Water Master Kodiak Inflatable Raft [Expedition Package]

There are a number of reasons that we do not use a rockered design. We do not use a rocker because we want you to have the most ease and control possible when rowing and finning.

1) A rocker removes the available buoyancy by bringing the tubes on the ends of the raft up and out of the water. This results in more water displacement and a much deeper draft. For example on a nine foot raft with a rocker you will get around five feet of contact on either side while on a nine foot Water Master Kodiak you get almost twenty feet of contact total.

2) The rocker also reduces the amount of control you have because of its lack of contact with the water.  Our design allows the raft to make contact with the water in the center of the raft instead of two contact points on either side.  This means Water Masters track extremely well in current.  Rocker-style rafts are known for spinning like a top and getting pushed around in wind and currents.

3) A Water Master rows level or flat on the water making for a more efficient stroke and better tracking.  A rocker reduces the efficiency of rowing by rocking back and forth as you row.

4) You can load down a Water Master on either end of the raft without the front or back changing position on the water.  This is due to the massive buoyancy on both ends. Rockered rafts can rock back and forth on the water with too much weight on either end making them hard to control.

A Water Master can be patched in minutes and you don’t have to take anything apart.  This makes it very easy to repair in the field or at home.  Inflatables built with unsupported bladders inside a thin shell are not nearly as durable plus require a lot more maintenance over time. Bladdered fishing rafts are constructed with a much lighter weight PVC, Urethane, or Cordura shell that is considerably more susceptible to puncture, abrasion, and wear. Once the outside wall is compromised all that is left is an unsupported urethane bladder that has absolutely no puncture resistance and tears easily. If damaged you must remove the bladder to repair it making it very difficult to do in the field. Also these style boats use a lot of zippers that tend to fail over time.  Down the road if you need a new bladder you have to consider whether or not the company still sells that part as their designs change often.  Bladdered options are usually cheaper but you get what you pay for.  Water Master’s are known to last over 25 years if cared for properly.

We use the best materials and construction techniques in the industry, despite the cost, to offer the highest quality raft on the market. Our PVC differs from all of the bladderless competition in a couple ways. We use a PVC coated polyester fabric as opposed to a nylon making it much more puncture resistant. Polyester is not only more puncture resistant but also has a very high tear strength.  A small hole stays small unlike nylon ,or even other fabrics like urethane,  that can tear way  more easily.  A small hole is much easier to fix.  Polyester also stretches much less allowing you to get the raft much tighter with very little air pressure (2.5 PSI).  Nylon has a lot of elasticity so as you put more air in it still feels soft.   Another advantage of our fabric is that we inject a UV blocker into the PVC before the polyester is dipped into it, preventing fading, cracking, and drying out over time. As far as the actual construction goes, we pride ourselves on “overdoing it” on the seams. All of our seams are thermal welded at a 1000 degrees and then double taped afterwards.. Others choose to butt two pieces of material together and tape it  (butt seam technique) to hold them together.   If the glue fails your seam fails.  Heat welded seams are way more reliable in heat and over time.  These differences allow us to back your Water Masters seams and materials for life!

Besides the extra buoyancy achieved by having both ends touch the water, there are other advantages to take into consideration. A closed bow also allows the Water Master to track better by having one tracking line as opposed to two, much like a drift boat. Two pontoons or an open ended U shaped craft  allow each side of contact to fight each other in current and make it difficult to track in a straight line. A closed bow and stern also protects your feet from obstacles in the water while floating and finning. Even when you strike an object the Water Master will bounce off and go one way or the other. An open bow or stern means you can either hit an object with your legs or catch the end of the tube on an obstacle, spinning it and potentially flipping it in the current.

In a Water Master the rigid seat acts as the frame of the raft giving it rigidity and keeping the tubes from flexing in bigger water.  It provides a stable and supportive seat platform. You are able to sit up straight and it prevents you from slouching.   We offer a variety of seating and padding options for the Water Master to obtain the comfort and back support you desire. Inflatable seats don’t give you any support and can be very uncomfortable over longer periods of time. It’s common to feel as if you are always slouching and sliding off the front of the inflatable seat. Lastly, the rigid seat is maintenance free. Inflatable seats can leak or get damaged over time.