Portable flotation platform for shallow bodies of water

Abstract

A portable flotation platform is disclosed for use in supporting a load of equipment, hunting dogs, or personnel above the level of a body of water. The platform includes a deck constructed to be of an overall density less than that of water and sized so as to support the load above the level of the water. An anchor device extends down to the bottom of the water and up to the deck to hold the deck on station in the water. The deck and anchor device are sized and shaped to nest together, so that platform has a carrying mode in which the deck and anchor device are held together to facilitate a user carrying the platform to and from a point of deployment at a body of water, and a deployment mode in which the deck and anchor device are spaced apart from each other to enable the deck to be positioned at the surface of the body of water and the anchor device positioned at the bottom of the body of water.

Description

RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/615,269, filed Jul. 8, 2003, which is a continuation in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/191,245, filed Jul. 9, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,554.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to portable flotation platforms, and more particularly to platforms adapted to be deployed in shallow bodies of water for supporting relatively light loads, such as equipment, hunting dogs and personnel, above the level of the body of water.

[0003] Duck hunters hunting in wetland areas having shallow bodies of water typically rely on dogs to retrieve the fowl that they down. When the hunter is in a boat, the dogs can stand-by in the boat with the hunter, but this is often not desirable and a better place for the dogs at the hunt is needed. When the bodies of water are shallow enough to allow the hunter to stand but not for the dogs to do so, the dogs must stand-by on firm ground, which is not always available nearby, or the dogs must keep themselves afloat in the water which is exhausting and perhaps even dangerous to the dogs. Again a better place for the dogs to stand-by is needed.

[0004] Similarly, fishermen, environmentalists and park personnel frequenting wetlands with shallow bodies of water need to support their respective equipment above the level of the water. In some areas, the use of a boat, even a small boat or canoe, is not practical because of the shallow depth of the water or because excessive portage of the boat would be required. In a manner similar to hunters seeking a better place for their dogs on trips to the wetlands, these users of the wetlands seek a better place for their equipment.

[0005] Further, people working in wetlands, such as directional drillers when drilling generally horizontal wells or bores for pipelines or other utilities, need a temporary platform above the water to facilitate their work. The platform for these workers as well as for hunters and fishermen need to be large enough to support their personal weight, but light weight, easy to deploy and inexpensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Among the features of the invention is the provision of a portable flotation platform which may be carried by the user to and from the wetlands point of deployment, either directly by being carried by the user to the point or indirectly by being carried by the user to a boat for transport the remaining distance to the point of deployment. Another feature is the provision of a platform for the support of a load of equipment or hunting dogs above the water level in a generally stationary position.

[0007] More particularly, a portable flotation platform is disclosed for supporting a load, such as a load of equipment or hunting dogs, above the level of a body of water. The platform includes a deck constructed to be of an overall density less than that of water and presenting a rigid upper member for carrying the load above the water level. An anchor is provided as part of the platform which when deployed engages the bottom of the body of water to hold against movement across the bottom and extends up toward the surface of the water. The deck has at least one connector for detachably securing the deck to the anchor to prevent horizontal movement of the deck. A carrying attachment is provided on the deck for enabling a user to carry the platform to and from a point of deployment at the body of water, preferably in a manner similar to a back pack.

[0008] Among other features of the invention are an anti-skid upper surface to prevent movement of the load across the deck, an interior storage chamber in the deck for housing the anchor when not in use, an adjustable length anchor to accommodate bodies of water of differing depths and a stop detachably secured on the anchor to limit upward movement of the deck, such as might otherwise occur with wave action on the body of water.

[0009] Further features of this deck include light weight to facilitate the user carrying this deck to a point of deployment, via backpack type straps, a handle or wheels at one end of the deck for larger, personal sized embodiments of the invention. The deck further features anchor storage for carrying the anchor along with the deck either in an interior storage chamber in the deck, or at the exterior of the deck. A back-pack type bag may be provided to facilitate carrying the deck. A boat attachment device secures the deck against horizontal movement relative to a boat, while allowing vertical movement of the deck.

