Maintenance Tips

Driving Tips

Below is a series of driving tips. This is not a driving manual. It would be very hard to teach someone in words how to drive an airboat. Even with the driving tips below, it is still up to you, the driver, to use extreme caution, slow driving, common sense, and good judgment to be a good, safe airboat driver.

Keep in mind that it is your, the driver’s responsibility to maintain the safety of your passengers as well as the people around you at all times.

An airboat is not a toy. It is a piece of equipment that is only as safe as the person driving it.
Airboats are not for children to drive. You must be 21 years of age or older and have a reasonable amount of water vessel experience before learning to drive an airboat.
Before starting the engine of an airboat, be sure that there are no objects or people in the path of the propeller. It is also important to make sure that no one is on the sides of the propeller or behind the boat. Keep in mind that strong winds will blow out of the back of the airboat, strong enough to blow people down and throw rocks, dust, and other objects with enough speed to damage property or injure people.
An airboat does not have brakes or reverse. Keep this in mind before you start moving. The rudders control the steering and must have air moving through them for the propeller in order to control the boat. The engine idling does not create enough wind to steer the boat.
Always make sure that the driver and all passengers are seated securely before moving.
Always make sure that no one has fingers, hands, or any other body parts hanging over the outside of the boat at any time. For example, do not hold on to the top rail of the boat with your fingers on the outer edge.
To start the engine, turn the ignition switch on and allow the fuel pump to build up. Press the accelerator twice then turn the key to start the engine.
The steering stick, which is held in your left hand, controls the direction of the airboat. Pulling the steering stick back will turn the boat to the left. Pushing the stick forward will turn the boat right. Keep in mind that the wind from the propeller must be flowing through the rudders for you to have steering control. Always hold the steering stick tight in your hand. Remember: The engine at an idle does not create enough wind to steer the boat.
Accelerate about to about half- or three-quarter-throttle in order to get the boat on a plane. Once the airboat is on a plane, back off of the throttle just enough to keep the airboat on a plane. If you do not know what a boat "being on plane" is, you do not have enough water vessel experience to drive an airboat.
Use the steering stick, as described in item 8, to control the direction of the boat.
Do not drive full speed at any time. In water drive with the boat just on a plane as described earlier. In marshy conditions do not drive faster than half-throttle.
When you are "running" in water and you want to slow down, gradually let off of the throttle. In deep water if you get off of the throttle all at once you could take water in over the back of the boat.
Do not, in water or marsh, get off of the throttle all at once while turning the boat. This could cause you to lose control and/or sink. Remember: Wind must be flowing through the rudders in order to steer the airboat. The wind from the propeller at an idle is not enough to steer the boat.
In some situations you will find the need to use the engine power and the steering in combination to make a fast turn. Example: If you are driving and suddenly need to make a fast turn, pull or push the steering stick gently and accelerate. Once you complete the turn, return to your original speed. This will help you to make a faster turn. Do not do this if you are traveling at high speeds and do not do this if the extra speed you will gain could cause you to lose control or run into something.

Airboats do not have brakes or reverse. You must learn through experience to calculate your stops and maneuvers. Use the steering stick to control the direction of the boat.
Trim tabs – Some boats are equipped with a trim tab. Trim tabs are designed to stop a boat from porpoising. This is accomplished in pressing the trim tab button in the downward position until the boat stops porpoising. If the trim tab is lowered too far down it will make the boat run on its nose. This will make it very dangerous and hard to control. The trim tab should be adjusted to the point right before the boat begins to porpoise.