possible. Return for the

person overboard.

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Captain and Crew operational skills

Getting used to the vessel

• Know your vessel.

• You must be able to handle a vessel without thinking about it, like you would with your car.

• When you are flying you will be thinking about everything that is going on, so you will not be able to focus on

one thing alone. Such as which lever is the throttle etc

Getting used to the winch

• Know your winch.

• You must be able to “feel” the winch.

• Too little pressure could wet your passengers.

• Too much pressure could break your line or rotate your parasail.

Inflating & handling parasail

Inflating the parasail by Hand

Prepare the parasail on the deck for launching; make sure it’s up the right way, with no tangles of the ears or lines. The

crew mate stands behind the winch post and takes the right hand lines in his/her right hand by the riser and feed them

though their hand till they get to the ear and then back up the length of their forearm. Do the same with your left

hand. Find back panel and place one foot on it. The two front line tabs are then positioned in between finger and

thumb, right in right hand, left in left. Picking up these lines causes the mate to be bent forward, stay in this position

until ready to inflate canopy. Captain turns into wind, creates about 8 mph of airspeed and tells mate when to stand

up (Ready for launch). The crew mate opens arms as wide as possible and stands upright, as wind blows into canopy

and lifts crown off the deck, let go of the front line tabs (those in between finger and thumb) when canopy fully forms

let go of the back with the foot. Push down on lines and then lift up with the lines causing canopy to climb, let go of

canopy just before it reaches the top of its climb. Captain will give a short burst of power as canopy is let go. Crew

mate goes onto the flight deck to steer the parasail. For any reason the parasail goes into the water stop the vessel

immediately.

Inflating parasail by Mast

Prepare the parasail on the deck for launching; make sure it’s up the right way, with no tangles of the ears or lines. Pull

the launch line over the lines until it lifts the ears to winch post height and lock off in rope locker. Then the crew mate

takes the launch strap in their right hand and the front two lines in their left hand. Turn the vessel into the wind

creating 8 - 10 mph of airspeed and then the crew mate pulls down on the front two lines with his left hand starting to

fill the parachute with air and holding on tight to the launch strap with his right hand. As the parasail fills and the

crown lifts off the deck slowly let the front lines go with their left hand holding on tight to the launch strap. Once the

parasail is fully formed and straight let the launch strap go from their right hand and go up onto the flight deck to steer

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the parasail. Then the captain takes the launch line out of the rope locker and feeds out the line very slowly hand over

hand watching the parasail to keep it flying. Once the launch line is let all the way out, take the launch line loop and

push it down over the winch post. For any reason the parasail goes into the water stop the vessel immediately.

Steering parasail

•••• Most parasails will fly straight and will not need much correction.

•••• The parasail can be steered by pushing down on the front risers.

•••• The parasail can be steered by pulling down on the rear risers or back lines. Pull down not out.

•••• The parasail will be more stable with passengers sitting down on the flight deck.

Recovering parasail

In high wind, captain and crew take hold of the front lines and pull quickly hand over hand until the entire canopy is

onboard. The wind will hold the parasail horizontal, so it should not touch the water.

In low wind, the captain and crew take hold of the front lines, let the parasail fall backwards, just before the canopy

touches the water start pulling, slowly to start then increase speed hand over hand until the entire canopy is onboard.

Letting the parasail fall back causes a bubble between the parasail and the vessel, you pull the parasail over this

bubble.

Loading the parasail with passengers

The number of passengers able to fly in a parasail is limited in the USA to 3 passengers, this is because of insurance

liability and industry agreed standards aimed at maintaining insurance coverage. Outside the USA the only limitation

on the number of flyers is the maximum weight capacity of the parasail and the skill level of the captain and crew.

To make sure that if more than 3 are flown we will cover the correct way to fly 1 to 5 passengers:

•••• If you are flying singles, clip the passenger to the “D” rings on the parasail.

•••• Tandem, heavy passenger to the back “D” rings, light passenger in the front “V” rings (must be more than

65lbs or 30Kg difference, if the same or close put them together on the back “D” rings)

•••• Doubles with double bar, heavy passenger starboard side, light passenger port side

•••• Triples with double bar, as above but put the lightest passenger in front “V” rings

•••• Triples with triple bar, heavy passenger in the middle, next heavy on starboard side, and lightest on port side

•••• Quadruple with triple bar, as above with lightest passenger in the front “V” rings

•••• Quintuple with triple & double bar, triple bar on main “D” rings using triples on triple bar setup, doubles bar

on front “V” rings using doubles on double bar setup, make sure passengers in front are the lightest (must be

more than 110lbs or 50Kg difference between triple and double bar).

