10/10 for the captains. The banana boat ride to/from the Parasailing boat was fantastic, boat captains were great! Rip off when it comes to photos. I paid $680 for 5 flights and 3 observers. They made us split into two boats. One flight on each and then wanted to charge me another $200 for photos because we were on two separate boats! read more

Booked a parasail for friends and I paid to ride on the boat so I could be part of the experience in some way. Unfortunately I had a business meeting come up so I was not able to join in the fun. I completely understand their no refund policy and not making exceptions. I wasn't expecting a refund and still do not. I was however hoping that they could make some concession. All that was asked was if they could apply the cost I paid to join towards possible photo cost. That would have at least allowed me to see the enjoyment the others had. After it was asked to the staff it was not even consideration or an attempt to ask a manager or owner if it could be an option. Was just given a flat out no. Disappointing as the experience they had was wonderful and I was only unable to join due to a conflict that I couldn't avoid and was at last minute. Thank you Captain Turkey and Bubbles from my friends for the experience and your kindness. read more

Wow! What an amazing experience! We booked an early bird special today. It was a little crowded and took some time to wait in line but man, was it worth it. My daughter has a genetic disorder called Williams Syndrome. It causes her to have many issues including spatial issues. Balance and crossing things can be hard for her. She was a little intimidated by the banana boat but the crew was more than accommodating to help her get in. The ride to the big boat was great and our Captain, maybe Cameron (he was from Raleigh) was amazing. We then boarded with Captain Turkey. He was so helpful and helped my daughter aboard. The parasail ride was amazing! As the website said, when you go early you have better chance to see dolphins. We did!! My son, my daughter and myself enjoyed this adventure so much. It was money well spent. It helped we were paired with great folks! read more

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We made reservations the day prior. We arrived 45 minutes early. Check in was smooth. Everyone was very helpful. There was a wait to get out to the boat. We were early so I don't know if we would have waiting if we were on time. Once we got to the boat, everything was as expected. Everyone was nice and explained all safety precautions. read more

My husband surprised me with parasailing for our anniversary. I wouldn't go to Aloha again, but it wasn't all bad. Pros: -Parasailing setup felt safe -The views were amazing! -On-the-spot photos were nice -The banana boat ride to and from the boat felt like an extra perk Cons: -Reservations were pointless. We were 15 min early for our reservation (per the company's request) and ended up waiting in direct sunlight for 2 hours before it was our turn. There's no sunscreen provided and you're not allowed to have loose items on you = dangerous situation. (Yes, we ended up very burnt) -The price was high for the amount of time you actually parasailed (around 8 minutes) -The on-shore employees were almost exclusively surly teenagers -The banana boat ride was fun but challenging. As other reviewers have said, the captain towing the banana boat laughed off requests to go slower -The solo rider on our trip was paired with a random couplen (no choice was given). I felt bad that the couple's pictures would include a stranger read more

The bad - The day we went out it was so rough that they should not have been operating. People were getting knocked over as they tried to board the banana boats. We felt sorry for the guys who were trying to wrestle the banana boats and jet skis as they fought huge waves. Our reservation for 11:30 apparently did not mean anything as we still had to wait in line for 2 hours. We had two flyers and two observers and our intention was to film the flyers. When we got there, they would not let us bring anything on board so we basically paid $40 apiece for a boat ride. The girls manning the check in booth were rather rude to us. Their website does not mention anything about having to ride a banana boat to the main boat. That is why we chose this outfit over the others as my wife and I have some physical challenges. On the ride over, my wife and I got knocked off twice, and my wife got seasick. They wound up having to bring us back to shore. The only good thing - the shore staff were very good at getting us off the boat, they brought us chairs to sit on and water. It would have been thoughtful if someone came over and checked on us but that didn't happen. Other riders on our boat also got knocked off and fell and one other woman also got sick on the ride. read more

Excellent experience overall! Crew was very friendly during my experience and efficient at what they do! I had an unfortunate misunderstanding due to the wind and when I brought it up to the management, the owner reached out directly and looked into the situation and assured me they only hire the best crew members. I highly recommend Aloha Watersports for Parasailing! read more

