Old-Florida Airboat Tours for Davie, FL
Davie still feels like Old Florida, with horse trailers, rodeo weekends and roots in reclaimed swampland. Our airboat tours Davie riders book fit right in: hand-built boats, a captain who has lived the Everglades for six decades, and a private ride into wild gator country.
“Text or call me and I’ll get you out on the water — I can’t wait to see you out in the swamp!”— Captain Billy, owner & native Everglades guideFor airboat tours Davie residents and Nova Southeastern students can book privately, Aces Airboat Tours launches on the northern edge of the Everglades. From Davie you take I-595 west to the Sawgrass Expressway and head north to our Atlantic Boulevard ramp. Every tour is a private boat with a native captain, among sawgrass, tree islands and wild alligators.
Airboat Tours Davie Folks Recognize as the Real Thing
Davie has never tried to be a beach town. It is the largest town in Florida by population, and it holds on to a Western, equestrian character that shows up in the horse trails, the ranch-style lots and the rodeo weekends at Bergeron Rodeo Grounds. People here tend to like things practical, outdoors and a little rough around the edges.
That is exactly how Aces runs. Our owner, Captain Billy, has spent more than sixty years in and around the Everglades, lives on a homestead he built himself and builds airboats by hand. He answers the phone, too. Captain Bill, a naturalist captain with more than thirty years on this water, is the other half of the crew. No scripts, no costumes, just two men who know the marsh.
Every ride is a private boat for your group. On our airboats every seat is a front-row seat, so nobody spends the trip looking at the back of someone's hat. The boat goes where your captain judges the wildlife is that day, and he slows down or speeds up depending on who is aboard.
Davie families who have spent weekends at Flamingo Gardens or Tree Tops Park already know South Florida wildlife up close. An airboat ride takes the same animals out of the enclosure and puts them back in the open marsh where they belong. Read about our fleet on the our boats page.
Davie Was Carved Out of Everglades Swampland
Davie's story starts in the marsh. In the early 1900s, Robert Parsell Davie bought 44 square miles of reclaimed Everglades swampland and founded a farming town called Zona, according to the town's recorded history. Drainage turned wet prairie into fields and pasture, and the town that grew there now carries his name.
People lived on this edge of the wetland long before the farmers. Tequesta campsites in what is now Pine Island Ridge date back 5,000 to 7,000 years. If you have hiked the Pine Island Ridge Natural Area, you have walked on ground that Everglades people used for millennia. The Old Davie School Historical Museum picks up the story from the pioneer era.
West of the Sawgrass Expressway, a large piece of the original marsh never got drained. It sits in the Water Conservation Areas, connected to the same system that flows south toward Everglades National Park. On a ride you see what Zona's founders were looking at:
- sawgrass to the horizon, sharp enough to cut skin;
- tree islands, the same kind of raised ground the Tequesta camped on;
- open water, lily pads and canals cut beside the levees.
For locals with deep roots, that is the best part of airboat tours. Davie history suddenly makes sense when you are floating in the landscape it came from.
How Do You Get From Davie to the Airboat Launch?
Our launches sit north of Davie, on the northern edge of the Everglades, so expect a straight expressway drive rather than a hop around the corner. Most Davie guests take I-595 west to the Sawgrass Expressway and head north to the Atlantic Boulevard exit, where our nearest launch is. Captain Billy confirms the exact ramp when you book, and the real miles and minutes from Davie appear in the getting-here section below.
From the different corners of town it works like this:
- From Shenandoah, Ivanhoe or Forest Ridge, get on I-595 west.
- From Long Lake Ranches or Pine Island Ridge, head to I-595 by the nearest north-south road.
- Follow I-595 to the Sawgrass Expressway, north to Atlantic Boulevard.
- Park at the ramp, meet your captain and climb aboard.
The drive is worth it for one simple reason: the northern marsh is quiet. You trade the crowded parks for open water and a private boat. Plenty of airboat tours Davie riders take start early and finish before the afternoon heat, leaving time for lunch back home.
We have three launches in all: the Sawgrass Expressway ramp at Atlantic Boulevard, Stub Canal and The Landing in Parkland. See the pickup locations page for each one.
How Far Is the Airboat Launch From Davie?
From Davie, the closest Aces launch is our Sawgrass Expressway launch at Atlantic Boulevard. The usual route: west on I-595 to the Sawgrass Expressway, north to Atlantic Blvd.
