My wife and I went parasailing for the first time on Friday. I don't remember the name of the other 'captain' but one was Andrew. Both guys seemed happy to be working and were very friendly. They also got some great pictures of us.
Obviously people are going to complain. We, however, had no complaints about Hawaiian Parasail.
If you want a longer ride, maybe try paying for the extra fuel it costs to pull you around. If you want to go slow and move around, try a dinner cruise or whale watch. A speed boat is no place to be up and moving around a lot. If you can't find the place, the shuttle will pick you up and if you haven't figured it out yet, Honolulu is NOT an easy place to get around (traffic, angled streets, one ways, etc.)
Overall, the experience may just be what you make of it. If you go into it nit picking everything someone does or doesn't do, it will be bad. Enjoy it for what it is. PARASAILING!