Hovercraft are not airboats.  Airboats are just boats that have a gigantic fan on the back instead of a standard boat motor.  Airboats sometimes have hulls shaped like regular boats, but often have a flat bottom, which allows them to travel easier over water and even ice or snow.  They’re great for places like the Everglades, where normal boat motors would get tangled in plants and weeds.  However, unlike hovercraft, airboats can’t travel over sand, grass, rock, pavement, mud, or many other surfaces.  They are basically just boats and don’t "hover" in any way.  Their entire weight rests on the surface beneath, they create a wake, and when they need to be used on ice or snow, they are merely pushed around on top of it by the fan.  On the other hand, hovercraft actually fly several inches above the surface and don’t create a wake because their weight doesn’t rest on the surface.  People sometimes think that Ontario fire and rescue services operate hovercraft, which is not true, although several municipalities do have airboats they use for water and ice rescue.

      The traditional ATV.  The term all-terrain vehicle has come to mean 3 or 4-wheelers, and sometimes Argos.  In fact quads and similar wheeled vehicles aren’t really all-terrain vehicles, because they can’t travel over any kind of water.  They are actually just one-terrain vehicles - they operate only on land.  ATVs can be taken onto frozen lakes, but will break through thin ice.  Recently an Argo had to be rescued near Port Hope by the fire department after it broke through ice and became stranded.  This is very different than hovercraft, which can become stranded only if the engine completely dies or the skirt gets torn off and the craft has to touch down.  ATVs also leave tracks on the ground, will damage creek beds and other surfaces, and can flip if turned too fast.  They also tend to be pretty bumpy.  Hovercraft have none of these characteristics.

      Boats and hovercraft differ in several obvious ways.  Boats have what is called a draft (or draught), which is the part of the hull that sits below the waterline.  For instance the maximum draft advised for travel through the Trent-Severn Waterway is 5’.  Hovercraft have no draft since they fly above the surface, and the skirt hanging below the craft skims along on top of the water.  Even when traveling slowly, boats create a wake, which causes shoreline erosion, and hovercraft don’t.  Boat motors intake water from the lake or river to cool the engine, which is circulated then released back into the water.  This causes heated water, and potentially oil, rust, and gasoline, to be released back into the environment, whereas hovercraft engines are not cooled this way.  Since boat motors are submerged, the movement of the blades also causes turbulence in the water, which can be destructive in shallow areas and can become tangled in weeds.  When a boat encounters choppy water or high waves it will be tossed around, but a hovercraft will still travel smoothly along with the dangling skirt shaping and accommodating the waves below to maintain the cushion of air.  This is why hovercraft instead of boats are commonly used as passenger ferries in many countries around the world.  And of course boats can only be used on open water during boating season, while hovercraft can operate on almost any surface 12 months a year.

      Hovercraft and jet-skis.  The term jet-ski is commonly used to describe personal watercraft (PWC).  We all know that PWCs can only travel on open water, not shallows, ice, or land.  Like boats, their entire weight rests on the water, they can be damaged by hitting underwater objects, and they create wakes and disturbance to the water as they move along.  They’re fun to rip around on the lake, but can only be used for about 6 months a year, and you can’t shut them down and fish or hunt from them.  You also need a dock or boat launch to get them into the water.  Again, none of these things are true of hovercraft.

      Snowmobiles are designed to travel over snow and ice, and can be damaged by use on other surfaces.  They can also flip, are extremely loud, will break through thin ice, and can even become stuck in deep snow.  Snowmobiles are useful when conditions are good but are limited to 3 or 4 months each year we have snow in our region.  Still, snowmobiles are a good choice on snow at cold temperatures.   Although hovercraft will fly easily and safely over thin ice, snow, mud, and other surfaces 12 months a year.

      Despite the limitations of traditional vehicles, there are a few things they can do that hovercraft can’t.  Hovercraft can’t tow water skiers because there is no clear view off the back for a spotter, which is required by law.  Hovercraft also can’t go blasting down narrow trails through a forest like a quad or dirt bike, and they can’t climb up mountainous hills.  Still, hovercraft are safer, more environmentally friendly, and more useful over more types of terrain year-round than any other single vehicle.