search & rescue airboats

When minutes matter and the terrain doesn’t cooperate, airboats get your team where other boats can’t. Patriot builds Search & Rescue airboats for flood response, missing persons, remote access, and patient transport — stable, predictable platforms that run shallow, carry real loads, and stay reliable under pressure.

One-Offs, fleets, Custom Builds, & More

rescue-ready airboats, configured for your needs

Every rescue team operates differently. Some need maximum deck space for patient handling and gear. Others need speed, range, and control in tight or unpredictable conditions. We’ll help you dial in the right hull size, layout, power, and equipment setup so your boat is mission-ready, easy to operate, and built for real duty cycles — not weekend runs.

What are the typical specs for your rescue boats?

Search & Rescue builds are designed around stability, payload, and reliability — because you’re moving people, equipment, and sometimes patients in tough conditions. Specs vary by environment and team needs, but most S&R boats prioritize predictable handling and usable deck space.

common build elements

Hull size: Commonly 18’–26′ (we build 14′ to 40’+)
Stability focus: Wider, stable platforms for working onboard and carrying loads
Bottom & protection: Thicker bottoms with polymer options based on mud/grass/shell/debris
Power: Torque-focused packages built for load carrying and long duty cycles
Rigging: Clean, serviceable rigging designed for reliability and lower downtime
Lighting: Work-ready LED lighting options for low visibility and night operations
Layout: Open deck space for rescue gear, transport needs, and safe movement

If you tell us your environment (flood, marsh, river, open water), typical crew, and load needs, we’ll recommend a spec direction that fits your mission.

What layouts and options are usually requested?

Most rescue teams want a layout that supports safe movement, fast workflow, and gear staging — without cluttering the deck.

common requests

Open deck / clear work area for rescue gear and patient handling
Crew seating layouts that don’t block movement (balanced, practical placement)
Grab points / rails for safer onboard movement during operations
Storage planning for bags, equipment, and tie-down points
Scene lighting / deck lighting for night ops and low visibility
Durability upgrades for debris-heavy environments and frequent beaching

We’ll help you pick options that improve mission effectiveness — and avoid “nice-to-have” add-ons that don’t help on calls.

How do quoting, lead times, and delivery work?

We keep it straightforward and agency-friendly.

our process:

Quick mission call (10–15 minutes)
We recommend a starting build (size + layout + power direction)
Clear quote with mission-critical needs first, optional add-ons second
Build + water test + final checks
Pickup or delivery coordination

We can coordinate domestic delivery, and we’ve supported boats going to teams outside the U.S. when needed. If you’re working through internal approvals, we can also make the build spec easy to share and review.

Do you offer training and support after delivery?

Yes — because a work boat is only as useful as the crew running it.

Operator training available (focused on safe operation, load handling, shallow-water control, and real-world scenarios)
Guidance on break-in, maintenance, and best practices
Ongoing support when questions come up or your needs change
Help with parts and service direction to keep downtime low

If you’re putting multiple operators on the boat, training is one of the smartest “options” you can add — it protects the crew and the equipment.

want your agency trained by patriot?

A rescue boat is only as effective as the crew running it. Patriot offers operator training built around Search & Rescue reality — shallow-water control, load handling, safe approaches, and practical techniques your team can use immediately. Whether you’re onboarding new operators or standardizing how the team runs calls, we’ll help your crew operate safer and more confidently.

Matthew W.

Patriot Airboat Corp. just built me a 20×9 Patriot, and it turned out absolutely amazing. The craftsmanship and quality are top-notch. Huge thanks to Faron for being extremely helpful throughout the entire build — he answered every question I had and took care of all my requests without hesitation. The office staff was also fantastic to work with and made the whole process smooth and stress-free. I couldn’t be happier with the final product. Highly recommend Patriot Airboat!

Brian G.

Longtime customer here, and we have been so happy with our boat that we’re on the list to get another one built. Faron knows airboating inside & out, and his whole team is amazing to work with. Several years after our purchase, they are always willing to troubleshoot and answer my questions. They stand behind their work, and it says a lot about their company. I’m looking forward to working with them again and I can’t wait to make the trip from MI to pick up our new boat!

Jeff L.

The crew at Patriot AB Corp. are great at building your dream Airboat from Top to Bottom! Patriot has been great servicing our newest Airboat after the sell as well. Having over 30 years of Airboat buying,selling and running them in extreme conditions, I highly recommend using Patriot AB. Faron is great to deal with and he knows everything Airboats!

Waiting for 2025 for my next one!

M & D Outdoors

I cant say enough about the customer service I experienced on my visit to Patriot Airboats this week. From the sweet ladies in the admin office, Faron the owner and his team of technicians in the shop. After several months of chasing a gremlin in my Marine Power LT4 Supercharge and unsuccessfully trouble shooting its issue, I decided to make the long distance trip to a dealer of Marine Power Engines, Patriot Airboat Corp in Vidor, Texas from North West Florida.

Will

We purchased a new airboat from Patriot for our fishing operation and we could not be happier. Very helpful to have the backend tech/maintenance support from Faron; Sandra is a badass and handled all of the administrative stuff for us!

Jerry D.

If you want a quality Airboat from a trusted team that’s been working together for over a decade head on over to Patriot Airboats.

Melanie H.

Very positive experience with this company! They were easy to deal with and fair, honest pricing. Thanks for everything!

Denise w.

During our travels, we ran into some trailer issues on our boat but the team at Patriot Airboats went above and beyond to help us out. They were incredibly kind, honest, and had us back on the road in no time! If you’re in the market for a custom airboat, look no further—these are the people you want to work with!

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