Buteo photo gear floating hide grebe

The Grebe floating blind has been developed by nature and wildlife photographers: Extensively tested and adapted where necessary before coming to market. This floating blind is our latest project to make our series of professional wildlife and photo blinds even more complete!

The floating blind is easy to set up: Pump both air chambers full, then place the mounting plate (or both plates) for your tripod head, place the 2 storage bags, mount the frame for the tent and attach the tent fabric to the frame with the loops and Velcro. Your floating blind is ready for use!

Perfect camouflage

Birds and mammals are generally very shy of humans. By camouflaging yourself and your equipment with this floating photo blind, you can approach animals at the water's surface or its edges as a photographer without disturbing them. Because they no longer see you as a human, they do not perceive any danger and you can often take beautiful photos from very close by.

Easy, fast and mobile

The advantage of your own mobile, floating blind is that you can take it anywhere, anytime and deploy it when an opportunity arises. The floating photo blind is light and compact in size and can easily be taken to your favorite local pond, pool or lake, if you are traveling further from home or even by plane.

Prepare well

Make sure you are well prepared before entering the water;

• Keep it safe, make sure you know the depths of the water.
• What is your goal: which birds or mammals do you want to photograph.
• Are you allowed to enter the water there? Ask the owner.
• What are the light conditions there?
• Of course, it is advisable and wise to first visit a nature reserve or pond and prepare yourself well, so that you can start nature photography on the water in a very targeted and safe way.

Entering the water

If possible, find a place that is not visible to humans or wildlife, so you don't scare off mammals or birds before you start. Prepare your floating blind on dry land; place your camera and lens on the tripod head from the side to keep it safe. Preferably enter the water by using vegetation or an inlet. A reed bed or other bank vegetation can be very useful to enter the water unseen.

The camouflage pattern of the tent itself is our well-known reed pattern, and extra camouflage can be attached, such as branches, reeds, and so on. These extras can be attached using the cords. If you do this well, your blind will blend in even more with the environment. The tent fabric itself is made of a strong material (polyester 150D) that lasts a long time. In case of rain/showers, you will stay dry thanks to the Hydrostatic Head of 2,500 mm.

Imagine: You are waiting in your floating blind, perfectly still, well prepared and ready for action! Suddenly, a grebe, heron or beaver appears as you had hoped. It is wonderful when you succeed and your target species appears right in front of you. For nature photographers, there is nothing like the feeling of beautiful shots of birds and mammals, which makes the waiting worthwhile. At that moment, it's nice to be able to rely on your equipment!

Photographing from the floating blind

When you enter the blind, you will see the black coating on the inside, this is to make it as dark as possible. The viewing windows with an insect net give you sufficient visibility on all sides to survey your surroundings. One snoot/lens cover is included, giving you an additional viewing window (above the snoot). This snoot provides extra camouflage for your lens and protects it from water droplets (same fabric as the tent), and is the same one used in our Buteo Mark II, Aquila Mark II and Falco series. The snoot is therefore interchangeable with these tents. An extra snoot can also be attached at the back (to be ordered separately).

The blind also comes with 2 small bags for accessories, which can be removed if desired. Two mounting plates are included (for your tripod head), you can mount and use both at the same time. The photo level at the back of the blind is even lower, allowing you to literally photograph at water level with your lens. At the front there is a safety net that prevents anything from falling into the water.

Using a floating blind is completely different from all other 'normal' blinds we offer. You are in the water, and you have the ability to move yourself to approach birds and mammals. However, it is advisable not to move too much, it is best to let birds or mammals come to you.

Patience and practice is everything!

Experiences of our specialists

• Lightweight so easy to carry (6.1 kg in total).
• Compact size for transport.
• Safe (2 air chambers with valves) + strong materials.
• Sturdy, high-quality PVC, 1.7 mm thick.
• Strong tent fabric waterproof (150D), reed pattern.
• Many extras, very complete.