Parasailing over Lake Tahoe

By Katherine E. Hill

A beautiful July morning with calm waters on Lake Tahoe welcomed us as we prepared to go parasailing high above the lake.

My friend Emily Sullivan joined me for a fun-filled morning, along with a group of visitors from the Bay Area and Belfast, Ireland, on board the “Queen Mary,” one of the parasailing boats operated by North Tahoe Watersports.

Floating over Lake Tahoe with the crisp mountain air whipping through your hair, mountain peaks stretching as far as the eye can see and clear snow-fed waters underneath – parasailing offers all of this and more.

Parasailing – floating in the sky on a large sail with a harness that can hold one to several people – is a popular summer adventure at Lake Tahoe. North Tahoe Watersports offers parasailing daily from locations in Kings Beach and in Tahoe City, at the Tahoe City Marina, operating as Lake Tahoe Parasailing.

Emily and I arrived on the sandy beach in Kings Beach to begin our morning adventure. After signing in, a dozen of us waded into the cool waters for the short walk to the dingy that would take us to “Queen Mary.”

North Tahoe Watersports offers parasailing that takes off and lands from the boat using a winch system. Once the parasailing is opened, guests are hooked into a harness flying one to three adults at a time. They can fly up to 500 lbs. and sometimes fly four or five small children together. They also can fly guests of any age from toddlers to 90-year-olds.

Tandem flights can reach heights of 1,400 feet, while other flights can reach 500 or 800 feet above the Lake. With the lake level at 6,223 feet above sea level, the parasail can reach heights of more than 7,600 feet.

As well, they can drop you down to the lake and dip your feet into the water, if you’d like.

And, if there’s room on the boat, they allow spectators to join the adventure so they can watch friends and family. During our trip, four of the group came along for the ride.

While Nicole captained the boat, speeding us across the North Shore toward Tahoe City, Taylor readied us for our flights with harnesses and life jackets. Nicole gave us some tips on sitting in the harnesses – like a swing.

Everyone then began their flights, going in pairs. Taylor and Nicole locked each of them into the parasail, stepped back and let the wind carry them away. The initial rushing of wind carrying them away from the boat had everyone excited as the distinctive red, white and blue sail opens featuring the skull and crossbones that is the company’s logo. They each soared above the Lake for about 15 minutes, before Nicole dropped them down to the water.

Emily and I were the third ones up, and Nicole took us past Dollar Point toward Tahoe City for our flight. We soared over the lake with the boat only a tiny spec in the lake’s vast waters.

From our vantage point, we could see the entire lake and mountain peaks beyond the Tahoe Basin. We soared by Lake Forest and Dollar Point, marveling at the clear waters where we could see large boulders and sand bars.

The flight was serene with only the sound of rushing wind audible. It was a private Tahoe all to us, even if for a few minutes.

We got a quick dunk into the water and the jolt from the cold water was better than any energy drink. It was exhilarating and cold, but passed within a few minutes. We were soon back on the boat and heading to Kings Beach.

I can’t think of a better way to start the day than an exciting parasail adventure over Lake Tahoe.

North Tahoe Watersports is located on Kings Beach State Recreation Area, next to the pier. They offer flights daily, with mornings the best time due to wind conditions. They also offer Aquacycle Trikes, Pedalboats, personal watercraft, sail boats, kayaks and standup paddleboards for rent in Kings Beach. Reservations are suggested at (530) 583-7245 for Tahoe City and (530) 546-9253 for Kings Beach. For more information, visit www.northtahoewatersportsinc.com.