WAVEWALK KAYAKS

Here’s Jeff’s latest movie that he shot while paddling his Wavewalk fishing kayak:

We redesigned the ‘Kayak Outfitting and Rigging‘ page to better serve as a source of information, while reflecting how W kayak paddlers and fishermen have been outfitting and rigging their boats.

So, from a regular web page we turned it into a directory with links to customer reviews. In fact, in recent years our customers have taken the lead in outfitting and rigging (the fishing term) ideas and projects, which made us at Wavewalk less important, and we’re grateful for that…

We no longer offer information about seats since although some W kayak paddlers and fishermen have outfitted their boats with various types of seats, it seems like they hardly use them at all, as the paddling and fishing position of choice is riding (mounted), because in it the upper body is supported by the legs on both sides of the saddle.

Also, we no longer offer information an DIY flotation because all our kayak models feature one or two pairs of side flotation modules – standard.

We don’t offer information on electronics since basically there’s no difference between the way one would outfit his/her sit-inK or SOT kayak with a GPS system or fish-finder, and the way it’s done in W kayaks, except that with the latter it’s easier…

Anyway, we hope our visitors would find the changes useful, and we’re always interested to know what they think about both form and content of this page, and all other sections of our website.

Yoav

Rox is a pioneer kayak fisherwoman from Connecticut, who already created an amazing electric kayak fishing machine…

Now Rox is using her other W-kayak to paddle in ice covered ponds, lakes and rivers, and that’s how she’s extending her fishing season:

Rox: -”I’d like to see a SOT or a SIT do that!!”

Those who are familiar with ice would recognize the glaze that announces the absolute end of the paddling and fishing season, but not for everybody:

-”I was in my bare bones wavewalk, not the motored one, I was paddling through the ice.
It was a blast.”



Jeff writes from Florida:

-”Yesterday was fishing at it’s best.  The action was nonstop and I actually could feel it in my shoulders and arms last night.  The fish tally was over 100 redfish most of them were under the slot, but a few managed the minimum 17 inches.  All were released to fish another day.  Mixed among the reds were 17 trout with most of those in the 15 to 17 inches range.  Last of all were the little bluefish that just showed up for a few minutes.  The area I fished was no more than a quarter acre and most of the fish came out of section of oyster beds that were maybe 30 feet by 15 feet.  The tide was outgoing so water was pouring through the area, the reds were just waiting for anything edible to wash by.  I would throw in a lure and just count to three then pull resulting in a hooked fish.  Fun beyond belief for a fishing fanatic like me.

The W provided the perfect platform for this amount of action.  I never even used the net since it just got in the way landing fish after fish of this smaller size.  Just get them close lift the rod and reach down for a quick grab to unhook.  Since I was using single hook lures I didn’t have to worry about hooking myself.  Being able the have a work space on the seat allowed me to fish far more effectively than dumping stuff in my lap like a sit on top boat.  As it was my pants were soaked in fish blood and slime plus one whole side of the W as covered in the same.

Using the Stick Pin Anchor in conjunction with the W really made the difference in being able to hold myself in place.  The regular small anchor I carry most of the time would not have held the W in that current or the wind.  But with the pin in place in the bottom I was not going anywhere.  Comfort wise I was in that boat in place catching for over 5 hours, that would have been really tough in a sit on top.  With the W of course I could move around as needed and never worry about losing anything over the side or getting wet.
The gear this trip was as follows.  The reels as always the Diawa 1300SS Whisker series.  The rods were ones I refer to as the twins, two little 5′ Chaos NBU New Born series sold as kids rods but wonderful for tight places.  The lures were 1/16, 1/8. and 1/4 oz saltwater models with either a 3 inch Gulp Shrimp New Penny color or a 3 inch DOA Cal paddle tail in Mullet color.  The line was my signature pink Fireline with either a 15 or 20lb FC leader tied on with a 4 turn surgeons knot and then to the lure with a canoeman’s loop knot the two knots we have an article for on the site.

I was so glad to get out and fish.  Between paddling the W and fishing it provided me with a great therapy day, I needed that right now.–Jeff”

I recently purchased the Wavewalk boat for paddling. The Wavewalk is actually a very small catamaran, designed to allow one to paddle while standing up with one foot in each hull, as well as while sitting, with either a canoe or kayak paddle. It’s designer calls it a “W” boat; I describe it as a “catayakanoe.”

For comparison purposes, you should know I am 6’3″, 220 pounds. I mess about in boats year round thanks to the mostly mild South Mississippi winter. I have circulation problems, and also a history of occasional low back pain. In consequence, while I love small paddle boats, until now every one I’ve owned and/or tried (quite a few) has presented me with serious drawbacks to their use and enjoyment. Sea kayaks cause my legs to fall asleep, thus rendering graceful exits not only impossible but occasionally highly embarrassing. Recreational kayaks’ large cockpits, while facilitating entry, exit, and leg movement, are at risk of swamping in the Mississippi Sound where I normally paddle, as are canoes. Sit on top kayaks are wet, and due to their high center of gravity typically have shallow seats which are even less comfortable than those of a sea kayak. All the aforementioned boats also create issues for my lower back after a few hours of paddling.

