What Does a Family Airboat Tour Look Like with a Full Boat?
Six seats full and three generations on board. Every one of them looking at the same patch of grass.
That mound of piled grass in front of the boat is an alligator nest. We nosed into the switchgrass for the angle and shut the motor down so everybody could look. The two girls in the blue and red vests spotted it before the adults did, which happens more often than you would think on a family airboat tour.
Notice how the boat is sitting. We are not in open water. There are maybe six inches under the hull and a wall of grass on three sides, and that is exactly where the nesting cover is. A pontoon or a bass boat has no business back in there.
Six passengers is our hard cap. Nobody is standing, nobody is craning around a stranger's shoulder, and when a four year old wants to ask about gator eggs for the third time she can. That is the whole point of running a private airboat tour instead of a 20 seat cattle boat.
Can a Larger Family Book Two Airboats Together?
Yes, and this is what it looks like when they do.
Same nest, same afternoon, different boat. The rest of the group came out right behind us, pulled up on the other side of the mound, and got the same view from the other angle. Dad had his phone out before the fan even wound down.
Our boats cap at six passengers each, so a family of ten or twelve does not squeeze onto one hull. We run multiple boats for larger parties, they leave together, and they stop at the same places. If your boat finds a nest, the other boat finds it too. Nobody comes back to the dock hearing about something they missed.
Reunions and birthday groups usually go out this way. Split the group however makes sense, grandparents on one boat and the loud cousins on the other, then let the two crews argue over whose photos came out better. Our airboat rides are priced per person, not per boat, so nobody pays extra for the second hull.
What Else Is Worth Seeing on a Daytime Tour?
The prairie itself, on a day like this one.
Those are brown eyed susans, and in late summer they come in thick enough to turn whole flats yellow from the water line out to the tree line. Guests who booked to see gators end up asking me to stop for the flowers. I do.
Every head in that photo has a headset on. You can hear me talking over 700 horsepower at cruise, which means the narration actually lands instead of getting shredded by the fan, and it means grandparents and little kids come off the boat without ringing ears.
There are cattle out here too. Black cows on the high ground, and Florida Cracker cattle further back, descended from stock the Spanish brought over centuries ago. Wading birds work the shallows all afternoon, and if herons and eagles are the reason you are coming, our birding airboat tours put you out at the hours when the birds are actually moving.
What You Get on a Daytime Family Airboat Tour
Your tour is 100% private. Just your group of up to six and Captain Seth, no strangers aboard and no waiting your turn for a photo.
Six Seats, One Group
A strict six passenger cap. Everyone gets a real seat and a real view, and bigger families go out on two boats running together.
Hearing Protection
Every guest gets a proper adjustable headset. You hear the captain's narration clearly while the engine noise stays out of it.
90-Minute Tour
Ninety minutes, not a rushed loop. Stop for photos whenever you want, ask as many questions as you like, or ask for speed if that is what you came for.
Safety Gear
Coast Guard approved life vests in every size including infant, cold bottled water, and covered seating when you want out of the sun.
Pricing for 90 Minute Airboat Eco Tour
* Call for pricing on the night and lunch/dinner tours.
Book Your TourWho Is Taking You Out There?
Captain Seth Whitaker holds a Master Captain license from the U.S. Coast Guard. That is the highest level of professional mariner certification, and it takes thousands of hours of documented sea time, written exams, and regular renewals to hold onto.
He has been running the channels and marshes of the St. Johns River for over 15 years. This is not a side job. He grew up here, raised his family here, and knows which slough holds water in a dry spring and where the eagles nested last year.
All Switchgrass Outfitters boats are inspected and meet U.S. Coast Guard safety regulations, including fire extinguishers, life vests in every size, communication equipment, and maintenance logs.
You are not getting a seasonal hire reading off a script. You are getting somebody who lives on this river.
Real Reviews from Real Guests
"I'm going to tell you, this is the airboat guide you want. We had Seth, he was great. Showed us around and we saw well over 100 gators... A++++"
Erik B., Oviedo
(Google Review)
"Captain Seth has extensive knowledge of the area as he not only grew up there, but he is also raising his family and uses the land for sustainability... I highly recommend if you're in Christmas, Florida."
KeiLani B., Titusville
(Google Review)
"Just amazing, first time and it was the greatest experience ever. Seth was a fantastic guide... You won't regret it!"
Jessica S., Orlando
(Google Review)
Switchgrass Outfitters holds 314 five-star reviews across Google and TripAdvisor. We've earned TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice Award, which places us in the top 10% of attractions worldwide based on traveler ratings.
Read More Reviews on GoogleFrequently Asked Questions
How many people fit on one airboat?
Six passengers plus Captain Seth, and that number does not flex. It is why everybody on board gets a real seat with a real view instead of a bench slot on a 20 passenger tour boat.
Can a larger family book two airboats together?
Yes. We run multiple boats to accommodate larger parties, and they go out at the same time and stop at the same sightings. Split your group across two boats and you still see the same gator nest, the same eagles, and the same water.
Is a daytime airboat tour good for young children?
It is our easiest tour for small kids. Coast Guard approved life vests come in every size including infant, every guest gets an adjustable headset, and because the boat is yours alone nobody minds if a four year old asks the same question six times.
What does an alligator nest look like?
A mound of piled grass and marsh vegetation a few feet across, built up above the water line and usually tucked against thick cover. Late summer is the best time to see one on the St. Johns, and the female is normally somewhere close by.
Service Area: Nearby Cities We Serve
Switchgrass Outfitters is located in Christmas, Florida, and serves guests from across Central Florida. We are the premier choice for Port Canaveral airboat tours, offering a quick and straightforward drive from the cruise terminals. We're an easy drive from:
- Chuluota (9 miles)
- Bithlo (10 miles)
- Mims (15 miles)
- Geneva (16 miles)
- Titusville (17 miles)
- Oviedo (18 miles)
- Port Saint John (18 miles)
- Sharpes (19 miles)
- Cocoa (20 miles)
We're also convenient for visitors staying in Orlando, Sanford, and Altamonte Springs.
Book Your Family Airboat Tour
Day tours are $75 per person for 90 minutes, up to six guests per boat, and the whole boat is yours. Bringing more than six? Tell us the headcount when you call and we will put two boats on the water together. We launch from 28500 E Colonial Dr in Christmas, FL, right off Highway 50 and about 30 minutes east of downtown Orlando.
Nesting season does not last long, and the flowers last even less. If you want the marsh looking the way it does in these photos, book the airboat trip while it is still late summer.
