Last on our list of water-based activities in Key West was parasailing. My boys had gone parasailing years ago in Ocean City, MD but were eager to go again, and the friends we were traveling with had never been. On our walk back from the Hemingway House we stopped by the marina behind Opal Key where we had taken our jet ski tour. Fury also had a parasailing booth there and we purchased tickets for a late afternoon tour. We decided that only the kids would parasail, the moms would ride along, and the dads would go entertain themselves. Fury would not sell us a cheaper “ride along” ticket in advance because they had to leave open spots for potential full-pay customers. They said there would almost certainly be room on one of the boats and we could buy the rider ticket just prior to the tour, which we did.
The tour was an hour long and we chose a 4:15 departure hoping that we could eat an early dinner nearby afterwards. We arrived 30 minutes prior as requested and were surprised when they had us board 15 minutes early and immediately headed out.
There was a family of 5 on board with us for a total of 11 guests, along with the captain and one crew member. They quickly got down to business and gave us the instructions and started putting the first two boys in a lifejacket and harness. Once they were in the gear, they sat on the back deck of the boat and the crew attached their harnesses to the parasail. Before we knew it they were airborne. The parasail caught the wind and they gently lifted off the back of the boat. The tow line was gradually released, letting them go higher and higher.
They reached about 300 feet and got an incredible view of the island and surrounding waters. They were briefly pulled in to give them a quick dip into the water before letting them go back up again. The crew member took photos which were available for purchase at the end of the trip. I had my own camera but it was really bumpy towards the front of the boat and the hardtop obstructed my view for much of the time so her photos came out better. I always appreciate when a tour company takes photos for the guests.
The ride was advertised as 8-10 minutes but according to the time stamp on my pictures they had less than 6 minutes in the air. The second set of boys went up, followed by the family of 5 who went in a group of 2 and a group of 3. All in all the actual air time for the entire group was less than half an hour. We were back on the dock by 4:45, only 45 minutes after we left (early) and a half hour after the scheduled departure time. For the price we paid, I was disappointed that they shorted us 15 minutes on the water. Each group should have been given a longer time in the air (at least the 8-10 minutes advertised) rather than cutting the time short and coming back early.
Overall we had a good experience with Fury. We really loved the jet skiing and the parasailing would have been great too if it had been longer. The captain and crew were friendly and helpful. The boat was nice and the equipment was good. We felt like the ride was very safe. The only issue was the time. The boys enjoyed the experience and the views but I don’t feel like we got our money’s worth with this one.
