Parasailing in Honolulu and Oahu

Parasailing is the training-wheels approach to extreme sports—you think you want to try something crazy, but you're not ready to step out of an airplane quite yet. Generally you fly about 500 feet off the water, enjoying a bird's-eye view of everything, while also enjoying the silence that envelops you at that height. As we said, it's a nice alternative to leaping from planes that still gets you seeing the sights.

Hawaii X-Treme Parasailing. Reputed to be the highest parasail ride on Oahu, rides here actually pull people as high as 1,200 feet for 15 minutes. They offer pickups from Waikiki, making it convenient to try this combo of water skiing and parachuting. Rates run from $45 to $82. Kewalo Basin Harbor, Honolulu. 808/330-8308.