WAVEWALK KAYAKS

I am very satisfied with the kayak. I am thankful that you had invented such a model because it serves my purpose quite well.

The most important thing for me is that I can ride the kayak “straddled” [I.E. in the Riding Position] with my knees bent. I have a back condition that has made the past few years of using a regular canoe painful after a short time out. I must always kneel in a canoe because I cannot sit with my legs straight out in front of me without causing back pain.

I still can use the canoe but am limited to about 1/2 hour before I need to hit the beach and get out and stretch. Your design is much easier on my back and I can easily turn around when I need to stretch a bit. Also being reasonably light in weight and made from a polyethylene material makes it easy for me to get the kayak in the water and then back on my vehicle. A little bumping on the ground is not of much concern.

My balance and comfort level is improving however I wished when the weather was warmer (and a swim was not a problem in warmer water) I had pushed it to the limits. I was content just to go slow with getting a comfort level and now the water is to chilly to risk falling out…

I have yet to send you pictures because I am almost always out solo. It is quite hard to be out in the kayak on the water AND be on the beach at the same time taking pictures… .

Perhaps before the snow hits…and my kayaking is over for this year I may get some pictures.

James

I recently learned with sadness that Darrell Leidigh had passed away, at the age of 78.

Darrell started designing and manufacturing pontoon boats and canoes in 1958, in Florida, where he founded Mohawk Canoes. Darrell designed dozens of models, some of which are still in production. Mohawk became one of the most successful and well known canoe companies in the country.

Darrell also designed and produced the famous Mohawk paddles. Wavewalk has sold Darrell’s versatile double-blade canoe paddles until recently.

Darrell sold the canoe business in 2006, and the paddle business in 2007.

Darrell was my first client – He bought the first W boat from me in the spring of 2004, before I even had a format for an invoice…

This morning, while I was going through some old documents, I found the stub from the check he sent me.

After Darrell got his W-boat I called him, and asked him if he had already paddled it, and what was his impression. Darrell’s answer was:

-”I paddled it, and I felt more comfortable than in a canoe.”

I didn’t know what to make of this answer, because as a beginning designer I was inexperienced and rather confused. My ideas at that time were focused around stand-up whitewater and surf paddling, and I didn’t quite see the significance of what he had told me.

I think I see it now.

Yoav

Tagging the W as a canoe would be as technically correct as labeling it a kayak or a catamaran… It’s all of these and it’s neither, or shall we say that it’s basically a new watercraft with some canoe, kayak, and catamaran ‘genes’…

I’ve already written posts about canoing the W, and here are some new pictures:

The canoe paddle made from half a 9′ Mohawk double blade paddle outfitted with a T grip accessory is longer than most canoe paddles are, but it’s still a bit short for paddling standing in full comfort – if you’re tallish. We hope to be able to offer an extension for it soon.

And this is how you make a sharp turn – leftward in this case:

Leaning into the turn:

The left hull carries most of the W canoeist’s weight, and therefore it sinks deeper than the right hull, which carries little weight.

Being more submerged the left hull generates more drag than the right one, and thus it acts both as a rudder and a ‘pivot’ enabling sharp turns – that is relatively to this boat, which as a catamaran is a natural tracker. -The paddler paddles on the right side.

Sometime it’s nice to go paddling with passengers on board your W Kayak. It can be fun to combine such an excursion with fishing, camping or bird watching.

Storage space is not a problem since the W kayak’s hull tips offer ample storage space, and you can attach additional gear on top of its hulls, but in case you need to take two passengers with you in the cockpit you’d better plan ahead. In such case canoing style paddling presents certain advantages over kayaking style paddling since the shorter, single blade paddles are less prone to hit each other.

Roles should be well defined and understood, in order to facilitate tracking.

The paddler at the stern should be the one responsible for the entire crew, since he/she can see the two others and can apply long J strokes that would help steering and tracking.

The paddler in the front can switch sides more easily than the two others – in case an additional blade is needed in the water on the other side of the kayak.

In case you use kayak (I.E. double blade) paddles, it’s important that the front paddler set the pace and the other two follow his/her paddle in parallel, otherwise the paddles will hit each other.

Like most things related to paddling – practice makes perfect.

A prospecting customer recently asked me if we offer oarlocks for the W.