[0010] Other features of the platform include the anchor device being of a rigid frame construction, with extendable legs to provided greater stability when deployed in the water.

[0011] Other features of the platform include shaping the deck and an anchor frame of the anchor device so as to enable the deck to nest within the frame for a self-contained and more compact platform size for enabling a user to carry the platform to and from a point of deployment.

[0012] Other features and advantages will be in part described and in part apparent from the following figures and descriptions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the platform of this invention as deployed in a body of water, but with certain components removed from this view for greater clarity of the relationship of the deck and anchor to the body of water;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the deck with certain components removed from this view for greater clarity of the interior construction details of the deck;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom of the deck with carrying straps attached;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the top or upper member of the deck with a decoy bag attached;

[0017] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an anchor pole showing two pole segments and a connector to be telescoped between the segments;

[0018] FIG. 6 is a side view of a spring clip forming part of the anchor pole connector for detachably securing the pole segments together;

[0019] FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section of a stop to be positioned on an anchor pole;

[0020] FIG. 8A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the deck showing handles at an end and a side of the deck, as well as wheels at the other end of the deck;

[0021] FIG. 8B is a perspective view of one corner of an alternative embodiment of the deck showing a handle integrally formed as a recess in the deck;

[0022] FIG. 8 C is a perspective view of the deck showing a handle in the form of a strap;

[0023] FIG. 9A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the deck showing anchor storage at the bottom of the deck;

[0024] FIG. 9B is a section view of the deck along line B-B of FIG. 9A showing anchor poles in the anchor storage recesses;

[0025] FIG. 9C is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of the deck showing anchor storage at the side of the deck;

[0026] FIG. 9D is a perspective view of resilient clips at the side of the deck for anchor storage;

[0027] FIG. 10 is an elevation view of the deck connected by a boat attachment device to the side of a boat;

[0028] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a backpack type bag for holding and carrying the deck; and

[0029] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a user carrying the deck by backpack straps on the deck.

[0030] FIG. 13 is a top view of a further embodiment of the platform in its deployment mode, with the legs of the anchor device pivoted outwardly.

[0031] FIG. 14 is a side view of the platform of FIG. 13 in its deployment mode with the floatable deck near the upper surface of the body of water, and the anchor device on the bottom of the body of water.

[0032] FIG. 15 is top view of the platform of FIG. 13 in its carrying mode, with the deck nested within the anchor frame, and with the anchor legs pivoted upwardly.

[0033] FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the platform of FIG. 13 in its carrying mode, with the anchor arm poles housed in the anchor frame.

[0034] Corresponding elements and reference numbers are the same among the various figures of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0035] Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings there is generally indicated at 1 a preferred embodiment of this invention for supporting a load of equipment, hunting dogs or personnel (not shown) above the level of a shallow body of water 3. Hunting dogs often accompany hunters on a hunting trip to wetlands or lakes having one or more shallow bodies of water. When the water is so shallow that a hunter can stand on the bottom, the water may still be too deep to enable the dogs to do so. The platform 1, when deployed as shown in FIG. 1, provides a suitable structure for supporting the dogs slightly above the water level. As described hereinafter, the platform may be installed in relatively deep bodies of water (i.e., too deep for a hunter to stand and thus requiring a boat for the hunters) and yet provide a suitable structure to support the hunting dogs, or to be installed relative to a boat.

