GailLK

Can someone recommend a place to take an airboat ride throught the Florida Everglades? First time to the area... Thanks!

Patrick

Will you be on the east coast or the west coast?

Tandoori_Girl

GailK, can you take the Everglades airboat off the end of the earth? And make sure it never returns? They are so noisy and environmentally detrimental, but that is your call. I suppose cars are at least as damaging. And electricity.

AND I HOPE YOU'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT LOSING YOUR HEARING! CAN YOU HEAR ME?

GailLK

Am I picking up BAD vibes about those airboats here, maybe? Funny you should mention "losing your hearing", but my husband and I are BOTH profoundly deaf (and I'm not kidding) so doesn't look like the noise will be much of an issue for us, haha. They just look like so much fun on the show CSI Miami. But if they are detrimental to the environment (as you say), I think we will bypass them and do something that's kinder to the environment...

birder

I have not been on one but I've heard that you see very little nature since the noise drives everything away. You might want to do a canoe or kayak tour if you are interested in seeing nature.

GoTravel

TG, maybe the airboats will take the jet skis with them when they journey off the face of the earth?

Tandoori_Girl

Now there's a thought. Maybe a string of cigarette butts as well. Ah, GoTravel...if only we ruled the world (sigh).

GailK, you should try a kayak or canoe. There are some good places to do this and they will put you in the kayak or canoe and all you have to do is barely paddle. It's a lot of fun and something that novices and lazy people can easily do (not to say you are either but in Florida there is no white water rapids so it's a breeze). You can take a picnic with you in a cooler (bring one with you). You can get up close and personal with all sorts of wildlife this way. Even gators, which you'll find sunning on logs.

I don't want to talk you out of airboats...oh, yes I do. They are really obnoxious. If you do it please don't post on Fodors, unless you hated it. OK?

sundowner

Tandoori_Girl - I guess I can comment on an airboat ride because it was awful. We thought that was the way to see the everglades. What a joke. It is so loud that you can't hear anything, you don't see any animals that can get away from the sound and you only see the tail ends of birds that flew away when they heard you coming.

The only positive thing I can say about them is the wind cools you off and the mosquitos don't seem to be able to keep up.

In not worth it IMO.

Grasshopper

OK, I'll take the dissenting view here. I just took an airboat tour near Boca Raton, week before last. I really enjoyed it. They gave us head phones so the noise was not an issue. We stopped a couple of times and our guide, "Wild Lyle", told us a lot about the ecology of the Everglades. We saw alligators, many kinds of birds, and interesting plant life.

If you're still interested and are talking about the Boca Raton area I will post the specifics.

GailLK

See, this is why I ask Fodorites for travel advice so I don't waste my money on tourist traps. But renting a canoe sounds just as nice (not so sure though that I want to see any alligators along the way), and probably a heck of alot cheaper.

Grasshopper

I don't think I'd be eager to take a canoe into the Everglades. I don't want my butt down there where the alligators' mouths are! If you want a canoe, stick to the intercoastal. I don't think manatees bite.

bamakelly

For what it's worth, I agree with grasshopper. My husband and I (and a couple of our nieces and nephews) took and airboat ride in the everglades. It was wildly fun. If you are looking for something relaxing: don't even consider it. It is loud enough that they do offer you earphones (and they work just fine for muffling the noise) but it is also fast. We saw at least a hundred alligators, and, for the first time in my life, I saw my husband scared to death when he turned to stare a gator face-to-face. (Well, it seemed like it was that close anyway.) The airboat is not for the faint of heart but it was a fun adventure. And, with a driver who actually does this often, it's a lot safer than canoing in that gator-laden water!

birder

Canoeing with alligators is not dangerous. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? But when I was in Myakka State Park, there were fishermen in the lake with gators in there as well. The guide explained that the gators did not feed until dusk and the fishermen would be long gone before then.

There haven't been any people killed by gators while they were canoeing or trying to. Gator attacks come from gators who have been fed by people, and/or gators who are going after people's pets.

People kayak down the Hillsborough River all the time, and it's got lots of gators in it. No problems at all. It might be a little spooky but it's not dangerous.

We are going down to Everglades City over Christmas and can't wait to go kayaking in the Everglades, gators and all!

kybourbon

There was a terrible airboat accident several weeks ago in Louisiana with 2 dead and 10 injured when the boat flipped over during a fast turn. Now there is a big debate about seat belts, life vests, etc. while riding in airboats. I think if you flip over the alligators won't care what you are wearing.

aprilkrueg

If you are interested in seeing the wildlife/birds/flora of the everglades, I highly suggest taking a guided tour of Everglades National Park. I'm not sure where you're going to be, but my husband and I have been taking our visiting guests to the Shark Valley (North entrance) to the park, and everyone (including us) have had a wonderful time.

Please, if you do decide to visit the everglades, be sure to wear mosquito repellant, the bugs can be awful, especially at dawn and dusk.

But my heart still skips a beat each time I see an alligator up close and personal.

GoTravel

Gators will not bother you in a canoe. Granted, it is scary being so close to the water seeing them but they want to get the heck out of your way more than you want to get out of their way.

This is exactly why it is against the law to feed wildlife. You do not want gators getting used to people and associating them with food.

Grasshopper, there are tons of gators in the ICW.