Water-borne craft

Abstract

The present invention provides a water-borne craft comprising a flotation board for personal use (e.g. one or two man use) wherein the board has towards its leading edge/nose a portal formed in the board through which a user lying prone on the board may view underwater, the board being further provided with paddle means for propulsion of the board by a user while lying face down/prone on the board.

1 . A water-borne craft comprising a flotation board for personal use wherein the board has towards its leading edge/nose a portal formed in the board through which a user lying prone on the board may view underwater, the board being further provided with paddle means for propulsion of the board by a user while lying face down/prone on the board.  
   
   
       2 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the paddle means are hand-operated.  
   
   
       3 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the paddle means comprise one or more paddles and the or each paddle is mounted to the board via a respective shaft extending substantially longitudinally of the board and whereby the paddle may slide along the shaft forwardly or rearwardly of the board.  
   
   
       4 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the or each paddle is arranged to pivotally collapse toward the underside of the board as the paddle is moved forwardly in the water.  
   
   
       5 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the or each paddle is formed with a scoop-like shape, having at least side walls projecting from opposing side edges of a main planar portion of the paddle.  
   
   
       6 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the or each paddle has a handle extension extending toward the user from the plane of the board upwardly from the sliding mount that mounts the paddle to the shaft.  
   
   
       7 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the board is further provided with a foot rest means at its rear end/tail whereby a user may lie on the board with their feet against the foot rest to stabilise themselves when using the hand-operated propulsion means.  
   
   
       8 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the foot rest is adjustably mounted to the board whereby it may be adjusted to suit different heights of user of the board.  
   
   
       9 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hand-operated propulsion means has two independently operable paddle means, one toward its left-hand side and one towards its right-hand side.  
   
   
       10 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the board is provided with one or more cushioning pad means on its upper surface on which the user may lie for the user's comfort and to raise the user slightly from the level of the board to better operate the paddle means and suitably also facilitating viewing through the viewing port.  
   
   
       11 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the board has substantially no fin on its underside/hull.  
   
   
       12 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the board is assembled of two or more major longitudinal sections that are coupled together in use.  
   
   
       13 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the releasable coupling of the longitudinal sections of the board comprises a pin-in-slot coupling.  
   
   
       14 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, the board is adapted to be coupled to one or more lateral board sections or boards.  
   
   
       15 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the coupling together of two or more major longitudinal sections of the board comprises a hinge.  
   
   
       16 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the hinge is formed in protrusions from the underside of the board and where a fore end of an aft section overlaps an aft end of a fore section of the board.  
   
   
       17 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the fore end of the aft section and aft end of the fore section are releasably bolted together in use.  
   
   
       18 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the hand operated paddle means or propulsion means comprises at least one hand operated rotary propeller.  
   
   
       19 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the paddle means comprise at least one rotary propeller.  
   
   
       20 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the at least one rotary propeller comprises at least one vane spanning an annulus whereby the propeller may serve also as a wheel by means of which the board may be wheeled over the ground.  
   
   
       21 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the viewing port in the board has upper and lower transparent viewing panels wherein the upper viewing panel is mounted via a hinge mounting whereby it may be tilted open by a user of the board.  
   
   
       22 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the viewing port or a viewing panel of the viewing port is demountable for replacement or maintenance.  
   
   
       23 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the board has drainage flutes/channels around the viewing port at an upper end of a turret of the viewing port and which drainage flutes/channels are inclined to drain water away from the viewing port.  
   
   
       24 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the board is provided with a plurality of alternative footrest positions comprising multiple prominences located proximate the aft of the board.  
   
   
       25 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the footrest prominences are formed in one or more wells/recesses in the board.  
   
   
       26 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein drainage channels are formed in the wells to drain water entering the wells to drainage holes that pass through the board for discharge of water.  
   
   
       27 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the propeller is mounted on a shaft of a crank handle and is demountable from the shaft of the crank handle.  
   
   
       28 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the propeller is mounted to the shaft of the crank handle by a snap-fit arrangement having resilient retention means whereby manipulating the resilient retention means may release the propeller from the shaft of the crank handle.  
   
   
       29 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the board has sockets or other engagement means thereon that co-operatively engage in use with legs of a canopy.  
   
   
       30 . A water-borne craft as claimed in  claim 29 , further in combination with a canopy.