Okay, so you've tried Jet Skis, ATV's, ballooning, skydiving and bungee jumping, now what?  How about entering the exciting world of hovercrafting in your very own personal hovercraft!  I can't say I've ever jumped out of a plane or even bungee jumped but I do have a taste for new and cool things.  Six years ago I saw my first hovercraft in a catalog.  I said WOW, is that cool, then I filed the catalog.  A few years later I saw an article in Popular Mechanics featuring a hovercraft.  Six months later I flew from Chicago to Georgia to meet with the closest Representative.  After taking a ride I was hooked!  Three months later I became a proud owner of my first hovercraft and even became the factory sales representative for Illinois.

You know you've got the coolest toy when your friends are always asking to go out flying with you, or jet skiers just stop and stare as you glide by.  Or when you perform a 360 and canoers start whistling and clapping, wishing for a ride.

While my friends are storing their boats for the year, I store my shorts and start wearing jeans and a coat.  While the snow mobilers are praying for snow, I trade my gym shoes in for boots and hit the frozen rivers and lakes.  The craft doesn't care if it's riding over water, land, snow or ice. Hovercrafting is a Four-Season sport and is Mega Fun!

Where to Go

During the past couple years I have logged over 200 hours flying my craft and have traveled over 5,000 miles on area lakes, rivers and grassy fields not to mention miles of beaches.  To name a few, I have traveled parts of the Fox River from Wisconsin to the Illinois River.  The Illinois River from where it meets the Kankakee River, to almost all the way down to Peoria.  I have traveled the Kankakee River from the Indiana to where it joins the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers.  Lakes can also be fun! I have traveled around the Florida Keys, Sarasota Bay, small inland lakes, Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin and Lake Michigan.

My all time favorite however is the Wisconsin River.  The Wisconsin River near Muscoda leading up to the Lower Dells offers hundreds of miles of cruising and plenty of sand bars to fly over.  You can even bring a tent and camp overnight on your own private sand bar.  There's even a nude beach North of Muscoda if your interested.

What's it like?  Is it easy to learn?  How fast can you go?

To quote an article I once read, "It's like parking your car on a hill of ball bearings."

A hovercraft has unique handling characteristics.  After an hour of training most people can fly a craft with some degree of accuracy.  The more you fly the better you will become.

After logging 2 hours I thought I was a great pilot, after 10 hours I realized how bad I was at 2 hours.  After 50 hours I realized how bad I was at 10 hours.  Well after 100 hours, I realized I really was pretty good at 50 hours, but now I was even better and safer.

How fast can you go?  Speed depends on many factors.  How much weight is in the craft, wind direction and speed, what type of surface are you on?  The Slider will max out around 47 mph on smooth water. With two people on board you can cruise around 25 to 30 mph enjoying the sights.

Is a hovercraft expensive to operate?

No, a hovercraft is a fairly efficient means of recreational transportation.  Depending on the number of passengers, the Hirth engine will only consume around 3 - 4 gallons per hour. Since the Slider holds over 10 gallons of fuel, this will provide you with hours of fun in the sun on a single tank. Not bad!

How difficult is it to maintain a hovercraft?

My previous hovercraft as well as my new Pacific Hovercraft Slider is basically maintenance free.  Besides adding fuel and 50:1 2-cycle oil, you may want to wash and wax it every now and then. That's about it!  For more detailed information about the maintenance-free features of Pacific Hovercraft's Slider, see my maintenance page.

Hovercraft Safety

A word of caution when traveling on large bodies of water:  A personal hovercraft is considered a small craft, treat it as one!  Unfortunately, I hold the bragging rights to being the first US Coast Guard rescue on Lake Michigan for the 1999 boating season and the first hovercraft they ever rescued.

It was Easter weekend, I had traveled along the Lake Michigan shore line from Gary Indiana to Michigan City.  On my way back I encounter engine trouble.  Luckily I was prepared with my GPS, Marine radio and cell phone.  In the 20 minutes it took the US Coast Guard to locate me I had already drifted 3/4 of a mile off shore.  If not for my GPS and marine radio it could have been miles!

Why am I telling you my hovercraft broke down?  You must be thinking, "Bad sales move."  Well actually I believe in being honest.  A hovercraft is a man made, mechanical machine.  No matter if it's a production craft or a home built, it's still a machine and it can break down.

A Word of Caution

In the summer I like to explore areas where boats and jet skis can't go. In the winter I like to explore frozen rivers and lakes, and you may too! Just remember that locations that took you minutes to reach by hovercraft may take hours by foot.

Click here for some excellent safety information written by fellow hovercrafter Louis Boudurant.