Took the girls to parasail and it was well worth it plus they got a 30 minute banana boat ride to get out to the boat. Also they offer coupons in the travel guides in town read more

I am going with 4 starts and I should really go with 3. The banana boat out was one hellva ride. It was intense and we asked to slow down, were ignored. One passenger was super scared to go up and the young man was kinda a douche bag about it. The line was forever long, and this took us half the day to do--move here, jump here, more here. When I spent $50, yes $50 for the photo package--I get in my car to leave and look at them and she had sent me the wrong family. I called and told them, but because I did not remember the name of the kid driving the boat they were not able to find mine. So I was also out that money. Fun ride and thrill though. read more

Called ahead and was able to get coupon rate with reservation. Almost like 2 experiences in 1 because of the banana boat ride out to the boat. Big Man and Pookie were fantastic! Don't know how long they were up in the air but they felt like they definitely got their money's worth. read more

Where should I begin? My daughter (7 years) and I have done banana boat previously and it was FUNNNN. With Aloha Watersports, it was an absolute waste of $$$$. Not only it was way more pricer, but it was worthless. Seems like they are just a bunch of kids running this show. What was supposed to be a fun/memorable experience for our family, one of their crew members turned into a traumatic experience for my 7-year-old. Review on Banana boat ride: Their website falsely advertises, "2 rides for one" as a special. They take you to the parasailing ship in those banana boats and that's about it. The Banana boat ride is supposed to be at least 20 min. We did a Banana boat with captain 'Iceman'. He just drove to the ship and that's about it. On our way back, another captain was doing a banana boat for another group and it seemed like they were having fun. Looking at the other captain, Iceman did one trick where he turned fast and water splashed on us but that's about it. Parasailing: We did it with Captain Tarzan. There were 6 people on the boat. Two groups: me and my daughter and then a group of 4 adults. My daughter and I were the first ones to ride. All he did was put us in the air, just in one place. When we returned, I asked him why he didn't move us at all. He said because of the weight my daughter's weight isn't enough for him to move it safely. Understandable. I asked him if we could go again with a grown-up from another group. Hearing this, the other person who was with Captain Tarzan got pissed and told me I have to pay again. I looked at his face and thought to myself Seriously!!! I have paid more than $200 for this. Anyway, I didn't say anything to this person. Nonetheless, Captain Tarzan made a call to I guess his crew on the shore and informed me that if one of the grown-ups from the other group agreed to go with us he would fly again. We were happy. Everyone from the other group was willing to go. The heaviest among all went with us though. Again making it tipping on his side. Bummer for us again. My only recommendation for Captain Tarzan is to pay a little more attention to the weight distribution concept. Since our first attempt was not great, he should have paid more attention to weight. There was another guy almost of my weight and that would have made it a better balance and better experience for us. The second person with Captain Tarzan was so pissed that we are getting a second ride. First, this guy rudely told me that my daughter should be on the corner. I was thinking doesn't make sense, this whole thing would tip on the side. Anyways, Captain Tarzan told him that my daughter should be in the middle. He got mad and took her buckle off so rudely. The poor girl got scared and didn't even want it anymore. When we flew, I asked her what happened to her and why she didn't seem happy. She said, "Nothing" She just wanted it to end. I thought maybe she was tired. When we returned to the shore, I asked her if she was okay. She said, "Why was that boy so mad at her the second time. The way he held my arm and moved, I got scared". She doesn't want to do parasailing ever again. Didn't know that what I wanted to be a memorable moment would turn into a traumatic experience for my daughter. In summary, Captain Iceman doesn't have the skillset needed to ensure that people get a fun/thrill banana boat ride. Captain Tarzan is good but just couldn't provide us with a good experience because he didn't think about weight distribution. Captain Tarzan's assistant [don't know his name] is rude and arrogant. He pays no respect to the customers or their experience and lacks the human decency to be kind to children. It wasn't like I was asking for a free ride. I paid $192.57 for reservation $ 5.40 for locker $50 for pictures. People do water sports for fun/thrill. If they had given us that experience the first time, I wouldn't have asked the captain to do it again. Or when booking, they should have told us that since it's just you and ur daughter; your weight wouldn't be optimal for the thrill ride. We can just fly and hold u guys in the air. read more

