Airboat or Pontoon: Choosing Your Swamp Boat Tour
You've already decided on a swamp tour. Now you need to pick a boat, and that's a real decision: airboat or pontoon. Both go through the same bayou and see the same wildlife, they just get you there very differently. Here's what actually separates them, noise, speed, who can and can't ride, so you can pick the right one before you book instead of finding out on the dock.
Tours for this experience
Family FriendlyNew Orleans Covered Pontoon Boat Swamp Tour
The swamp tour for everyone — no age limits, no weight limits, no restrictions. Our covered pontoon is the most comfortable ride on the bayou: shaded from the summer sun, and if a light shower rolls through mid-tour, you’re in the driest seat in the swamp. At $37, it’s the most affordable swamp tour we offer.
Best ValueSignature 16-Seat New Orleans Airboat Swamp Tour
Our Signature 16-seat airboat is the #1 choice for New Orleans swamp adventures. The perfect balance of thrills, intimacy, and value. It's our most-booked tour and the one we recommend to first-time visitors.
Family FriendlyNew Orleans Super-Sized Airboat Swamp Tour
The 30-passenger Super-Sized Airboat packs the most powerful engine on the bayou. Fast, loud, and thrilling, it delivers serious thrills at the best airboat price in New Orleans.
Very PopularNew Orleans Small Airboat Swamp Tour
Small Airboats seat no more than 10 people and get deeper into the bayou than the larger boats. Fast, loud, and thrilling — with a smaller group, you'll feel every bit of it.
PremiumNew Orleans Premium VIP Airboat Swamp Tour
The ultimate VIP swamp experience. With only 6 guests, you'll enjoy an intimate, exclusive tour that reaches hidden areas larger boats can't access. Perfect for photographers, couples, or anyone wanting the most personalized Louisiana bayou adventure.
Compare Every Boat Side by Side
Same bayou, same wildlife, five different boats. Capacity, speed, and thrill are what most people ask about first, but the Pregnant / Under 5 / Back-Neck OK column is the one that actually rules a boat in or out for some guests.
| Tour | Price | Capacity | Duration | Speed | Thrill | Sells Out | Pregnant / Under 5 / Back-Neck OK? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIP AirboatExclusive | $124 Book → | 6 | ~105 min | High speed | Highest | Very high | No |
| Small Group AirboatIntimate | $94 Book → | 10 | ~105 min | High speed | High | High | No |
| Signature AirboatTop Overall Pick | $75 Book → | 16 | ~105 min | High speed | High | High | No |
| Super AirboatBig Groups & Budget-Friendly | $64 Book → | 30 | ~105 min | High speed | Moderate | Moderate | No |
| PontoonIncredible Value | $37 Book → | 72 | ~90 min | Laid back | Low | Low | Yes |
Noise, Speed, and What the Ride Does to a Camera
Airboats are loud at full speed, that's the tradeoff for the shallow-water access that lets them reach parts of the bayou a bigger boat can't. We provide hearing protection for every rider. When your captain spots wildlife and cuts the engine, the noise drops out completely and you get the quiet, up-close view airboats are actually known for, not constant engine roar the whole trip.
The open top also means real wind at speed, which makes a cold day feel colder and takes some of the edge off a hot one. Airboats make tight turns too, so hang onto whatever you're carrying: bring a camera or phone with a strap so it doesn't fly off the boat, and a waterproof case is worth having.
The pontoon is the opposite ride: covered, shaded, and quiet enough that guests report hearing a turtle slide off a log or a heron call from the bank. If noise and wind are the deciding factor for your group, that's your answer.
Who Can and Can't Ride Each Boat
Airboats have three hard rules, for safety: riders must be at least 5 years old (or 48 inches tall, this varies by dock), pregnant guests cannot ride, and guests with serious neck or back injuries cannot ride. Even for eligible riders, the boats make tight turns at speed, so our own activity-level notes call for enough core strength to stay steady through them.
