In the past I have written strictly about Hovercraft in this blog, but my Backwater Adventures have taken me to other places using various means of transportation. On a recent trip to Florida we decided to try an air boat to discover the difference and or similarities. Our captain for the day was Greg (shown in the picture to the right) a very personable southern gentleman who assured us from the start that he had many years of air boat experience. It did not take long to discover for ourselves that he was telling the truth. It was fun to watch his maneuvering through areas that were less than adequate for the size of air boat we were in. The boat was powered by a 450 HP V8. The Hostess Sharon, who signed us up was very friendly and most helpful. The tour took just over an hour and Greg allowed a young man about 11 to sit next to him and be our gator spotter. The lake contains over 3000 alligators so in our hour tour we spotted or at least counted 56, in addition to the gators the lake is also home to snakes, turtles, wild animals including panthers, and various local and migrating water birds,. The air boat is a unique vehicle with many of the hovercraft characteristics with one exception, it is on the water and land not above it like a hovercraft. If you have never tried air boating I recommend it for the simple reason it allows you to make an informed decision when purchasing a hovercraft. I will not be trading off my hover for an air boat but it was a fun trip. All in all the cruise cost is fun and worth the time to take it. If you are in the Naples FL. area look them up and take the tour. Tell them Terry from TLS WindSled sent you, they may give you a discount. Thank you Capt. Greg and Airboats & Alligators for a fun and informative outing.
Airboats & Alligators
6001 Lake Trafford Rd., Immokalee, FL 34142 239-657-2401
All Photos of Airboats & Alligators are courtesy of TripAdvisor
