Panama City Parasail

The family that runs the business is very nice however we did not get what we paid for. We paid for 4 doubles for a 2 mile ride each. Instead we had a triple and two doubles which they owed us another trip up. We were also suppose to go two miles which couldn’t have happened in the 5 – 7 minutes we were in the air. When asked about it they said it was nonrefundable and gave us what amounts to a $ 60 t-​shirt. There are other options for your money. I would find one that is more organized and get what you pay for. The experience was fun but not fun enough for the price paid.

This was a amazing experience! I was super nervous at first, but the guides are all very experienced. They knew exactly what they were doing, and made my trip safe and fun! I did the 1200 ft with two dips — definitely worth it. I will be back next time I visit Panama City!

Booked three parasail trips online Tuesday of this past week for Wednesday. By paying online I got a discount on the reservations, but I had to pay thru PayPal which I have never done before. Unfortunately, Wednesday the rain came in earlier than expected and after a 2 hour drive from St George Island, we couldn’t parasail and we had to drive back.
I very much appreciate that despite the «All Sales Final — No Refunds» on the Panama City Parasail website that Vicki (the owner) refunded our $ 150 (plus taxes) reservations. I would definitely use this company again for that reason alone.
However a few tips for the future traveler — because I booked online Vicki couldn’t give me a refund right there. Because the reservation was paid for via PayPal I had to file a «dispute» on PayPal online. I don’t use PayPal so I didn’t have an account. Filing a dispute without an account is a pain in the butt. I spent 2 hours online and over the phone trying to file the actual dispute which was a big waste of my vacation time. The PayPal people said that Panama City Parasail could have issued me a refund right there when I was in PCB and that I didn’t have to file a dispute online. When I asked Vicki about it during a follow up phone call, she said that «no» I had to file a dispute. (This part added 06÷12÷12 — While my credit was authorized by Vicki and I filed a dispute with PayPal, PayPal’s system glitched and I never got my refund. Just spent another 20 minutes with PayPal and the issue was on PayPal’s side. Credit should be coming thru.) It is best to just avoid PayPal all together.
SO…
1) Buy the parasail trip when you get to PCB and pay the additional money. That way you know what the weather is like (you can see it yourself) and you can get a refund right then and there without the PayPal mess if the weather turns bad.
2) Make sure to READ the document you sign and ALL information on the website. Re-​confirm with a manager or with Vicki all of the reasons why and how to get a refund if you need one. The «All Sales Final — No Refunds» on their website is a bit confusing and it is not covered in their FAQ’s. In other words, it says «All Sales Final» but I was still able to obtain a refund.
With that said I would totally use this company again for the following reasons —
1) They gave me a refund when the weather turned for the full amount even though Vicki was hit with a fee on the PayPal site. She didn’t deduct it from my total. She ate the fee and that says a lot about her and her company’s character.
2) She had the guts to tell us (me and two very hopeful teenagers) that no we couldn’t go out. I rather buy from a company who takes my safety seriously than one that doesn’t. (There was a another parasail company that stayed open.) I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Parasailed with this company during Spring Break 2012. The service was great. They had 4 different options to chose from. I was with my wife and 2 kids (6 and 4). The company could have attempted to up sell me to another option, but advised that the kids really wouldn’t notice the difference.
Their service on and off the boat was great. We arrived around 10:30. They noted that they didn’t normally start until around 11am. They determined that they had enough crew already onsite and decided to get us in right away. We would have been perfectly happy waiting, but they accommodated. We were on the boat by 10:45.
The crew explained everything and made sure we had the best experience possible. Like everything in PCB, and a tourist town, they work for tips. They earned a well deserved tip.
I would recommend this company for parasailing. I was a bit leary given no reviews on Unilocal.There were 3 an Google that were iffy. One referencing an altercation that the boat captain got into with another parasailing company. But that was a few years earlier and we all grow up, right? :)
Anyway, we had a great experience and I would use their services again.