Suppressing ejection of water and other surface material from air cushion vehicles

Apparatus for suppressing ejection of water spray and the like from an air cushion vehicle, the vehicle comprising a hull structure and a flexible skirt attached to a lower surface of the hull structure, the flexible skirt having a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion for at least a lower part thereof and having a lower edge beneath which air can escape from a cushion space beneath the hull structure, and a flexible barrier attached to the periphery of the hull structure outside said skirt and extending downwardly, said inclined portion of said skirt and said flexible barrier defining a convergent passage, a plurality of closely spaced apertures extending along an upper part of said flexible barrier, and ballast means at a lower part of said barrier, the arrangement such that spray and the like issuing from beneath said lower edge of said flexible skirt is ejected into said convergent passage, impinging on said barrier, water separating and falling down inside said barrier to escape beneath said barrier, air escaping out through said apertures.