I remember running a seasoned test many years ago out of a canoe. It was in extremely shallow water so that the weight of the dog and handler anchored it securely to the bottom. They had to do this for liability reasons, but it was still neat and I appreciated the imagination. Another memorable test I ran under Bubba Joiner did a very nice job of simulating a flooded timber hunt (blinds are not typically used in flooded timber hunts). I'm pretty sure the handler stood during the test. I can't remember whether the dogs were on a dog stand or not.
Some important things to remember about using the "cool" elements (which I like) which better simulate hunting, at least in the sense of having "all the trappings" are:
1) If the club provides a piece of equipment (dog stand, boat, etc.) then they assume at least some potential liability for the failure of that item.
2) If the club provides a piece of equipment (dog stand, boat, etc.) and that piece of equipment fails or becomes unfit of for use for the remainder of the test then you have to change the test and now all of the dogs running did not run the same test. For instance a dog stand becomes rickety during the test and has to be abandoned. One handler says "my dog was freaked out by the rickety, wobbly dog stand and didn't see the marks. Some of the dogs didn't have to run from the dog stand, so that was a different test." This handler has a point. Again, I like the "cool stuff" but these things have to be considered. 5 gallon buckets are in good supply, rarely fail, are easily replaced and just happen to be a fairly optimal seat height.
3) If I were a judge I would be less likely to make your dog work from a dog stand or even a boat because these things, while adding realism, promote steadiness. In training many people use place boards, mats and other objects to promote steadiness. Many would say the best place boards are elevated, if only a few inches off the ground...sounds a lot like a dog stand doesn't it?
4) Running a hunt test from an actual blind would be cool but as a dog handler I am not going to be happy about a marking test in which my dog's ability to see (and thus mark) is inhibited. When you consider the difference in height in the dogs run at these tests (from Boykins to small Labs to big Labs or Chessies) it would be difficult to easily construct a good temporary blind (it is on someone else's land after all) which provides concealment (thus a realistic blind) and allows for retrievers of all sizes and breeds to see well and thus mark well from within. I do recall at least 2-3 times in AKC tests, handling the dog from within a blind but the dog was positioned outside the blind (remote sends), but cannot recall doing that in any HRC tests.
HRC premiums routinely state that waders may be required. In my experience (only running tests in GA, TN, SC, NC) they are needed in only RARE instances. It is a good idea to have them because one never knows when rainfall may turn the little creek that has to be crossed into something that easily exceeds knee boot height and for other reasons as well, but I agree with those who thought that wading in chest deep water is excessive. I'm tall but everyone is not so that has to be taken into consideration. Also if you are going to have 60 handlers wading in and out to the line and back, someone is going to trip on something under the water or slip and fall...and the path in and out tends to get more treacherous from handler 1 to handler 60.