Worst experience of the trip! Spent over 1 hour 45 minutes standing in the sun in line for a reservation we were told not to be late for or we would miss out. It is a garbage company. PICK A DIFFERENT COMPANY! read more

Aloha Watersports - Endless lines for expensive, short experience. - Boating Near Me - North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

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We had a great overall experience! Per family who has gone parasailing with this company before, the lines can be long depending on time of day, so we booked for early morning(9:30a)-- which was well worth it! We arrived 15 prior to our appointment, it took about 15 min to sign waivers, get your life jacket, and take initial photos. It was $5 dollars to rent a locker since you are not allowed to have any personal or loose items during the experience (not bad). They give you a key that I just locked into my life jacket. (Only $10 recovery if you lose your key). You are placed into the line up to get on a the banana boat that takes you to your boat from which you will parasail. We waited about 20 minutes to get on initial banana boat. About 10 minute ride out (so fun!). We were paired with one other group. Each group flew together (group of two & group of three) and each got about a 15 minute flight time. Got to see sharks and sea turtles!! And got a little dunk in the water on the way back in--very fun! Following was about a 15 minute banana boat right back! It felt like we got two experiences in one! Staff were kind and informative! Definitely personable and made us feel safe! Definitely wear sunscreen prior to arrival-- the entire experience from start to finish took us about two hours, so plenty of time in the sun! read more

Saw the parasailing while at our hotel resort and decided to give it a try and sooooooo glad we did! My 16 year old was looking for something fun to do so she and I went for it. They handled the entire process very well. Only thing they could have done different when we called to make reservation is let us pay in advance. Then I wouldn't have worried about bringing credit card BUT they had lockers you could rent so it was safely tucked away so it didn't fall out of my bathing suit and into the ocean. But from moment we walked up very attentive staff got us signed in and suited up. The banana boat ride was intense wave ride to get to the boat but a good intense ultimately and like an additional fun part of the experience. Very good staff on the boat who made me comfortable. Highly recommend Captain Randy! If you are looking for some fun water sports go check out Aloha! Side note: this is not Aloha's fault. They provide you with parking options for when you get there which is super helpful. But with that said parking is not easy to come by, well, at least not on a holiday weekend so while you can ultimately get it you may circle a few times but my point is get there with enough time. Our appt was 2;00 and we got there 1:30 and my husband dropped us at 1:45 and then went to look again for parking and fortunately then found a spot. Like I said 4th of July weekend that is expected. Just hope this helps someone to plan a little better. :) read more

I did not have reservations but was able to walk up and sign up for parasailing as it was before 11am (their less busy time) Most of the staff were friendly but a couple of them seemed to not enjoy their job. They provided sufficient and thorough instruction at each step to ensure the customers felt comfortable. The price was reasonable. $65 for one person. To get a locker to place any personal belongings in was an additional $5. You are not able to take ANY loose items with you and no phones or GoPro's allowed. They do take photos for you and offer one free behind their Aloha Water Sports sign then additional photos for sale. They offered me one of the extra photos for $25 or all (approx 10-15) for $50. They take photos on both the banana boat that you ride to the larger boat then also on that one as well as when you're parasailing. I had gone solo and hoped to go up alone but the captain said I needed to ride with a Dad and his daughter for time sake. I would've been happier to be alone and not have strangers in all my photos (and vice versa) but I also understood that they had LOTS of people to get through for the day and I again, I was able to go without a reservation. Happy I did it! read more

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We did the jet ski dolphin hunting tour the other day and had a blast. Our tour guide was Tracer and he made the experience so much better. He was very helpful and made it so much fun for my family and he was also kind and got to know us a bit. We didn't see any dolphins, but we didn't care because the ride was the most fun I've ever had!!! I am very sore now tho read more

