Water Strider Rafts
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One Man Raft Kickboat: An Inflatable Raft Better Than A Drift Boat
 


The best kickboat raft on any river or lake for Total Access!

 


Rafting Gear Essentials For Your Kickboat

Make the most of your next kickboat raft expedition.
 
 
Wheeleez Folding Cart

CART FEATURES
The Mini Folding Cart is a perfect companion to the Water Strider and it is perfect when trunk or storage space is tight, yet you can still carry most gear in one trip. It fold and fits behind the back rest on the Water Strider and allows you to easily wheel the Water Strider and other gear to and from the water. It is perfect for limited access on the river or lakes systems where you have to walk a ways on the trail to access the water. When you want to hike into a remote lake or river it is the perfect system. We carry our Water Striders and other gear easily.

Item Name: Wheeleez Folding Cart
Shipping weight:  15 lb.
Price: $125.00

Click here for more information.

Click here for additional images.
 

NEW!! DRIFT ANCHOR

DRIFT CONTROL SOCK FOR ULTIMATE FISHABILITY

 



Click here for another image.

Click here for more information about the Drift Anchor.

Click here for additional Drift Anchor directions.

 

  • Slow down the boats drift rate to maintain fishability
  • Change the boat’s posture in relation to waves or target fishing areas
  • Allow for a more stable fishing platform by reducing extreme boat bounce and pitch
  • Compensate for current or work with the current to position the boat
  • Constructed of heavy-duty PVC coated nylon
  • Tight-weave nylon straps and dump line
  • Opens and retrieves the water quickly
    Tough, yet lightweight and extremely portable
  • Convenient carrying case
DIRECTIONS:

A. Tie one end of an 8’ harness buoy rope to the harness handle of the Drift Anchor secure the other end of the harness buoy rope to the boat. Drop the Drift anchor into the water

B. To retrieve, pull the red dump line and the Drift Anchor in. Dump the remaining water using the dump handle at the end of the Drift Anchor

C.  To slow down the trolling speed or cut boat bounce on windy days, run one or two Drift Anchors from the bow.

D. When drifting flats, you can rig and use 2 Drift Anchors to keep the boat in good posture

The 50’ Rope with Float is a great item to add to the Drift anchor. It only takes 8 “ of rope to use the Drift anchor in one position but if you want to attach it in two areas you can cut and tie it on in several areas for the right drift angle. Get some small carabineers to attach to the rope and clip to the D-Rings.
 

Item Name: Drift Anchor
Shipping weight: 1 lb.
Price: $24.95

NEW!! Water Safety Rope with Float 50ft.

Much softer and easier to handle, made of extra fine polypropylene filaments woven into high density braid. A tough weather resistant for long service life. Lab tested to 900 pounds breaking strength.

Item Name: Water Safety Rope with Float
Price: $11.95
Shipping Weight: 1 pound


 
NEW!! JB ANCHOR WATER STRIDER ANCHOR SYSTEM

New Water Strider Anchor system. With 50 foot solid braid rope with float. Anchor is 7lbs and is smooth so as not to damage an inflatable. You can adjust the float to depth and tie it off on the handle assembly or one of the D-rings.. You can also thread it through the rear or front D-rings and then just pull it up and tie it off and just let it hang down until the next use. Not recommended for moving water. This is a great Still Water Anchor for back eddies, foam pools and lakes or ponds.

If you are anchored and have some fish rising or you just want to move around a bit with the fins or oars just unclip the rope and drop in overboard and the float will show you where you were at when you come back..  It is also great when you have a large fish on and want to go shallow water to land it and even take a picture.  You don’t have to take the time to pull up anchor, just unclip it and away you go and can easily go back and hook it up again.

Keep your anchor clean and dry when stored. If the paint wares off just give it a spray paint job. These are Steel anchors so we are not using lead.

Item Name: JB Anchor System
Shipping weight: 7 lb.
Price: $37.50




Click here for larger image of the anchor.
 


