Not every seaplane pilot has the means or the skills to run around in that Boss 182 refurbished amphib pictured to the right. There it’s on display at AirVenture last summer at the Lake Winnebago seaplane base—a good place for potential owners to put eyes on a huge variety of seaplane models in action.
With a 350-HP Lycoming engine conversion, Hartzell three-blade composite prop, Wipline 3000 amphibious floats, the latest avionics and custom paint and interior, a Boss amphib typically sells for around $500,000 or more, depending on the year and equipage. It’s a lot of floatplane for the money, with good field support behind it. But for something better suited for lower budgets and less experience on the water, we went shopping to see what’s out there. Several decent entry-level seaplanes caught my eye.