Florida is a mass of swamps, lakes and rivers and one of the best ways of getting around in this environment is in an airboat, particularly in the Everglades. With its flat hull and large pusher airplane propellor on the back an airboat is able to ride over both land and water with minimal impact on the environment. It needs only a fraction of an inch of water under the hull.

If you are staying pretty much anywhere in Florida, particularly in Central or Southern Florida, then one of the most fun things you can do is go on a Florida airboat ride

Riding in an airboat is truly exhilarating. One minute you could be drifting slowly down a creek shrouded in mist and surrounded by tall mangrove and cypress trees festooned with Spanish Moss and the next minute you are speeding along a narrow channel cut through 8 foot high reed beds at 45 mph with the engine racing at full throttle just feet from your ears.

The highlight of our first ride was when the captain shot straight over a bank and then did a 360 degree turn without any warning. The whole experience was a bit like riding a rollercoaster but without all the ups and downs.

Once you are out in the wetlands you should get the opportunity to see a wide range of Florida wildlife in their natural habitat; anything from soft-shelled turtles, bald eagles, numerous water birds such as blue herons, cranes, egrets and anhinga and of course alligators.

Your best chances of seeing an alligator is on one of the night time airboat rides when their eyes are picked up in the light of torches shone into the darkness. Because alligators are cold blooded, they take a while to get going in the mornings particularly during the winter months so you are generally more likely to see them during the afternoons than first thing in the morning.

Most airboat companies require a reservation but some of the larger companies operate every 30 minutes throughout the day and you can often just turn up and ride. If you are planning a night trip then you definitely need to book in advance.

Types of Florida airboats

There are really two types of Florida airboat ride, the traditional style small airboats that hold a handful of people, typically up to 6 passengers and the large barge type airboats built specifically for airboat rides that can take as many as 18 to 20 passengers at a time. Both are fun to ride in but the smaller boats are more manoeuvrable and somehow you just feel more in touch with your surroundings in the traditional style airboats.

In some places you can even rent an airboat and drive it yourself though naturally they are not as fast as the real airboats.

Typical Florida airboat ride prices

Tours can range from 30 minutes up to several hours. Expect to pay around $20 for a 30 minute trip, $30-$40 for a one hour trip and $40-$60 for 90 minute trip. Children (3-12 years old) generally pay about half the adult rate and under 2s go free.

Self drive rental airboats cost about $30 per hour.

There are a lot of companies competing for business so look out for discount airboat ride coupons in visitor guides and even on the airboat companies own websites (see our Florida airboat rides directory).

Copyright 2005(c) Stephen Downs, the Florida Review and Travel Guide.

This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this resource box (with a live link) are included and the article is not changed in any way (apart from grammatical corrections).