WATER STRIDER ANCHOR SYSTEM

We have designed this system so you can anchor in still water pools or in slow water so that when fishing over larger fish such as Stripped Bass, Salmon and Steelhead you can drop anchor and clip the rope to the d-ring by the right or left handle to hold in position. This also will work well when you have a pod of rising trout in front of you and you don't want to run over them and spook them. You can just unclip the system from the d-ring and drop it over the side and the anchor will hold in position and the float will be visible when you row back to get set up again. The heavy anchor it self is not provided. You can select that your self to fit the situation. The heavy duty bucket will hold rocks and can be dumped out when not needed.

Water Strider Anchor System:

  • 1 Heavy Duty Bucket holds 3 gallons

  • 50 foot solid braid anchor Rope with HD Clip that hooks to the bucket

  • 1 plastic HD clip to attach to the D-ring

  • 1 Red and White Plastic Float
     

Item Name: Water Strider Anchor System
Shipping weight: 3 lb.
Price: $69.95

Larger image


ROCK ANCHOR

A heavy duty nylon mesh bag with 40 feet of rope makes a good anchor in STILL water. (We DO NOT recommend anchoring in fast water.) The heavy duty mesh bag holds about 12 pounds of rocks that can be dumped out when you've finished your float so that you don't have to carry the weight of a regular anchor. The Water Strider raft Anchor Bag easily fits in the Water Strider raft carrying pack.

Item Name: Rock Anchor
Shipping weight: 1 lb.
Price: $22.95

Kickboat Anchor

New! -
ROPE CLEAT ANCHOR SYSTEM

This system is designed to anchor in still water and to prevent wind drifting.  The cleats simply clip to your oar shaft and has a carabineer with a cord so it can be attached to the oar nut cord to prevent loss.  The rope cleat can be left on the oar while traveling to and from an anchor spot.  The best position is to place the clip close to the oar lock spindle and then clip the safety cord to the oar lock cord to prevent loss.

The anchor cleat will utilize a 7/16 to 1/2 inch solid braid rope.  The rope and the weight is not included.
 

Item Name: Heavy Duty Rope Cleat with Cord and Carabineer
Shipping weight: 1 lb.
Price: $19.95

 
WATER STRIDER HEAVY DUTY SPARE OAR

It is ALWAYS is wise to carry an extra oar when you are on the water and especially so when you are running fast shallow rapids where you could jam and bend an oar on a big rock or sweeper. Our three-piece Heavy Duty Oar fits right in the Oar Bag with the other two. Having an extra oar is a river smart thing to do, always.  A pair of oars comes with each Water Strider.

Item Name: Water Strider Heavy Duty Spare Oar
Shipping weight: 3 lbs.
Price: $30.00

 

Why is Dave smiling like that? Click and find out.  
DINK'S TIPS:
  Most Water Strider users have 4 piece 9 foot fly rods. When packing up for your trip just put the butt section of the rod into the oar handle and the other 3 pieces into the other oar handle and place them in the oar bag to keep your rod safe. For long trips your extra dry socks can act as a cushion or can be placed over the top of the oar handle to hold the sections in place. Dave
 


        Check our new Guideline Polarized Bifocal Sunglasses
 
 

Expedition Waterproof Dry Bag BACKPACK

Comes standard with any new Water Strider raft and is essential gear for anyone doing serious floating . Our dry bag is as good as or better than any bag on the market.  You may want several to  protect your extra gear like your tent, food, sleeping bag  and other equipment..

Our Expedition Waterproof Dry Bag Backpack is a true waterproof dry bag that will seal water out.  Roll the bag top three times to close, clip and tighten the straps and you are ready to go. The bag has padded back pack straps so you can hike in to your favorite river or lake. Compression straps on the sides compress the bag's contents. Constructed from 8 ounce PVC with welded seams and ribbed top closure.  Clips and straps are rust and rot proof.

The bag has approximately 6 cubic feet of capacity to carry your gear: waders, wading shoes, fishing vest, fins, tent, sleeping bag, food, you name it.

