Griffon Hovercraft

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Griffon Hovercraft is a British hovercraft producer, founded in 1976, and based in Southampton, UK.

Griffon hovercraft are one of the oldest manufacturers of larger sized hovercraft. In the 1960s the company's founder Dr W.W.H. Gifford, was one of the early hovercraft pioneers, and was involved with the first commercial hovercraft operation. It is currently run by John Gifford, the founder's son.

They produce a range of hovercraft from 5 to 90 person carrying capacity. The craft are mainly built from aluminium and parts of the cabins are constructed from glass reinforced plastic. They are powered by marine diesel engines.

Their craft are mainly used for civilian transport, army, and life guard operations, and are regarded as industrial strength craft for high use applications, rather than leisure craft which are designed for lower levels of use.

They produce about three 20-seat craft per year, and a 50 - 90 seater craft every few years. The 20-seat craft are made in their own factory, and the larger craft are made in space that they temporarily rent to make a specific craft.

The company also performs experimental design work. They designed and produced an experimental trimaran ferry boat for operation on the River Thames in London. Also hovering crop-sprayers, hovering cricket-pitch covers for Lord’s Cricket Ground, and a hovering reed-cutter for a company in Austria.

This is only done when a client requests such consultancy services.

Their craft are used all over the world and in many countries. Their hovercraft are used by military and rescue organisations such as the British Royal Marines, the British Royal National Lifeboat Institution ("RNLI"), Korean National Maritime Police Agency (“KNMPA”), Pakistan Navy, Swedish Coast Guard, Polish Border Guard, Estonian Border Guard, Lithuanian Border Police, Klaipeda. Griffon Hovercraft Limited has sold over 50 hovercraft in the crash rescue and search & rescue roles throughout the world.

They are also used for public ferry services, surveys, dredging and civil engineering support, mud and weed sampling, and pipeline inspection.