Spirit of the Swamp Airboat Tours

I guess we’ll continue to let our passengers tell you why they love the Spirit of the Swamp Airboat Ride experience so much more than any of the local tourist traps:

Thanks to Capt. Harold and Debbie for providing a great educational opportunity and not a tourist trap. Highly Recommend!!!

It is altogether a more intimate, private and beautiful - no other word for it - experience than the big tours.

And who wants a shop and a tourist site when you have come to get away from all that?

We saw one of the big tour companies and they would not have been able to see all the things we did with 4 - 5 per seat row when we had 2 per row.

I did not want to have to lean over people to see things or miss getting a picture of an alligator because of someone’s head.

We like to give our business to a small local company, rather than a large commercial one.

Our family of five chose this tour because we could ride with just our family, having microphones so we could communicate with each other as well as the captain.

Yes, there are definitely some cheesy airboat tourist traps here in Florida.  You can imagine what I’m talking about – rundown boats, hippie-type airboat drivers, having to wait in a long line inside a chain link enclosure in the sweltering heat to get on an airboat with a bunch of total strangers… oh my NO WAY! 

We’re proud to be the real deal, and definitely NOT at tourist trap.  Here’s what our passengers say about their previous experiences and their observations on avoiding cheesy tourist trap companies:

I have been on a few of these type of tours but enjoyed this one because unlike some others there is a very natural and ‘unstaged’ approach to which is really what we wanted.

I found Spirit of the Swamp on the web and was attracted by the fact that they are a small family run operation. I wasn’t keen on being on a 15 seat airboat barge that the big guys use.

Compared to the other airboats we seen out that day which all seemed to be crammed full of people and following a set route our trip was private and completely flexible.

We saw other of the big “people mover” boats on the trip, but I could not even begin to imagine how these boats stuffed with people could really appreciate the sites and beauty of the area.

There is no “sell”, no shop, or taking your pic holding a little gator and charging you for it, in fact Capt Harold insists on taking a pic of your party with your own camera so you have a pic of you all together.

I’ve done an airboat ride before with a big company, 25 people on the boat etc, in the same area, and it doesn’t even compare to this. Spirit of the Swamp is unbelievably good.

I wouldn’t go anywhere else now and would recommend these guys so highly - and they are more or less the same price as some of the big 25/30 boats.

I did not want to have to lean over people to see things or miss getting a picture of an alligator because of someone’s head.

I’ll share some more of our customer’s comments with you later on this week!

I just love to open my email and hear from our airboat passengers! 

Dear Debi and Harold,

On behalf of my wife Rowena, myself and our son Cameron, thank you for a fabulous day.  Your directions were spot on and we got there no problem.

The airboat ride with Harold was the highlight of our holiday.  He was punctual and so polite.  What I was really impressed with was how there was just the 3 of us on your boat.  I honestly thought another family would have been squeezed in.  The exclusivity of the trip was brilliant!  We saw 2 Alligators, numerous birds (especially impressed with the Bald eagle); Harold got us so close I could actually see its head and eyes! The fauna was interesting as were the cows in the water (never thought I would see cows as far out in the water).

The headsets were excellent and we felt 100% safe at all times!  Harold was continuously talking, keeping us well informed at all times.

We found out about you on the ‘Dibb’ internet forum, and I am going to post a review on there shortly.

That same night we were all in our hotel room watching The Tourist Channel on T.V.  There was an advertisement showing airboat rides.  When I saw the size of the airboats, I pictured Cameron stuck in the middle not seeing anything.  All 3 of us agreed we had made the right decision.

 One thing I am certain of.  With customer service as good as this, your business can only go from strength to strength!

I am attaching 2 photos, feel free to use any of these photos.

Best wishes from Darrell, Rowena and Cameron in Co. Durham England.

P.S. I was the one who asked Harold what a Redneck was.

If I had to describe what Captain Harold is like when he’s off the airboat, I’d say he’s a sunscreen connoisseur and a weather addict.  Or maybe a sunscreen addict and weather connoisseur?  Either way.  Take your pick.

Obviously being in the Florida sun AND on the water in an airboat all day requires some aggressive sunscreen tactics.  Captain Harold is a confirmed sunscreen authority – he loves the spray on sunscreen and wants the highest SPF I can find, 50+ and it’s gotta be for water sports.  He told me if he could spray it on his face he would.  Thank goodness he doesn’t. 

Added to the sun protection is a ball cap, quality sunglasses and SPF Columbia fishing shirts.

His weather addiction is summer weather necessity, (well actually he’s a weather addict all year round, just MORE SO in the summertime).  He watches a minimum of four; yes I said FOUR local weather station’s forecasts each night.  Why four you ask?  So he can “blend” all the forecasts into his own personal weather prediction for the next few days.  Wind, temperature, heat factors all come into play – and that’s why he’s such a good gator and wildlife spotter! 

Of course we both keep an eye on the radar whenever we see thunderheads building because our passenger’s safety is our top priority.

Have a great summer – we hope to see you soon!