Donuts in a Hovercraft on Hovertravel's Experience Flight

One of many curiosities about the Isle of Wight is that it still has a hovercraft providing a back-and-forth service. There are still hovercrafts used privately and by the military but Hovertravel has been able to say for a long time that it's the world's only commercial service.

That means it gets a mention in our guide to 10 things you can only do on the Isle of Wight. 

We learnt from the pilot that an island in Japan has recently started a hovercraft service, so we may need to tweak the wording slightly to say that it's unique to Europe. 

Hovertravel - which runs the hovercraft - invited us along to one of their 'Experience Flights'. They take place on dates throughout the summer and cost about £60, with cheaper prices for children and occasional special offers.

Tummy Troubles

I am afflicted with a condition that is known by experts as having 'a bit of a wobbly tummy'. This frustrates me greatly, as my mind is desperate to ride rollercoasters etc, but my body rewards me with motion sickness.

I discovered this condition whilst on a stag do at Europa Park. The day began with a ride on a rollercoaster that claimed to be the fastest in Europe and ended with me sitting under a tree for eight hours. Occasionally, I convince myself that I might have outgrown this, and soon regret it when it turns out I haven't.

With this in mind, I was hesitant to sign up for something that involves a hovercraft driving sideways and doing donuts. However, my father in law's eyes lit up with excitement when I mentioned it to him and I figured it might not be too bumpy.

I took preventative measures (i.e. I took a motion sickness pill) and turned up for the occasion. Luckily, the Solent was very calm on the day we had booked, so I also thanked the Blackgang Chine Weather Wizard for his help.

Starting From Ryde

If you're joining the hovercraft experience from Ryde then you end up getting a bit more for your money. You first get taken on a normal hovercraft journey to Southsea to pick up other thrill seekers. At the end, you get taken back to Ryde on a normal hovercraft journey.

Sandwiched in between is the 'Experience' flight, where our pilot performed some tricks at sea and gave us some detail about what he was doing. The highlight was the donuts in the Solent where we appeared to be moving sideways at one point. Onlookers on dry land must have concluded that a wild animal had made its way into the cockpit and was playing havoc with the controls.

The motion sickness pills did the trick and I was able to enjoy it rather than desperately hoping it would end. The downside of the pills I used is that they make you feel dizzy and thirsty, but I concluded that this was preferable to sea sickness.

Back on dry land

We returned to Southsea to be given a tour of the outside of the hovercraft by the pilot. He talked us through the technology and pointed at things whilst we admired the motors and asked questions.

The crew then carried out a raffle, having handed out tickets earlier in the experience. Without Mrs Guru with me, I had managed to lose my raffle ticket within 25 seconds of being given it. I was relieved when someone else won the goody bag of Hovertravel souvenirs rather than there being an awkward moment of the crew saying "well, someone must have the winning ticket....".

One of the younger visitors then asked if he could see the cockpit, and was given permission to stick his head through the tiny loft-hatch. 

There then followed a small queue of middle-aged men who tentatively asked to see the controls and formed a queue began sticking their head through the hole.

Our time ran out before my turn arrived, but I noted that they do a separate 'Behind The Scenes' tour, which presumably includes this addition.

Happy Birthday

Our visit was in the same week as the 60th anniversary of Hovertravel. Let's hope this little curiosity of the Isle of Wight has many more years of happy sailing - sorry - flying.