[0036] The equipment positioned on the platform may include not only hunting and fishing equipment, but also other wetlands related equipment, such as water quality monitoring equipment for environmentalists and state agencies. Indeed, as described hereinafter, the platform is sized so and so constructed that it may support any number of different types of live or dead loads, up to weights of approximately between 70 to 100 pounds for smaller size decks and 180 pounds or more for larger size decks for supporting a hunter, fisherman or other personnel. Further, as also described in detail herein, the platform may be carried by users to and from a point of deployment at the body of water directly by the user or indirectly by the user to a boat, and be readily deployed on site. For smaller size decks, the user may carry the deck via a handle to a boat or via backpack straps directly to the point of deployment at the body of water. For larger size decks, the platform may be carried by the user via wheels and handles on the deck.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the platform comprises a deck 5 constructed to be of an overall density less that that of water so as to float on the water, and an anchor of suitable design, such as indicated generally at 7, engagable with the bottom 9 of the body of water and the deck for holding the deck on station in the water against horizontal movement. The preferred anchor is shown as comprising poles 11 extending down into the bottom 9 of the body of water and up above the surface of water 5. Four poles are shown as being provided, one at each corner of the deck, but a greater or lesser number of poles may be provided and be positioned at other points at the interior or the exterior of the deck, while remaining within the scope of this invention. Stops 13 may be detachably secured to the poles 11 at desired locations on the poles to prevent upward movement of the deck 5 beyond the stops. Thus, the deck may be held down by the stops some distance below the level that the deck would otherwise occupy in the water 3 to bias the deck up against the stops, and thus hold the deck stable against vertical movement when waves on the surface of the water hit the platform or as loads are placed on or removed from the deck.

[0038] As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the deck 5 is of generally box-like construction having a bottom 15, an upper member 17, as well as opposed ends 19 and sides 21 extending between the bottom and upper member. These members are formed of pieces of suitable thermoplastic sheets and are secured together along their edges by suitable primary or secondary bonding. The deck may be made by other suitable fabrication or molding processes, such as a so-called roto-casting process in which plastic beads are positioned within a mold in the shape of the deck, with the mold then heated, rotated and cooled to form a single, unitary molded product in the final shape of the deck. In its interior, the deck has at least one buoyancy chamber 23 (and as shown in FIG. 2, two such buoyancy chambers) filled with a suitable plastic foam material, such as Styrofoam, to reduce the effective density of the deck. The deck may also have an interior storage chamber 25 for housing the anchor poles 11 when not in use to facilitate transporting the poles with the deck. The chamber 25 extends the length of the deck and is sized to receive all of the poles. An opening 27 in the end of the deck at the chamber provides access to the chamber for positioning the poles in and withdrawing the poles from the chamber. A cap 29 with a hinge or other suitable tether to the end 19 of the deck and a latch selectively closes the opening to hold the poles in place in the chamber during transit as well as to keep water out while the deck is in use. As described more fully hereinafter, the deck may also be formed without the incorporation of an interior anchor storage chamber, but rather with an anchor storage at the exterior of the deck. Further, the deck may be formed using a void in lieu of plastic foam at its interior as part of the buoyancy chambers, and to use the entire interior cavity of the deck as a single large buoyancy chamber.

[0039] Suitable anchor connectors 31 to the anchor poles 11 are provided on the deck, such as short lengths of plastic tubing secured at each of the four corners of the deck. The openings or apertures of the connectors 31 are sized to receive the anchor poles 111 in sliding engagement to enable the anchor to hold the deck on station against horizontal movement while enabling vertical movement of the deck up and down on the anchor poles with changes in water level or deck loading. Attached at the exterior of the deck are a series of generally U-shaped brackets 33 for attachment of back-pack type carrying straps 35, and a decoy bag 37 as more fully described below.

