Why Everglades Airboat Rides Are Better Than Ordinary Boats
People ask us questions about our Everglades airboat rides, whether they are looking to book a ride or simply out of curiosity. One of those questions is about our mode of transportation. Specifically, we often have to address the fact that Everglades tours take place in an airboat instead of an ordinary boat. While this seems easy to answer, it makes sense that people are asking this. After all, why need a fast boat with such a massive propeller when a simple canoe could do it? Or could it? Let’s talk about airboats, why we think they are the best and why we choose them for our Everglades airboat rides.
What is an airboat?
Let’s start at the beginning and compare airboats to ordinary boats. A traditional boat has a hollow bottom, like a shell, that partially submerges into the water. Classic boats move with the help of paddles or with a motor and propeller. That propeller will be in the water, exercising all its power by pushing the boat from underwater. So far, that makes sense. For most situations, a traditional boat is what you want and need. However, this changes as the waters get narrower, not as deep, with plenty of plants and wildlife.
Everglades airboat rides go through shallow waters and swamps. The Everglades is full of wildlife, plants, and areas that are hard to navigate with an ordinary boat. It is where airboats come into play. An airboat doesn’t submerge in the water like a classic boat. Instead, airboats fly above the water’s surface at high speeds. The propeller itself pushes air instead of water. It leads to two critical results. The first is that the propeller won’t get stuck into the plant life, and the second is that airboats can easily navigate through shallow and swampy waters.
Everglades airboat rides are, therefore safer
You might have seen on television how certain water rescue situations require airboats. For good reasons, the army uses them during flooding and hurricane relief operations. Navigating hard-to-manage places with objects sticking out of the water will often result in ordinary boats getting stuck. The other aspect is simply the timing. Airboats are fast and agile; they are easier to get to where they need to go and can be much quicker.
When we translate that to the Florida swamps, it becomes clear why Everglades airboat rides work better than traditional boats. Not only that, but you are safer just because you won’t get stuck in the plant life at the center of the Everglades swamps. As airboats fly above the water, you will also fly above the animals, leaving them to get on with their routine. Let’s say a crocodile starts taking a fancy to you. Off you go. Good luck to them outrunning you.
Last but not least, airboats have a flat bottom. Due to how you glide, you don’t get the sway that regular boats have. Therefore, you don’t get that seasickness that changes an excellent time to a bad one. The high speeds and flying lead to a refined and smooth ride, nowhere near as bumpy as other ordinary boats. Add the fact that the seats are pretty elevated, so you get better visibility around you and feel safer being above ground.
So there you have it. It is a quick and easy explanation of what airboats are and why Everglades airboat rides are better and safer for you. They are also better for the environment, as we don’t shred through plants and don’t bother the animals. We fly above it all! So feel free to book your airboat ride if you want a great and safe time. Everglades airboat rides are the best, and we can’t wait to bring you onboard!