Aloha Watersports - Boating Near Me - North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

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Totally incompetent operation. They prioritize the parasailing for which you can make a reservation. No reservations possible for the banana boat. We waited an hour before we even got to ride. They just work the banana boat rides in between the parasailing drops. Poorly run. Not worth the wait for a 10 minute ride. We have been coming to Aloha for years. The customer service keeps getting worse and poorly managed. Jet ski operator was very good and lots of fun though. read more

My wife and I went parasailing at Aloha Watersports. Every single one of the staff members was friendly and competent. They guided us expertly and smoothly through each step of the process. We had an amazing experience that included the thrill of parasailing plus breathtaking views. We highly recommend parasailing at Aloha Watersports to anyone looking for a fun and adventurous experience. You won't be disappointed. read more

We had a fantastic time with this company. My daughter and I have never parasailed and they made us feel completely at ease. Captain Joe took 6 of us out on the banana boat to get to the boat we would parasail from. Joe was the perfect guy to explain the rules, signs to give etc. we got a fun wild ride to the other boat and he kept an eye on all of us to make sure we were all good and safe. Wonderful, fun guy! On the boat Captain Randy and co-captain were fantastic as well. Extremely professional, clear instructions and fun reggae music. You have the option to go up solo, tandem or with 3 people. Being afraid of heights I wasn't sure how I'd do. They were very reassuring and the lift off and landing were sooo smooth. We even got a fun dunk in the water on the way down to the boat. It was the most peaceful, quiet way to enjoy the beauty of the area. Highly recommend this company and their fun crew! If you're on the fence.. just do it, you won't regret it! read more

Waiting, waiting, and more waiting. We booked a reservation, just to be told that we would have to wait over an hour AT LEAST to board the banana boat, to go parasailing. They have absolutely zero adults working. The girl who make us sign our waiver looked maybe 18. She was very nice and knowledgeable. The girl running the register sucked. No customer service, acting like she hated her life, and made us second guess even being there. The boy handing out life jackets does not look a day over 15. He is the one who told us that we would be waiting for over an hour, regardless of our reservation. When we asked him "then why do you guys take reservations?" He simply just walked away. They have 6 umbrellas you can sit under, but lockers you can rent for your stuff if you do not feel comfortable leaving your stuff under the umbrella. Finally, and I know this is petty, they advertise Gatorade for 3 bucks. I bought one, and it was a freaking "Kirkland Signature Sports Drink." Which, if I'm paying for gatorade, I want the damn gatorade. I don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for you to rip me off. Anyways, we got here at 11:45, it is now 12:48. Reservation for 12. We're still waiting! Overall, I don't even want to do it anymore because it's so hot, none of us wore sunscreen (our fault, I know) because we thought we'd be right out... BECAUSE OF OUR RESERVATION! Boo. read more

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Don't waste your time going here. They have you reserve a time for your chosen experience, but there's pretty much no reason for the reservation. My kids stood in line for an hour and a half before going out. The captains were great, but the support staff, the ones helping get people on and off the boats, need some training. They are rude and tend to favor some customers over others. There are far better parasailing businesses in the area that there's no need to go here. I will not be back and can't wait to take my business elsewhere. read more

Joe and Randy are the best!! They made us all feel safe and welcome :)! It was a great experience during the banana boat ride and while parasailing. It was such a fun first-time experience Kayla however, was quite rude on the register but her attitude was a minor inconvenience for our great experience, the rest of the staff is greatttt :)! read more

Great people! Fun! Made me want to work here! Haha! My kids were on a boat with someone who fell off and the ride was cut short. I didn't even have to ask and my kids got a second ride. Thanks Aloha!! read more

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Called to make a reservation right when they opened and was able to get one for 3 people for an hour later. They ask that you arrive 15 minutes early and instead we arrived 15 minutes late. They were able to accommodate with no issues and we were on a banana boat within 20 minutes of arrival, including check in, life jackets, etc. Captain Buck on the lifeboat was great and made the ride to and from the parasailing boat a lot of fun! Captain Mark and Wild Willie were fun and made us feel safe on the boat and the parasail, taking pictures for us the entire ride. Their pricing was lower than other companies in town too. Would definitely recommend! read more

