ride-the-wind private airboat charters

I was a little bit weary of meeting 3.5 mile from the recreation center at a boat ramp? It turned out Captain Randy showed us a great view of the Everglades. Very knowledgeable of the glades and the area. We learned allot. We had a great time. We saw so many gators I lost count. The birds were amazing. Huge turtles. It was an awesome time! Only advice wear sunscreen! Thanks Randy. Your a great guy. LINDA, BILL AND JOE

Echoing all the other reviewers, this is a "don't miss" activity. We drove from Palm Beach (1+ hr) and will happily make the trip again the next time we are in the area. We bypassed the hotel concierge advice to book with another group, because they did not offer a confirmed reservation or a private boat and the tour was only an hour. The two hours with Captain Randy were out of a wildlife kingdom movie. It was as if someone staged beautiful birds to alight from the vegetation at well timed intervals to delight and direct attention to the beauty of the Everglades. 3 adults and two young teen girls had a super enjoyable time with Captain Randy. Ask about the charitable organizations his airboat club supports and you will be even happier to patronize this group. Head to Weston for fabulous Italian dinner afterwards!

Had a great ride through the Everglades...saw numerous turtles, a wide variety of birds (including a beautiful hawk up close) and a good 30 to 40 alligators ranging in size from 1ft to 8 ft or more - hard to tell!Would recommend Ride the Wind, especially if you don't like to be part of a big group. They take only you or your small group/family and also give you the opportunity to take over the controls if you want....although a little steep, well worth the price!

This is a MUST DO if you live or are visiting SoFla! The Everglades are beautiful. Randy took us to the heart of the glades; he showed us the past, present and future of the glades through his expert knowledge of this sensitive ecosystem. I saw a 12 foot gator with a huge mammal (Randy said he thought it was an otter) in its jaws before it slipped into the murky waters 15 feet away from our boat!! I can't wait to do his other airboat tour in Miami and to visit with the Miccosooki (butchered that, sorry) Indians.

This was a great way to spend 2 hours in Florida. Traveling through the Everglades via airboat enabled many wildlife sightings; my family and I saw at least 6 alligators, many birds, and turtles. Captain randy is extremely informative. He is able to talk about the history and geology of the area, animal species, native culture, and recent conservation issues. We highly recommend the experience!

On November 24th 2014, my wife and I were very fortunate to locate a private airboat charter/educational tour of the Everglades. We were looking to do this while visiting family in Ft. Lauderdale.I did not want to go on a airboat which had all the windshield in front or sides nor with a lot of people and kids for a 30 minute ride. Two hours was what we were looking for and we got more! Our tour guide and owner of his boat was a fellow named Capt. Randy. This gentleman was extremely knowledgeable about the Everglades, the wildlife, habitat, ecology and history. I guess thats why he teaches this at the local schools. We had a blast cruising the Everglades and he allowed us to also operate the airboat and not just for a few minutes but for awhile. Capt.Randy was a pleasure to be with, a very safe operator and I would highly recommend him or his partner. Check their web site www.ride-the-wind.com Thanks for the great opportunity Randy. One other thing. His address says Weston but if you are in the Ft. Lauderdale area this is just about a 30 minute trip. No big deal.Stewart HillRetired Firefighter, California.

We could have missed it. We got lost and we were late and going around in circles. But, Captain Randy called us on our cell phone and led us to the right place. He didn't even seem upset that we were late. He was very gracious and we are so happy we didn't miss this. We saw a lot of alligators, turtles, birds. Got some great pictures! And....we both got to drive the boat! Captain Randy is very knowledgeable about the everglades, gives a great tour, and made our trip so memorable. We will never forget it!

Captain Randy (a true captain) knows his Everglades. His tour of the area demonstrated his lifelong and in-depth knowledge of the area, history, challenges and victories. My wife and I went with our 2 children (7 and 11). The 11 year old got to "drive" the boat with me for a while...I had plenty of drive time. Great flora, fauna, and "gators".Don't get thrown off by pulling into a boat launch area with "nothing" there but a car/trailer or two...Great time by all...Would recommend Randy in an instant...

Captain Randy was an excellent host. He knows where the gators are and is very knowledgeable about the everglades. We saw a lot of wild life and got a history lesson as well. I would do this again on a heartbeat! He even let some of the party members drive the boat.

Rather than just buildings, travel is more about experiencing that which is unique to the part of the world you happen to be in,and this is up there with the best. While the wind in your hair, roar of the engine with the sword grass rushing by is exhilarating, it’s Captain Randy’s passion, familiarity and understanding of the everglades and its occupants (not just the gators) that makes this a not-to-be-missed Florida excursion.

Captain Randy is first class all the way.Courteous, knowledgeable and professional.We will be back and will recommend to all that expect the very best!Take care of that beagle captain!

Frankly, I don't know what could have been done to make my airboat tour any better! Captain Randy is very experienced and was able to spot and talk about not only alligators, but also flamingos, unique plants, and many other specimens of Everglades flora and fauna. He is also very well-informed about the history of the area we toured, from what we know of Native American times all the way up to how it is used nowadays for government and recreational purposes.The boat ride was fantastic. Captain Randy was prepared with bottled water, ear protection, and even a planned bathroom break halfway through our tour. He was able to get us up close and personal with so many alligators that they were practically old hat by the time our tour was finished. He was always safe, too! No one on our tour was ever once afraid for their safety.Getting to drive the boat was a blast! He showed us how the steering and throttle works, then he let each of us have a lengthy turn at the helm. He was always up there, as well, in case anything should go wrong with us rookie pilots, but nothing ever did, and we all had a blast.I would recommend Ride-the-Wind to anyone who would like to experience the Everglades from within, in a very up-close and raw way without compromising their safety or comfort. Be prepared to learn all about the Everglades ecosystem and history, to get a chance to pilot the boat yourself, and to take loads of amazing and memorable photos!

Our family wanted an airboat ride like you see in the swamps and not just a staged airboat where they might have a few alligators "tied" up. Captain Randy was gracious, making sure our family which consisted of four children, six years and under, were safe and everyone had hearing protection. He toured us around and we saw so many gators, and birds. Captain Randy would stop and tell us about the history of the area, the habitat and wildlife, and learned about the Everglades ecosystem. A highlight was being able to drive the airboat. Thanks Captain Randy.

Capt Randy's tour of the everglades was definitely the highlight of our trip! He was very knowledgable, not just of the everglades, but of the history of the surrounding area as well as different birds, reptiles and even vegetation. This isn't just a job, this is his passion. Capt Randy went out of his way to make sure we had best ride in the swamp! We all felt very safe and felt this was money well spent. We'd book this trip again in a heartbeat!

We booked our Ride the Wind ride with Randy in February 2014 while on vacation in Florida and it was awesome! We got a chance to drive the boat and got a great tour of the Everglades and learn a bit of history. It was great to see plenty of gators and wildlife up close. We tell all of our friends and family and would definitely go again on our next trip! Great service and very friendly! Thanks Randy!