How to Build a Swim Raft
Vacations at a lake can be a wonderful experience, even more so if you have a swim raft to take out on the lake. Unfortunately, swim rafts can be quite expensive if bought from a store, so use this guide to build a swim raft of your own and get ready to hit the water.
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Things You'll Need
- (2) Sides, 2-by-10 inches by 12 feet long
- (2) Ends, 2-by-10 inches by 7 feet 9 inches long
- (2) Deck Braces, 2-by-10 inches by 11 feet 9 inches long
- (3) Deck Braces, 2-by-10 inches by 2 feet 6 inches long
- (2) Skirts, 2-by-6 inches by 12 feet long
- (2) Skirts, 2-by-6 inches by 7 feet 9 inches long
- (24) Decking, 2-by-6 inches by 8 feet long
- (4) Cross Ties, 2-by-6 inches by 8 feet long
- (3) Skids, 2-by-6 inches by 11 feet 2 inches
- (4) Corners, 4-by-4-by-16-1/4 inches
- (3) Styrofoam Buoyancy Billets, 10-by-20 inches by 8 feet long
Instructions
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1
Use 4-by-4 corner boards to attach the side and end boards together to build a square frame. Place the boards at the top of the 4-by-4 boards.
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2
Secure the frame lengthwise with both deck braces, spacing them equally inside. Add the smaller deck braces width-wise across the longer braces as you continue to build the frame.
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3
Add skirts all along the bottom of the outside of the frame, placing them at the bottom of the corner stakes. There should be adequate space between the edge pieces and the skirting. Do not butt the wood together as you build the swim raft.
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4
Flip the frame upside down and add the four cross ties across the width of the frame, spacing equally apart.
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5
Attach the styrofoam buoyancy billets lengthwise on the bottom of the frame, again spacing them equally apart, making sure not to put them too close to the edge. Add the skid pieces to the bottom of the styrofoam.
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6
Turn the raft back over and finish by building the top of the swim raft with the decking boards. Again, do not butt the wood pieces together as you build the deck as the boards need to have space to allow the water to completely evaporate from the wood to avoid rotting.
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Tips & Warnings
A standard size swim raft is 12 feet by 8 feet.
The larger the raft, the more stable it will be, but larger rafts are also heavier. The swim raft needs to come off the water and onto shore which can make larger rafts more difficult to bring in and store.
