I would never step a foot on one. How 'bout you?
I took a duck boat tour in Pittsburgh. It was fun. Having a car drive into the water and keep going was an interesting experience.
Of course I would.
Heck, if I had entirely too much money, I’d buy one.
Did one in seattle Years ago; wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
Yeah, those tours are fun. It’s terrible what happened in Missouri, but I chalk that up to the weather more than the vehicle.
Me too. Also in Pittsburgh.
I see their utility, but they don’t perform well as a boat or a truck. Wouldn’t really expect it to either. They just seem unstable as all get out.
Don’t have a few beers beforehand, of course there are no bathrooms on a DUKW.
A REAL interesting experience is amphibian planes. Taxiing around boats is quite different.
I assume the OP was prompted by this story about duck boat deaths in Missouri
Not out in the middle of a lake like that. Otherwise I’d go in one if it wasn’t full of tourists.
I’d chalk it up to stupidity.
Sure, in that “Jumping off a tall building doesn’t kill you; it’s the sudden stop at the bottom” sort of way.
Ride one? Yes
Ride one in a 60MPH wind? Oh hell no…
Anyone, especially a boat operator ferrying passengers who aren’t trained in maritime stuff, who operates a boat without checking the weather first and knowing the significance of warnings, is incompetent and dangerous to the public.
Some years ago, I watched as a load of college kids ran down to the beach and pushed a small sailboat into the water. There were easily 4 ft waves and a storm was brewing. The Coast Guard had small craft warnings out. I could see that they had not the slightest knowledge of what they were doing, were possibly drunk, and it was only a matter of time – about 10 minutes – that they capsized in the middle of the lake.
I was ready, and since the Coast Guard takes a half hour to get here, if they come at all (there have been times when CG said, “It’s too rough!”), I launched my SeaDoo and went out to the capsized boat. (A SeaDoo is an entirely different kind of craft, and much more appropriate for rough water.) They didn’t know how to right it, so I ferried them to shore one at a time, then went back and towed their boat in.
I don’t think they ever knew how close to death they came, and they didn’t thank me much, either. People drown all the time in Lake Michigan, even in calm water.
I would. I have actually been on that very tour. What I would not do is take the tour when bad weather is predicted.
I’ve been on the Boston duck boats a few times, it’s fun.
Did the Ducks at the Dells (Wisconsin) several times as a kid. No issue with them and would absolutely do it again now with my kids.
Rode on those ducks at that lake years ago. Nice calm sunny day though.
GaryM
I’ve been on the Boston duck boats also. It was fun, I would do it again.
They had them back when we were living in Baltimore, and they have them about 40 minutes away in Albany, and I would probably go on them…the bigger issue is the Baltimore harbor cruises are generally nice and some serve alcohol (at least they did some years ago), and cruising the Hudson around Albany is not my idea of a compelling landscape…I’ve seen a whole lotta it from the shore, and don’t need to it see it from the water…
I did the Boston duck tour once. It was fun, and you get to see a view of the city that you usually can’t.
I had the idea to rent 6 of them for a day, equip them with water-balloon catapults, and have naval battles on the Charles River.
I’ve been up in seaplanes a few times. It’s definitely a different way to fly.
I rode the one in Seattle a few years ago. It was loads of fun and I’d do it again, and I understand they’ve made some significant safety improvements after the crash a few years ago.