Kayak Fishing and Paddling - The New Standard in Fishing Kayaks. Fishing Kayak Reviews, and Kayak Fishing Trip Reports, Movies, Pictures and Articles By and For Kayak Anglers.
Paddling a kayak in tandem isn’t easy, as anyone who tried would tell you.
Getting two teenage brothers to do something together isn’t easy either, as frustrated parents would attest.
Therefore, putting two teenage brothers in one kayak and getting them to paddle it in tandem should be considered a particularly ambitious project, unless that kayak happens to be the Wavewalk W500:
The paddlers are 14 year old Yadin and his 11 year old brother Yanay.
Their aggregate weight is 235 lbs.
Some DIY projects are special - Kevin Eastman is a fly kayak fisherman from Florida, who made a DIY Greenland - Aleutian style kayak paddle for his new W500 fishing kayak.
Contrarily to what most kayakers seem to believe, aboriginal kayak paddle were not necessarily short as standard modern paddles are, and some could be as long as the paddle Kevin made, and even longer. The decision about the length of the paddle depended on the owner’s plans for usage and paddling style, and sometimes on the availability of materials in the barren Arctic.
Says Kevin:
-I made a Greenland/Aleutian paddle for my W500. So far it seems to be working out very well, and it has the advantage of being very light. One face of the paddle is the beveled Greenland style and the other face is a flatter Aleutian style. The Greenland face allows for quicker acceleration while the Aleutian surface shines at faster speeds.
It’s 9 1/2 feet long and about 3 1/2″ wide at the tip. I made it from a 10′ cedar 2X4 and finished it in teak oil. The loom (hand hold area) is 24″. I think using cedar is the key for this long of a paddle. Using some of the other woods used for shorter Greenland paddles would make it a bit heavy.
The paddle is nearly as light as the Pacific Design paddle I use for my other kayaks, and has a very low swing weight because of the thin blades, making it easy to paddle long periods without fatigue. The flex of the wood and dynamics of the paddle also make it easy one the joints.
I took a picture with it next to my Pacific Design paddle for size comparison:
Since I’m in Florida with oyster bars everywhere, I decided to protect the paddle tip with fiberglass cloth and epoxy. So far that is keeping the oysters at bay.
The drip rings are made out of oval pieces of inner tube. These are essential since the long blade surface accumulates a lot of water that will otherwise end up in your lap.
This is a fairly easy project for anyone that is game to try. There are lots of “how to” articles to be found on the Web. It’s also the first time I’ve made one.
The paddle can be used very well without a sliding stroke, but if you need to dig in on a turn it helps out. Also when standing, the sliding stroke helps with more speed, but is not needed.
One thing it does do is allow you to keep the paddle very low around the waist when stroking and use your torso to put the power to the paddle well.
I was going to order an extended midsection for my P.D. paddle initially, but after using this, I may just be content.
I’m going to take some GPS readings to see what speeds it will cruise at vs a traditional wide paddle.
I’ll send some more pictures of my W500 when I finally decide on how I’m going to rig this boat.
I did a little umbrella sailing yesterday and that was interesting.
Most people think that paddling a kayak in flat water isn’t very interesting. They are right, when sit-in and SOT kayaks are considered, but flat wrong when W kayaks are:
This movie is one of my favorites. It shows the W300 performing like no other paddle craft before, and highlights some of the W important advantages for paddling, touring and kayak fishing.
The reason I chose to post it again on this blog is because I recently discovered how to add annotations to YouTube videos
Rod’s article has insightful observations and reflections, great pictures, and interesting links, including to his own website that’s definitely worth visiting.
Rod and his wife Toni worked together on some unique modifications and outfitting projects, including a sophisticated rudder system - Rod needs it when he sails his W500 with an umbrella! (you must see that!), a truly amazing spray deck (fairing) and an equally amazing cockpit cover, a great looking seat pad, a portable electric motor, and other smart and artistic items…
My favorite work of art is the W logo sewn on the spray deck
I have back pain and and have to say my w-500 is the most comfortable boat I’ve ever paddled. I had an unfortunate encounter with a bad chiropractor and have issues with L5 and sciatica now, and had tried SOT kayaks with bad results… but I could see the w kayak is entirely a different story after only one outing!
