Dubai waters, sky-high fear: Parasailing for the first time in the Gulf despite sea anxiety

I do love the water.

I feel a sense of peace when walking across sunset shores and running into the waves lapping the beach. I like wading in a little too, till I’m waist deep. But ,here’s the thing: When it comes to the sea and ocean, I prefer to feel the sand beneath my feet. I don’t want to go too deep. Maybe it’s all the disaster films I’ve watched: Titanic, Poseidon, and more recently, the Amy Bradley is Missing documentary.

Each one has etched a warning in my mind: The ocean is vast, unknowable, and indifferent. I’ve never wanted to scuba dive, let alone deep-sea dive. Unlike Hrithik Roshan in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, I don’t have Katrina Kaif to hold my hand—and even if I did, I would still wouldn't risk it for an epiphany. I'm not too fond of lakes either; the one time I jumped in without thinking, I panicked, when I couldn't feel hard rocks. I kept kicking to the surface, nevertheless.

But here’s the curious catch, I also do love adventure, and that’s led me to do paragliding. But, parasailing? That’s a different kettle of fish altogether: Tethered to a boat, yet clasping to strings mid-air, with nothing but water below you.

Yet, in 2021, I somehow did. My mother-in-law had always wanted to try it, despite her own fears. So I had mixed emotions: Excitement, and still fear, of being so close to the water.

What if I fell?

And so in Dubai, we decided to do it. We were taken on the boat, trussed up in life jackets. And then, before we knew it, we were high up in the air. I did feel terrified, in the midst of cold excitement and fear; while my hands were starting to feel slightly numb, as I held on to the strings. A few deep breaths, while staring at nothing but the blue below us.

My mind spiraled. What if something went wrong? What if I fell and couldn’t signal the boat? I imagined worst-case scenarios, the kind that end with newspaper headlines and regretful obituaries. Every time I shifted in my harness, I thought, well, this is it. I should’ve written a will.

But, in the midst of anxiety attacks, the expansive blue of the sea didn’t worry me so much anymore. In fact, it felt calming to look at the blue, contrary to moments before, when I imagined myself falling straight into the sea.  The wind was blowing, and despite my numbness at points, I was slowly starting to enjoy the feeling of cold on my face, despite the sun. I wasn’t fearless, but I was still there, suspended between sky and sea, and I was doing it.

When we landed back on the boat, I was relieved, grateful for something solid beneath me, even if it was still floating in the middle of the sea. Will I parasail again? I’m not sure. Maybe. Maybe not.

But I’ll always remember how the sea looked from way up there, endless, unknowable, and oddly soothing. A reminder that sometimes, facing the fear doesn't erase it—but it softens the edges just enough to let wonder slip in.