POINT PLEASANT BEACH - Growing up in Point Pleasant Beach and Point Pleasant Borough, respectively, husband-and-wife team Libby and CJ Titmas were firmly rooted in their beloved hometowns and devoted to all things water sports-related. And they’ve been bringing the combined benefits of those quintessential summertime experiences to beachgoers through their business, Point Pleasant Parasail, since 2011.

A graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, with a degree in sport and recreation management, “I started out teaching sixth grade math in the Wall school system,” said Libby, 34. And CJ, 35, has been a fourth-grade teacher in Manchester since graduating from Kean University in Elizabeth with a degree in elementary education.

But for the current Point Pleasant Borough residents — who wed in 2015 and have three small children — boating, and especially parasailing, has long been in their blood.

“My dad was a captain of the Norma-K III, a popular fishing boat in Point Pleasant Beach, and I grew up visiting him at the dock,” Libby recalled. “My brothers and I all worked on the boat and one of my brothers also worked on a parasail boat.”

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“I began working at Point Pleasant Parasail during my sophomore year in high school and also had an opportunity to work on a parasail boat in St. Thomas the summer I was 19,” said CJ, who secured both a U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license and special certifications for parasailing.

“Having worked at Point Pleasant Parasail since I was 16, I became really close with the owner and was pretty much running the business for the couple of years after I graduated from college,” he said of the company, which opened in 2003.

“When the owner decided to sell it in 2011, I knew the business well and was ready to buy it,” said CJ, who took over the turnkey operation that year and has been running it with Libby ever since.

Though they were still dating at the time, “I fully supported CJ’s decision because I’d grown up on the water and knew that it was a unique opportunity,” Libby said.

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'It's amazing to take in'

More than a decade later (and nearly 20 years since the company first opened), flying with Point Pleasant Parasail remains one of the shore’s most iconic experiences.

“After showing up at the dock, customers get on our boat and we ride out of the inlet into the ocean,” CJ explained of the process. “We launch the sail from the back of the boat, harness up our guests and clip them into the sail, and then all they need to do is sit back and relax. We let out 500 feet of line, fly for 10 to 12 minutes, and eventually land right on the back of the boat. Customers can choose to stay dry or take a dip in the water at the end, and we can even take pictures of them from the boat.”

Once in the air, “it’s amazing to take in the beautiful scenery from up above,” he said. “It’s surprisingly quiet and peaceful up there and you feel like you’re floating. On an average day, you can see as far north as Asbury Park and as far south as Seaside, and on a really clear day, you can see all the way to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson.”

Booking excursions from 8:30 a.m. through the last trip at 5:30 p.m. daily (except Mondays) from Memorial Day through Labor Day, “we typically run six to eight trips every day if the weather is good,” CJ said.

“Our boat can hold 12 people and guests take turns, so the whole ride takes 60 to 90 minutes depending on how many people are on the trip,” added Libby, who noted that each flight can accommodate anywhere from one to three passengers (dependent on weight), costs $85 per person, and doesn’t require the ability to swim.

When it comes to challenges, CJ said that rainy weather isn’t necessarily Point Pleasant Parasail’s biggest obstacle.

“Rain and storms are a problem, but we can fly in drizzle,” he confirmed. “Thunder and lightning are obvious deal-breakers, but wind is probably our biggest challenge because we can only fly up to a certain wind speed. Safety is paramount to us and the nice breeze you may feel on the beach can translate differently on the water,” he said. “We have a variety of equipment to support different wind conditions, but only up to a certain point and we don’t make any sacrifices. We care about our guests and will never push the conditions and risk snapping the line for the sake of getting in an extra trip.”

Interestingly, CJ noted that the wind has gotten harsher in recent years. “We’ve kept notes on weather conditions over the past decade and have found that the winds have gotten progressively worse since we bought the business, forcing us to cancel more trips now than in the earlier years,” he said.

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Though running a weather-dependent business can be tricky for its owners, Libby said that the appeal of a parasail ride draws people from all walks of life.

“Our customers are a mix of locals from Ocean and Monmouth County as well as tourists visiting the area and we’ve flown people from age 5 up through their 90s,” Libby said. “On the weekends, we see more customers from out-of-town and we’ve welcomed people from many different states and countries over the years.”

As for competitors, “there aren’t a ton of parasailing providers in our area, probably because it’s not as easy to open this kind of company as people would think. It’s a unique business and a lot is involved in running it,” CJ said. “It also requires a big investment in a specific boat and equipment, so you have to have relationships with insurance companies, boat builders and equipment manufacturers. We’re friendly with the other parasailing companies along the shore and we all help each other if we need it.”

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'A bucket-list item'

Supported by six to seven employees who do everything from captaining the boat and serving as crew members to answering phones and checking people in at the dock, Point Pleasant Parasail also serves as a flying billboard.

“We partner with local businesses to build parasails,” Libby explained. “For instance, both Divi Tree Coffee in Point Pleasant and Rutgers University built branded sails for us that we’re flying this year. This opportunity is a win-win for all parties, as it helps our company get new parasails while providing our partners with prominent advertising space for at least three seasons.”

Overall, CJ and Libby say there’s nothing they’d rather be doing than operating their venture.

“It’s a great, high-energy job and I love that every day we encounter different conditions and get to meet different people,” CJ said of his favorite part of running Point Pleasant Parasail.

“It’s an unforgettable experience and people are always telling us that it was the best thing they’ve ever done,” added Libby, who said that their company regularly donates gift certificates for rides to local causes as a way to support their community. “We love making people happy and providing them the opportunity to check off a bucket-list item.”

“Parasailing is a fun, safe activity that we’re proud to offer in our town,” CJ agreed. “It’s a relaxing, exhilarating, and nonintimidating experience that allows you to see the area in a brand-new way.”

Point Pleasant Parasail

Location: 81 Inlet Drive, Point Pleasant Beach

Phone: 732-714-2359

Owners: CJ and Libby Titmas

Founded: 2003 (2011 under current ownership)

Website: www.pointpleasantparasail.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Point Pleasant Parasail lets you soar above Monmouth, Ocean counties