How we started
"It must have been 2010 on a trip out on Banks Peninsula with a good friend of mine, Stu, from Christchurch. We had checked the forecast and decided on heading to the southern bays as the wind had been blowing from the North, so it seemed the obvious choice.
We were greeted with flat conditions so wetsuits on, we swam from the shore, heading down the long narrow bay that is Te Oka. Anyone that has been to Te Oka will know that it is indeed very long and takes a good 200m to get out of the muddy bottomed still waters before you start to hit the fishy country. We managed to nail a couple of good butters and decided to look for some crays. We were rewarded with finding some of the biggest crays we'd ever seen and I was stoked to have remembered to attach some cray nooses to my torpedo float so it was just a matter of looping them on by their tails for the swim back.
It soon became apparent to me after the first hundred meters of battling the outgoing tide, dragging the less than streamlined sea anchor of over-sized crays, that there had to be an easier way of dragging your catch around. This trip was enough for me to decide to do something about it.
After scribbling some ideas down on paper and making life-sized cardboard models I got down to making the mold at work and having my trade cert in machining and tool-making this was still no easy feat. I would have easily clocked up 100 hours on the first mold only to find the initial float a little too small so with mods to the mold I finally came up with the current design which suits perfectly. Not too big to take up excess space in the boat but big enough to fit most South Island species inside.
The benefits soon became apparent after the first dive, pulling it through the water loaded with Butterfish and Moki was a breeze and it was great to be able to grab some paua and crays whilst targeting fish too - something that is difficult with a standard float set up. Seals no longer frequented my ongoing dives and I put this down to the obvious lack of blood in the water. My friends soon wanted one and it wasn't long before the word got out and I was selling them around the country and later Australia.
So that's the story behind the creation and it's great to see other people enjoy the benefits of gathering seafood using a float boat or 'Plat' as they are known in some circles."
Why choose the Harrison Float Boat?
We have been designing and testing the Harrison Float Boat for over 8 years. We are currently selling our third design after tweaking the original float.
The float has lots of features that we believe make it ideal for recreational spearfishing. Some of theses features include being completely watertight. Not only does this mean that the float will not sink (even when loaded with fish), but it means that none of your fish-blood etc will be trailing around behind you attracting large bitey species.
The float is "rescue orange" and comes with a dive flag. This makes you more visible in the water to boaties and your dive buddies can always see where you are by scanning the surface.
Dimensions of the float are 820 x 380 x 220. Yes, it is a smaller float than some of our competitors, but this makes the float easier to transport and carry.
The float is completely designed and manufactured in New Zealand. Each and every float is quality checked before leaving our factory.
Do you have retailers where I can see the float before I buy it?
Yes. You can see the float in the flesh at:
Auckland - Ocean Hunter 100 Gaunt Street, Westhaven, Auckland 09-3770896
Wellington - Dive Kapiti 27 Milne Drive,
Paraparaumu 04-297 0075
Blenheim - Blenheim Dive Centre 9 Scott St,
Blenheim 03-578 0331
RETAILERS: If you would like to retail the Harrison Float Boat, please use our contact page to get in touch.
Shipping Costs
Free nationwide (NZ) shipping when you purchase a Harrison Float Boat.
$7.50 flat rate shipping for accessories.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes. Australia wide, shipping rate of $180.
We can ship elsewhere - please enquire if you would like shipping to your country (outside of Australia or NZ).
Ed Harrison - Designer/Engineer/Spearfisherman
We are a family run business. We try our best to use local businesses to help us out when needed. Ed does all the design, oversees the manufacturing and completes sea trials with fellow spearo's, mostly in the Marlborough Sounds, but also along the east coast of the upper South Island, and Nelson.
Kate does all the administration and accounts, at the same time as raising two young boys, and maintaining her career as a Physiotherapist.
Kate Harrison - Ed's PA
Returns & Refunds
We stand by our float 100%. If you are not completely happy with your purchase, we are happy to refund your purchase price when you return the float within 30 days. The float must be in original packaging and in an unused and resaleable condition. Freight costs are non-refundable. Please get in touch prior to returning, either by email or phone - see our contact page.
Privacy Policy/Security
No information entered in to this site is sold, rented or distributed to anyone.
All of our credit card transactions are processed by PayPal in a secure payment gateway. Harrison Float Boats don’t receive or hold your credit card details, your details are handled by PayPal, and are only used when being transmitted to the appropriate credit card agency for processing.