I was at the river today, a guy stopped me when I was loading my boat and started asking questions about operating an Airboat. I thought it would be a great idea to post some knowledge here about operating a boat since some of the guys here are getting on top the of the water for the first time. I'll start out with a few.
Start out by practicing in low water.
Never run full throttle for any length of time, a boat at full throttle is out of control, there in no more pedal after pedal to the floor. No more control for steering if needed.
If you are in a turn and start sliding towards an obstacle let off for just a second to see if the boat will dig if not power out until you clear the obstacle. You need air to turn, don't second guess and let off and then try to recover, the boat won't turn with no air on the rudders.
Practice some slides in low water to see how much your boat will turn before it spins out. It is best to know what will happen before it happens.
Be careful of your wake catching up to you when slowing down, practice slowing down and see how the wake reacts to your boat when slowing fast. Do not slow down too fast at first. Come off plane slow until you know how your boat reacts with the load you are hauling. Some boats will glide for a great distance when coming off the trottle quick and other will fall off plane quickly. Know your boat.
I've learned a lot running a boat with no chines most learned the hard way.
There is so much to tell but the most important is stick time and knowing how your boat handles in any situation. Feel free to share your experience and ask questions, we have some very experienced operators here with lots of stick time.
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