# Duck Boats. Would you ride on one? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289 "2018-07-20T19:28:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2021, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/101 "2021-07-18T15:03:44Z")
I took one of the Ducks tours in Wisconsin Dells when I was a kid (c. 1975), and did so again maybe 20 years ago. I have no strong desire to do so again, though that was the case even before the incident in Branson. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/102 "2021-07-19T02:19:38Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Ride The Ducks is a franchise operation? Dunno if it’s a franchise or a copycat in Singapore. But it was a Duck boat. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/103 "2021-07-19T02:25:21Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Ride The Ducks is a franchise operation? This Wikipedia article says that it did operate duck boat tours in several locations (though it doesn’t sound like it was a franchise operation), but it also suggests that it closed after the 2018 incident in Branson. Edit: Reading more closely, it looks like [Ripley Entertainment](https://www.ripleyentertainment.com/brands/) (known for Ripley’s Believe it or Not) bought Ride the Ducks in 2017; in looking at their web site, there’s no mention of that brand among their list of attraction brands. It suggests to me that they may have decided to just get out of that business entirely. > **[Ride the Ducks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ride_the_Ducks)** > > Ride the Ducks was a national duck tour operator and eponymous tourist attraction in some parts of the United States and Guam. It made use of amphibious vehicles, nicknamed "ducks", to provide tours of cities by boat and by land. > Ride the Ducks was purchased by Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation in 2004. Herschend sold a majority interest in the company to an independent investor in 2012. The Branson operation was sold to Ripley Entertainment in December 2017. In 2019 Ripley announced ... ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/104 "2021-07-19T02:29:00Z")
Looks like the Singapore operation remains in business: [Duck Tours website](https://www.ducktours.com.sg/). ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/105 "2021-07-19T02:31:23Z")
I took a duck boat tour in Hot Springs AR about 35 years ago. I’d do it again in good weather. The risk is very low. Wear the life jacket. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/106 "2021-07-19T02:31:55Z")
There are also still two independent Duck tours running in the Wisconsin Dells (which is where duck boat tours appear to have originated), but they were never specifically a part of Ride the Ducks. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/107 "2021-07-19T02:38:53Z")
And now that I think of it, I used to see Duck Boats on the streets here in Waikiki when we moved back in 2016, so I know they were here. But I’ve not seen them at all since the pandemic started. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/108 "2021-07-19T14:39:11Z")
I’ve done it once in D.C. I wouldn’t be against doing it again. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/109 "2021-07-19T18:23:13Z")
Road/Sailed in one once in Pittsburgh. Seemed rather pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/110 "2021-07-20T01:26:44Z")
Interesting…what in Pittsburgh looks better from the water, presumably river(s)? Is that why it seemed pointless? (I initially thought you meant Philadelphia, which might have a lot more interesting things to see from the water…) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/111 "2021-07-20T09:45:19Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Reading more closely, it looks like [Ripley Entertainment](https://www.ripleyentertainment.com/brands/) (known for Ripley’s Believe it or Not) bought Ride the Ducks in 2017; in looking at their web site, there’s no mention of that brand among their list of attraction brands. It suggests to me that they may have decided to just get out of that business entirely. > > [Ride the Ducks - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ride_the_Ducks) Given that article, I don’t think you need to speculate. It specifically says that they closed the Branson version permanently after the incident, and list the other locations as former locations. Branson seems to have been the last one. ` ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/112 "2021-08-25T13:30:52Z")
We rode them in Branson back in the mid 70’s. At that time they were not covered and it was a bright sunny day. I’d ride them again given the same conditions. ---
**Author:** ![filmstar-en](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@filmstar-en](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmstar-en)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/113 "2021-08-25T18:11:26Z")
Duck boats are not the safest craft on the water ways, for sure. They have been known to catch fire on the Thames in London. Or sink in a dock in Liverpool. > **[Duck boat passengers rescued after fire on river Thames](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/sep/29/duck-boat-passengers-rescued-fire-thames)** > > Many of the 30 on board blazing vehicle jumped into the water and were rescued by police, the fire brigade and a passing boat [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Y_BbWXiddG4/hqdefault.jpg "Liverpool famous yellow duck boat sinks in Albert dock.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_BbWXiddG4) Apparently the cause was poor maintenance. They need extra foam to give them enough bouyancy. But not so close to the hot engine that it catches fire. > **[Duck boat tours: 'Standards not met' in Liverpool and London incidents](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30508923)** > > Recent incidents involving Duck amphibious vehicles highlighted poor maintenance and a failure to meet standards, a report finds. Accidents waiting to happen? ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/114 "2021-08-26T13:12:10Z")
Yep both the were fun. I went on one in Wisconsin Dells and Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/115 "2021-08-30T14:33:06Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > They look wobbly on the street. Or top-heavy, I think. One capsized in Hot Springs in '99, the canopy is what prevented people from escaping and swimming about 20 feet to shore. IIRC. A loose rubber seal near the drive shaft caused it to take on water. Every time I see one of those duck boats in Hot Springs I think of those 13 people who lost their life on Lake Hamilton. I’ve never had a strong desire to go on a duck tour. I’ve got a car and I’ve been in a boat. It just doesn’t seem necessary to combine the two. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289/116 "2021-09-17T13:00:59Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > It just doesn’t seem necessary to combine the two I’ll bet you’d love an [Amphicar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphicar)! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-boats-would-you-ride-on-one/818289.md?page=5)