Destin Parasailing: Emerald Coast Flight & Marine Views

4.96

(522 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed was how bright everything looked from the dock — sun bouncing off the water, the kind of blue-green that almost hurts your eyes. There was a salty breeze, and our guide (I think his name was Mike?) had this easy way of making everyone relax, even though my hands were already sweating at the thought of flying. I remember someone in our group joking about “chicken feet” as we buckled into our harnesses. You could smell sunscreen and boat fuel, which is oddly comforting if you grew up near the coast.

We went up in threes — me wedged between my cousin and a guy from Atlanta who kept saying he couldn’t believe he’d agreed to this. The boat engine faded to a low hum as we lifted off. Suddenly it was just quiet, except for the wind whistling past my ears and distant shouts from below. The view from up there — Destin laid out like a map, little boats darting around, and every so often you’d spot something dark moving in the water (dolphins? Rays? No idea but it made us point and yell anyway). Ten minutes felt weirdly long and short at the same time.

I didn’t expect to feel so calm once we were up there. My cousin squeezed my hand — she hates heights more than I do — but then she started laughing for no reason at all. When we finally touched down, legs wobbly, Mike grinned and said we looked like “pros.” Maybe he says that to everyone. Still, I keep thinking about that quiet up in the air — not something you get every day.