Booking choice: The Maunalua Bay parasail flight, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
The two thrills most visitors weigh up in Waikiki are the jet ski and the parasail. They are not the same kind of experience. One is a short stretch of driving, wet, loud and hands-on; the other is a ride in which you sit in a harness and look at the coastline from height, and the work is done by the boat crew.
This guide sets out what each involves on the listings available, where they leave from, which days they run, the age and weight limits, and how to do both in one weekday morning in Maunalua Bay.
The quick answer
Choose the jet ski if you want to drive: 30 minutes on a buoyed course in Maunalua Bay, weekdays only, with pickup from Waikiki. Choose a parasail if you want the view: a six-minute tandem flight to around 600 feet over the same bay on weekdays, or an hour's boat trip with a flight from Kewalo Basin, close to Waikiki. The same operator runs the Maunalua Bay ski and parasail, so both fit one weekday morning.
Is jet skiing or parasailing better in Waikiki?
Neither is better; they answer different wishes. The jet ski is for driving, the parasail is for the view.
On a jet ski you control the throttle, you choose your line round the buoys and you get wet. Thirty minutes is enough to go from tentative to confident. On a parasail you are strapped into a harness and lifted from the boat; the flight is quiet, slow and high, and the coastline does the work.
People who like to be in charge of the speed tend to prefer the ski. People who want the photographs, or who would rather not steer anything, tend to prefer the parasail. Groups often split, and the Maunalua Bay options make that easy because both leave from the same marina.
What is the difference between the options?
Length, place, days and who is in control. The table sets them side by side, with no prices.
The jet ski rides are in Maunalua Bay at Hawaii Kai and run on weekdays, as state rules require. The Maunalua Bay parasail is also weekdays only, per its listing. The Waikiki parasails leave from Kewalo Basin or the Ala Wai side of Waikiki, closer to the hotels, and are not bound by the Maunalua Bay weekday rule; check each listing's calendar for your date.
The other dividing line is who is in control. On the ski you hold the throttle for the whole half hour; on a parasail the boat crew launches, flies and recovers you, and the time on the line is a few minutes within a longer boat trip. Limits differ as well: the jet ski needs a driver aged 18 or over on the tandem listing, while the parasails set age and weight limits per flyer.
| Option | Where | Time on the activity | Days | Who drives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jet ski ride with an instructor | Maunalua Bay, Hawaii Kai | 30 minutes riding, about 90 minutes in all | Monday to Friday except holidays | You |
| Tandem jet ski adventure | Maunalua Bay, Hawaii Kai | 30 minutes riding, allow 90 minutes | Weekdays | You (driver 18+) |
| Parasail on Maunalua Bay | Maunalua Bay, Hawaii Kai | Six-minute flight, about 1.5 hours in all | Weekdays only, per the listing | The crew |
| Waikiki Parasailing | Kewalo Basin Harbor | About 1 hour check-in to return | Check the listing | The crew |
| Go Hawaii Watersports parasail | Kewalo Basin, Slip F06 | About 1 hour | Check the listing | The crew |
| Hawaiian Parasail since 1977 | Ala Wai side of Waikiki | About 1 hour | Check the listing | The crew |
What is the Maunalua Bay parasail like?
A six-minute tandem flight to around 600 feet from a speedboat, with a dip in the ocean before landing, per the listing.
The listing describes about 1.5 hours in all, including hotel pickup and drop-off and a boat-to-boat transfer that riders need to manage. The flight is tandem, two in the harness, and goes up to about 600 feet. From there the bay lays out below: Koko Head to the east, the Ko'olau ridges behind Hawaii Kai, and Diamond Head to the west. The crew dips flyers into the sea before bringing them back to the boat.
It runs on weekdays only and is weather dependent. Observers can ride in the boat, and children aged 2 to 5 observe free, per the listing.
What are the Waikiki parasails from Kewalo Basin like?
About an hour from check-in to return, with a choice of 600, 800 or 1000 ft of line and hotel pickup, per the listings.
Waikiki Parasailing and the Go Hawaii Watersports parasail both leave from Kewalo Basin Harbor, between Waikiki and downtown, and both offer three line lengths. Go Hawaii's booth is the bright yellow one at Slip F06, 1025 Ala Moana Blvd, and its listing has an observer option. One flyer on that listing called it a big flying swing.
