Title: Airboat Safety Word Count: 490 Summary: My son is eight years old and has kidney disease, when he told me his wish was to ride on an airboat in the Florida Everglades and see alligators, all my mom instincts went into hyper drive. My first thought was to say an absolute no. I mean, how safe could a ride on a small craft propelled by a big fan be? I was concerned about alligators, what would happen if the boat died in the water, could we have access to food and water and what if my son had to go to the bathroom? My ... Keywords: airboat ride,airboat tour,everglades airboat ride,florida airboat ride,ecotour,eco tour,cypress airb Article Body: My son is eight years old and has kidney disease, when he told me his wish was to ride on an airboat in the Florida Everglades and see alligators, all my mom instincts went into hyper drive. My first thought was to say an absolute no. I mean, how safe could a ride on a small craft propelled by a big fan be? I was concerned about alligators, what would happen if the boat died in the water, could we have access to food and water and what if my son had to go to the bathroom? My answer would have remained an absolute no had I not found Cypress Airboat Rides online. We had already carefully planned out a vacation to the ocean with my son’s doctor. We had references for local hospitals, and when we went to his last doctor’s visit before our scheduled trip my son told our doctor about wanting to ride an airboat and see the alligators. That was the final clincher, because his doctor said to go for it. How was I to argue with that? So, I began doing some fast and furious research and found Cypress Airboats. Our experience was beyond excellent, and I was so thrilled to see my son’s face light up when alligators and beautiful birds seemed like they were just inches from him. During our time on our airboat ride I didn’t worry about his safety because I was so enraptured by the sheer look of joy on his face. All the fears and stress from dealing with his kidney disease disappeared on our airboat ride through the Florida Everglades. Cypress's staff assured me ahead of time that we were perfectly safe. My son liked the idea of a 300 horsepower aluminum sled and that it weighed 600 pounds. It’s funny what kids think about compared to parents. I was pleased it was top of the line and maintained and that the staff had a long-standing reputation of safe airboat tours. However, once all my questions and concerns were addressed, I felt totally comfortable surrendering control for an hour and letting these third generation natives of Florida, who call the Florida Everglades their “back yard”, take over. Cypress Airboats staff was totally accommodating for my son’s special needs. They provided a custom tour that offered an experience my son and I will never forget. We were able to take many photographs of all the lush vegetation and my son got his wish to see the alligators, way closer than I would have ever allowed if I were not certain we were totally safe. I can’t thank the staff at Cypress enough for helping an overprotective mom give her son’s dream reality. I know we will be traveling to Florida again in the future, and when my son asks to ride the airboat, this time my answer will be a fast, resounding yes!