Fun and Function: The Various Uses of Air Boats

An air boat, sometimes spelled as airboat, is a type of watercraft used for a variety of reasons. If you've ever visited the Florida Everglades, then you might have seen or rode in one already. This type of watercraft are powered by large propellers at the end.

Unlike other types of watercraft, air boats don't need underwater rudders or blades, a feature that helps it function well even in shallow water and even access remote areas. As such, air boats are frequently used for rescue operations during flash floods. For the most part, however, air boats are used for entertainment purposes like fishing and cruising on shallow waters.

Some companies even offer private air boat rides to provide customers the opportunity to explore the natural beauty of the Everglades. Some modern air boats are equipped with V8 engines and can reportedly go for up to a hundred miles per hour. The gush of wind blowing your hair as you look at the unpretentious beauty of the wetlands can be a truly invigorating experience. If you're lucky enough, you might even be able to spot alligators in their natural habitat. Whether for fun or adventure, you can always rely on air boats.

A Great Way to Explore and Enjoy the Florida Everglades

Summer is a great time to go on a family vacation. Yet where can you go when you're tired of the usual hangouts such as white sand beaches, ski resorts, mountain cabins, etc.? If you have enough money to spare, you can book a flight or cruise ship to some exotic place abroad.

However, you need not go that far to spend an entirely new kind of vacation with your family. The Florida Everglades offers unconventional bonding opportunities with your loved ones. You don't even have to be a hardcore adventurer or nature lover to have a great time at the Everglades. With an open mind, ample provisions, and an appetite for discovery, you'll soon ask yourselves: “Why did we never think of this before?!”

When navigating the shallow waters of the Everglades, nothing beats the comfort and flexibility of a propeller- and engine-powered airboat. Conventional tour boats cannot reach most of the area since the shallow and muddy riverbed can be quite problematic for submerged boat parts. In contrast, an airboat has a flat bottom that glides over the water without any hassle. Aboard this watercraft, you can and see the Everglades at its best and witness native wildlife species such as birds, fish, snakes, and alligators in their natural habitats.

A Glimpse at the Fascinating Wildlife that Exists in the Everglades

Some kids become too preoccupied with their friends, school activities, and high-tech toys that they rarely have time for some good old family bonding. Parents should therefore make an effort to carefully plan family-friendly outing that doesn't include a trip to the amusement park or even a trip abroad. Instead, one must think out of the box and consider more exciting activities such as Everglades airboat rides.

An airboat is a watercraft that's designed for navigating shallow waters like swamps and marshes, which are prevalent in the Florida Everglades. Kids will enjoy the exhilarating sights and activities that these wetlands offer, including getting up close and personal with the uniquely captivating wildlife like birds and reptiles. You and your kinds certainly won't want to miss the Great Blue Heron, a tall, wading bird with a wingspan greater than its height.

You'll also find numerous lizard, snake, and turtle species in the Everglades. Perhaps the most intriguing and irresistible of all is the American alligator. This cold-blooded creature typically has a thick, dark hide that helps it blend into the surroundings and prey upon amphibians, snakes, and other creatures with much stealth. So if you're raring for a one-of-a-kind family adventure, then you certainly won't be disappointed with the Florida Everglades.

Fun and Adventurous Family Activities in Florida

Been thinking of new weekend activities that don't involve picnics and barbecue? Start packing your bags now and set your sights on the Sunshine State. Florida boasts of countless zoos, beaches, museums, and exciting marshy areas that will blow you away with the kind of natural beauty that packs a punch.

To make the trip worth your while, include a tour of the museums and the Kennedy Space Center in your itinerary. For some good old sunshine, slather on some sunblock and head to any of the pristine beaches along the Gulf Coast. You can take your kids to any of the amazing zoos and aquariums so they can see animals up close.

If you're the more adventurous type and wish to see some wildlife in action, head on over to the renowned Everglades. Rent an airboat so you can cruise around Florida's exciting waterways and marshlands. This way, you can see alligators, turtles, and other endemic species in their natural habitats. Each boat ride costs around $50 for each person.

Get an unmistakable adrenaline rush as you feel the warm air touch your face and watch birds, fish, and alligators interact in their natural environment from a safe distance. So what are you waiting for? Plan now and get moving.

Forever Glades: Florida's Famous Everglades

Florida might be best known for its sunny beaches and fun amusement parks, but it's also home to one of the largest natural preserves in America. Within the state lies the Everglades, an expansive wetland region that's a great number of wildlife species call it home. Experts believe that about 26% of the animal species that dwell in the marshes can't be found anywhere else in the country.

