Water Strider Raft Design Details
Dave has kickboated this raft up another notch compared to any other raft! Ole Dave Inks has thought of everything. |
The Water Strider raft air valve system is a standardized commercial raft quality Hockley Roberts valve that will stand up to years of dependable use.  |  |
| Raft Air Ride Seat - Comfortable, self bailing and adds significant floatation to the raft for load carrying capacity and safety. |  |
View of the underside of the Water Strider Air Seat |
| Raft Equipment Straps - Heavy duty equipment straps are designed to keep your gear in your boat and out of your way for fast water maneuvering. Included with new boat purchase! SYSTEM (Sis' tem)
.....................any rational, methodical arrangement or assemblage of parts serving a common purpose. (Such as Fly Fishing while floating a river!) A photo of the Water Strider raft should be along side the definition in the dictionary. Its the PERFECT SYSTEM! There is just no better way to spend a day on the river! Bill Stutz
Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer
Eagle Rock, California |
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See the Water Strider raft in action on DVD, see a preview here >> |
| RAFT Oar Locks - Our raft oar locks help prevent oar loss and are standard on all Water Strider raft kickboats. Stainless steel shafts and pivot pins, the hinge tilts to an away from the center of the raft for out of the way oar stowage while fishing. The oar nuts have strong retaining lanyards. |  |
| Water Strider raft D-rings are made of stainless steel and can be used in saltwater without fear of rust or corrosion. There are a total of 12 D-rings on a Water Strider, each designed for a specific use. The large D-rings (one on the bow and one on the stern) are used to attach a rope to so you can tie up on shore or pull your Water Strider raft through shallow water where you would otherwise drag bottom when sitting on the seat. There are three D-Rings on the bow of the raft used for lashing the optional extra dry bag or other gear down. Two smaller D-Rings on the inside just in front of the foot strap D-Rings and the larger one is the bow D-Ring. You have a total of four D-Rings at the handles - two at each handle, one in front of the handle and one at the back. The front D-ring is used to thread the strap for the back rest onto each side of the raft. | 
Stern of Water Strider Kickboat showing D-Ring placement. |
| The stern of the Water Strider raft has three D-Rings plus the two on the rear of the handles. These can be used in several ways. The large one on the rear is used to attach a rope to and is also used to mount the optional raft motor mount. The two smaller ones on the top of the stern are used to attach the dry bag or other gear or to install the rods that hold the motor mount on the stern. There are two plastic clips on the dry bag above the back pack strap that allow you to clip he bag to the top rear D-rings. When I am floating on wilderness rivers I always make a rope tie over the rear dry bag in a secure, crossed pattern and use the D-Rings on the rear of each handle and the two on the top rear area. This will secure your dry bag when floating through rapids. It is always a good idea to attach everything to something when you are floating. Not everything will float if it falls overboard. |
| The Water Strider raft kickboat has two heavy duty handles that are strategically placed for optimal balance when lifting the raft when you want to move it by hand. There is one on each side of the kickboat. |  |
| Stripping Apron You should always use our stripping apron like a stripping basket when you're floating and fly fishing in your raft. Our stripping apron stripping basket has one major advantage over other systems - the front and rear edges of the apron have a two inch high lip sewn in so the edges of the apron stand up vertically, preventing fly line from slipping off into the water around your legs. It acts as a stripping basket for your fly line. Now the stripping apron has a 36" measure on it so you can tell exactly how long your fish is. No more "fish tales" you can snap a photo of the fish along side the measure. Clearly a vast improvement over other products and sure to make your float fishing a lot more fun. Even if you don't fly fish, it's handy for spreading out a big lunch if you're too lazy to get off the water. Included with new raft purchase! Item Name: Stripping Apron
Shipping weight: 1 lb.
Price: $30.00
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Water Strider Foot Strap is designed to put your feet up on when rowing or in shallow water. Make sure you only put your feet against the strap and not on top of the strap. This allows you to slip your feet quickly down when needed. The foot strap is also designed to set on and is very comfortable. When approaching a pod of rising fish it will allow you to get very close. You can also row and use your fins in this position.. Included with new boat purchase!
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Inflatable Back Rest
Water Strider Back Rest is a very comfortable support when rowing and fishing. It is adjustable to fit any leg length. It is also removable quickly by unclipping the carabeiner from the d-rings. You can then lay down in the Water Strider and just put your feet up on the foot strap and relax. You may also use the back rest for a pillow in camp and a nice cushioned back rest against a tree or to set on when the ground is wet.Water Strider raft fully adjustable backrest is designed for maximum comfort while floating. It is adjustable for rafters of all heights. |  |
Folding Your Water Strider Raft
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- Remove the oars and open all the air valves including the backrest. Remove the boat strap from the handle and place near your folding area. Fold the Water Strider in half even with the front edge of the seat.
- Fold in half again by folding the rounded ends back over to meet the edge of the seat.
- Press to remove more air and then start to roll the Water Strider up in tight rolls starting with the left edge. Make sure your first roll is as tight as possible.
- Place the Water Strider boat strap beside you.
- When you have it rolled up tight and small just put the strap around it to keep it tight and from unrolling.
- It should then be very small and drop into the storage bag very easily.
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| "Fishing with the Water Strider raft has opened up a whole new range of fishing opportunities as well as tactics. I can now reach places I could never hike to and position myself for the absolutely most productive presentations. My son and I each have one, and it is a great way for us to fish together. We've used it to float and camp along rivers. I feel very safe and comfortable in it and highly recommend it to all fisherman. I can't see ever using a float tube again!" - Mark K.
California |
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Incept Marine Limited testing and packing up new Water Striders. |
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