It’s little wonder that RC boating has become such a popular hobby: RC boats come in any shape, size and power level that you can imagine. But before you choose an RC boat, it’s important to keep in mind the size of the body of water in which you’ll be operating it.

This size is crucial in making sure that you purchase the right RC boat. Some RC boats work better in larger bodies of water. Others are better suited to swimming pools and other more confined bodies of water.

For instance, if you plan on doing most of your RC boating in your backyard swimming pool, you should probably purchase an electric RC boat. These boats move more slowly than do gas- or nitro-powered RC boats, usually reaching speeds of 15 to 20 miles-an-hour.

This may sound slow. But if you’re operating an RC boat in a confined space such as a swimming pool, these speeds will seem more than fast enough.

Gas-powered and nitro-powered RC boats can reach higher speeds. Nitro RC boats, the fastest of the bunch, can sometimes hit speeds higher than 30 miles. That’s far too fast for a swimming pool.

However, if you live near a park pond or lagoon, or a public lake, you might want to invest in a gas- or nitro-powered RC boat.

Both of these varieties of boats rely on specialized fuel mixtures – a different type of mixture for gas than for nitro – for high speeds. Nitro-powered boats generally run at slightly higher speeds than do gas-powered RC boats. But gas RC boats run for longer periods of time before needing to be refueled.

Nitro-powered RC boats are also noisier than are there gas-powered cousins. In fact, some communities have banned the use of nitro RC boats because they are so noisy.

Before purchasing any RC boat, take a close look at where you’ll most often be operating your new watercraft. It makes little sense to buy an RC boat that’s too fast for confined bodies of water if you’re only available waterway is a backyard swimming pool.

If you do the research, though, you’ll boost your odds of buying the right RC boat for your needs. This is good news, because if you do it right, RC boating is one of the most enjoyable hobbies you can take on.