WAVEWALK FISHING KAYAKS BLOG » headwind

Maiden Offshore Voyage and Wheels For W500 Fishing Kayak – Ken From Katikati, New Zealand

W kayak — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:02:08 +0000

I went out in the kayak for the first time this morning. The wind appeared to have eased off, so I went out from Beach Road at 8am. High tide was early this morning, so it wasn’t the best time to go, but I didn’t want to wait any longer to try it.
I ended up paddling in the sitting position, and felt quite happy with that, even though the wind got up and I ended up having to paddle into a 500mm chop (20″) and strong head wind..

I shall have to do some fine tuning in how I use it, but the bottom line is that I am thrilled with it, and it will get a lot more use than my [name brand sit-in kayak].

Regards, Ken

Read more on the Wavewalk Kayaks New Zealand blog >>

Riding Tropical Storm Irene In The Stand Up Kayak

W kayak — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:05:26 +0000

Earlier today we took the W500 kayak to the beach at lake Massapoag, a 1 square mile lake in eastern Massachusetts, on the path of Irene – a tropical storm at that point in time.
The wind was blowing at 35 mph, with long gusts of up to 55 mph, beating the waters of this small lake to waves between 1 and 2 ft high.
Such waves are almost unnoticed when you’re paddling the W500, but paddling standing up against such powerful headwind isn’t easy, as you’ll see in this movie:

Can you jump up and down, and from side to side in the W500? -Absolutely!
Can you fall down with all your weight without losing balance at all, and rise to your feet instantly and with zero effort? -Absolutely!
-Watch this classic video and see for yourself:

The paddler in both videos is middle aged, non athletic, 6 ft tall (1.84 m), and weighs 200 lbs (90.7 kg)- He’s neither a small sized, lightweight guy, nor an athlete who just graduated from college.

The 28.5″ wide W kayak offers unrivaled stability – Much more than any other kayak, including extra wide ones, and even kayaks outfitted with outriggers.
What’s the technical explanation behind such unrivaled stability? –
Read more about stability in fishing kayaks, and the patented invention enabling this super stability >>

True stand up paddling requires a kayak that fulfills a number of basic requirements. The W kayak is the only kayak offering true stand up paddling – Interested to learn more about stand up paddling? – Continue reading >>

Opener 2011 – Minnesota Kayak Fishing Trip Report With 18′ Mothership

W kayak — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 02:13:23 +0000

Gary, from MinnYaks wrote the following fishing report on his Minnesota Kayak Fishing blog:
Opener 2011 was a success! (see photo gallery) Weather was lousy, but that made for good fishing. We caught and ate a lot of crappies, caught and released a lot of bass and northern pike. Didn’t really fish much for walleyes, but managed to catch and eat a few anyway. The W500 was really fun to fish from. I was able to go anywhere I wanted, and was never tired, even after hours of fishing. Trolling, casting, bobber fishing, and fly fishing were all easily managed. We tried transporting the ‘W’ with our ‘mother ship’, our 18′ bay boat. It was too easy! The long run into the wind to the fishing spot took only a few minutes! We will be doing that again. All in all, I can honestly say that fishing from the ‘W’ was one of my more memorable fishing experiences to date!

Paddling the W500 in Tandem: Kayak Review by Ann, North Carolina

W kayak — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:42:20 +0000

My husband is unable to paddle due to many disabilities. However, I have 2 paddles and when he is along and we want to turn, I holler rudder right or rudder left and he puts his paddle straight down and we can turn “on a dime”.
I enjoy his company and sure, it is extra weight, but I do not feel unstable.
I am getting a little extra workout but that is a benefit in my opinion. I also have the joy of sharing the beautiful environment with the guy I love most and that means so much.

As for tandem kayaking, it depends on where you are. On the intracoastal in a mild wind, 8 mph, my friend and I do not need any experience except more muscle in our forearms. The W is very stable and everyone who has been in my W has enjoyed it immensely.

Almost 70,

Ann

W Kayaking in Strong Wind

W kayak — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:51:07 +0000

W kayakers usually report excellent performance of their boats under wind, mainly because it tracks well and offers various means for power-paddling and counter-affecting the wind.

Here are some tips that can improve your W kayak’s performance when you’re paddling in strong wind:

1. Paddle only in the Riding Position, and lean a bit forward, with your knees lower than your hips – That would give you extra power.

2. Paddle from the middle of the cockpit, as much as possible -

If you paddle from its rear it would raise your W kayak’s bow and expose it to the wind, and the boat will turn away from the wind.
If you paddle from the front of the cockpit, the stern will go up, and the kayak will turn into the wind.

3. Lean your W kayak into the wind – That would make it harder for it to affect the course of your W kayak.

4. Cover the front of the cockpit – That would improve the cockpit’s aerodynamics. Any waterproof fabric or plastic sheet would do for that matter. Every W kayak comes with a preparation for a cockpit cover that’s easy to use, and you can cover the cockpit in seconds.

5. Apply short J strokes on the side from which the wind is blowing, and more powerful strokes on the lee side (the sheltered side) – That would help you track. You may even hold the paddle not from its middle, so that you can apply longer strokes on the lee side.

6. Any object protruding from the deck is exposed to the wind, and therefore generates additional drag – Dismount deck mounted rod holders, and store your fishing rods inside the hulls whenever possible. A milk crate would act as a small sail that’s controlled by the wind, so you’d better avoid using one.

7. Keep paddling in a steady pace and a straight course – This is not about one-time corrections, but about minimizing your effort and getting there. Precision and efficiency are as important as power.

8. Again: Remember you can move fore and aft along the saddle, and by that control the angle in which your W kayak will point relatively to the direction from which the wind blows: Paddling from a forward position will tend to point the bow into the wind, and paddling from a backward position would tend to point the bow sideways and away from the wind (not a desirable thing).

Here is an instructional video on the subject: