FLORIDA AIRBOAT RIDES

Ever saw an airboat? It’s that weird looking watercraft that we have seen in the crime drama series CSI Miami on AXN. They use this when the detectives and the CSIs have to go deep into the marshes of Floria in order to dive for evidence.

These airboats are also widely used by Miami environmental colleges as well as art schools in and around Florida.

What is an Airboat?

The airboat is a small motorboat, which is powered not by a propeller found underwater but rather a giant fan attached to its rear. The bottom is smooth so that when it passes through grasses and other water plants, these just bend over and are not destroyed. The ride is very noisy though because of the fan, so each guest was given ear protection that we had to wear every time the boat was in motion. The operator would stop from time to time and explain things about the marshes or if he spots something and that’s when we would take off our headphones. I didn’t know that the airboat could go that fast!

What to Expect on an Airboat

The entire trip was less than 30 minutes and had occasional stops when the driver would point to us different birds and animals living in the marshes. He told us funny stories about Florida wildlife in his southern accent so, all in all, it was a short but fun ride. The ride costs $26.50 per person and $23 for children but we gave the driver an extra $2, for during the entire trip, we were faced with this message in bold letters: IF YOU LIKE THE RIDE, TIP THE GUIDE. Well, we enjoyed our trip and so we surely gave a tip!

The best time to get on these rides is around 9am in the morning during summer because it’s not so hot. During winter time (thought it’s not very cold in Florida), it would be good to go around noontime. For more information on these airboat tours, you may check their website: https://wildfloridairboats.com