I have been on them quit a few times through the years. Small 2 to 3 people capacity rated ones, but never was the operator or did I know much about maintenance or pro's or con's of one. The one thing I know for sure is you need ear plugs but will absolutely take you where no other machine will go in the worse conditions possible.

All I know is they can go anywhere and had to be aboard them during flooding and spring snow and ice conditions when no other motor operated vehicle would go except the hover craft.

Hoping there is some here that have their thoughts and experience with one.

I was ice fishing one day and heard a God awful commotion pull up to my shanty.
Turns out it was a guy in a hovercraft who mistook my shanty for one his friend has.
I talked to him about his outfit for awhile, it looked like a lot of fun.
The biggest take away I got was you do not want to break down with one!

Zim

Zim, I would have to agree with you on break down. They are heavy and if broke down in a bad spot would be impossible to get it out I'm think too. I do know one thing you do need ear protection.

I've had a little bit of experience with hovercrafts. There are several here in the area and I see them out on the ice here pretty regular. I would say they are much like the airboat which I actually own one. I believe like most things they have a place in the world. The hovercraft may have a bit more advantage running dry ground than an airboat. Because it doesn't make contact with that surface no grinding or friction to over come. But out on the river running up over say a beaver (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) or small area of rough ground I feel airboat is bit better. Many years ago I road out to a dive site on ice cover lake in a hover craft. When we transitioned from open water to some rough ice the skirt hung up. It was held on by zip ties that were meant to break instead of tearing the skirt. Some those zip ties popped and it left us going in a circle with one corner of the craft down..Of course the operator had ties and fixed the skirt and we were on our way.. This skirt thing was repeated several times during the day though when they hit rough ice..The 3 airboats operating in same area that day had no issues with the rough ice. I will say running my boat on rough ice would compare to riding in a steel wheel cart on gravel road. Almost need a mouth guard, there is no suspension in a boat and it is hard ride even going slow. Hoovercraft if it ran over that same rough ice and didn't snag the skirt. I would guess would be a smooth ride no rattling you brain...High wind is an issue out on open ice for both hovercraft and airboat.
There is also the breaking down thing.. Much like a 4x4 vehicle you are often in places where only another 4x4 can come help. Add to that that if you are out remote on a lake or river. unlike a 4x4 you can't even walk out..
My boat is down right now with a fuel issue. I'm a shade tree mechanic so don't going to mess with it until the sun is out and it above freezing.. I don't know about the newer hovercarft for noise. I do know that the new airboat my brother in-law just finished building. It has engine from a 2013 Cadillac with newest style propeller. It is no louder and actually I think quieter that a lot of the mud motors..
So like many things it's what you want, what you need, what you using it for.. I don't know about hover crafts, but when I got the airboat. the guy that had put the boat together told me. It's like a motor cycle. Every time you ride it very far. Got to come home fix something. I will say that for me that has kind of held true. Always shaking something loose on the boat.

Mac

Interesting

That was a great over all review and thanks for your experience. I can vouch for the zip tie issue the times I have been aboard them. Real rough terrain that is a problem can be corrected easily enough but that skirt needs that break away.

Unless driving over sand or absolutely clean terrain, I’d choose an airboat over hovercraft every single time.


Aluminum hull airboats with a liner and soap sprayers can go through some nasty places and over debris without worrying about tearing the liner. Even with hurricane debris, nails, branches, etc, we are able to operate safely. I’d never try to go over the things we do everyday with a hovercraft. No way.

Our fire department has had one for years. Can not be used on large bodies of water in the winter or in frizzing conations. Spray can build up on fan guard and go into the fan. They are starting to use Air Boats, not the type used in the swamps. You can run off ice right into water with no problem. Much more stable and easier to get around with. JMO

So the air boats can travel for miles on dry ground with no issues, right? From ice to water to land to snow pack in long distances without any navigation issues, is what you are telling me, right.

One issue is the maintence on as air boat that does so much land traveling is very hard on the unit, is that true also?

My concern about hovercrafts was always the breaking down. I've had my outboard motor quit on me before and my boat still floated.

I have a friend with an air boat. He owns property on the banks of a salt marsh and his house is probably 300 yds from the water. He can drive it out of his garage, across the driveway, across the field, across the marsh grass, and onto the water. I think he could run it right through a corn field in August with no problems. But it's loud - really, really loud.

It depends on what type of vegetation and ground you’re running over. Ground that has been burned or certain sticky soil types are certainly harder on the equipment because you’re running much higher RPMS, but if it has scattered puddles that allow you to get a brief rocket momentum, it’s a piece of cake with soap sprayers. If it’s something like a massive deer pea patch or Bamboo thicket, it’s going to be problematic due to the vegetation being sticky/grabby and the tall vegetation blocking air flow to the prop.

It all comes down to the rarely helpful answer of “it depends”.

I've got a friend in Tanana that has two. The second one is to recover the one that breaks down and all the people aboard.

How I look at it. If the machine brakes down, it can’t be moved, or you will tare the skirt or brake something else. A boat are anything else, you can drag it to a place where you can work on it. Am I right, or am I looking at it the wrong way?