WAVEWALK KAYAKS

Mike is a retired sailboat broker who doesn’t believe in ordering a boat without first seeing it. So he drove all the way from upstate NY to Sharon, Massachusetts, where he saw the W500 kayak, tested it, and took one back home with him.
This is what he has to say now, several weeks later:

I live in Rochester NY and I have been fishing from kayaks for the past 15 years.
I’m a retired sailboat broker with over 40 years sailing experience, and I hold a USCG maritime license.
My last fishing kayak was a [12' long, popular sit-in brand].
Being a 220 # male with some physical limitations, including arthritis, knee, mobility and lumbar issues, my sit-in fishing kayak was getting very difficult to use. I was thinking I was at the end of my kayak days due to my physical limitations, and this is why I’ve become interested in W kayaks, since I thought this craft will overcome them.

Prior to the W kayak, the [brand name sit-in kayak] was as good a fishing kayak as was available. The W has totally raised the bar. Launching / landing it is actually enjoyable, and standing up is remarkable.

My maiden voyage:
My new W500 and I went on our maiden voyage, and I had a ball. I haven’t stood up in it then, as I took my time getting used to how it handles. I landed / launched it about 10 times and did some basic turning. A number of kayakers were intrigued at the new craft. It transports solid as a rock now that I figured out my system.
I was very pleased with the W and my progress on that initial trip with it. With my knee and back limitations, I knew I’d be advancing slowly.
I’m very grateful for being able to get out on the water again at all. Being able to launch and land easily is more than worth the cost of the W. I am now thankful that I’ll get many more years on the water.
I think it would make a fabulous yacht tender too.

Next voyages:
Well I’ve had my W out about 5-6 times so far, and I want you to know how happy I am with my purchase decision. I was paddling by a major canoe / kayak facility yesterday and noticed I had drawn some attention by the staff and a few of their clients. I couldn’t resist the urge to stand up and proceed paddling around a bend until I was out of their sight. Awesome.
I’ve been in 2-3 foot chop on a local bay with no problems. I’m not pushing myself, just going along as my confidence and experience builds. I haven’t been able to turn around in the cockpit, as my knee range of motion is too limited. It is wonderful to be able to go ashore at will.

- ‘High-Beaching’ W Kayakers’ Style -

I want to thank you again, and I’m sure your design will give me another 10 years on the water.

Please use me as a local resource for demo purposes, as I would be glad to let prospects touch and see my W and possibly try it out if my timing works. I would be very glad to show my W to anyone in my area that has some interest.

I think you have one hell of a nice product.

Mike Ratigan, Rochester NY

NEW: Read how Mike rigged his W kayak for fishing >>

NEW: Mike becomes Wavewalk’s first dealer. Read more about it >>

Here’s a link to a new, funny blog post about Compulsive Kayak Fishing Disorder (CKFD).

Some anglers refer to themselves as being ‘fisholic’, and that’s basically the same thing, although phrased in different pseudo scientific terms

That new article is amusing, but it’s also serious, since anglers and paddlers who spend too much time in sit-in and SOT kayaks can develop chronic pain, especially in the lower back (yak-back) and eventually be forced to quit kayak fishing and paddling, as many do – and that’s too bad.

Enjoy the read, so you may enjoy the ride!

Here’s another ‘myth busting bomb’ on the Painless Kayak Fishing blog: It’s called “Kayaks, Back Problems, Lumbar Support – and the Simple Truth”

Basically, it details how sit-in and SOT kayak seats don’t offer lumbar support but rather inflict lumbar abuse on kayak paddlers and kayak fishermen alike.

Personally, the more I think of it the I’m outraged by what’s going on in the kayak market, and professionally, I’m dumbfounded by the fact that you hardly hear anybody talking about these big and painful issues that affect so many people.

It may be a ‘dirty little secret’ for those kayak professionals who are aware of it, but it’s a major problem for all those regular people who don’t.

Yoav




Kayaking, Leg Numbness, Leg Pain and Sciatica is the latest blog post on the new Painless Kayak Fishing blog.

Something tells me that it’s going to make some people angry, but it’s also going to give food for thought to a lot more people – paddlers and fishermen who are either considering kayaks, using them, or have already given up because of back problems, which are at the root of most leg problems.

This new article examines the roots of lumbar back pain that so many people suffer from when paddling their sit-in and SOT kayaks and fishing from them. It’s called Lumbar Spine and Kayak Back Pain: Facts. It’s a must read because you won’t find this kind of discussion anywhere else, and if you like kayak fishing or just kayaking you obviously have concerns about your back.

Tim Kerr is a kayaker, and member of a kayaking club in Buffalo, New York. He came to West Newton, Massachusetts, tested the W500, and ordered one right away. Here is his review:

Buffalo, New York. June 29, 2009
The Wavewalk W500 has allowed me to return to the water!

After suffering from sciatica that developed after using my single hull kayak earlier this year, I searched for a more comfortable boat. Not only did I find the Wavewalk, I was immediately taken with its unique design that allows people like me with degenerative disk disease (I’m fifty-one) to lay back and rest, sit up straight or even stand and stretch out.

Kayaking is not for everyone but the Wavewalk opens the door for so many people that may have tried the sport and then gave it up because it just plain hurts their back. I’ve got a crushed disk that hates it when I stick my legs forward and then try to paddle as in a single hulled boat. The “saddle” combined with the twin hulls in the Wavewalk is a great invention.