Take off and landing of passengers

Take off

•••• Once passengers are clipped on instruct them to sit down, flat onto their bottoms.

•••• Check and adjust harness as necessary.

•••• Check and adjust buoyancy aid.

•••• Instruct them to put their hands on risers or bar.

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•••• Captain accelerates boat slowly until parasail starts to lift passengers off the deck.

•••• Captain lets the winch out slowly, until parasail has left the vessel.

•••• Accelerate the vessel and at the same time increase the speed of the winch.

•••• Watch the head of the flyers to make sure the combination of speed and winch are the same.

•••• Let your line out until you come to your “Mark” on the line, stop winch and reduce speed of vessel.

Note: Mark your line with tape so you know when to stop the winch on the way out. When you replace your winch

line, cover half the drum and mark the line with tape (Red recommended). Cover the remaining half of the winch

drum and mark the line again, this time with different color. This will enable you to know how much line you have

let out and will help to stop you letting too much out.

Landing

•••• As the parasail approaches the back of the vessel the captain slows the winch and increases the speed of the

vessel to compensate.

•••• Make sure you bring the parasail back on the vessel slowly. Rocket landings break bones.

•••• Passengers land on their feet and walk back onto the deck.

•••• Instruct them not to sit down.

•••• When winch has stopped tell passengers to stand still.

•••• Unclip them and tell them to take a seat back in the vessel.

Flynig skills

When training and learning to fly the parasail we use what we call a figure of eight, this give the skills and

understanding of how to control the parasail and vessel in harmony.

This is the basic figure of eight pattern.

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The figure of eight is preformed across the wind; we enter and exit the figure of eight as in the diagram below to

keep us in the same place. So that we do not travel too far up or down wind when operating.

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The figure of eight changes shape a bit with strong wind and low wind.

Strong wind Low wind

In strong wind the figure of 8 is narrowed and In low or nil wind the figure of 8 can be quiet large depending on length

of line and the weight flying in the parachute.

Some times in low or nil wind, if we have a lot of weight and there is space we can also perform a 360◦ circuit.

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Towing pressure on the line

When we are towing the parasail we try to keep the minimum tension on the parasail and line to keep the passengers

flying. To do this we use indicators from the parasail, we use the head of the passenger or if flying with multi

passenger equipment then we use the bar as their head. Below is how the head position is relevant to the control of

the parasail

Boat traffic right of way

Some captains of parasail vessels believe that because they are towing, other vessels including sail should give way to

them. In addition to MCA rules of the road, vessels while engaged in parasailing should not assume themselves to be

considered a RAM vessel (Restricted in their Ability to Maneuver) and should be prepared to give way to other vessels.

•••• Give way to other traffic.

•••• If there is a lot of traffic close to the beach/shore line go out to sea, get away from them.

Perfect position is the head of

the person just below the back

panel.

If the head of the person is

too low below the back

panel, the parachute will

descend.

“Rocket” takeoff

If the head of the person is too

high above the back panel, the

parachute could rotate or break

the line.

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•••• Jet skis can be very irritating; having a whistle to blow should keep them away.

•••• Crew mate should keep a sharp lookout when not working on the flight deck.

•••• Be aware of swimmers, they have been known to be upto one mile from the shore.

To spot traffic and obstructions in the water the crew works as the eyes of the captain, as the captain is looking at the

parasail most of the time.

Storage of equipment

Ultra violet rays (ACTINISM) & the effect on your parasail

All parachutes are made of rip-stop nylon, coated with silicon or polyurethane. The ultra violet rays from the sun can

and will destroy your parachute over a period of time. If you are not using it, put it out of the sun.

Rule of thumb: If the sun can see it, there had better be customers hanging from it.

Winter storage

Wash parachute with fresh water and dry. Pack canopy and daisy chain the lines. Fold up tight, place in bag and store

in a dry place and in a plastic container.

If you do not understand any of these sections please

ask for advice and attend a training seminar.

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