If waterstrider physics are anything to go by, they'll be paddling their way around on their bellies. Also disturbing the water surface too much might be considered murder.
I feel like you saw the concept of water striders and other creatures that move on the water surface thanks to the water properties regarding the tension of the surface, and increased the tension through magic. However, if normal physics apply as normal, then technically all we need to do is observe how it functions to a standing water strider and scale it up to determine what our surface looks like:
1- its malleable. Googling a picture of a water strider standing on the surface easily shows this property: while they are not sinking down since to the force they're applying is inferior to the maximum force the water surface tension can withstand, their legs will be clearly be forming depressions on the water, since that's where they're applying their weight. This alone shows that if physics still apply and all the spell does is make the water surface tension capable of withstanding a human, the surface of the water will probably still be pretty malleable. Instead of walking through glass you'll feel like you're walking on a thick layer of malleable yet resistant membrane that begins sinking below your feet as soon as you use it to sustain your weight.
2- it has very little friction. As we all might know, water is a fluid, the molecules move around all the time, and if you ever saw a leaf floating in a calm lake or puddle, you probably know that things floating in the water can be moved with a fair amount of ease, especially if they're not breaking the water surface tension. Even water strides suffer with it, and it's another reason why they don't move around like a land insect. Water striders normally keep their legs in the water, removing only a single pair which they essentially use as oars to move around and change direction, all while making use of a pretty low center of gravity. Scale that up and you'll see that the human shape isn't all that good for what we want. Mountain climbing shoes won't help you a bit here if you're trying to get some extra traction on each step.
So essentially, if all the spell is doing is making it so people don't sink by making it so that the water surface tension becomes much stronger than normal, this would not only alter some things about how the water itself moves in the area (as in any kind of movement in the water that requires the water surface tension to give in and which is applying a force inferior to what the magic water tension can withstand, then it most likely won't happen as it'd like to). The water surface is now something you won't easily rip through so that you can sink down, but it doesn't change that it has little to no friction on it (water-sliding is extremely dangerous for a car because a thin layer of water forms between the tires and the road and essentially negates traction, making the driver easily loose control of the vehicle. In this scenario we'll have that, except that the water isn't between you and the road, it IS the road).
So essentially, in optimal water-striding conditions (calm water) you'll be better off ripping nature off, laying on your belly and using your arms to try maneuvering your way around, especially since if you try walking on this water like you'd walk on land, you'll eventually end up in that position anyway.
Now, this is assuming calm water or at most water that's undergoing forces weaker than what the new surface tension can withstand,because it's pretty hard to understand the other outcomes of a bigger surface tension being ripped apart by a stronger force. However, if we just do the same thing we did before and assume everything works as it normally would, then being too close to something that's breaking through the water tension probably will result in you sinking. The problem? The water surface should recomposes once it calms down enough, and if it behaves for things below it like it does for things above, should it recompose while you're still below, just like it didn't give in to your weight, it probably won't give in to your attempts to surface for air, and this will hold true until the spell effects end.
So basically, water walking will not make you walk around on the surface like it was glass. Normal physics determine that the water surface behaves like a membrane to anything small and light enough not to breach it, and this will hold true if all the magic is doing is increasing the surface tension. Any person under the effects of the spell will temporarily function like a water strider on water surfaces. Problem is: water striders know that trying to walk on the water surface is not like walking on land, they have all the adaptations and bodyplan necessary to paddle along smoothly and they too can drown if the surface gives in.