If you are traveling to a river or lake on your vacation or would like to hit the shallows just off of the ocean shore nearby, you will have all kinds of options available for boat rental, However, there is one form of boat rental that often gets disregarded in the mix: air boat rental. Air boats are lightweight boats that are propelled basically by a large fan-like propeller on the backside. Unlike other boats with traditional motors, air boats use the power of wind to direct you. If you are considering renting an air boat but have no experience, you are bound to have questions. 

Is an air boat difficult to drive?

One of the greatest things about air boats is they can be as small and simple or large and complex as you would like. Most of the air boats that are available for rent will fall in the former category of small and simplistic in form, which means they will not travel at a high rate of speed and are fairly easy to control even if you don't have a great deal of boating experience. 

Why are air boats popular in for shallow-water travel?

Air boats work out well in shallow waters that have a lot of undergrowth, such as in the Florida Everglades. The reason air boats work well for shallower waters is because the boat basically skids across the surface of the water when it is in motion. Therefore, there is little chance of it getting hung up in the growth or debris that is sitting on the bottom of the body of water. Traditional boats have motors that reach down into the water with a propeller, which means they can easily hit the bottom in the shallows or get entangled in water plants. 

How many passengers can fit in an air boat?

Because air boats come in many different sizes, they can carry a different number of passengers. The number of passengers one of these water vessels can support safely will depend on its size, construction, and even the power of the fan motor on the back. For travelers who will be carrying quite a few passengers, it is usually a better idea to seek an air boat tour instead of renting an air boat to drive one their own. This is because the tour boats are typically much larger, much faster, and much more capable of carrying several passengers.