Paraplegic wants to parasail!!!

[Cru1s1ng2009]

My DD really wants an adventure on our cruise. Jet ski, parasailing, snorkeling, something. We are going to Labadee, Samana, St Thomas, and San Juan.

 

Any suggestions?

[JSR]

I am a para and go snorkeling where ever I can snorkel from the beach. I go with my husband. Can DD swim? if not give her a life jacket. I sometimes use an inflatable noodle to hold onto if we have to swim out far. My husband pulls me since I only swim with my arms.

 

As for parasailing I have not done this since before becoming a para. However, on the beach in Aruba the parasailing guys kept trying to get me to do it. So there are people who will take paras.

 

I would suggest go to the boards for the places you want to go and read. Contact vendors, tell them about what your DD wants to do. Do not give up until you find the vendor who will take her.

 

I did this. In Grand Cayman I did a boat snorkel tour. They lifted me in and out of the water at all the 3 stops. I went zip lining in Costa Rica and just this December - tubing in Jamaica.

[Cru1s1ng2009]

Thank you so much!

 

You are an inspiration for her, she will be so pleased to read this. We have been swimming since she bacan a para and we use noodles and tubes etc. If all else fails, she can snorkel with me so no problem.

[LynneL]

We did parasailing in Bermuda and while no one in our group was disabled just speaking in general...depending on the type of equipment, parasailing may work very easily. When we went we got on the parasailing boat in Bermuda (had dock next to it for easy access), for the parasailing you sat in a seat/bench with back & arm rest that had a chute attached to it. The chair was on the rear inside area deck of the boat. Once you were in it the operator released a crank, to which the cable was fed from, & you slowly lifted in the chair into the air. You floated around up there for a while the boat operater drove. When time for you to come down he hit a button & a motor pulled the cable with chair & chute back down...& passenger(s) of course - lol - could hold 2 adults as long as both average weight or 1 heavy & 1 light. The chair gently came to rest in the area on the back of the boat.

 

This was vastly different from the time I did it 30 yrs. ago in Mexico where I had a chute strapped on to me while I stood on the beach. The assistant on beach just said, "Run!!!!!" towards the water as the boat pulled away. It lifted you up into the air, hanging with these straps cutting into your thighs. So....obviously not an option for your DD nor the best set-up for most people. I would think the more advance approach would be available in some of the places you mentioned. Good luck with it & I hope you all have a wonderful time.