Much of coastal Louisiana is too shallow for a regular boat and too soft to drive on. Our airboats cover that terrain. We run working airboats out of Larose for pipeline and right-of-way support, survey crews, environmental work, and crew transport into the marsh.
The boats are rigged for work, carrying crews and equipment, and they often serve as the access leg of a bigger job alongside our barges and excavators.
Why Melancon Marine
Why people call us
Rigged for work
Our airboats support pipelines, surveys, spraying, and construction jobs. They carry crews, instruments, spray rigs, and supplies, with deck space and tie-downs for the load.
We run these marshes year-round
Water levels out here change daily. We run these marshes year-round and plan routes off current conditions.
Works with the rest of the fleet
Airboats often spot for a barge-mounted excavator, ferry crews to a spray job, or support a survey ahead of construction. Renting from the yard that owns the rest of the equipment keeps the job coordinated.
Weather and water calls
Wind, water level, and load decide what an airboat can safely do on a given day. If conditions call for a different plan, we make that call before your crew is standing at the launch.
The Scope
What this service covers
Marsh & wetland access
Crew and equipment transport across flooded grass, mud flats, and shallow ponds.
Pipeline & ROW support
Inspection, maintenance, and construction support along wetland rights-of-way.
Survey crew transport
Getting instruments and technicians to stations no truck or boat can reach.
Environmental & restoration work
Support for sampling, monitoring, and coastal restoration crews.
Spray platform duty
The same boats carry our herbicide spray rigs for vegetation control work.
Emergency access
Reaching camps, equipment, and infrastructure when high water cuts them off.
How It Works
How a job goes
01
Map the access
Where crews start, where they need to get to, and what rides along.
02
Check conditions
We check water levels and marsh conditions for your dates.
03
Set the arrangement
Boat, term, and support level matched to the job.
04
Run the marsh
Your crew and gear get to the work and back, every day of the job.
On the Job
Our equipment on the job
Service Area
Airboat operations across the marshes of Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes, the Barataria Basin, and wetland job sites throughout coastal Louisiana.
Common Questions
Common questions
What do contractors use airboat rentals for?
Pipeline and right-of-way inspection and support, survey crew transport, environmental sampling, marsh spraying, hunting-lease and land-management access, and moving crews to wetland construction sites. If the destination is marsh, an airboat is usually the only way in.
How much does airboat rental cost in Louisiana?
It depends on the term, the running distance, and whether the boat goes out with support. Call (985) 691-4591 with the job location and schedule and we'll give you a number.
How shallow can an airboat run?
Airboats are pushed by air instead of a submerged propeller, so they run across inches of water and slide over wet grass and mud that would strand any regular boat. Load and conditions still matter, so we confirm routes against current water levels before a job.
Can your airboats carry equipment as well as people?
Yes. The boats have open deck space for tools, instruments, spray rigs, and supplies. Tell us the load and we'll confirm the setup that carries it.
Do you rent airboats for herbicide spraying work?
Spraying is its own service with our own rigs. If your project involves marsh or canal vegetation control, see our airboat herbicide spraying page or call and we can scope the treatment work directly.
What areas do your airboats cover?
We stage from Larose and work the marshes of Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes, the Barataria Basin, and wetland sites across coastal Louisiana. For distant jobs, the boats trailer to the nearest launch and run from there.
Larose, Louisiana
Put the fleet to work
Call (985) 691-4591 for rates, availability, and scheduling.