After I’ve had my w500 out for only 4 times and I could see that once you get your technique down it’s FAST, easily as fast as a 13′ kayak (if you’re in the aggressive mounted position)… and the leaning into a turn works really well, especially if you’re seated near the stern. I have gotten used to a milder cruising stroke in the seated position that allows me to paddle for literally hours with no problems or back pain (holding the paddle closer towards the center and letting the paddle and gravity do some of the work).
Last night I took it out into some choppier, high traffic areas and got a lot of inquiries from some sea-kayakers who were very impressed with a boat you can stand up in.
I am loving my w-500… After I’d been out about 6 times, took it out with a 230lb friend… I am an intermediate paddler and my friend had minor experience. After several failed attempts to paddle together I had him try it solo. He had a good sense of humor, and I’m not deterred! Good times indeed!
I am very comfortable paddling it by myself now and spend 1/3 of the time paddling it standing, and get tons of inquiries. I’m getting questions from Salmon fishers and sailboats (mostly because I row near a fishing/sailing boat moorage now).
I did not try my W500 first before I ordered it, I simply did TONS of research and asked many people I know who are experienced. I am one of the very satisfied customers who’s incredibly happy with his decision, it was not hasty.
I was asked last night by some kayaker where he could try a w-kayak… i said “right here, right now… pull up to that dock and I’ll let you give her a spin”
The last 3 times I’ve been out on my w-500 was to lurk outside the fish ladder and watch the salmon return to spawn, kind of fun watching 24″ fish jumping all around you, oh but I have a better view than everyone else!
I have still yet to try my w-500 for fishing, but will soon once I find a few good nearby spots, and will be sure to take more pics.
Both my husband Gary and I enjoyed the W kayak very much.
I had a hip injury a few years ago and as a result, certain sitting positions have proven difficult. When I used the kayak, it was surprisingly a very comfortable kayak. Sitting in it wasn’t difficult since I was able to move my leg by extending it, bending it and standing when needed.
Overall, quite comfortable. I am not a big person, 120 lbs, and managed to travel down our lake with ease.
When Gary used it, he found it easy to paddle. Getting it in and out of the water proved easy enough. I think we both will enjoy it for years to come.
As for problems, none with the W kayak - only with my techniques. Tend to travel to the left but I’m sure with experience, I will be able to paddle straight.
I really like my 500 Wavewalk kayak.
Previously I had used a sit on plastic Kayak (which belonged to my nephew) only to rig hurricane lines to offshore moorings in order to keep my fishing boat off the seawall during storms. I would never have considered a pleasure cruise in that tipsy slow slug.
My nephew reclaimed his SOT kayak earlier this year, and with hurricane season approaching once again, I began looking for a replacement.
Although more pricey, the Wavewalk caught my eye, and since it arrived I’ve been taking near daily trips around the shallow water here in the Keys. I love the way it glides and tracks as well as it’s ability to go in real shallow water.
By the way, I can paddle standing up but don’t seem to make as good speed as sitting down. I admit to still feeling awkward standing, but love the view it allows of our shallows here.
I wonder if I shouldn’t be able to go faster standing up since I’m using my legs too.
I’m looking forward to refining my technique.
-Francis
I can paddle my W500 standing up, fish, dine, sleep on it naturally.
I like the fact that I can change sitting/standing positions easily if I get tired.
I’ve taken it out quite a few times already over to Canyon Lake in the Texas Hill country.
Over at Canyon Lake, with the water levels lowering, most of the boat ramps are closed, so it’s convenient to have a lightweight setup that I can carry out to the water without a trailer.
In the winter, I plan to use it on the Guadalupe River for some trout fishing. I can’t wait ’till then.
Ultimately, my goal was to have a comfortable fishing rig that didn’t have the consequences of a normal fishing boat (a place to store the boat/trailer, engine/electrical maintenance, fuel) I just have a 2002 Infiniti G20 that only has a 4 cylinder engine, so trailers are out of the question. With this setup, I just mount the rig on my car and head off to the lake on the fly: after work, on the weekend, whenever. Also, in combination with a few rods readily rigged up, there’s no need to stop anywhere to delay the fun.
The first time, I flipped, but it was because I haven’t been on a kayak in a while, but the second time I was able to stand in it, carefully.
The only thing that I had trouble with is kayaking with someone else on the kayak (trying to position the heavier one in the right spot for maximum stability & trying to determine who and how they will lean into the turns so we wouldn’t flip).