- Sawgrass Expressway at Atlantic Blvd: about 18 miles, roughly 25-35 minutes by car outside rush hour.
- The Landing, Parkland: about 28 miles, roughly 45-55 minutes by car outside rush hour.
We also run trips from our Stub Canal launch on request; ask Captain Billy which ramp suits your group.
Times are measured from central Davie and grow at rush hour and on event weekends. Captain Billy confirms the exact meeting spot, parking and what to bring when you text or call 561-660-2419. All three launches open onto the same wild, gator-rich northern Everglades, so pick whichever is easiest for your day. See every launch on our pickup locations page.
Rides for the Nova Southeastern Crowd
Davie is also a college town, and students and staff at Nova Southeastern University make some of our liveliest groups. If your crew wants adrenaline, these are the rides to ask for:
- Fast airboat tours: full-throttle runs across open sawgrass with a pro at the stick.
- Airboat sliding tours: the boat slides and spins across the grass like a drift car.
- Red Eye Gator night tours: a spotlight sweeps the marsh and dozens of eyes glow back. Our post on what you see on a night airboat tour sets expectations.
For bigger groups, the 15-passenger boat keeps everyone together, or several private boats can run side by side. Club outings, graduation weekends, birthday trips and visiting-family days all work; see group airboat tours.
When parents ask about airboat tours, Davie visits to see a student usually call for a calmer daytime ride. Either way, hearing protection is provided for everyone, and we see alligators on the vast majority of trips, although wild animals never come with a guarantee.
Not sure which ride suits the group? Text Captain Billy at 561-660-2419 with your numbers and how wild you want it, and he will give you an honest pick.
Text or Call Captain Billy Today!
“Text or call me and I’ll get you out on the water — I can’t wait to see you out in the swamp!”— Captain Billy, owner & native Everglades guide
Fishing and Other Old-Florida Outings From Davie
Some Davie residents grew up fishing canals and want more than a sightseeing ride. Aces runs Everglades fishing tours that use the airboat to reach water bank anglers never see. Captain Billy also runs spearfishing and duck hunting trips; text him to ask how they work and what you need before you go.
These outings are how Old Florida always used the marsh, and Captain Billy grew up doing exactly this. The airboat itself is built for this country: a flat hull that floats in inches of water, pushed by an aircraft-style propeller and steered with rudders, so you can cross sawgrass where a propeller in the water would tangle. Florida sets specific rules for running them, which you can read on the FWC airboat regulations page.
Bird lovers get their share too. Great blue herons, egrets, anhingas, ibis and ospreys are regulars, and roseate spoonbills show up often enough to keep binoculars handy. In winter the marsh fills with extra birds; our winter tours make the most of it.
For airboat tours, Davie anglers and birders both do best with an early start, when the water is calm and the animals are busy.
Booking a Private Ride From Davie
For airboat tours, Davie guests need only one text or call to Captain Billy at 561-660-2419. Tell him the date, how many are coming and what kind of ride you want, from gentle family cruise to full-throttle slide. He will match the boat and tour, confirm the launch and send directions. Since every tour is a private boat, the rate depends on your group and the ride length; ask him for yours.
Read the reviews behind our 4.9-star Google rating, or reach us through the contact page. Neighbors to the south and west can see our Cooper City and Southwest Ranches pages. Airboat tours Davie folks swear by are a short drive and one text away.
Popular Airboat Tours Near Davie
Everglades Airboat Tours
The signature private ride through wild sawgrass, tree islands and gator water.
Explore Tour
Sunset Tours
Ride out as the sky lights up over the open marsh.
Explore Tour
Red Eye Gator Night Tours
Scan the marsh by spotlight for glowing alligator eyes.
Explore Tour
Sunrise Tours
Cool air, glassy water and the most active wildlife of the day.
Explore Tour
Fast Airboat Tours
Full-throttle sawgrass runs, spins and slides with a pro at the stick.
Explore Tour
Private Tours
Your group, your captain, your boat. No strangers aboard.
Explore Tour3 Convenient South Florida Pickup Points
Choose the launch closest to you — every ride heads into the same wild, gator-filled Everglades sawgrass.
Stub Canal
Off the Sawgrass Expressway area — easy access from Broward County.
Book From HereSawgrass Expressway at Atlantic Blvd
Convenient ramp right off the Sawgrass Expressway at Atlantic Boulevard.
