Jet skis and parasailing in Cabo San Lucas: how they work and what to check first

Jet ski rentals and parasailing in Cabo San Lucas both operate from Médano Beach, the long beach on the bay next to the marina. You walk up to a water sports stand, agree on the time and the price, get a briefing and go. Jet skis stay in the water off Médano Beach, and parasail boats take off and land on the water in front of it.

Both are easy to arrange and usually trouble-free. They're also the two beach activities where it pays to check the equipment and the conditions yourself. This guide covers how each one works, the checks, what moves the price, and what a private boat does better for a group.

Where do jet skis and parasailing run in Cabo?

Médano Beach is the base for almost all of it. It faces the bay, Land's End shelters it from the Pacific swell, and the water is usually calm, which is why the rentals are here and not on the Pacific side.

The stands are spread along the sand, and the operators work the water just beyond the roped swimming areas. In April 2025 the municipality and the water sports operators agreed to keep jet skis off the shoreline and to give each company its own zone, which is meant to keep the machines away from swimmers.

Our Médano Beach guide explains how to get there and where the swimming zones are.

How does a jet ski rental in Cabo work?

You rent by time, usually half an hour or an hour, and one or two people ride each machine. Before you leave the beach, the staff show you the controls and explain where you can and can't go.

A few things are the same almost everywhere:

• You ride inside a set area off Médano Beach. Operators tell riders to stay away from the Arch, the sea lion colony, Lover's Beach and the Pacific side.
• Drivers need to be adults or close to it. The minimum age for driving and for riding as a passenger varies by operator, so ask before you promise a teenager a turn.
• You'll be asked for ID, and often a card or cash deposit against damage.
• Life jackets are part of the rental. Wear it zipped and buckled.

What to check before you ride

1. Look over the jet ski with the attendant and take a few photos of the hull before you leave. If there's a scratch or a crack already, you want it on record.
2. Find the engine cut-off lanyard and clip it to your wrist or life jacket. If you fall off, it stops the engine.
3. Ask where the boundaries are and what the signal is to come back in.
4. Keep well clear of swimmers, kayaks, paddle boards and anchored boats. The water off Médano has a lot of all four.
5. Most jet skis only steer while you're on the throttle, so letting go to avoid something sends you straight at it. Slow down early instead.
6. Don't ride after drinking.

Mornings are the better time. The water is flatter, there's less traffic, and the wind usually builds after midday.

How does parasailing in Cabo work?

Parasailing in Cabo is done from a boat with a winch. You ride out from Médano Beach, the crew clips your harness to the bar under the canopy, and the winch lets the line out while the boat moves forward. You take off from the deck and land back on it, so you don't have to get wet unless you ask for a dip.

Flights typically last around ten minutes. Operators advertise heights of several hundred feet, and from up there you see the whole bay, Médano Beach, the marina and Land's End. Most boats fly people alone or in pairs, with a combined weight limit that the captain adjusts to the wind that day.

The view of the Arch from the air is real, but it's a distant one. The parasail boat stays out in the bay.

Is parasailing safe in Mexico?

Most flights go without a problem. Accidents do happen, though, wherever parasailing is offered, and the pattern is consistent enough that you can check for it.

The U.S. Coast Guard has studied parasail accidents and found that most deaths and serious injuries involve the towline failing. Wind is the main reason: as wind speed doubles, the load on the line can roughly quadruple, and a line that has been weakened by sun, salt, knots and repeated use can break well below its rated strength.

That tells you what to look at. You can't inspect a boat the way a professional would, but you can do this:

• Check the weather yourself. Fly in light, steady wind. If it's gusty, if whitecaps are forming or if dark clouds are building, skip it, whatever the crew says.
• Look at the towline, the harness and the clips. Frayed rope, faded or torn webbing and rusty hardware are reasons to walk away.
• Ask how they decide when to stop flying. A good crew has a clear answer and cancels flights when the wind rises.
• Wear the life jacket for the whole flight.
• Be honest about your weight. The limits protect the line.
• Listen to the briefing, including the hand signals and what to do if you land in the water.
• Go in the morning, when the wind is lighter.

It's also worth reading your travel insurance. Some policies treat parasailing and jet skis as adventure sports and exclude them unless you add cover.

For the wider picture of safety on a Cabo trip, see our article on whether Cabo is safe for tourists.

How much do jet skis and parasailing cost in Cabo?

