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Another cry for restricting airboat use

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Thigs are heating up in the general puplic and in Tallahassee this year. Strong leadership is required across the State. Notice the statement regarding how airboats pollute Florida's waterways and injure wildlife.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJ ... 092107.htm

State on brink of losing its treasures

By MICHAEL H. BROWN
COMMUNITY VOICES

September 21, 2007

Incredibly, airboats with extreme decibel levels are allowed to disrupt the quiet natural settings -- waking, too, those who live nearby -- while jet skis spew not only noise but petroleum pollution (several times a normal boat). If you took a survey of those who want airboats banned, you would be stunned: I am willing to gamble the percentage would exceed 90 percent. Why should a single airboat that can be heard for more than a mile ruin the experience for dozens of others?

Action must be taken to rein in the abuse to these delicate waterways. The solution is hardly unreachable. It takes only a concerted approach. To wit:

Creating new limits on jet skis and airboats. The pollution they cause, noise and otherwise, is well-documented, along with injury to wildlife.

For the full story, go to:
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJ ... 092107.htm
 
The one thing left out was Bass Boat and there 2 cycle motors ever watch one of theme idle out you can see the oil trail behind them . :evil: :evil:
 
to me those bass boats are the ones who do the most damage with spills bilge pump out and always dumping trash over board but they produce big income for the state so we get blamed
 
Righto they are also usually out there running serious high speeds that are uncontrollable in any condition
 
Cont520/ GH_2,

I think you are missing the point. We as airboaters, don't need to sling mud on bass boats when talks of new rules and banning use of water ways comes up. The same as we don't need to rag on jet skiers like this transient who has just recently moved to Florida does. We all as a group need to be on the same page to fight these issues. There are enough opposed to airboaters, that is no secret but if we can get some of these people on our side and at the very least not have them oppose us we would have a better chance. IMO we (boaters) bass,air, and ski's alike should be on the same side of the fence. We should not all be singling out each other giving more ammunition to those who basically want all of us off the lakes, rivers and springs. Again just my opinion.
 
I couldn't agree with you more Air Ranger. I catch myself thinking bad thoughts about jet skiers, the way they fly around blind corners, and I wonder what would have happened it I was going the other way, not able to hear them. But if the newcomers that choose to live near the swamp and others can divide us, they can beat us. So from now on I'm going out of my way to be nice to jet skiers and realise they are just trying to enjoy the same resources I am, just in a different way. I will say though that I'm very pro-flag. Flags are painless and if they give jet skis and airboats even one percent extra margin of safety then they're worth it. I even have a 12 foot flag on my kicker boat I use when I need too.
 
Air Ranger I agree in a perfect world that would be ,but to be honest with you there are not many bass boaters or Jet ski operators that are not air boat owners that would side up see unfortunately we all point fingers at one another and that probably will never change . Facts are Facts and thats all . If we could team up and voice together alot would probably change ,but as of now that wont happen hey I am guilty for standing up for air boats and the passion I share with all that do it as well Its those who have never been on them or know any thing about them that past judgment with out knowledge of what they are saying .See everyone wants to be part of a cause to say I done that or push they're way of living on to others. Just like today when I went to get my hair cut the lovely lady that cut my hair had never even been on an air boat and already had judgment past on them as being dangerous like I told her most people that say they are dangerous never have even stepped foot upon one she then agreed stating she shouldn't pass judgment on some thing she has not experienced Thats how it was left she got an offer to go for a ride and wants to bring her husband so we will see what she has to say after we ride
 
I agree with you cont520. My favorite people are airboaters, period. But I think that as people move nearer and nearer to the St Johns River, Viera for example near Lake Winder, there will be more noise complaints. I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt for me to start trying to be nice to jet skiers sometimes. When we're at some stopping point and jet skiers show up I notice that we don't seem to talk much. I'm just going to start being more friendly. I notice it seems OK for boaters, beach goers, and Condo Commandos to rag on jet skiers. But when City Hall decides to pass some law against the jet skiers, it won't take much imagination to go a little further, and start restricting us. Just my two cents.
 
Bill I agree completely I am not rude or belligerent acting towards any one on the water unless they put me in the position to be and that takes alot .All I am saying people discriminate that's human nature look at what the whole article is about basically discrimination towards air boats and things this fellow does not seem fit in his life style what it all boils down to is stop the lake side development and fix the neighborhood run off situation as well as the drainage problems our cities have why aren't we bitching about any of that if you truly are worried about pollution because that is the key source to it all. Remember these are only my opinions take as you want :evil:
 
Cont520, You said it your self. "things this fellow does not seem fit in his life style" he was basically pointing the finger at us and skiers. It just does not seem right for us to agree with him at all. So if we (water users )are to discriminate it should be towards the likes of this guy who wrote the article, not each other. I am on your side.
Though it is not a perfect world and never will be we can take small measures to make it better.[/quote]
 
I agree we shouldn't point fingers at one another. Hey I am ready to side up and kick some ass I personally think its way over due but can we all get on the same page can they [bass boaters and jet skiers] bass boaters are not being challenged by the tree hugging think they know whats best for the environment but really are lost and don't know there head from there ass. So why would they get involved .Keep your head low and you don't become a target . The jet skiers most are kids very few are adults with any kind of supportive back ground or want to . They cant even stick together for they,re selves . Those above comments are not a personal attach on any one just my opinions
 
Yes we are I am not disagreeing with you at all just trying to point facts Cant depend on anyone other than our selves
 
Mr. Brown's Ignorance is sad, but far worse is the media's willingness
to present this dribble as documented fact.
#1. Airboats are the least hazardous to wild life of most all motorized
vessels .
#2. Airboats, being four stroke engine driven, and having above water
exhaust, are far less polluting than most other water craft.
#3. Airboats, have shown more progress in reducing sound levels than
than any other type of watercraft in Florida.
#4. Trash in our waterways comes from people that throw trash in our
waterways. ( not any type of boat ) But I would be willing to bet that the
number of people carried to these beautiful waterways by means other
than airboats, far outnumbers airboats by many times over.
We could go on and on, but how much evidence do we need to show
this guy doesn't know his but from a gator hole.
 
