Posts Tagged ‘kayaking’

Jeff About Paddling His W Fishing Kayak in Strong Wind

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Another observation from Jeff, following yesterday’s fishing trip:

-”I saw two other fellows out in kayaks toward the end of the my time on the water.  By then is was blowing pretty hard out of the south.  Both of them were in sit on tops.  We headed in about the same time, right into the wind no way to avoid it.  Slow going for sure but I never paused and just paddled back with that walking pace stroke.  The other guys started out with me but fell way behind as they struggled with the waves and spray.  The W just churned on in. I got wet mainly from paddle drip but that was minimal.  The two guys were soaked and their reels would need a major cleaning thanks to being drenched from the salt spray.  They did not say too much right away because they were too winded when they got in.  I was already packed up in the Ranger and ready to go.  The younger man looked at the W and then at his off brand sit on top and just asked.  OK, where the heck did you buy that thing?  I passed along the website info.  The young man had only been kayaking maybe six months, his buddy maybe two years.  After seeing the W and then we talked about set up expenses I think both of them might be considering a W down the line.  Both men should be far better candidates for the boat than I was.  I don’t think either fellow topped 160 lbs and they were just a hair shorter than me.  Had the wind not been blowing so hard I could have given them a quick trial ride.

Jeff”


New movie from the cockpit of Jeff’s W fishing kayak

Saturday, November 29th, 2008

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


W Kayak Review By Jeremy Eisler, Mississippi Paddler

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

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.


Jeremy’s Second W-Kayak Impression

Monday, November 10th, 2008

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.

Jeremy’s Wavewalk Kayak First Impression – Mississippi

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Jeremy is a long time sea kayaker and small boat sailor from Mississippi, who got his new W-kayak a few days ago. Here is his first impression:

-”It arrived last thursday. 15 minutes later I put it in the water in my work clothes including shoes and tie. Spent about 30 minutes playing around.
Clearly there’s a learning curve as it felt a bit wobbly, I’d guess because of the straight sides and high seat position.  I didn’t test it to discover the tipping point as I was in my suit complete with cell phone.  I half stood up, feeling a bit shaky, but then remembered cell phone and sat back down.  I’m sure I’ll be more relaxed when I figure out where the tip point is.  I had company this weekend so it will be Saturday before I get a  chance to really test it out.
On the plus side, I exited with dry shoes, a dry rear, and went back to work without ever changing.  Could never have done that in one of my [traditional] kayaks.  Also, was able to move fore and aft with no issues, again not possible in [my other] kayaks.—J.”

Kids W Kayaking

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

It’s always fun to watch kids paddling a W kayak, regardless of their age and where they paddle it.
kid jumping in fishing kayak
The sense of confidence they get from the boat sooner or later translates into visible progress, tricks and stunts.kid jumping in fishing kayak
In this case this nine year old boy had to break his own record in jumping in the kayak. We have reasons to believe he may have been hoping to capsize the boat…
He kept jumping and managed to produce a lot of spray – relatively to his weight. Then he gave a pretty impressive performance of standup paddling, which is not surprising since kids seem to find position more ‘natural’ than paddling in the lower positions.kid paddling standing in fishing kayakEventually that kid and his 12 year old brother kept fooling with their boat in new and creative ways, and ended the session by declaring -”This is fun!”kids paddling fishing kayak

Standup Paddling and Drifting Down River in Your W Kayak

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

Paddling and just drifting down a river standing in your W is a new and exhilarating way to travel and fish.
The river and scenery are experienced differently than when you’re sitting or riding in your kayak, and fishing is altogether different.
standing in a fishing kayak drifting down riverFirst of all, you can see more of what’s around you, whether it’s the water or the banks that you’re interested in. Wildlife and vegetation are more visible, and fish can often be perceived in the water when they wouldn’t be from a lower position.standing in a fishing kayak
Paddling down river is always easier than up river, and when you paddle standing you can paddle and steer at the same time by applying canoe-style J strokes on one side of your W kayak. If the stream is fast enough to carry you at a good speed you can just stand and occasionally dip your paddle to correct your course.standup paddling fishing kayak
You can also paddle fast – both on one and two sides of your W kayak. Even speed is sensed differently when you paddle standing – Imagine going down a snowy mountain slope sitting on a sled and then standing on skis… The difference is comparable, although going on snow is faster in both cases.

Paddling With Passengers Onboard Your W Kayak

Monday, April 14th, 2008

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.

Three passengers in fishing kayak

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.

Paddling Standing in a W Kayak – Another Angle

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

Being a kayak fisherman or a regular paddler you may be interested in improving your stand up paddling skills and technique. This is a short movie that shows how paddling standing in the W kayak is done on flat water:

The video also shows some ‘warming up’ exercise: Jumping up and down in the cockpit.

This image taken from the video clearly shows the W wave created by the W Kayak bow:

Top view of kayak fisherman paddling standing in his fishing kayak

Three Generations of New W Kayakers From San Diego, CA

Friday, April 4th, 2008

We’ve just published a new story about Jane, a kayaker from San Diego, California, who’s just become a W kayaker. Jane took her new 2008 W kayak paddling for the first time in Mission Bay, in the company of her daughter, her two grandchildren, and their friend.

Looks like had a lot of fun…

Jane W kayaking - Mission Bay, CA

Jane is also a seasoned Jet-ski and motorcycle rider, but that’s another story…

Goofing in the W kayakAlaris kayaking solo - Mission Bay, California