The experience was great! The captain of the banana boat, and parasailing boat, were so nice. They take you on the banana boat to the parasailing boat, so it's basically two for one! read more

Save your money and time and pick a different company to go parasailing with! We signed up for a time slot, which was pointless because we showed up 20 minutes early and still had to wait nearly 2 hours on the beach. When they finally loaded us on the boat, they only let you up in the air for 5 minutes. Then you have to pay $25 for ONE photo. If you wanted more photos, you had to pay $50. Complete rip-off and waste of time. This was my third time parasailing and My other experiences were great with other companies. But this one was the absolute worst. read more

Omg! We did the banana boat ride. It was so much fun. We haven't laughed that hard in forever. Everyone was super nice checking you in. To It's not a long ride but in all honesty, your arms and legs couldn't take it much longer. It's quite a workout. We had Capt Buck. I thought he was excellent! Well done everyone. read more

This was the first time our entire group had ever parasailed and it was a wonderful experience. I was extremely nervous at the beginning, however everyone from initial check in counter to the boat captains were so helpful, encouraging, and fun! There were 6 of us and we went 2 up at a time. Their gear is top notch and in great shape and the captains were very knowledgeable and friendly. We even saw a sea turtle while up in the air! What a bonus! The banana boat ride to and from the parasail boat was exciting! The captain that took us on that was very considerate of our physical capabilities. The ride back to shore we begged for crazy fun and got it! Will definitely use this company the next tine we are in NMB! read more

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A lot of fun to parasail and banana boat! While the main package was to parasail, we had a blast on the banana boats. The drivers were very helpful and accommodating. We would definitely recommend! Discount: we tried to use the coupons in the coupon books for the area but learned later on that those coupons don't apply according to the times. (Those details aren't specified on the coupons) Make sure to make reservation. (Required) Morning reservations are cheaper but the coupons don't apply. Later in the day reservations are more expensive but the coupons do apply. In the end, the price differences between these two scenarios are slight. So my advice is either make a reservation in the morning or use the coupons for afternoon reservations. Overall, it was a lot of fun and our family made some fun memories! read more

All I can say is WOW the best customer service every they deserve 10 stars! Everyone was friendly and accommodating. I went on a banana boat ride with three other friends and we had the best experience ever! The prices are also decent and well worth it if you are at the cherry grove beach I would suggest this spot for a quick fun time read more

A great experience! From the check in, banana boat ride and on the boat to the actual parasailing the workers were friendly and professional. We would definitely do it again. read more

Great experience it was the 1st time parasailing and we had a blast! The banana boat ride was a little rough but it was a lot of fun. Staff was amazing!!! read more

Aloha Watersports - Boating Near Me - North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Aloha Watersports wastes half your day standing on the beach waiting to go out - 2 full hours after your scheduled time. Then to add insult to injury they charge you to use lockers on top of the $65-75 per person (depending if you use a morning coupon- we didn't). When you are already paying that much they should have a place for you to keep the things that aren't allowed on the boat. Obviously you want to use common sense and not bring expensive glasses or things you could potentially use, but charging for lockers on top of the fee is nuts. If they didn't take so long and managed their time effectively, it wouldn't be necessary. Go to one of the other companies, don't lose half your day standing around in the blazing sun just to be nickel and dimed. read more