[0040] Overall the smaller size deck is preferably approximately 36" long, 20" wide, and 4' thick and weights approximately 18 pounds, including the anchor poles. So constructed, the deck may be carried, preferably like a back-pack, to the site of use. The deck may also be carried like a suitcase via handles (such as handles 59, 65 or 67 described below) to a boat for deployment. Once the platform 1 is deployed, the deck 5 provides sufficient size to able equipment or a dog to remain stable on the upper surface, and sufficient buoyancy to support this load. Alternatively, as described more fully hereinafter, the deck may be of a larger size up to 6" (or thicker) and approximately 48" long (or longer) and approximately 30" wide (or wider) so as to provide enough buoyancy as to support the weight of a person. So constructed, the deck may weigh 40 pounds or more. This would make carrying the deck on the user's back more difficult. As shown in FIG. 8A one or more wheels and/or handles may be provided to facilitate the user carrying the deck to the point of deployment or t a boat for deployment at the water, either directly or indirectly by the user carrying the deck to a boat.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows the bottom 15 of the deck, with a carrying attachment in the form of two carrying straps 35 at opposite sides of the bottom. Each strap is secured at its lower end to a bracket 33 at the side 21 of the deck and at its upper end to a bracket 33 at a generally central region of the bottom of the deck. A fastener on the carrying strap enables adjustment of the effective length of the strap between its upper and lower ends to fit the size of the user. The straps may also include clasps (not shown) detachably securing the straps to the deck for enabling easy removal of the straps from the deck, such as when the platform is deployed.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows the upper member 17 of the deck, with a decoy bag 37 detachably secured over the upper surface. The decoy bag is preferably of mesh construction and is attached by a series of straps to brackets 33 at the sides and an end of the deck. Clasps 39 are provided on each strap to enable removal of the decoy bag when the deck is deployed, thereby exposing the surface of the upper member. This surface is preferably of a suitable anti-skid construction, such as outdoor carpeting 41 bonded to the upper member, to prevent the unintended movement of the load (such as that of a dog or equipment) across the deck.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, the anchor 7 preferably comprises a pole of extensible length, which in turn comprises one or more pole segments 43 detachably secured together. More particularly, the pole segments are formed of a suitable tubing such as aluminum tubing slightly shorter than the length of the deck 5. The pole segments are detachably secured together by a connector 45, such as a short length of tubing, telescoped within one end of the pole segment. The tubing connector 45 is positioned wholly within the pole segment 43 when not in use to connect pole segments to facilitate positioning the pole segments in the deck anchor storage chamber 25. Alternative forms of anchor storage are shown in FIGS. 9A-9D for storing the anchor at the exterior of the deck when the anchor is not in use.

[0044] To connect the pole segments, the tubing connector is moved to a position extending approximately one half of its length beyond the end of the tubing segment. A suitable fastener is provided at each end of the tubing connector, such as the spring clip 47 shown in FIG. 6 received in the connector. Each spring clip has a pair of arms biased outwardly to a position wider than the tubing connector and has a lateral projection 49 at the end of each arm. The tubing and the pole segments have holes 51 extending there through that register when the pole segments are connected end-to-end over the tubing connector 45. In this position, the projections 49 on the spring clip are moved out under the spring bias through the corresponding holes 51 to secure the pole segments together. Preferably, the pole segments are of non-circular section, such as octagonal as shown in FIG. 5, to facilitate bringing the holes and spring clips into register. Disassembly of the pole segments can be effected by manually depressing the projections 49 on the spring clips, such as by finger pressure, while applying force to pull the post segments 43 away from each other.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the stop 13 is constructed of tubing of generally the same sectional shape as the anchor poles 11, but of slightly larger size than the anchor poles 11 and the apertures in the anchor connectors, so to act as a collar in sliding engagement along the pole and as a point of contact with the deck to limit upward movement of the deck. The stop has a fastener, such as the L-shaped bolt 53 threaded into a threaded bore 55 opening to the interior of the stop. The bolt when threaded into the bore projects into engagement with the pole segment to set the collar in the desired position on the anchor pole. A tether 57 secured at one end thereof to the bolt 53 holds the bolt attached to the stop at times when the bolt is not threaded in the bore, such as during storage of the anchor poles. Similarly, the stop may be provided with a hole and the pole provided with a spring clip 47 to hold the stop on the tubing during storage.

