Sixth Grade
Worksheets
How Does a Parasail Work?
You've seen them at the beach - big yellow smiley faces or neon-colored rainbows floating in the sky. On a closer look, you notice that these colorful parachutes are being towed by a speedboat. You also notice one or more people harnessed below the chute taking a ride.
These fun-to-ride parachutes often seen at the beach are called parasails, a special type of amusement ride found only in windy areas like the seashore. While they may look like thrilling, rollercoaster-type rides or even like some type of extreme sport, people who have tried them say that the ride is smooth and peaceful. Companies that advertise parasail rides say that you don't even have to get wet. No experience is necessary, and anyone from about six years old on up may ride.
The parachutes used for parasailing are large ones, as wide as thirty to forty feet. They are attached to strong cables which are attached to a winch. The winch is something like a large fishing reel that is used to wind up the cable.
Below the parasail itself are harnesses for the flyers. Some people fly individually. Others fly in groups of two or three. In this case, a strong aluminum bar connects the individual harnesses side by side. The flyers wear life jackets for their safety.
Many parasail operators use boats designed especially for parasailing. These boats are custom built with a platform for the flyer to stand on and an attached winch. With this type of boat, the flyer can take off directly from the boat's deck and land directly on the deck as well. A boat with a good, powerful motor can easily pull a three-person parasail. Some companies use a second boat to shuttle passengers back and forth to the parasail boats.