We offer neither oarlocks nor oars because there’s very little demand for rowing solutions, as most people nowadays prefer paddling.

Rowing used to be a popular recreational and sporting activity in the 19th century, and many fishermen still use a wide variety of small rowing boats and watercrafts for fishing. Practically speaking, paddling has too many advantages over rowing for anyone to consider switching from paddling back to rowing for applications such as touring or fishing, especially in the ocean or fast rivers.

However, rowing offers a type of physical exercise that paddling doesn’t, and it shouldn’t be completely ruled out as an option, especially on flat water.

It’s possible to install oarlocks in the W kayak and turn it into a nice rowing boat: Not as fast as one of those long rowing shells, of course, but very stable and comfortable. You’ll be able to launch, row and beach it where rowing shells are not an option, and you’ll be able to row standing as well – I tried it and it’s fun!

Those who know the difference are likely to ask themselves why bring up such a comparison when flotation and stabilization have nothing to do with each other. Well, this is true but some people tend to be confused by the looks of side flotation in certain canoe models and in the W Kayak.

For the benefit of these people we need to explain that indeed flotation and stabilization are two different functions:

Canoes and kayak are outfitted with flotation in various forms – from inflatable bags to closed cell foam. The flotation element/s is lighter than water and impermeable, and its purpose is primarily to prevent more water from getting into the boat in case it is strongly leaning sideways or turned over. Flotation can be applied inside and/or around the boat, and it is basically intended to serve as means of recovery.

Stabilizers are floating devices on the boat’s sides, and they touch the water nearly all the time. Their purpose is to prevent the boat from leaning too much sideways, and they do it by offering extra lateral buoyancy. Stabilizers contribute both to the boat’s initial (primary) and secondary stability, meaning that they enhance both the feeling of lateral stability as well as the actual stability of the boat. Stabilizers are also called outriggers and sponsons, and they act as means of accident prevention as well as comfort enhancers. Large size outriggers can in some cases increase the canoe or kayak’s load capacity.

The side flotation modules on the W Kayak’s sides are not stabilizers, and they never touch the water in normal conditions. Their function is the help preventing the W Kayak from completely overturning in case it capsizes, and simply help it float above the surface if it did overturn and water got in. In such case the location of the side flotation modules helps turning the boat back.

If the W Kayaker or kayak fisherman bailed out quickly enough and the boat leans strongly on its side without him/her pulling it down the presence of a flotation module under its side can make the W right itself without help.

The W is a great boat for kayaking and kayak fishing, but it’s also easy to paddle with single-blade (canoe) paddles – both in solo and tandem modes.

The 9 ft long, two-pieces, dual blade Mohawk paddle we offer can be turned into two canoe paddles using the T-grip kit: Each of the two canoe paddles is good for canoeing in the lower positions (Riding, Sitting and Kneeling) and long enough for paddling standing up, as shown in this picture:

Paddling with a canoe paddle is fun, and it can be easier than kayaking when there are two paddlers in the cockpit.

The W tracks better than canoes, and it is stabler than canoes its size, which makes it easy to use in canoeing applications – even for small children:

When it comes to fishing, a short, single blade paddle offers the advantage that you can simply drop it in the cockpit as soon as you need to grab a fishing rod that’s showing signs of action… -You don’t even have to find paddle holders.

Another advantage that a canoe paddle offers is when you need to paddle through areas with many low hanging branches that could make handling a kayak paddle more difficult.

When you hear ‘canoe’ you usually think of a big paddling and fishing boat for two or more adults, but it’s not necessarily true. Canoes come in all sizes, including very small ones for whitewater.

You may ask yourself what’s the point in canoing if double blade paddles are easier to use, but that’s a matter of perception, and for may people canoe paddles are more fun. Using canoe paddles presents an advantage in small rivers with dense vegetation, where a longer paddle could get caught in branches. It’s also easier to paddle the W in tandem using canoe paddles than it is with kayak paddles.

We recently added a preparation for a cockpit cover, which offers the passenger/s good protection prom spray and bad weather.

The W makes a perfect small canoe: It tracks well and isn’t prone to windage problems like regular canoes can be. It is also stabler and more comfortable than most canoes are. And last but not least, it’s also easy to cartop, which can’t be said about big canoes.

Photo courtesy of Pemi Baker River Adventures, NH