Posted: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:00 AM - 12,184 Readers

By: Amy Deis

The amphibious vehicles at Austin Duck Adventures tour the streets and Lake Austin 14 to 17 times a week, giving tourists and locals alike a land and lake history lesson of the city.

It was this opportunity that Paul Mahler envisioned when he founded the tour company in 1999 with a group of friends as investors. Friend Michael Danks is the operations manager and part owner.

Mahler previously worked for the Fowler family at Lake Austin Riverboats, and after riding the duck vehicles in Boston, Mahler wanted to bring the experience to Austin.

“It’s a fun way to learn about Austin and its history,” he said.





Mahler said the vehicles are made of an aluminum hull and filled with foam to float. The manufacturer had them inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard and American Bureau of Shipping and said they are unsinkable.

Until two years ago, Austin Duck Adventures owner Mahler used refurbished military surplus trucks built in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Then he bought two used Hydra-Terra vehicles that are specially made for land-to-water use. One came from Portland, Ore., and the other from Puerto Rico.

Normally Austin Ducks remains open year-round, but because the Lower Colorado River Authority lowered the lake—as it does every two years—the water levels were too low to operate. The 2011 Austin Ducks season launched Feb. 13 with sold-out tours, Mahler said.

Mahler recently hired Austin Extreme Graphics to give one of the ducks a fresh look. The result is a pirate-themed wrap with a skull-and-crossbones duck and cannons.

“It’s something a little different, and I liked the wood panel look,” he said.

Ten drivers—many of them off-duty Austin firefighters—handle the tours. Each has his own favorite sites to visit so the tours typically vary in route, Mahler said. Possible sites include the historical district, the Driskill Hotel, the Capitol and the Angelina Eberly statue.

Austin Duck Adventures
Departs from the Austin Visitor Center
209 E. Sixth St.
477-5274
www.austinducks.com

*  Story Contributed by: Amy Deis