The Everglades are also a popular tourist destination, especially for those who want to see alligators in action. Since regular boats can't enter the shallow marsh waters, flat-bottomed airboats are needed to navigate the area. Airboat rentals are thus one of the biggest tourist draws in the Everglades, providing visitors the opportunity to commandeer their own watercraft while exploring the natural wonders around them.

Yet while this ecotourism model has a lot of public interest and support going for it, the Everglades is said to be undergoing a slow death. Only about 20% of the original marshland remains, and the risks of pollution and invasive species threaten to further destabilize the fragile ecosystem of the Everglades. Ardent conservationists are thus pushing for tighter environmental regulations and better protection for the Everglades National Park. Visitors can show their support for this great cause by patronizing local ecotourism efforts.

Breezing through the Bayou with Powerful Airboats

The states of Florida and Louisiana are home to magnificent marshes, slow-running shallow bodies of water. These marshes teem with wildlife unique to the area such as alligators and catfish, in particular. Since these areas are too shallow for commercial boats with large hulls to navigate, a specialized watercraft is needed.

Enter the airboat, a flat-bottomed vessel with an aircraft-grade propeller installed on its back. Airboats are powered by giant fans on the rear side (versus the typical submerged props or jets of traditional boats), while their flat bottoms make them perfect for zipping across the fordable depths of marshes and wetlands that can scrape the lower assemblies of regular boats. Airboats may not be the fastest watercraft around, but they sure beat having to wade in murky and dangerous waters.

Airboats are often used for recreational purposes, such as for touring Florida's Everglades or for exploring Louisiana's various bayous. Some adventure seekers also use airboats as excellent hunting platforms for catching gators. When New Orleans was flooded after the onset of Hurricane Katrina, airboats played an important role in facilitating citywide rescues as their flat underbellies made them suitable for use on flooded avenues. Thanks to their unique construction, airboats are quite versatile indeed.

Gliding on the Everglades: An Introduction to Airboats

It was in the 1920s when the first airboat was registered in America. These boats were initially used to navigate shallow waters, like those in the Everglades. Today, these boats aren't exclusively used for fishing and hunting, but for tours and racing as well. Aside from recreational purposes, they are also perfect for flood and ice rescue operations. Here are some facts about this unique water vessel.

Airboats are the best way to travel on shallow waters, where a standard submerged propeller engine cannot be used. What makes this type of vehicle different is its flat bottom and caged propeller on the back of the boat. The driver controls the vessel by steering the vertical rudders at the stern. Both operator and passengers are seated in elevated seats, allowing them improved visibility during the ride. However, these boats are not equipped with brakes and are incapable of going in reverse.

Some airboats are used for racing, reaching speeds of over 135 miles per hour within four seconds. These are fitted with an aircraft propeller that is powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. Whether you want a peaceful trip across the everglades or an adrenaline pumping ride, an airboat is something you should try.

Going Around the Everglades for Fun and Excitement

The Everglades are among the most majestic and unique regions in the world. Spanning thousands of square miles across the southern third of the Florida Panhandle, the region is a mix of sawgrass prairies, sloughs, marshland, and hardwood hammocks. The region’s unique ecosystem gave rise to the Everglades National Park in December 1947.

Airboats are the preferred choice for going around the area because the water surrounding most of the Everglades is too shallow for standard marine transportation. Apart from being a natural wonder, the Everglades are also a top tourist attraction. This is hardly a surprise, as there are a number of things to do when taking a cruise in an airboat.

For instance, taking out an airboat for a spin can allow you to see some of the less-traveled parts of the region. Riding down a stretch of a mangrove swamp will bring about a feeling of excitement as you go deeper into the territory. Meanwhile, a run down the Buttonwood Canal can offer surprises such as large groups of crocodiles resting in the banks. Some crocs milling around your airboat are also a sight to behold.

True to its name, airboats offer you the opportunity to feel the wind blow past you as you take in the sights. In a world that is bustling with hectic energy, a trip to the Everglades can give anyone a much needed dose of solitude and communion with nature.

Airboats: They Won’t Get Snagged in the Everglades

Airboats are no strangers to everglades and marshy waters; their flat hulls and giant fans give them the advantage over boats with outboard motors in these places. In fact, using an outboard motor boat in the everglades will likely end up as a frustrating experience, especially when the motor ends up snagging water plants. Places like Florida happen to have a lot of everglades, namely the preserves west of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, making airboats rather common sights.