Waterproof Dry Bag Backpack

Note: You can attach the oar bag to the outside of your Expedition Dry Bag.   When you're flying someplace you need to store the oars on the inside to prevent them from catching on conveyor belts at the airport.

 
Our Expedition Dry Bag Backpack design makes an oval shape.  When you load your dry bag on the front of the kickboat two things happen:

  • One - When placed on the front of the boat the oval design provides more visibility over the top.

  • Two - Adding weight to the bow of your Water Strider allows you to float through white water rapids better. Extra weight on the bow holds the Water Strider's bow down better and actually makes the boat easier to maneuver in fast water.

weight=2 3/4 lbs., size=42" x 20"x 12" Holds approximately 6 cubic feet of gear.

Item Name: Expedition Waterproof Dry Bag
Shipping weight: 4 lbs.
Price: $135.00

March 2007

Hi, John & team,

Thought I would let you know about the Rangitikei trip I did recently. I flew in with Brian (Goodwin) to the Otama Stream on Saturday (3 March) with the plan to raft down the river back to where my Vitara was parked by the bridge on the Taihape – Napier road. I allowed myself four days for the trip but was happy if I needed another day. I hadn’t done that stretch before and flying up the valley with Brian many of the rapids sure looked lumpy with a lot of boulders showing because of the very low river level.

Fortunately as it happened, I had decided to take my Water Strider floatboat instead of my Incept W33S raft, which turned out to be the right decision because with the river so low I had to portage a few of the rapids and I would never have got the 33 down through the boulders, and being by myself I wouldn’t have been able to lift it over them.

Prior to this trip I have used the Strider floatboat a lot, fishing in the central lakes and rivers that feed them. It’s a great bit of equipment, so good in fact that I have never used my W33, actually its never even been in the water, just gathers dust in the shed!

I set up camp by the Otama then fished later on the Saturday getting a couple of decent size trout that were returned.

After packing up camp on Sunday I finally hit the river about 10.00am. The weather was beautiful, so hot my wet suit and life jacket got to be uncomfortable, with regular splashes of river water keeping me reasonably cool.

I must admit I was a bit surprised at the size of some of the rapids, the low water made them into very long rock strewn obstacles with the water rushing through the gaps changing the direction of the runs dramatically. The maneuverability of the Strider is wonderful and it wasn’t too difficult to line up the runs most every time. Not every time I have to admit, and I got it wrong quite a few times. In most cases if I got stuck on the rocks it was just a matter of sticking my legs down into the water and pushing off the rocks, then I was away again

As you know there are some really long rapids with fairly steep gradients and because of the low water level quite a few had too many boulders to let even the Strider get through and so I would drag it across the top and around the side of the rocks, it seems really hard on it but thankfully in most cases the fabric stayed wet so for all the bumping across stones, dragging over and ricocheting off boulders the boat never had a serious mark on the fabric at the end of the four days. I was really impressed - seriously impressed, because it took some big knocksI had taken the repair kit, but thankfully it wasn’t needed.

Considering I had all my camping gear, food, clothes, boots, fishing gear and rifle it had a hefty load on it, maybe that helped it in the bigger rapids, I’m not sure, it would be interesting to have done them empty to see if there was any difference in its performance. Irrespective it was brilliant and I can’t speak highly enough of its capability.

For the whole trip I ended up only flipping it twice, once with me in it, and once as I was lowering it down a nasty rapid. I had all my gear in two of your Incept 80 litre dry bags and nothing go wet at any time, even after being submerged on the two occasions, a great set up all round.

The weather stayed perfect for the four days and I got back to the road bridge about 3.00pm Tuesday so that worked out about 17 hours on the water to complete the trip. Working it out on my electronic map it looks to be about 36km and I must admit it was a bit tougher than I thought it would be, much of it I think was caused by the low river level. Nevertheless it was a great trip and that the Water Strider is brilliant.

Kind regards,

B. Grice

 

Water Strider KICKBOAT FINS
"Thrust you can trust!"