The pontoon has none of that. No age limit, no weight limit, no physical requirement to ride, which is why it's the boat we point pregnant guests, guests with back or neck issues, infants, and toddlers toward. Kids 4 and under ride for $1 and sit on a parent's lap.
Motion Sensitivity and Nervous Riders
We don't have pontoon-specific seasickness reports, but very few guests report feeling seasick on the airboat: the bayou is calm compared to open ocean, and the ride is generally smooth. The pontoon's slower, steadier pace makes it the calmer choice regardless if motion sickness is a concern for your group. If you know you're prone to motion sickness, taking something like Dramamine beforehand is a reasonable precaution, especially for the airboat given its speed and turns.
For a nervous rider, an elderly guest, or anyone who wants a gentler introduction to the swamp, the pontoon is the calmer choice: laid-back pace, no sudden turns, covered seating, and a captain sharing stories about the bayou and its wildlife along the way.
Mobility and Wheelchair Access
The pontoon is wheelchair accessible. You board with a small step from the dock, and there's no walking required once you're on, you're seated the entire 90 minutes.
Airboats are not wheelchair accessible, according to our own site FAQ. If mobility access matters for anyone in your group, the pontoon is the boat we'd point you to: covered, shaded seating, no age or weight restrictions, and quiet enough on the water to hear a turtle slide off a log.
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Book Your Swamp Boat TourFrequently Asked Questions
What's the actual difference between the airboat and the pontoon?+
Speed and openness, mostly. Airboats are open-top, fan-powered boats that skim across shallow water at real speed, loud enough that we provide hearing protection, though the captain cuts the engine near wildlife for a quiet, close look. The pontoon is covered, shaded, and moves at a laid-back pace, quiet enough to hear a turtle slide off a log. Same bayou, same wildlife, genuinely different ride.
Who can't ride the airboat?+
Three groups, for safety: kids under 5 years old (or under 48 inches tall, this varies by dock), pregnant guests, and anyone with a serious neck or back injury. Airboats also make tight turns at speed, so our activity-level notes call for enough core strength to stay steady through them. None of these restrictions apply to the pontoon.
Is the pontoon really open to everyone?+
Yes. No age limit, no weight limit, no physical requirement to ride. It's the boat we recommend for pregnant guests, guests with back or neck issues, infants, toddlers, and elderly riders. Kids 4 and under ride for $1 and sit on a parent's lap. If an airboat is off the table for your group, the pontoon covers the same bayou: covered, shaded seating, and a captain sharing stories about the wildlife along the way.
Will the noise or motion bother me?+
We don't have pontoon-specific seasickness reports, but very few guests report feeling seasick on the airboat, the bayou is calm compared to open ocean and the ride is generally smooth. The pontoon's slower, steadier pace makes it the calmer choice if motion sickness is a concern. If you're prone to it, Dramamine beforehand is a reasonable precaution, especially for the airboat given its speed and tight turns. On noise: airboats are loud at full speed, hearing protection is provided, and the engine cuts out near wildlife so you also get quiet, close viewing, not just engine noise the whole ride.
Is either boat wheelchair accessible?+
The pontoon is. You board with a small step from the dock and stay seated the entire 90 minutes, no walking required. Airboats are not wheelchair accessible. If mobility access matters for anyone in your group, book the pontoon.
What should I bring to protect my phone or camera?+
On the airboat, bring a camera or phone with a strap so it doesn't fly off during a turn, and a waterproof case is worth it since you're riding open-top at speed. The pontoon is a gentler, covered ride, so it's an easier boat to shoot photos from without a strap or a case.
So which boat should I actually pick?+
Depends on your group. Want speed and thrills, and nobody in your party is pregnant, under 5, or dealing with a back or neck injury? Book an airboat, the Signature 16-seat is our overall pick for the best mix of price and experience. Traveling with young kids, an expecting mom, grandparents, or anyone who needs a gentler or wheelchair-accessible ride? Book the pontoon. Either way, you're in the same bayou looking at the same alligators.
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