[0046] In the use of the platform 1 of this invention, the deck, with the anchor poles 11 in the storage chamber and the decoy bag 37 preferably attached, is carried by the user by the handles to a boat or on the user's back using the carry straps 35 to the point of deployment of the platform in the wetlands or shallow lakes. The user then removes the anchor poles from the deck. If the water depth requires that the anchor poles be of extended length, a suitable number of segments are assembled together by use of the tubing connectors 45. The anchor poles are then positioned in the body of water 3 so as to extend down through one or more of the anchor connectors 31 in the deck and penetrate the bottom 9 of the body of water. Stops 13 may then be positioned on the anchor poles and set in position by means of bolt 53 to engage the deck and hold it partially depressed in the water to make the deck more stable in a vertical direction. With the platform thus deployed as shown in FIG. 1, a load of equipment or a dog may be supported on the deck. Disassembly of the platform 1 for transport away from the site of deployment may be effected by reversing the steps described above.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 8A, an alternative embodiment of the deck 5 is illustrated having a suitable hand attachment device on the deck for enabling a user to lift and carry the deck to the point of deployment at the body of water either directly or indirectly via a boat or other means of transport. The device may comprise a rigid handle fixedly secured to and projecting from the exterior of the deck, such as handles 59 at the end of the deck, or a handle pinned to the deck, such as a handle 61 pinned to the side of the deck. The device may also take the form of a recess, such as recess 65 in FIG. 8B formed in the exterior of the deck sized and shaped to enable a person to readily grasp the deck via the recess. A further alternative of the handle is shown in FIG. 8C to comprise a strap of flexible material 67 attached to the deck. For carrying larger size decks, the handles may be used in conjunction with one or more wheels provided on the deck. Two such wheels 63 are shown in FIG. 8A at opposed corners of the deck, with the wheels projecting down below the plane of the bottom of the deck to provide ground clearance. The wheels are pinned to the deck for rotation about a horizontal axis when rolling the deck over the ground, with the handle being at the opposite end of the deck.

[0048] Alternative forms of anchor storage are shown in FIGS. 9A-9D. The anchor storage of FIG. 9A comprises one or more recesses 69 formed in the deck, such as at the bottom 15 of the deck, to be of a size and shape to receive the anchor. More particularly, the recesses are long enough to receive the anchor poles 11. A suitable closure, such as recesses 71 and straps 73 detachably secured in the recesses 71, are provided to hold the anchor in the recesses, see FIG. 9B. The anchor storage may also comprise one or more strips of material, such as strips 75, secured to the exterior of the deck in the form of a hoop so as to present apertures for receiving the anchor 11, see FIG. 9C. A stop projects from the deck in alignment with the aperture to prevent movement of the anchor poles down through the apertures when the deck is held upright. A suitable closure, such as a two-piece strap 77 secured at its ends and having a clasp, may otherwise be provided to detachably hold the anchor in its storage. The storage of FIG. 9C may also take the form of a tube or bag secured to the deck and presenting an aperture to receive the anchor. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 9D, the anchor storage may take the form of one or more resilient, generally U-shaped clips, such as clips 81, that deform to receive and release the anchor. The deck 5 may also be configured to detachably store boat attachment devices 83 as described below.

[0049] Referring now to FIGS. 13-16, a further embodiment of the platform is shown at 201. The platform comprises an upper floatable deck 203 and a lower anchor device 205 of a generally frame construction of a suitable material, such as aluminum or plastic, with a open central area. As described more fully hereinafter, the deck and the central opening of the frame are of generally similar shape and size so that the deck may be nested within the open central area of the anchor device 205. Thus the platform of this embodiment is operable in a deployment mode when the deck and the frame are spaced apart for use in a body of water as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, and in a carrying mode when the deck is nested within the anchor device to facilitate the user in carrying the platform to and from a point of deployment at the body of shallow water as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. In its carrying mode, the platform presents a relatively compact generally rectangular structure, such as a structure approximately 29 inches long, 22 inches wide and 8 inches thick, suitable for carrying by the user.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 13, the deck 203 is of suitable construction so as to present a rigid upper surface upon which a load may be positioned, and be of an overall density less than that of water to provide a buoyant force to support the load when the platform is deployed in a body of water. Preferably the deck is of sandwich type construction having a generally rectangular upper member 207 of generally rigid sheet material, such as thermoplastic sheet, a lower member 209 of generally rigid sheet material, such as of the same sheet material as the upper member, and an intermediate layer 211 of a suitable non-absorbent elastomeric foam material, such as polystyrene foam, between the upper and lower members. The foam is approximately 5-6 inches thick to provide the desired buoyant force for the deck when immersed in the water. The sides 213 of the deck taper inwardly from the upper member 207 to the lower member 209 to facilitate positioning the deck in the frame when the platform is in its carrying mode. An aperture 215 is provided in the deck extending up from the lower member 209 through the intermediate layer of foam 211 and the upper member 207 to constitute a connector for detachably securing the deck to the anchor device when the platform is in its deployment mode. Four such apertures, one at each corner of the deck, are shown in FIGS. 13 and 15.

