Difference Between Paragliding and Parasailing

According to Wikipedia, "Paragliding is a recreational and competitive flying sport. A paraglide is a free-flying, foot-launched aircraft. The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing, whose shape is formed by its suspension lines and the pressure of air entering vents in the front of the wing."

And again according to Wikipedia, "Parasailing, also known as par ascending, is a recreational activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle (usually a boat) while attached to a specially designed parachute, known as a parasail. The boat then drives off, carrying the par ascender into the air. The sheer power of the boat is powerful enough for 2-3 people to parasail. The par ascender has little or no control over the parachute."

The difference
Your level of interest helps you decide whether you would choose to go for paragliding or parasailing. Those who yearn to be in the driver's seat, with a sense of adventure and knowledge of his or her limitations, should take lessons to become a paraglide. The laid-back ones who prefer others taking charge should hold onto parasailing. Both the activities are a great way to relax and unwind.

The first and foremost difference between parasailing and paragliding is that - Parasailing is for those who love the water but do not prefer extreme endeavors such as jet skiing or knee boarding. Paragliding on the other hand is for the light hearted.

You can paraglide nearly anywhere but mostly Para gliders choose open fields, exciting cliffs and mountain ranges for their intense scenery. Parasailing on the other hand is done on big water masses and sometimes on land as well all with the safety and security of a parachute.

In parasailing, you need a motorized vehicle and a canopy to make you airborne whereas in paragliding wings are controlled solely by the rider, who is technically a pilot.

Another obvious visible difference is that parasailing is a team effort while Paragliding can be done solo. Even the manner in which one is lifted off differs in parasailing and paragliding. In paragliding you are propelled by parachute if you're on land or a backpack if you have opted for powered paragliding.

Before you go parasailing all you need to do is take a few minutes of water safety lessons. However, in paragliding you need to take a few days training before you can go for a solo flight.

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10 Parasailing Facts You Didn't Know

Parasailing is a terrific and fun adventure sport. Choosing to do a parasailing adventure will be something you do not regret. This article discusses 10 parasailing facts that you didn't know.

• Parasailing is not considered a sport activity but more of a recreational activity. Intended to be a fun ride and not to be mixed up with the sport counterpart which is paragliding.

• Youngest Parasailer - Three year old Aditya Pratap Singh Chauhan is recorded to be the youngest to parasail for two minutes at Air Force Station Jammu, India in 2002.

• Oldest Parasailer - N.K. Mahajan in Lonavala, India. He was 88 years old when he did this feat. He is the oldest parasailer recorded in the Indian Limca Book of Records.

• A parasailing landing is usually done in water where the parasailer unhooks from the parasail and lands into the water. This process is called "splashdown".

• Parasailing was accidentally discovered in the 60's by Pierre Lamoigne who attached a parachute to his moving car to help his training for safe landings.
 
• There are 3 methods used in parasailing:
a) Beach parasailing. This method is considered the most dangerous of all three where the take off is from a beach front.
b) Platform Method. In this method the launch is similar to the beach method but steering instructions are not that necessary.
c) Winch boat parasailing. Considered the safest of all methods. Launch and recovery of the parasailer starts and ends on the boat deck.

• Winch Boat Parasailing is the most popular of all the parasailing methods. In this procedure, the parasailer does not land on water rather he returns to the launch point which is the boat's deck. A hydraulic winch is attached to the boat that allows the parasailer to be reeled back onto the boat. The world's first winch boat was tested under the supervision of Mark McCulloh in 1974 and was patented in October 26, 1976, then introduced commercially in the mid 80's.

• Ideal wind speed for parasailing is 12-27 MPH.
• Waterbird - the name of the first 16-gore canopy design made for the purpose of parasailing. Brian Gaskin designed, created and tested this revolutionary canopy design in early 1974 which allowed it to be used over water without much liquid absorption. Given the success of his creation, Gaskin founded his company a year after naming it Waterbird Parakites which is still in operation today.

• Mark Mculloh, Miami, Florida was one of the main contributors in parasailing. His inventions, innovations and accomplishments mostly focused on the improvement of parasailing safety through equipment design. To this day, his inventions have set the standards in parasailing safety by which a majority of parasailers follow. McCulloh also formed the "Parasail Safety Council" in 1998 to educate and influence people about parasailing safety.

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