Water Strider Raft Kickboat Fins are the best fins for the job! Dave designed the Water Strider Kickboat Fins to be light, strong, and to be used specifically for kickboating.  If you have ever used a belly boat or a float tube in the past you know that swim fins made for SCUBA diving or swimming are not very comfortable or effective for finning a belly boat or float tube. These fins are made specifically for a kickboat, belly boat or float tube and work great.  These are kickboat fins that provide thrust you can trust.

  • Quick put on and take off using our Speed Strap System
  • Cleated soles where you need it most: right under the ball of your foot for positive grip on slippery rocks.
  • Thrust blades that are the right size to give you the right amount of kick to power you to the next stretch of water without excessive fatigue!

Weigh 2.5 lbs with 15" X 9" Power Glide blades.

Item Name: Water Strider Kickboat Fins
Shipping weight: 3 lbs.
Price: $95.00

Item Name: Water Strider Non Cleated Kickboat Fins
Shipping weight: 3 lbs.
Price: $75.00

 
 

 


 

 

 
 
WATER STRIDER TRUCK-N-TRAILER

The all new Water Strider Truck-n-Trailer is a must for the Water Strider Kickboat raft. You can now carry your boat and gear easily to and from the lake or river. The trailer can be pulled by hand or we use a Dahon Folding Bicycle with a Traileron hitch. Both the Truck-n-Trailer and the bicycle can be folded up and carried on the back of the boat. You can now float and have your shuttle with you. This will SAVE you about $30.00 per day by not having to hire a shuttle.
You can also take your boat and all of your gear into the high country and fish and float rivers and lakes where there are motor restrictions or no roads. The Water Strider Truck-N-Trailer will fold up and fit in the trunk or back seat of your compact car and be there when you need it. You can also check it on the airlines and have it with you when you arrive to carry your gear. The Water Strider Truck-n-Trailer gives you Total ACCESS.

Specifications:

  • Trailer weight  - 25 pounds
  • Tires  - 20" bicycle type, semi-pneumatic
  • Quick release Pins - To remove wheels
  • Load Capacity - 200 pounds
  • Quick folding Size 26”X 20”X 7”
  • Equipment Strap - Mounted

Item Name:  Water Strider TRUCK-N-TRAILER
Shipping weight: 30 lbs.
Price: $295.00

 
Truck-N-Trailer with a Dahon Folding Bicycle.

Truck-N-Trailer folding into a compact package. Water Strider Kickboat Raft with the folded Truck-N-Trailer on board.

Water Strider Kickboat raft on the Truck-N-Trailer pulled by hand.
 

 
PATCH KIT

While it's unlikely you'll ever need to patch your Water Strider raft during normal use, every kickboat comes with a patch kit.

In case you need a replacement patch kit
they're available here.

Item Name: Patch Kit
Shipping weight: 1 lb.
Price: $22.95


303 PROTECTANT SPRAY

303 is THE LEADER in UV screening technology and 303 Protectant really is like "SPF 40 Sunscreen ... For Your Stuff." Regular use of 303 Aerospace Protectant can reduce UV caused slow-fade by up to 100%. No other protectant beautifies as intensely, protects as powerfully or lasts as long.

Item Name: 303 Protectant Spray - 16 oz.
Shipping weight: 2 lbs.
Price: $15.95

 
Item Name: 303 Protectant Spray - 2 oz.
Shipping weight: 1 lb.
Price: $8.95 
Free Shipping!

Note:  303 Protectant Spray makes the Water Strider raft material really slick.  Dave recommends NOT spraying your air ride seat or backrest.  We don't want you sliding out of your Water Strider!


 


 

 
303 WATER STRIDER BOAT CLEANER

Simply spray on and wipe off. Light rubbing might be necessary. The perfect system to clean your Water Strider before you use the 303 Protective Spray. A clean boat handles easier and floats faster.

A 303 colloid cleaner product is completely people-safe. With it, there are no effects from over exposure. There are no special storage requirements. 303 colloid cleaners are non-hazardous, non-flammable, non-toxic, non-explosive, non-fuming, non-caustic and 99% biodegradable.