[0051] As indicated above, the lower anchor device 205 comprises a frame with a central opening of shape generally corresponding to the deck but slightly larger than the peripheral dimensions of the deck and with inwardly tapered sides to enable the deck to be nested in the frame as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. The anchor device further comprises anchor legs 221 extending down from the frame for engaging the bottom of the body of water, when the platform is deployed. The anchor legs are pivotally mounted at the underside of the frame, and are movable between and are selectively secured in a downward position, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, when the platform is in its deployment mode, and a raised position at the underside of the frame, as shown in FIG. 16, when the platform is in its carrying mode. The legs are preferably of two-piece telescoping construction with a suitable latching mechanism so the legs may be moved to and selectively held in an extended position when the platform is in its deployment mode. The legs are also movable to and selectively held in a retracted position, when in the platform is in its carrying mode. A total of four legs 221 are provided, one at each corner of the frame, with the two legs at each end of the frame being connected by a cross member 222 to provide added mechanical strength to the legs.

[0052] The anchor device further comprises at least one suitable anchor arm, such as pole 217, one for each connector aperture 215 in the deck 203. As with the other embodiments of the platform, the anchor arms (together with the rest of the anchor device) acts to hold the deck on station against horizontal movement in the body of water, while enabling the deck to move vertically relative to the anchor device. Internal pole connectors 219 are provide to enable two poles to be selectively connected to extend the length of the anchor arm for deploying the platform in deeper water. A suitable stop, collar 227 of larger outer diameter than the diameter of the apertures 215 in the deck may be selectively secured on the anchor arm at any vertical position to prevent upward the deck, beyond a predetermined position. Suitable anchor supports, such as stands 225, are provided on the frame extending up from the lower side of the frame. The poles 217 are adapted to be telescoped over and selectively latched to the anchor stands, when the platform is in its deployment mode. The poles 217 are removed from the stand 225, and any poles that are connected are separated into individual pole members to facilitate storage of the poles 217, when the platform is in its carrying mode.

[0053] The anchor device further has a suitable housing, such as recess or channel 223 in the lower side of the frame, for receiving and storing the poles 217, when the platform is in its carrying mode. The channel extends the length of the anchor device and presents an upper opening to receive the poles. The opening presented by the channel is closed by the lower member of the deck, when the platform is in its carrying mode to hold the poles in the frame. The recess 223 may also hold the internal pole connectors 219 and the anchor collars 220, when not in use.

[0054] To facilitate carrying the platform to and from its points of deployment when in its carrying mode, a suitable carrying attachment, such as a pair of carrying straps are provided. The carrying straps are detachably secured to the frame and extend up from their lower ends at opposite sides of the frame to their upper ends at a cross member 227 provided adjacent an upper end of the frame.

[0055] The deck and frame may be of another suitable shape than that described above, the number of anchor legs and anchor arms may be of another suitable number than that described above, the anchor arm may take some form other than the channel described above, such as clips or other attachment devices, and the deck and anchor device may be made of other suitable materials than those described above, and such platform would still remain within the intent and scope of the inventions of this application. Further the carrying attachment may be of a form other than the pair of carrying straps shown in FIG. 16, such as a handle or wheels as described in other embodiments of the inventions.