As an airboat and bass boat owner I equally enjoy both and due not discriminate against either one when I am with that group.

AirRanger,cont520,& billalvord you all are right about standing together as one to fight for are water way privileges be it idle zones, no wake you have to be off the the water at a set time.


What does bother me is that the last several articles I read like this begin the same way ( just recently moved to Florida ) well if it was so great where you were and accustom to your way of life there why do they insist on changing are.

JMO
 
I have had and am going to build another airboat however 95% of my boating is in a regular boat and I hate to admit that airboats are quite disrupting when you are simply fishing or as alot of other people do canoeing or kayaking. I must admit when I am nestled into a good cathole and an airboat inconsiderately blasts by me at 3/4 to open throttle it not only disrupts the fish but it damn near blows out my eardrums. I love airboats but if you want to keep them in your shed/garage we need to respect the others out on/in the river or marsh and keep as far as we can from fisherman and throttle down when you pass them as the few people that do that stand out with me and others without airboats lilke sore thumb. When you're riding in an airboat you can easily forget how loud they actually are. If you love to hunt and fish as I do you notice an airboat from a very long ways away and I must admit when I first hear that prop I hope it doesn't come blasting by me as it really does tend to disrupt the fishing and hunting that I'm engaged in. I am currently going to build an airboat with a wide blade prop and a stinger gearbox at a 2.38 ratio in order to reduce the noise level. I decided to do this after hearing enough direct drives and a few airplane motor powered boats blow out my eardrums. I had a select few airboaters steer to the other side of the river and throttle down when they passed me and I wasn't the least bit bothered by the noise levels as they were not any louder than a 2 cycle outboard motor. I kept a picture of those boats in my mind and asked who they were and they were boats with automotive power and wide blade props. I have called and talked to the US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE between wisconsin and minnesota and they are willing to work with airboaters and they did mention that common courtesy goes a hell of a long way in any form of life and airboating is no different. If we don't work with the other people that are sharing they same resource that we enjoy then I will confidently admit that airboating for pleasure will probably be in a bit of jeopardy. I'm not trying to bash airboating but trying to change with the times so we can keep our/your pastimes alive and well!!!!!!!!!!! As much as I hate to admit it I must say that if you are runnining an airboat try to treat everyone without one as a pedestrian in a crosswalk, as it will probably go alot further than hauling ass past them and blowing their brains out. Please don't take me off this site for submitting an opinion from the other side. I'm just trying to help keep airboating alive and well for those who enjoy it!
 
Well first consideration does go along way and we are trying our best to reduce noise with mufflers props and so on .Our problem we are having here is now on an environmental side not a consideration its YANKEES and non FL inhabitants moving to our state and trying to push there ways upon those that have lived in this beautiful state all they're lives . Speaking of consideration whens the last time in WISCONSIN and MINNESOTA when you were at your catfish hole does a out board motor boat slow down for ya .Fact is on the kissimmi river on any given weekend if you was to slow down you would end up getting sunk or ran over by one of those pleasure boats be it bass or what ever . Fact is there isn't any consideration on the water ways for any one especially those tournament bass fisherman who buy the way almost killed my oldest son last year while we were swimming at the bridge. :evil: Wish that asshole would have stopped but guess what he was to worried about getting his fish weighed. Also how long have air boats been around up there just curious see down here we tend to use our boats to hunt and fish they dont seem to bother em that much some of the best Redfishing I have done have been off an airboat spookest fish I know of
 
I fish the St. Johns quite a bit in a twelve foot, nine.9 kicker boat, and the
airboats don't bother me to much. They seem to make more wake when they
slow down than when they swing wide around me. The noise aint that bad either
what does git my goat is them damn wake board pullers that run half sunk, and
wash every thing in the river up on the bank. I kid you not I had to jump out
of my boat, and thought I was going loose it when their wake came over the
top of my motor. I was plenty pissed, but by the time I gatherd all floating
tackle boxes and PFDs drug my boat up on the bank and bailed it out they
were probably back at the house I would have got their hull numbers but
they didn't wake me up till they got real close.
 
catfish, I believe you are of a biased opinion. If you have really have had an airboat and understood the safe operation of an airboat your post would be different or non-existent.

It would take to long to explain to you what I'm talking about but anybody with some time riding understands.

Everybody agrees with quiet and courteous operation. I believe that airboats have a right to be wherever navigation is permitted.

If there are people in your area that are operating the way you say then they are definitely a threat to their own safety as well as others. If in your case that is so it is not the airboat it is the person. So address the individuals not the community as a whole.

You enjoy your freedom in your (catfish hole :? ) , allow me to enjoy mine.
 
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