The W boat has effectively addressed all these problems. Within 5 minutes of taking delivery I was able to launch it at the local ramp and enter dry shod in my office clothing. A half hour of paddling later I exited the same way without even a damp, far less wet, rear end to show for it.My second trip I tried paddling standing up. After ten minutes of careful experimentation I was paddling around in 1 foot waves and 10 mph winds with no problem.

Since then I have had the boat out several times in 20 mph winds and 2.5 foot waves, albeit seated, without taking any water either head on to the waves, or traversing them laterally. Entering the local harbor with its flat protected water I have been able to paddle standing with no issues.

Paddling standing feels remarkably natural, and while the ability to do it is not why I bought the boat, it has been a revelation. There is a qualitative difference to paddling standing, perhaps due to evolution having designed us to take in and process the world from a vertical position. Beyond any qualitative difference the higher standing perspective is also useful to pick out channels, spot fish, retrieve snagged lures from low hanging branches, or simply to see over the marsh grass. Equally important the standing position furnishes a welcome break for one’s muscles and circulation.

The ability to stand also allows one to simply step in and out of the boat without wading in many situations. In the interest of objectivity I must note, however, that one will have to wade if confronted with a shallow shelving beach. Steep banks, boat ramps, finger piers and the like allow one to remain absolutely dry while embarking and disembarking.

The high seat and split hulls so far have kept waves from entering the cockpit. I have now been out without shipping a drop in waves I know would have swamped my 9′ Critter SIK, and which would have been problematic in my 14′ [brand name] SIK.

The same high seat which raises one about 14 inches higher than one’s seat in a SIK necessarily increases one’s torso’s windage. Fortunately, the Wavewalk’s seat is actually a long center bench, almost five feet in length. By sliding fore and aft one can effectively eliminate the boat’s tendency to weathercock due to windage on almost every course. Thus, the Wavewalk is actually less affected by wind than a lower profile SIK, at least one – like the Wavewalk, that has neither skeg nor rudder.

The ability to slide fore and aft also allows one to access the storage in the four (4) hull tips while under way. This was for all practical purposes impossible in any of my other kayaks and canoes. It also allows one to lift the boat’s bow to take on waves, or to facilitate landing and exiting with dry shoes by raising the bow to slide ashore a little distance before grounding
I do not have a GPS, but the boat feels fast for its size. I have been unable to compare it to other paddle craft because – being late November – there are none. This alone is a testament to the Wavewalk’s user friendliness.
I waited a long time to purchase the boat due to its differentness, the lack of dealers where I could try it out, and a few unfavorable reviews (very much the exception) out there on the web. Having used it a few times now I think the few unfavorable reviews resulted from the reviewers’ lack of familiarity with the boat. Paddling the Wavewalk feels very different from a normal yak, in some ways more like riding a horse or bicycle. In this connection the manufacturer calls one’s normal paddling posture the “riding” position, a very apt description. Additionally, one leans into turns, not out as in a traditional hull, and the more experienced one is as a paddler, the more off-putting this feels when one initially experiences it. As one grows accustomed to the boat and its stability characteristics it all starts to feel natural and predictable.

If the boat has a drawback it is its weight. 56 pounds is a lot for a 10’6″ boat. Still, its short length makes it easier to pick up than larger boats of equal weight. Additionally, its twin hulls allow one to center oneself between them when moving it on a dolly, just like pushing or pulling a wheel barrow ( In this connection my dolly was easily modified to accomodate the Wavewalk in 30 seconds by attaching a PVC cross piece with a bungee cord). I think the extra weight is primarily due to the heavily reinforced bench seat, and is probably a good thing inasmuch as it reflects the boat’s heavy duty quality construction.

I now have no reason not to paddle, and have been out each weekend since getting the boat. I am being careful since due to the cold water I have not been able to practice reentry techniques, but the website shows that re-entry is more easily accomplished than in a standard SIK. I look forward to some less extreme weather to try out the boat in “normal” ocean conditions.

No boat is perfect, and the Wavewalk, as a forerunner of what will hopefully be a fleet of progressively refined and specialized designs, may be capable of improvement. I wonder for example whether an inch or two more width in the hulls would not increase stability and decrease draft, and whether a few inches of rocker would decrease resistance. The answer is I don’t know, and that any design change is a compromise with costs as well as benefits. What I do know is that the Wavewalk has made a great improvement to the quality of my boating life, and – as described above – has a number of unique, useful, and enjoyable attributes. Try it, but be careful, you may just find you have to have one.