[0056] It will be understood that one skilled in the art may make modifications of the preferred embodiment shown herein within the scope and intent of the claims of this application. While the present invention has been described in terms of a specific embodiment thereof, it is not intended the present invention should be limited thereby, but is intended to cover the invention broadly within the scope and spirit of the claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A portable flotation platform for supporting a load above the level of a body of water, the platform comprising: a deck having an overall density less than that of water and presenting a generally planar upper surface for supporting the load; an anchor device which when deployed and connected to the deck holds the deck against horizontal movement; the deck having at least one connector for detachably securing the deck to the anchor device for vertical movement of the deck relative to the anchor device, with the anchor device comprising a frame, anchor legs extending down from the frame and engageable with a bottom of the body of water, and an anchor arm extending up from the frame toward and engageable with the deck; and a carrying attachment on the platform for enabling the user to carry the platform to a point of deployment.

2. The platform of claim 1 wherein the platform has a carrying mode in which the deck and frame are held in engagement, and a deployment mode in which the deck and frame are spaced apart from each other.

3. The platform of claim 2 wherein the deck and frame are shaped to enable the deck and the frame to nest together when the platform is in the carrying mode.

4. The platform of claim 1 wherein the anchor legs are pivotally mounted to the frame.

5. The platform of claim 1 wherein the anchor legs are of telescoping construction to enable them to moved between a retracted configuration to facilitate carrying the platform and an extended configuration for deployment of the deck.

6. The platform of claim 1 wherein the carrying attachment comprises a pair of carrying straps.

7. The platform of claim 1 wherein the carrying attachment is attached to the frame.

8. The platform of claim 1 wherein the deck comprises an upper member of generally rigid sheet material, a lower member of generally rigid sheet material and foam material between the upper and lower members.

9. The platform of claim 1 wherein the anchor arm comprises a pole detachably secured to the frame.

10. The platform of claim 9 wherein the frame comprises an anchor support stand to which the pole is detachably secured.

11. The platform of claim 1 wherein the anchor device comprises a plurality of anchor arms.

12. The platform of claim 1 wherein the anchor connector comprises an opening in the deck to receive the anchor arm.

13. The platform of claim 2 wherein the deck includes a housing for receiving the anchor arm when the platform is in its carrying mode.

14. The platform of claim 13 wherein the housing comprises a channel formed at the lower side of the frame, with an opening at the upper side of the channel.

15. The platform of claim 14 wherein the deck closes the opening in the channel to hold the anchor arms in the housing when the platform is in its carrying mode.

16. A portable flotation platform for supporting a load above the level of a body of water, the platform comprising: a deck having an overall density less than that of water and presenting a generally planar upper surface for supporting the load; an anchor device which when deployed and connected to the deck holds the deck against horizontal movement; the deck having at least one connector for detachably securing the deck to the anchor device for vertical movement of the deck relative to the anchor device, with the anchor device comprising a frame, anchor legs extending down from the frame and engageable with a bottom of the body of water, and an anchor arm extending up from the frame toward and engageable with the deck; and the platform having a carrying mode in which the deck and frame are held in engagement to enable a user to carry the platform to and from a point of deployment, and a deployment mode in which the deck and the frame are spaced apart from each other with the deck floating at the surface of the body of water and the frame adjacent the bottom of the body of water for holding the deck in horizontal position in the body of water.

17. The platform of claim 16 wherein the deck and frame are shaped to enable the deck and the frame to nest together when the platform is in the carrying mode.

18. The platform of claim 16 wherein the anchor legs are pivotally mounted to the frame.

19. The platform of claim 16 wherein the anchor arm comprises a pole detachably secured to the frame.

20. The platform of claim 19 wherein the frame comprises an anchor support stand to which the pole is detachably secured.