We don't publish other companies' prices, and on the beach they aren't fixed anyway. What you pay depends on:

• how long you ride or fly
• whether one or two people share
• the season
• whether you book on the sand, through your hotel or online
• whether you pay in pesos or dollars, and at what exchange rate

Before you hand over anything, agree on the total price, the number of minutes, the currency and what happens if the machine has a problem. Ask if tax is included and whether there's a deposit. Get the answers before the life jacket goes on.

Jet ski, parasail or private boat?

They do different things. A jet ski is about speed for half an hour. Parasailing is ten quiet minutes with a view. Neither one takes you to the Arch, puts you in the water with fish or keeps a group together.

The private boat option for seeing the Arch with a group

If the goal is the Arch, the sea lions and a swim, a boat does it in one trip for everyone at once. Our 2 hour Arch and Land's End route goes to Pelican Rock, the sea lion colony, the Arch, Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach, then back along Médano Beach, 4.7 miles round trip. It's private: only your group is on board.

Two yachts fit this well.

The Chaparral 28 is a 28 ft sport boat for up to 10 guests, with snorkel gear, a lily pad floating mat, a cooler and a Bluetooth sound system. It's the quick, sporty choice, which suits people who were looking at jet skis in the first place.

The Sea Ray 36 is a 36 ft express cruiser for up to 12 guests, with a captain and deckhand, bottled water and ice, a cooler, towels and snorkel gear. It has more room and shade for a mixed group.

Prices are per boat, with the 16% tax included. The customary crew tip is 15% and isn't included. With 10 people on the Chaparral 28, 2 hours comes to about USD 52 each. With 12 on the Sea Ray 36, it's about USD 55 each.

What the boats don't do: our yachts don't tow parasails, and the only fishing is on the McKinna 70's sport-fishing charter. We don't sell or serve alcohol, but guests 18 and over can bring their own.

Doing both in one day

The two fit together well, because the jet skis and parasail boats work off Médano Beach, which the charters pass on the way back.

• Morning: parasail or ride a jet ski at Médano while the wind is light.
• Lunch on the beach.
• Afternoon: a 2 or 3 hour private boat from Marina Cabo San Lucas, which is 0.8 miles from Médano. In winter, time it for sunset.

If you'd rather put the boat first, our Arch boat tour guide walks through the 2 hour route stop by stop.

Adding a jet ski to your private charter

You can add a jet ski to a private charter with us. Our captain radios the jet ski team and they come straight to the yacht at Médano Beach, the only spot where jet skis are allowed, so you get on and off right from the boat.

• It costs USD 50 for 30 minutes or USD 100 for 1 hour, per jet ski.
• You pay the jet ski operator directly. It's separate from the yacht price and never goes on your deposit or payment link.
• It's optional for each person. Whoever wants to ride gets on, and everyone else stays on board.
• You tell the captain on the day how many jet skis you want.

If you already know you want one, pick 30 minutes or 1 hour with the extras in the planner so the captain has it on the plan.

Booking the boat

Send your date, group size and preferred time through the planner. We reply in writing within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time, and once the date is confirmed you pay through a secure Stripe link. Charters leave between 7 AM and 7 PM, so the boat can go before or after your time on the beach.

Yachts in this guide

Chaparral 28Sport boat · up to 10 guestsfrom $519 / 2 hSea Ray 36Express cruiser · up to 12 guestsfrom $659 / 2 h

Questions people ask

Where can you rent a jet ski in Cabo San Lucas?

On Médano Beach, the long beach on the bay 0.8 miles from the marina. Water sports stands along the sand rent jet skis by the half hour or hour and send you out with a short briefing.

Can you ride a jet ski to the Arch in Cabo?

Usually not. Rental operators keep jet skis inside a set area off Médano Beach and tell riders to stay away from the Arch, the sea lion colony and Lover's Beach. To see those up close, take a boat.

Is parasailing safe in Mexico?

Most flights go without a problem, but accidents do happen wherever parasailing is offered, and they usually involve wind or a worn towline. Fly only in light wind, look at the gear, wear the life jacket, and walk away if anything looks off.

How much does a jet ski cost in Cabo?

On the beach it depends on the operator, the length of the ride, the season and whether one or two people ride, so agree on the total, the minutes and the currency before you get on. On a private charter with us, the jet ski comes to the yacht at Médano Beach for USD 50 per 30 minutes or USD 100 per hour, per jet ski, paid directly to the operator.

What is a good alternative for a group?

A private boat. The Chaparral 28 takes up to 10 guests to the Arch, the sea lions and Lover's Beach from USD 519 (MXN 9,799) for 2 hours, per boat with tax included.

Plan your day on the water

Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.

Check availabilitySee the fleet