What to wear and bring on an airboat
Pack light, but not too light. An airboat at full speed turns a mild Florida morning into a cold wind full of spray. An hour later the sun can burn the backs of your hands. Packing for the ride takes a few minutes and saves the outing. This guide goes item by item and notes what each tour already hands out. It also covers the rules Tours by Max sets for its guests.
Dress for the wind, not the forecast
An airboat at speed makes its own weather. On an open boat the wind hits you at 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, and Sawgrass Recreation Park says its boats run faster than that. On a winter day with highs of about 75–82 °F (24–28 °C), that wind feels cold, and an early departure starts before the air has warmed. One reviewer thanked the crew at Miami Everglades Connection for a spare blanket on a chilly morning. Pack a fleece or a windproof jacket in the cooler months, even when the sun is out at the ramp.
Summer flips the problem. Highs reach about 90 °F (32 °C) with heavy humidity, and the wind feels pleasant while the sun burns. A loose, light long-sleeved shirt protects you better than a tank top. Layers also help on the pickup tours, which move you between an air-conditioned van and the open boat. The best time for an airboat ride covers the seasons in detail.
Shoes that stay on your feet
Wear closed-toe shoes with some grip. Decks and docks get wet, and flip-flops slide off when you step down into the boat. Tours by Max requires closed-toe shoes and does not allow sandals, so check your feet before you leave the hotel. Wild Lime's half day includes a moderate walk on a hammock trail inside the national park, where sneakers suit the ground. Pick shoes you do not mind getting splashed.
Sun and bug protection
Put on sunscreen before the ride, since an open airboat offers no shade and the water reflects the light back up at you. Bring sunglasses too. They cut the glare and keep spray and the odd bug out of your eyes.
Insect repellent matters most in the wet season, roughly May to October, when mosquitoes are thick. It also matters on the night ride at Sawgrass, where the bugs come out after dark. Tours by Max asks guests to use a biodegradable repellent. Wild Lime supplies sunscreen and repellent as needed, while Wide Angle's listing says repellent is not included.
Hats and ear protection
A hat that is not tied on will leave your head at speed, and it is gone once it lands in the sawgrass. Choose one with a chin strap or a snug fit. Otherwise go without and rely on sunscreen.
Miami Everglades Connection's captains hand you ear protection before the engine starts, and Max's small boat comes with a set of headphones. Wide Angle's listing says ear plugs are not included. A pack of foam plugs costs little and helps on any ride. For children, child-size ear muffs fit far better than adult sizes, and airboat rides with kids covers the rest of a family's kit.
Ponchos and headphones on board
Tours by Max hands out rain ponchos with its noise-reducing headphones, from ~$128. Water comes with the ride too. Closed-toe shoes are required on its small airboat with tiered seats.
Keeping your phone dry
Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms, and Gator Park runs its airboats rain or shine. A light rain jacket that packs into a pocket earns its space from May on. Even on a dry day, spray can come over the side when the boat turns, and the front bench gets the most of it.
Keep cameras and phones in a bag as the boat takes off, then bring them out when it slows. A wrist strap or a lanyard saves a phone that slips, since anything dropped over the side is gone. A small dry bag, or even a zip-top plastic bag, protects electronics from splashes. Binoculars help with the birds. Wild Lime lends them, and on other tours a compact pair fits in a jacket pocket. Alligators and wildlife from an airboat lists the birds to look for.
Cash and water
Most tours leave tips out of the price. Captains and handlers expect them, as is usual in the US. Bring small bills. A few dollars per person suits a short ride, and a guide who spent the day with you deserves more. One Gator Park reviewer mentions repeated reminders about tips, so plan for it there. What an Everglades airboat tour costs lists the other extras.
Wild Lime asks guests to bring a refillable water bottle. Its snacks and drinks are included. On the self-drive rides, carry water from the car, especially at the Tamiami Trail ramp used by Miami Everglades Connection, where reviewers mention limited bathrooms and shade. Gator Park has a restaurant serving gator tail and gator sausage if you arrive hungry.
Rules on Tours by Max
Tours by Max lists a few things it does not allow on its tour.
- No smoking or vaping
- No alcohol
- No swimming, which in a marsh full of alligators needs no explaining
- No oversize luggage, which matters if you head to the airport or a ship afterwards
On a cruise day, Wild Lime's half day, from ~$189, makes life easier because it includes port pickup and luggage storage. From Miami: pickup or drive yourself? covers the timing.
Packing for a long day or a basic ramp
For ~$295, Wild Lime's full day pairs a guided hike and a boat cruise with the airboat ride and includes lunch. The catch is a 9-hour day, and the route changes when the water is low. Midday on the water brings the strongest sun of the day. Pack extra sunscreen and a hat for lunchtime on top of the morning kit.
On the Tamiami Trail ramp it shares with Miami Everglades Connection, the River of Grass outfit, from ~$80, also runs semi-private hour-long rides. Its catch is the basic launch with little shade, and you drive there yourself. Bring water and a hat for the wait. Arrive 10 minutes early at the second boat launch at the east end, under a green sign. Where the airboats launch describes the ramps. Private and small-group airboats compares the small boats.