Book From HereThe Landing
Our north Broward launch on Loxahatchee Road near Parkland.
Book From HereWhat Our Guests Say
Real Google reviews from guests who rode the wild Everglades with Captain Billy and Captain Bill.
We booked a 2 hour private tour, which seems to be the right amount of time to see everything. Very easy meeting spot at a boat landing. Our captain was fantastic and I can't say enough great things. He put us on some alligators. We will definitely be back.
The Red Eye Gator tour is the best way to see gators, an absolutely awesome experience zipping through the Everglades during twilight. Lots and lots of gators awake and active. Captain Billy is very knowledgeable and one hell of a captain!
What an absolute amazing experience! Our captain is one of the most experienced men in the Everglades. We explored the wildlife including up to 30 alligators, several species of birds, frogs and fish. Well worth it, and you get a private party instead of being with strangers.
Called Captain Bill at 9 AM and asked if he could do a 10 AM run. He said yes and met me right on time. We saw two alligators, a pink spoonbill and numerous herons. If you want the real Everglades with someone who actually lives in them, book Captain Bill. Highly recommended.
We booked a 2 hour private tour, which seems to be the right amount of time to see everything. Very easy meeting spot at a boat landing. Our captain was fantastic and I can't say enough great things. He put us on some alligators. We will definitely be back.
The Red Eye Gator tour is the best way to see gators, an absolutely awesome experience zipping through the Everglades during twilight. Lots and lots of gators awake and active. Captain Billy is very knowledgeable and one hell of a captain!
What an absolute amazing experience! Our captain is one of the most experienced men in the Everglades. We explored the wildlife including up to 30 alligators, several species of birds, frogs and fish. Well worth it, and you get a private party instead of being with strangers.
Called Captain Bill at 9 AM and asked if he could do a 10 AM run. He said yes and met me right on time. We saw two alligators, a pink spoonbill and numerous herons. If you want the real Everglades with someone who actually lives in them, book Captain Bill. Highly recommended.
Davie Airboat Tour Questions
How far is Davie from the Everglades?
The Everglades begins just west of town, past the Sawgrass Expressway. Our launches are on the northern edge of the marsh, so Davie guests drive I-595 west and the Sawgrass Expressway north. The real miles and minutes from Davie are listed in the getting-here section.
What should I wear on an airboat tour?
Wear light layers, shoes that stay on your feet, sunglasses and a hat with a strap, plus sunscreen. Winter mornings feel cooler on an open boat, so bring a jacket. We provide hearing protection. Keep phones in a pocket or zip bag in case of spray.
Are night airboat tours worth it?
Yes, if you want something different. After dark, the captain sweeps a spotlight over the marsh and alligator eyes glow red back at you. The air is cooler and the marsh sounds come alive. Families with very young kids usually prefer a daytime ride instead.
Can you fish from an airboat in the Everglades?
Yes. Aces runs Everglades fishing tours that use the airboat to reach water you cannot get to from the bank. Text Captain Billy at 561-660-2419 to talk about what you want to catch, the best time and what to bring.
Do airboat tours take large groups?
Yes. Our 15-passenger boat carries bigger groups together, and we can run several private boats side by side for larger parties. Student clubs, birthdays and company outings all ride with us. Text Captain Billy your head count and he will plan the boats.
How much is an airboat tour near Davie, FL?
Every Aces tour is a private boat, so the rate depends on your group size, the boat and how long you are out. Text or call Captain Billy at 561-660-2419 for your rate. You never share the boat or pay for strangers' seats.
How long is the drive from Davie to an Aces airboat launch?
From central Davie, our Sawgrass Expressway launch at Atlantic Boulevard is about 18 miles away, roughly 25-35 minutes by car outside rush hour. Captain Billy confirms the exact meeting spot when you book by text or call at 561-660-2419.
Which Aces launch is closest to Davie?
For most Davie guests it is our Sawgrass Expressway launch at Atlantic Boulevard. We also launch from The Landing in Parkland, our Stub Canal launch, and every launch opens onto the same wild northern Everglades.
Airboat Tours Near Davie
Saddle Up for a Private Everglades Ride
Text or call Captain Billy and he will plan an Old-Florida airboat ride that fits your Davie crew.
“Text or call me and I’ll get you out on the water — I can’t wait to see you out in the swamp!”— Captain Billy, owner & native Everglades guide