303's colloid cleaners clean: Walls, wall coverings, tile, floors, sports equipment, doors, desks, counters, tables chairs, office equipment, railings, woodwork, bathroom walls, sinks, tubs, light fixtures, plastics, cars, trucks, boats, planes, degreases motors, bilge's, machinery, equipment, ovens, stovetops, hoods, filters, refrigerators, freezers, garage floors, fabrics, upholstery, carpets. It is a hand cleaner, it deodorizes and cleans pet stains from carpets and it is safe for anything water will not damage.

Item Name: 303 Boat Cleaner
Shipping weight: 2 lbs.
Price: $9.95


Directions for application & additional information on cleaning vinyl.
 
Tear-Aid® repair patches contain a high performance adhesive pre-applied to a rugged polyurethane backing that allows a tear to recover under pressure.  These revolutionary new patches have some of the most advanced adhesives produced.  TEAR-AID® repair patches have excellent durability against puncture, moisture, saltwater, sunlight and temperature.
  • Holds air under pressure even when stretched

  • See-thru patch works with all colors

  • Conforms to irregular surfaces

  • Won't turn gummy in high heat

  • UV resistance inhibits discoloring

  • Cuts easily to any size with scissors

  • Won't pull off when stretched

Great for raft repair, waders, tents, air mattresses, tarps, you name it!  Dave says" This is the best all around patch kit I have ever used."

Each TEAR-AID® Repair Patch Kit contains one 3 inch x 12 inch patch (cuts with scissors to any size), one 7/8 inch x 7/8 inch patch, one 1 3/8 inch x 1 3/8 inch patch, 36 inches reinforcement filament and two alcohol prep pads.

Type A is for repairs on most fabrics:  Canvas, Rubber & Neoprene, Most Plastics, Nylon, Fiberglass, Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polyurethane, Non-Oiled Leather, Sunbrella®.  Use Type A for raft repair.

Item Name: Tear-Air Type A Repair Kit
Shipping Weight 1 pound
Price: $9.95

Type B is for repairs on Vinyl and Vinyl-Coated
Materials only.

Item Name: Tear-Aid Type B Repair Kit
Shipping Weight 1 pound
Price: $9.95


 

Torn Canvas

Peel and Stick

Repair is Complete

 

 

See the complete instructions here in Adobe Acrobat PDF.

 

 
Kirch's Kwik Patch Emergency Watercraft Repair Kit

Benefits:
Clear
Varied of thickness available
Ultra Violet resistant
Abrasive resistive
Flexible
No cure time
No messy liquid adhesive to dry up
Minimum surface prep
No shelf life
Excellent adhesive strength

Repairable Materials:
Urethane
Polyvinyl
Kevlar
Polyurethane
Polyethylene
Nylon
Hypalon
Fiberglass
Mylar

Kirch's Kwik Patch Emergency Repair Kit includes:

  • 10"X3” patch material.
  • 2 alcohol cleaning pads
  • 1 plastic tool.
  • 1 Instruction sheet
  • Waterproof container for storage

Item Name: Kirch's Kwik Patch Repair Kit
Shipping Weight: 1 pound
Price: $8.95

Click here for Instructions for
Patch-N-Go Repairs.

 

 


The Quickest fix ever!
Emergency Watercraft Repair

Why is Dave smiling like that? Click and find out.
DINK'S TIPS:
When you're just floating for the day and you have a serious rapid approaching just pull over to the bank and take the rear dry bag off and put some rocks, gravel or sand in it. Then tie it onto the bow of the kickboat right above the foot strap. This will give you added safety going through class 3 or 4 rapids. The weight can be quickly dumped out at the tail-out of the rapid in a New York minute and away you go again. Have fun! Dave
 

 

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Dealers, Lodges, Guides contact Dave for Water Strider's Wholesalers Program.

 
dave@waterstrider.com

or call 406 375-0251

 


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Water Strider | 263 Three Pond Drive | Hamilton, Montana 59840
phone and fax 406.375.0251 | contact Water Strider

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