Raptor XL Platform is a hardcore floating habitat for full-time fishing

By Lulu Chang Published April 24, 2017

Who says your hobby can’t be your home? Certainly not Raptor Boats, the Dutch company behind the Raptor XL Platform, which takes your fishing boat and your tent and puts them together into a floating habitat. Because sometimes, you’re just having too good of a time to head back to land at the end of the day.

The XL Platform is constructed from five pieces: Four airdeck parts that form the base of your boat, and a surrounding tube that keeps you from falling overboard. Made of durable five-layer PVC in 1100 Decitex, this floating home features a special anti-slip material so that your love for fishing won’t present a living hazard on your (temporary) bedroom home.

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Thanks to the 15 D-rings on the boat, you can pitch your own tent, and a pretty sizable one at that. After all, the XL Platform is indeed extra large, with a total square footage of 150. That means that you and up to three friends could quite comfortably spend the night (or longer, if you so choose).

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Don’t worry — Raptor understands that things can get a bit dicey in the open water, which is why a repair kit is included in your purchase. With just a bit of glue, a valve key, extra valves, and PVC patches, you ought to be able to take care of just about anything. There are also handgrips all along the boat, as well as an efficient drainage system that will keep you from capsizing in your home away from home.

Alas, the Raptor XL Platform isn’t exactly the most inexpensive purchase, but hey, you’re practically buying a place to live. Depending on what size you elect (options range from 11 x 9 feet, 15.5 x 11 feet, and 16.5 feet square), you could be spending anywhere between $1,200 and about $2,700. But how do you put a price tag on happiness?

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