- Visit us at the 2026 Disaster Expo
- Repower, service and parts for every make
- Every used airboat inspected and water tested
- Delivery to any state
PA-SVC / Service center / Vidor, Texas
Patriot's mechanics work on airboats of every make, gas or diesel, in the same Vidor shop that builds Patriots. Call before you haul it in so the shop knows what's coming.
Cage work, Vidor shop
Shop ticket PA-SVC
1997The year Patriot started building airboats in Vidor
325+Patriots built for hunting, pleasure, industrial and agency work
4Engine packages for repowers, gas and diesel
15+Years on airboats for mechanic Chad Svoboda
PA-SVC 02 / The work
Patriots and every other make come through the same shop floor. Each number on the drawing matches a line on the list.
It won't start, won't make power or has a noise it didn't have last week. Chad Svoboda and Chris Burnitt handle the diagnostic and performance work.
Repairs on gas and diesel airboat engines, including the LT4, Levitator, AirPac and Duramax packages Patriot installs.
When an engine is past saving, the shop puts in a new one and sets up the stand and rigging to match. A repower typically takes one to two weeks, plus shipping.
Repower enginesBelt tension, alignment and wear, plus the gearbox's oil and condition. A worn belt costs less to catch in the shop than on the water.
Stick, linkage, cables and rudders freed up and adjusted so nothing binds. The prop gets checked for nicks, cracks and a tight mount.
Hull repairs and weld work. DJ Schwartz, Patriot's welder, has more than 10 years on airboats.
Batteries, terminals, wiring, switches, gauges and lights, and the charging system behind them.
Oil and filter service plus the belt, gearbox, electrical and steering checks, so small problems get found while they're still small.
Book routine serviceAny make
Gas or diesel
Supplying your own engine for a repower? It has to be right for the boat and rated for airboat use. Talk it through with the shop before you ship it to Vidor.
PA-SVC 03 / When to call
An airboat usually lets you know when something's wrong. These are the signs worth a phone call, sorted by how soon you should make it.
Don't keep running it
Temperature climbing
Grass or mud packed into the radiator, low coolant or a slipping belt are the usual causes. Heat ruins engines.
Oil pressure drops
Low oil or a leak. An engine that keeps running without oil pressure can be ruined fast.
A new vibration, or something touching the cage
A damaged prop blade, loose hardware or a worn bearing. A prop that lets go at speed is dangerous.
Fuel smell or a wet fuel line
Treat it as a fire risk. Shut it off, let it cool down and call.
Fine to get home on, not fine to ignore
Belt squeal or a burning rubber smell
Tension, alignment or a belt that's worn out.
The stick feels heavy or the rudders lag
Cables, linkage or lubrication.
Slow crank, or a battery that's dead by morning
The battery, its terminals, the charging system or something drawing power with the key off.
Water in the hull after a run
A seam, rivet or crack that needs a look before it gets bigger.
Gearbox whine or oil under the drive
Time for gearbox service.
Nothing wrong yet?
Routine service covers oil, belts and the gearbox, electrical and battery, and the controls and steering.
PA-SVC 04 / Routing
From the first call to the day it goes home, here is who has your boat and what they do with it.
Tell the shop the make, the year and the engine, what happened and when it started. Photos or a short video let the mechanics see it before the boat shows up.
Chad Voorhes handles repair intake along with the parts, shipping and receiving that come with it. Call before you haul the boat in so there's room and time set aside for it.
Chad VoorhesParts specialist
The mechanics find what's wrong. Then the shop tells you what the fix takes and what it will cost.
Chad SvobodaMechanic, 15+ yrs on airboats
Chris BurnittMechanic, 25+ yrs in the trade
Nick Bardett runs the shop floor, from fabrication to service work. Welding goes to DJ Schwartz.
Nick BardettShop supervisor
Bryant Floyd is the last set of eyes before a boat leaves Patriot, and he water-tests where the job calls for it.
Bryant FloydLead tester and inspector
Pick it up at the shop, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm Central. If you're too far to haul it yourself, the shop can coordinate transport.
Pricing
Every job gets quoted once the shop has looked at the boat. Four things set most of the number:
For a sense of scale on parts, a new airboat gearbox was listed at $4,000 and a complete carbon-fiber prop at $2,350 to $3,840 in September 2026.
Airboat price guideSeveral 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.
If you're looking to build a new boat, buy parts and or get top notch service, look no further than Patriot Airboat Corp.
PA-SVC 05 / Fleets
Agencies and operators with a fleet get scheduled maintenance and repairs for every boat in it. When Patriot built the fleet, the people who built it keep it running.
Fleet boats deliveredBoats
Sea Tow
5
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
4
Harrison County Sheriff's Office
2
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office
2
Four fleets13 boats
Yes. The shop services, repairs and repowers airboats of any make, including Diamondback, AirRanger and Panther, gas or diesel.
It depends on the parts, the hours and whether the engine has to come off the stand. Patriot quotes each job after the shop has looked at the boat. For scale, in September 2026 a new airboat gearbox was listed at $4,000 and a complete carbon-fiber prop at $2,350 to $3,840.
Airboat price guideEngine failure. When an engine is past fixing, the answer is a repower, and the engine, drive and prop make up the biggest share of any airboat's price. Serious hull damage can also run high because it means cutting and welding aluminum.
Repower enginesOil service, belt and gearbox checks, the electrical system and battery, and the controls and steering. Between services, check the oil and coolant before you run, look the prop over for nicks and cracks, and make sure the hardware on the cage and engine stand is tight.
It depends on the parts and the shop's schedule, so call for the current turnaround before you haul the boat in. A repower typically takes one to two weeks, plus shipping.
Yes. Patriot works with owners well beyond Texas and can coordinate transport. Call before you ship it so arrival, unloading and shop time can be scheduled.
Yes, if it's appropriate for the boat and rated for airboat use. Talk it through with the shop first, then ship it to the shop in Vidor.
The make, year and engine, the hours if you know them, what happened and when it started. Photos or a short video help the shop troubleshoot faster.
Request service810 Edgewood St, Vidor, Texas 77662, on I-10 between Beaumont and Orange. The shop is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm Central. Call 409-422-0006 before you drive out.
PA-SVC 07 / Request
Tell the shop what's going on and how to reach you. Photos help. Your request goes to the shop's service inbox, and the shop is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm Central.
Request sent
It's in the shop's inbox. If the boat can't wait, call 409-422-0006.
That didn't go through
Call 409-422-0006 or email parts@patriotairboats.com and the shop will take it from there.
