Ever fancied ripping it up in a hovercraft in Sittingbourne? Well now’s your chance when you tackle the tricky obstacle course on this farm estate in a nippy little Flying Fish Marlin II craft. So get the rotors turning some air into your skirt and go hovercrafting!
This outdoor pursuits centre near Sittingbourne was established in 1988 and the hovercrafts are the latest addition to the fleet. The company motto of ‘Adrenaline is our business’ is totally apt for hovercrafting as these vehicles (or should that be vessels?) are completely madcap.
Hovercrafts are unique. They are nothing like being in a boat as the ride is strangely smooth and flowing yet you can go over pretty much any surface and all because you are literally hovering above the ground. This Sittingbourne course makes the most of the agility these mega light Marlins boast thanks to that four stroke 1000cc engine.
And if you don’t know how hovercrafts work well they really are quite simplistic. Rotors force some air through the hull to the skirt which is how it lifts. The rest of this air is forced backwards giving your forward propulsion. That’s why you feel you are rising before your then slowly slide off forwards and gain momentum. Oh and have a look inside the ‘cockpit’ and you’ll see it couldn’t be simpler – a little seat a handlebar with a finger throttle on the right hand side and a starting button…
Where the skill comes however is when you try and steer a hovercraft as you will find out straight away here at Sittingbourne. Turning the handlebar doesn’t actually steer as you’d expect it just ‘guides’ the hovercraft in the general direction you want to go so you have to pre-empt your route and be pretty keen on the throttle too.
As you get to grip with the basics in Sittingbourne you will start to test out the real skills of hovercrafting. Have a go at turning 180 degrees without coming to a stop and learn to turn at pace by shifting your weight around in the cockpit. Who knows you might even end up mastering a stylish 360 turn by the end of your 40 minutes personal driving time. Brilliant fun and a truly ‘must do’ activity!