The workings of an airboat is founded in Isaac Newton's law of action and reaction. As his Third Law states, any object that exerts force (action) on another object will result in the latter object exerting an equal amount of force (reaction) in the opposite direction. In the case of the airboat, the energy released by the giant fan serves as the action, while the forward motion of the boat serves as the reaction.

Whether it's for fishing or sightseeing, airboats can carry an entire family or office staff for a joyride across The Everglades. It may be a bit noisy, given that the fan is mounted on the boat instead of below the water, but modern airboat designs feature quieter motors and carbon fiber propellers that reduce noise. Leave the open seas and lakes to outboard motor boats, because the everglades are best explored aboard airboats.

Enjoying Nature With Fun-Filled Airboat Tours Through the Everglades

It was in the year 1928 when a land developer from Miami proposed that the Everglades be turned into a national park. Thanks to that proposal and the congress' approval in 1934, today's Everglades National Park is able to maintain and protect twenty percent of America's largest southern subtropical wilderness. So if you're thinking about visiting this natural wonder, which has also been declared as a World Heritage Site, to discover the diverse flora and fauna it houses, you ought to join an airboat tour that tourists and locals alike are raving about.

Airboat rides through the Everglades is like an adventure filled with wonderful surprises. As your captain starts the engine and begins the tour, keep your eyes peeled for sneaking alligators, native birds, and wild deers. The deeper you glide into the Everglades' heart, the more you'll realize the beauty a thriving wetland possesses. Mangrove forests, cypress swamps, and sawgrass marshes are great for photo ops.

Enjoying the sights and sounds of the Everglades while riding an airboat makes the experience even more memorable. In fact, you don't even have to wait for a specific season to go on an airboat tour. Just look for a professional captain who provides private charters with his high-performance airboats, book a tour, and prepare to ride the wind!

Three Must-Do Activities in Florida's Everglades National

The Everglades National Park is arguably South Florida's most prized natural treasure. Within its boundaries, you'll find hundreds of islets with their unique flora and fauna exclusive to this swampy habitat. But the everglades is more than just sightseeing and soaking up the breathtaking natural formations of this park. A multitude of nature-based recreational activities you'll hardly find anywhere else also await you. Here are three of the “must do” activities to consider when you come to visit the Everglades National Park.

Airboat tours

There's no denying that airboats are a really fun way to experience the Everglades swamp. Many providers in the area allow you to choose the length of time you'll need for your tour. Night tours are also available.

Shark Valley tour

Shark Valley lies in the heart of the “True Everglades”, an area that stretches 100 miles from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. Tram tours of the paved loop trail are available. This is a great way to spot some of the famous wildlife the area has to offer, including the Florida black bear and the endangered Florida panther.

Mahogany Hammock trail

The Mahogany Hammock trail is a 0.5 mile boardwalk through one of Everglades' most unique ecosystems. Here, you'll see the largest living mahogany tree in America.

These three activities offer a fun and enjoyable way to experience the Florida Everglades. Call ahead and make a reservation for your party to avoid any hassles, especially if you want to visit during peak season.

Things to Know before Touring the Everglades

The Everglades in Florida is nature experience that is unique for vacationers. Tourists often ride through its swampy, mangrove-covered islets through an airboat or a kayak ride. To fully enjoy your tour, take note of the things you need to know (and do) beforehand.

Weather-Prep

Florida enjoys a year-round subtropical climate. This means that you will have to swap your coats and gloves for some shades and sunscreen. Travel days can be quite hot and humid, so be sure that you can stand the weather before heading out for an airboat ride. Being unfamiliar with the weather can cause certain unforeseen health issues.

Get a Mental Map

Familiarize yourself with the trails before hiking, biking, or paddling. This way, you'll know pretty much how long the trip will take and you can conserve your energy accordingly. Get the answers you need from your trusty tour guide or a park ranger before you set off for the ride.

Bring Protection

Pack your water bottle at all times. You should also bring insect repellent and basic first aid kit, along with appropriate change clothes. Ask your tour guide what you can pack for the trip, but travel as light as you can manage. Travel with adequate protection but always consider your comfort and convenience as you carry your stuff with you.

Make the best of your Everglades tour in the Everglades by getting these things ready and in check before your set off on the first day. Ask your tour guide for any additional regulations that you need to be aware of.