I took the boat into the inner harbor in Buffalo. I didn’t try to lift it myself, I’ve got to be careful about such things. I brought along two extra items, a little waterproof pad to sit on, and a camera box on a leash. Attached are some pictures taken on my second day out. I spent the entire morning in the boat without back pain. The next day I was fine–no sciatica.

PS, I drove nine hundred miles in two days to try this boat, to be sure it was right. I’m glad I bought it. I’m “back” in the water again…

Tim Kerr

Tim beaching and getting out the W way: From the front, and without getting his feet wet

Added June 27, 2009:

-”Crossed the Niagara River last week. Was I the first in a Wavewalk? Paddling is going well. Going out to Lake Erie to play in some waves for the first time today…. Getting used to carrying it on the car and made a shelf in my garage for winter storage.”

Update from August 2009: Tim’s first movie W kayaking on Lake Erie, Pennsylvania

November 2009: Watch Tim’s Kayak Reentry Movie From Niagara River, NY

Norm Craig, a from Rhode Island, had serious back surgery only months ago, and realized he couldn’t go fishing in a canoe or a regular kayak. He became the first fisherman to use our new W500 for kayak fishing. He wrote this fishing kayak ‘mini review’ immediately after taking it on water for the first time, and today he sent us his second impression:

-”Beautiful morning with the big W:

The ‘Yak Back’ is a popular name given to a condition caused by paddling traditional sit-in and SOT kayaks, and fishing from them.

The ‘Yak Back’ symptoms include leg numbness and cramps, discomfort in the hips and buttocks, pressure and pain in the lower back (lumbar) area, and premature fatigue.

Paddlers and fishermen suffering from Yak back feel a strong urge to change positions, stand up, walk, and stretch.  Early Yak Back symptoms can appear as early as half an hour from launching, and they tend to aggravate as the hours go by.

It is not uncommon that people who paddle sit-in and SOT kayaks and fish from them develop a chronic Yak Back condition, manifested mainly as an acute sensitivity to pressure on their lower back, and sometimes even chronic lower back pain that forces many of them to abandon kayak paddling and kayak fishing.

The Yak Back is the result of being seated in an unnatural position often called the ‘L position’, in which your own legs push your lower back against your kayak seat’s backrest. The pressure applied is constant, and generated by the most powerful set of muscles in your body, which is why cushioning the seat’s backrest is quite useless.

Traditional sit-in and SOT kayaks offer too little stability to begin with, which is why as a paddler or fisherman who uses them, you’re required to keep your center of gravity (CG) as low as possible by sitting as low as possible and throwing your legs forward. As you do that, your legs change roles from naturally supporting your upper body to actively pressuring it in your spine’s lower part, which is a vulnerable place.

Native people of the Arctic who invented kayaks never used backrests, because they were used to sitting this way, so they didn’t need lumbar support. However, this is not an option for you because without a backrest you’re likely to find it impossible to keep your body in the L position for more than a few minutes.

The W kayak is the only kayak that offers your legs their natural role in supporting your upper body in your balancing, control, paddling and fishing efforts. Since your legs support your upper body you don’t need a backrest to support your back, and therefore there is nothing that can cause you discomfort, fatigue or pain.

The W kayak also offers you the possibility to switch between a variety of different paddling and fishing positions, including standing, which helps you stay fresh and comfy, and avoid Yak Back symptoms.

For these reasons the W got its nickname ‘Back Saver’.

Read more about ergonomics in kayak design.

UK researchers recently published an article about the beneficial effect of good posture in the British Medical Journal . According to this work, about half the UK population suffers from back pain from time to time, with up to 15% having chronic problems. They found that back pain is the second biggest cause of sick leave.
These British researchers found that long-term back pain can be relieved through encouraging sufferers to adopt good posture through the Alexander technique, which teaches patients how to sit, stand and walk in a way that relieves pain by focusing on their coordination and posture.

-Why are these findings important to kayak fishermen?
Because it’s likely to assume that most people who suffer from back pain are adults, and the older one gets the more likely he/she are to suffer from back pain. This means that if children and young people can afford to overlook bad posture when paddling kayaks and fishing from them, most adults can’t ignore them, and they should give these issues some serious consideration.
The time you spend paddling and fishing is when your back should get a relief from stress induced by bad sitting postures during long hours at the office or in your car. This time should be used for relaxation and easing your back problem rather than aggravating it.
The traditional L kayaking position is worst for your back than just sitting in the office or in car, which is why most people who fish from kayaks feel uneasiness and often even pain just from staying in this position. Kayak fishermen often experience a strong urge to switch positions, stand up, stretch their legs and ease the pressure in their lower back and the fatigue in the upper back, neck and shoulders. However, regular SIK and SOT kayaks don’t offer any relief for this problem.
This can help us understand why some W kayak fishermen have called their W kayaks ‘back saver’ and ‘back therapy’ – By this they mean that a good posture and the ability to switch between positions makes them feel good, and this is really important for them.

Ben is a fly fisherman from Pennsylvania who opted for the W kayak.

In a new review he tells about the things he’s doing with his new 2008 W kayak, and about the way he rigged it to be a perfect fly fishing boat.

Among a lot of interesting things Ben has to say about his W kayak fly fishing experience, this is what struck me the most -“I’m loving the W– after 12 hours in it in a short period my back still feels good, although I suffer from chronic back issues. After 8 hours Friday I knew when to quit, when it started getting tired.”

Anyone who’s suffered from chronic back pain could appreciate this.