Feet-propelled water vehicle

A feet-propelled water vehicle for allowing an intended user having a pair of feet to travel across the surface of a body of water, each of said feet being able to transmit a user force emanating from said user, said vehicle comprising:

• a buoyant body, said body defining a body first end and a generally opposed body second end;
• a first propelling paddle and a second propelling paddle, said first and second propelling paddles being both operatively coupled to said buoyant body for pivotal movement relative thereto;
• said first and second propelling paddles each defining a corresponding effectuating section and a corresponding blade section, each of said effectuating sections allowing the transformation of said user force into a corresponding paddle movement relative to said buoyant body, each of said blade sections allowing the transformation of a corresponding paddle movement into a vehicle propelling force for propelling said vehicle across said body of water;
• each of said first and second propelling paddles being operatively coupled to said buoyant body so as to be able to pivot in a first paddle direction generally towards said buoyant body and in a second paddle direction generally away from said buoyant body;
• said vehicle further comprising an alternating means for ensuring that said first and second propelling paddles pivot alternatively relative to each other in opposite paddle directions, said alternating means further ensuring that at least a portion of the user force exerted on one of said first or second propelling paddles for pivoting the latter in a given paddle direction is transmitted to the other propelling paddle for pivoting the latter in the other paddle direction;
• said buoyant body including a generally rigid peripheral frame and a generally flexible user-supporting platform attached to said peripheral frame, said user-supporting platform being able to deform under the action of said user force so as to transmit said user force to said first and second propelling paddles;
• said peripheral frame including tubular members assembled together, and said supporting platform including a sheet of flexible material attached to said tubular members, said vehicle further including at least one pontoon attached to said peripheral frame;
• said vehicle further including a steering structure attached to said buoyant body, said steering structure including a rudder and a steering handle attached to said rudder.

A feet-propelled water vehicle for allowing an intended user having a pair of feet to travel across the surface of a body of water, each of said feet being able to transmit a user force emanating from said user, said vehicle composing:

• a buoyant body, said body defining a body first end and a generally opposed body second end;
• a first propelling paddle and a second propelling paddle, each of said first and second propelling paddles being operatively coupled to said buoyant body so as to be able to pivot in a first paddle direction generally towards said buoyant body and in a second paddle direction generally away from said buoyant body;
• said first and second propelling paddles each defining a corresponding effectuating section and a corresponding blade section, each of said effectuating sections allowing the transformation of said user force into a corresponding pivotal paddle movement relative to said buoyant body, each of said blade sections allowing the transformation of a corresponding pivotal paddle movement into a vehicle propelling force for propelling said vehicle across said body of water;
• said buoyant body including a user-supporting platform for supporting at least a portion of the weight of said intended user, said user-supporting platform being distinct from said first and second propelling paddles, said user-supporting platform being located in a substantially overlying relationship relative to at least a portion of said effectuating sections, said user-supporting platform defining a force transmitting section, said force transmitting section being able to deform under the action of said user force so as to transmit said user force to said effectuating sections allowing the transformation of said user force into a corresponding pivotal paddle movement relative to said buoyant body.

A feet-propelled water vehicle for allowing an intended user having a pair of feet to travel across the surface of a body of water, said intended user having a user weight, each of said feet being able to transmit a user force emanating from said user, said vehicle comprising:

• a buoyant body, said buoyant body including a pair of lateral pontoons, said pontoons defining a spacing therebetween, said pontoons being calibrated for being able to float on top of said body of water while supporting said user weight;
• a first propelling paddle and a second propelling paddle, each of said first and second propelling paddles being operatively coupled to said buoyant body so as to be able to pivot in a first paddle direction generally towards said buoyant body and in a second paddle direction generally away from said buoyant body;
• said first and second propelling paddles each defining a corresponding effectuating section and a corresponding blade section, each of said effectuating sections allowing the transformation of said user force into a corresponding pivotal paddle movement relative to said buoyant body, each of said blade sections allowing the transformation of a corresponding pivotal paddle movement into a vehicle propelling force for propelling said vehicle across said body of water, said effectuating sections being configured and sized so as to allow transmission of said user force and also configured and sized so as to reduce the drag force created thereby during pivotal movement in first and second paddle directions;
• a user-supporting platform attached to said pontoons so as to be located in a substantially overlying relationship relative to at least a portion of said effectuating sections, said user supporting platform being used for supporting said intended user and transmitting said user weight to said pontoons, said user-supporting platform defining a force transmitting section said force transmitting section being able to transmit said user force to said effectuating sections.