Review of W Kayak

WaveWalk Kayak Review
By Tom and Jennifer Buddington, Florida

I've been paddling all sorts of boats going on my third year now, going out once during the week for about 4 hours and every Saturday for at least 8 hours and sometimes much more than that. I love to range up and down the Indian and Banana Rivers as well as the Atlantic Ocean. I own and frequently paddle my 16.5 foot sea kayak as well as a 14 foot transitional touring boat. We often go out as a family as well, and also have 2 really big sit on tops. Kayaking is a family affair around here and we camp on the spoil islands in the river. I am a 43 year old, 143 lbs male in good shape again thanks to kayaking.

Jenny paddling standing in her W kayak - FL

9 year old Jenny wave walking on the Indian River, Florida

About 2 months ago I started feeling really guilty about leaving my 9 year old home while I go out paddling all day on Saturday when I really need the power-paddle. You know, it's very important to raise kids right; to get them into the outdoors and into something as healthy as kayaking. And I was leaving mine out in the cold. The idea of surfing came up for her around the same time and then it really hit me: I need to encourage this and also find a way to combine my sport with hers. So I bought a surf kayak (aka a “surf shoe”). Well, that was an evil craft (you cannot get out of the cockpit and have to paddle it to shore to drain the water out—just not my sport). I love paddling through 3 foot swells, rain and storm if it's what's served up—but I don't like being nearly killed (twice). Taking a 16.5 foot sea kayak into rough surf routinely isn't my idea of a good time either. So, discouraged, I looked for other options. I found one.

Almost a month ago I ran across the W kayak by Wavewalk. Even if you never get one of these yaks you will definitely find yourself looking over every link and watching the cool videos on Wavewalk's website. But honestly, BE WARNED: you run a high risk of getting bitten by the W-yak bug if you go there. I saw what it could do and the documentation all over the site convinced me this was the boat for my daughter and me as it could readily paddle two in all sorts of conditions. I ordered one straight away and have been hard testing it ever since. Very calm conditions, 15-18 knot winds, wind slop swell on the Indian and Banana Rivers (2 – 3ish foot swells do happen there)--all of it with my WaveWalk kayak. Just this past Memorial Day weekend took it fully loaded with camping gear and my daughter and along with my son and wife in their sea kayaks paddled to a spoil island deep on the Indian River for the Memorial Day weekend. It was very cool.

I really cannot say enough wonderful things about this kayak. It is a great craft and I really think that if I had first gotten a W kayak I most likely would have never gotten any other kayak. It's been described as a sort of 4-wheeler ATV kayak (whereas a mono-hull boat would be more like a motorcycle). As I paddled her for many miles over the past few weeks that analogy seemed pretty accurate. She will heel over—I don't know—maybe 40ish degrees but not capsize. Hops snarling waves like nothing. I am totally confident of it when in nasty conditions. Excellent, tough, and rock-solid construction. She does weigh in at 56 lbs. Loaded fully down with camping gear and another occupant—which is not a super easy paddle no matter what 2 person boat you are paddling—it handles the load solidly. She paddles great in rough nasty soup (in fact I have yet to feel unsafe in it) and is dream to paddle on flat water for long straights too. I really liked how the really young kids can also just jump in and paddle it with confidence. My 9 year old daughter and also a 6 year old boy that was staying on the island this weekend with some boy scouts had a blast paddling this boat; my daughter did it with the kayak fully loaded. Paddled solo with just the necessities it moves along at a great clip. Lots of room for gear and stretching out too.

One of the many great things about the W kayak is that you can---and do—paddle it in so many different positions. You can (and do) paddle it sitting as nearly a traditional kayak, you sort of kneel (like riding a horse) for another position, and you stand (like 'poling' it). I alternate throughout the day in all positions and get a TOTAL body healthy paddling work out. It is really a trippy thing to all of a sudden stand as you paddle by others sitting. It is an altogether DIFFERENT experience. This kayak fills the role of whatever you want your kayak to do. I also like the fact that you can take it in white water down a flowing river and I plan to do this with her as well while others try the same water in either canoes or rafts. The W kayak can really do it all.

I will be getting another for the wife and son I am sure.

PS - My daughter (9 years old) writes it up this way:

"I love to kayak with my W kayak. I call it the 'Puffin'--it is amazing. It's always fun to paddle it. It was easy to paddle with my tent and camping gear too. My favorite experience in her was when I went on the Banana River with my dad and went swimming in between her twin hulls. TRUE story: I was holding myself up between her 2 hulls when a Manatee swam almost up to my face and blew air at me! I will never forget that. In the water with a Manatee holding on to my W kayak I call the Puffin. It was a special moment. I will keep this boat forever. --jenny b."

About the Wavewalk paddle and wave walking (standup paddling):
-"I had initially starting feeling the 9' long Wavewalk paddle was too heavy and bought a 240cm long carbon paddle which is nice mainly for sitting and paddling. Last time I paddled and then again this time I used the sturdy xtra long paddle from WaveWalk and have found that it is perfect.
What I'm realizing is that in addition to some new balancing skills and WaveWalk muscles (different from standard kayak muscles just slightly), the paddle takes just a little time getting used to.
What is very cool is that I am finding myself STANDING almost all of the time.
I GoogleEarth'd my paddle just now and discovered that I'd paddled it 13.6 miles round trip, most of it WaveWalking. I am finding that I prefer it to all other forms of paddling.
I don't want to paddle any other boats! Really hooked here. It's incredible how far you can go kayaking in that mode. Only sat when I was exhausted."

Tom's quick story about manatees:
"There were a LOT of manatees (as well as stingrays and dolphins) in the lagoon today - The Banana and Indian Rivers are actually large salt water lagoons, 150 miles long each.
As has happened to me before on other occasions, twice today a whole heard of manatees became startled as they surfaced around me. Manatees don't hurt people, but they are very large and their large paddle tail creates a tremendous wake and jet of water when they take off. When this happened to me in my other sea kayak, I would get rolled. The WaveWalk just hopped and bobbed and wouldn't go over! It was GREAT! I admit I went right into the riding position (you get some warning when this is going to happen) but I was really secure. There must have been 8 of them. I have to find a way of getting some of this on film. My Wkayak is perfect for these waters; actually makes me feel more secure because I do go all over and now I know I'm not going in the water unless I want to to cool off."

Photography: The Buddington Family