Hawaiian Parasail meets on the Ala Wai side of Waikiki and offers tandem or triple flights with a splash or dry landing, with up to 15 on the boat. It is a newer listing. Its include list mentions transport to the marina while its important information says no transport is provided, so check the listing before you rely on a pickup.
Kewalo Basin, a short ride from the hotels: an hour on the water and a choice of three line lengths.
Book thisWho should choose the jet ski?
Riders who want to drive, can climb back onto a ski after a fall, and have a free weekday morning.
The jet ski asks more of you physically. The operator's site says riders must be able to remount after falling off, and the tandem listing requires one person on each ski to be 18 or over to drive. In exchange you get 30 minutes of control in sheltered water, with instruction first and a buoyed course to keep it simple. The beginners guide covers what that half hour is like.
It suits couples who want to share a ski, friends who want to ride side by side, and anyone who finds the idea of being lifted on a line less appealing than steering their own way round a loop.
Thirty minutes on the Maunalua Bay course, solo or two-up, with instruction and hotel pickup.
Book thisWho should choose the parasail?
Anyone who wants the view without the driving, and groups with people who would rather stay in the boat.
Parasailing asks little skill: you sit, the crew launches and recovers you. It suits people who are wary of driving, those who want photographs of the coast, and groups where some will fly and some will watch. Observers are allowed on the Maunalua Bay boat and on the Go Hawaii and Hawaiian Parasail listings.
The limits are different, though. The Maunalua Bay parasail is not for anyone under 50 lbs or over 250 lbs, with a maximum of 500 lbs per flight. The Kewalo Basin listings set a minimum of 50 lbs and a maximum of 450 lbs on the parachute, and a minimum age of 5. Pregnant women are excluded across the parasail listings.
Can you do a jet ski and a parasail on the same day?
Yes, on a weekday in Maunalua Bay. The same operator runs both from the same meeting point at the Hawaii Kai marina.
H2O Sports Hawaii runs the jet ski rides and the Maunalua Bay parasail, and the parasail listing gives the same meeting point as the skis. Both include hotel pickup, both run on weekdays only, and each takes about 90 minutes in all. Booked back to back, the two fill a morning, which also suits the bay, where winds are usually lighter early.
Book the two slots so that one ends before the other begins, and ask the operator at check-in whether pickup can cover both. The flagship jet ski slots run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., per the listing.
Same marina, same weekday morning: a six-minute flight over the bay where you just rode the ski.
Book thisWhat if neither sounds right?
Take the speedboat: a fast run to Turtle Canyon and about an hour snorkelling, with no driving and no flying.
The small-group turtle snorkel leaves Kewalo Basin from Pier A, Slip 15, with a maximum of six people. The listing describes a 15-minute speedboat run to Turtle Canyon, about an hour in the water, juice, water and light snacks, hotel pickup and drop-off, and gratuities. There are no bathrooms on board, and it is not suitable for children under 3.
It gives the speed of the boat without anyone in the group having to drive it, and the turtles are the reward rather than the view from height.
Frequently asked questions
Is parasailing in Waikiki worth it?
For the view, many flyers think so: the Kewalo Basin boats offer up to 1000 ft of line above the south shore. If you would rather drive something, the jet ski suits better.
Can you parasail on a weekend in Waikiki?
The Maunalua Bay parasail is weekdays only. The Kewalo Basin and Ala Wai listings are not bound by the Maunalua Bay rule; check each listing's calendar.
Which is scarier, jet ski or parasail?
It depends on the person. Height worries some people; speed and falling into the water worry others. The parasail needs no skill; the ski needs you to steer.
Can non-flyers come on the parasail boat?
Yes on several listings: observers ride on the Maunalua Bay boat, Go Hawaii offers an observer option, and Hawaiian Parasail welcomes non-flying observers.
Ready to book
Choose your ride
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Rides booked on GetYourGuide.
Maunalua Bay Jet Ski Ride with an Instructor
- Jet ski for 30 minutes, solo or tandem, with safety equipment and instruction
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from Waikiki, per the listing
- Listed as limited to 10 participants; runs Monday to Friday except holidays
Parasail on Maunalua Bay with Diamond Head Views
- Six-minute tandem parasail flight to around 600 feet, per the listing
- Speedboat, instructor, safety equipment, hotel pickup and drop-off
- Weekdays only and weather dependent; a boat-to-boat transfer you must be able to manage
Oahu: Waikiki Parasailing
The busiest parasail boat on this coast: an hour from check-in to return, a choice of line length, and pickup from Waikiki hotels