If you are on the Mississippi Gulf coast and would like to try mine out, shoot me an email at jeremydeisler@gmail . I’ll be happy to take you paddling.

-”My fishing last Sunday was off the chain.  I caught a red an inch bigger than the one a few days before so it was just at the top of the legal limit.  It hit a topwater lure that I worked with what we call a “walking the dog” action .  Pulled like a freight train and actually had me and the W in tow for almost three minutes.  It headed right down a long channel between oyster beds pulling line against the drag at times.  Finally I was able to turn it’s head and within another few minutes got it to the net.

I managed to top off the red with three nice chunky legal seatrout so the meal should be great.  Other than the fish that went home I caught 11 more trout and 12 redfish of which 4 were actually legal as well but the limit is one per day to take. On top of that I got 4 jacks and three ladyfish.  In the interest of the gear heads like me the tackle was as follows:
Redfish 27″ – 16lb Momoi mono line with no leader tied with a loop knot to a Rapala Skitterwalk the smaller size.  The rod was a St Croix glass 5’10″ casting rod and the reel an ABU Record 40
All the others  – 10lb Fireline with either a 15 or 20 lb FC leader.  The lures were a Mirrodine plug or a 1/8oz red jig head with a Sugar Glow Gulp 3 inch shrimp.  The rods were St Croix 7′ Med light Premiers and the reels my old favorite Daiwa 1300SS Whisker Series.

I also tried out a new W accessory that worked very well called a shallow water stick pin.  I’ll write that up soon after a few more weeks of trials.–Jeff”



Jeremy is a sea kayaker and small boat sailor from Mississippi, who got his W-kayak a short time ago. The reason we’re particularly interested in him is that he’s planning to outfit his W-boat with a rather powerful DIY sailing rig. We sent him some pultruded fiberglass tubes that are strong and lightweight enough to be used as masts and booms for his sails.

Here’s Jeremy’ second report:

-”O.K., I’m up and wave walking around in 10 mph winds and 12 inch waves. Very cool.  After standing sitting feels much more stable. You’re right, it’s very much like riding a horse or bike, and all my kayaking reflexes are wrong, but I’m adjusting.

Now that I’m feeling more comfortable  with the stability I’ll start fooling around with the masts you sent (thanks!)”

An  unexpected but nice attribute of the boat is that I wheel it on a dolly to beach, about 100 yards or so, and unlike a standard kayak which requires me to twist around while pulling, I am centered pulling the wavewalk ( I put a paddle through the handles to pull on), and so can use both hands with no asymmetrical exertion/rotation.  Doesn’t sound like much,  but on a long pull every little thing helps.

The Wavewalk kayak offers some 10 cubic feet of dry storage space inside its cockpit and hull tips. However, you can also use the space on top of the hull tips to store and attach additional gear.

Wayne Taylor, from Florida, outfitted his unique W-kayak with two surfaces – one on each side of the cockpit. He bolted them to the hulls, and added Nylon eyelets as attachment points.

The front panel serves among other things to support a fish finder display box:

The rear panel hosts Wayne’s watertight tackle box:

-”About that big red. The lure I used was a Gulp 3 inch shrimp on a 1/8oz jig head. The line was 10lb Fireline and had an 18 inch leader of 15lb fluorocarbon tied into it. The rod was one of my little custom sticks made by Chaos Rods in South Florida. That company makes a series of kids rods I find very handy in tight places. I had two with my yesterday I refer to them as the “twins”, two little 5′ spinning rods built on what the makers call NBU or “no break um” blanks. Very tough and in this case very pretty with gold and pink hand wrapped thread. The reel was a Daiwa 1300SS Tournament, my all time favorite light spinning reel. So far as working the lure I tossed it out and let it sit on the bottom for maybe five minute before moving it.At the first twitch it got clobbered very hard.

That fish ran me around an entire section of grass bed and then right through it. It took about 8 minutes or so of getting yanked around before net and fish met up.

Having the W’s narrow beam and vertical sides helped since I was able to get right above it and net it before it took off on another romp through the grass. Of course after landing it I just dropped it and the net into the hull and got the rod out of the way. Here is a place sometimes in a sit on top you might lose a rod or at least dunk it.

Having a fish in your lap is no where near as good as being able to drop it into a hull space. In this case I just put net and all down there until I got reorganized. “

Here’s a movie that Roxanne Davis sent us from Connecticut. Rox shot it from the cockpit of her W-kayak that she rigged with an electric trolling motor and foot-activated steering system:

Isn’t it amazing?

And here is the full story about Rox and her Electric W Kayak Fishing Machine

This rigging job is a marvel, and Rox has some interesting tips to share on how to work with a motorized W fishing kayak: It’s no longer just about trolling – it’s actual combat technique.