3 Stars for Aloha Watersports because.... PROS *Super close to our hotel (we stayed in the Wyndham- Towers on the Groves) * Reasonably priced + $30 off with the coupon (BONUS !!) * Fast paced-Jet Skis w/Banana Boats were steadily coming to shore and to the boats in the sea *Complimentary Picture CONS * Banana Boat ride was quite choppy (The weather did play a factor as well, but driver should take that into consideration) *Flight itself was rushed and we were only in the air for 10 mins. It's advertised as 10-15 mins in the air and well they kept their word, but I mean we want a little bit more bang for our buck * Boat- Our Captain (Didn't catch his name) was playing highly inappropriate music. His music was filled with curse words and it also boasted the 'N' word loud and proud. I am an African American woman and that is highly offensive to me and my family plus when we asked kindly for the Captain to change the music, he had the audacity to look at us sideways and mumble "Huh ? What's the problem ? What's wrong with the music ?". He then lowered the music were we could still hear the music then he eventually changed the station altogether. *Boat- It's real slippery on the floor of the boat and the company advertises that you must take off your shoes. We were prepared with Water shoes w/grip, but still had to take off our shoes. Maybe you could fix the guidelines itself to permit Water shoes only. Lastly, our little crew on our Banana Boat did great on the way in and out, but once we were close to shore we were tipped over by the guys unloading us. Like y'all have to be more courteous of your customers especially the older crowd. read more

This experience was pretty good for our kids. The actual parasailing crew were very polite and kind. The checkin/checkout crew.. not as much. The "free" photo you get is the one on the beach that you can take yourself. Don't be fooled into thinking you're going to get a "parasail" photo without paying an additional $50-80. Overall 3 stars due to price for amount of time in the parasails (8 min). We did parasail for 4 and purchased an additional banana boat ride. The whole experience was one hour (driving out and back in takes about 15-20 min). My suggestion would be to purchase the $20 banana boat ride. The kids liked that best and was WAY cheaper. You can take your own photo beside the Aloha sign. read more

We arrived 15 minutes early, as instructed; however, the screenshot of where to park was useless so we had to call. We were then informed that they were set up on the beach. Although we had reserved a time, we ended up waiting standing by cones on the beach for quite a while. It was getting very windy and the water was rather rough. Our ride on the banana boat was harrowing. We were holding on for dear life. Moving from the banana boat to the boat with the parasail was extremely difficult and dangerous due to the rough waters. The captain ended up grabbing both my mom and my friend by their life jackets and pulling them onto the boat on their stomachs. The parasailing experience itself was great other than not feeling long enough. Possibly due to the wind? When we got back to the boat we had to wait while they brought the chute in, rolled it up, and put it in the bag. The boat was rocking so bad that my friend nearly got sea sick. Moving back to the banana boat was dangerous. I got in first so I could help and was barely able to grab their life jackets to support them before the captain threw them in. When we reached the beach a very young employee said we will get you out here so I began assisting my mom only for a big wave to come in and throw her back into the center of the boat. Then other employees said to wait and they would get us up to the beach. Why did they not do that in the first place? The pictures were taken with what looked like a cell phone and on a rocking boat so not very good and uploaded to Google pics. They were priced at $25 for one or $50 for all. Highway robbery! Needless to say, we did not purchase any. While I would do parasailing again, I most definitely WOULD NOT recommend using Aloha Watersports. read more

My niece and nephew were down to stay with us last weekend so we decided to take them parasailing. Let me just say that it was one of the best experiences that they had ever had. There was a banana boat ride out to and back from the parasailing boat.The staff were very friendly and accommodated us very well with scheduling. The equipment was in great shape and appeared to be well taken care of. Thank you Randy! read more

Great customer service. Everyone is accommodating. They give coupons when you call on phone. Parking is not straight forward, risk getting towed when parking across street, ask them and double confirm where to park. Coming to parasailing, family had a blast on banana boat ride bumping on ocean waves(not too bad) and whole process is seamlessly managed, from banana boat to parasailing boat to parachute to taking pictures($30 with coupon all photos). Kids loved it as it's their first time. All for $156+$30 for 3 people. read more

Small place, great staff. Honest, too. That isn't common these days. My wife lost her wallet there and the staff retrieved it. The banana boat ride to the parasailing boat and back to shore was a plus. read more

Captain Mike and Jess were both great, friendly, and made our time on the banana boat + parasailing a lot of fun! Also, just a BEAUTIFUL view. It's definitely worth it. read more