-”After my wife Jeanne caught on easily on her first trip we decided to head to big water in beautiful door county Wisconsin on Lake Michigan. We faced almost record cold temps for this time of year, highs in the fifties and light showers.”
-”We didn’t venture out the first day but I snuck a little fishing in the second day on the mink river off of Rowley’s bay, lake Michigan. I had a little action with smallmouth bass and perch on leeches and a splitshot. The second day was all about taking in the scenery at cave point.”
-”Calm weather on that side of the peninsula allowed us to take in the beautiful scenery and take a little break, We did land up answering a lot of questions about the w kayaks from the on lookers at cave point state park.”
-”Something tells me that more orders from Wisconsin are going to be pouring in…
That evening on the other side if the peninsula the wind calmed down also.”
-”We headed to Ephraim bay and enjoyed glass like conditions and a wonderful sunset.”
-”We had a great trip thanks to our new w kayaks which made it enjoyable, comfortable, and safe.”
-”I also learned a lesson. The water may be calm, but don’t loose sight of the big picture, especially on the great lakes. I was standing at Cave point when a rogue wave snuck up behind me. I didn’t have a chance, the swell propelled the w forward and I went backwards. It was a clean dismount and the w did not flip. It was totally my fault and not the boats. I forgot for a second that I was on the big water. Always be aware what is going on around you knew before we headed out though that the water was a tolerable temperature, or of course I would not have been standing at all. Jeanne was entertained and I told her to snap some photos while I found a spot to empty the w kayak and get back in a wiser man.
Have a great fourth!
John and Jeanne”
-”We just got back from Huntsville State Park, about 45 minutes north of Houston. It is home to Lake Raven, a beautiful, serene and clean lake. We camped overnight there (warm night) and went kayaking this morning. Here are a couple of clips. We tried fishing, but it’s so much fun paddling & trolling that it’s mostly what we did. I even stood up while trolling and got a few stares.. At least 7 people asked me “What is it?” and I told them…”
-”This 4th of July weekend, we will be going down to the coast to try it in the bays. I can’t wait to see how it does in the surf & small waves/wakes from boats and oh, maybe do some fishing.. Will keep you posted. Noel”
Robert is an avid kayak fisherman, who goes on kayak fishing expeditions in the mangroves of Western Florida. He has a lot to tell about his fishing techniques, which include fresh live bait and paddling standing while scouting for game fish.
Robert’s first time in the W fishing kayak story is particularly educating.
Says Robert about his W fishing kayak: -”I don’t believe there is anything else out there, in this price range, with the capability of this craft.”
He rigged his W fishing kayak with super-silent paddle holders, and other interesting devices.
Jeff sent us this new movie from sunny Florida. He and Jeff Maron are scouting for fish in low tide.
Jeff paddles his W fishing kayak standing up, and as he explains, by doing so he’s able to see far enough to find a way through the maze of channels and oyster bars:
The W fishing kayak’s superior stability is not just proven - it is spectacular, and anyone who watches our demo movies is amazed by what they see.
In a nutshell, our patented stabilization technology consists of a number of unique factors working together to assure maximal stability - far more than any other fishing kayak can offer, including the widest sit-in and SOT fishing kayaks, and even fishing kayaks featuring outriggers (stabilizers).
These key stability factors are:
Maximum use of the kayak’s buoyancy: All the W fishing kayak’s buoyancy is located as far as possible from the kayak’s center line, where it’s the most effective in stability terms. This W kayak’s ‘catamaran’ feature gives it a powerful stability advantage. In contrast, in a monohull sit-in or SOT fishing kayak most of the buoyancy’s stabilizing capability is wasted by the fact that it’s located mainly along the kayak’s center line.
Maximum effective leverage: In the W fishing kayak you stand up with your feet ‘planted’ on the bottom of the hulls, that is below waterline. For example, a 200 lb W kayak fisherman stands or rides his W kayak’s saddle with his feet as low as 5.5″ below waterline. In contrast, a SOT kayak fisherman who tries to stand up on the deck of his SOT kayak has his feet at least 2 to 3 inches above waterline, with little or nothing to support and hold them in place when the kayak is tilting. This poor initial stability coupled with poor stabilization capability makes it extremely hard to stand confidently on other kayaks.
Maximum resistance to rolling: The W kayak features twin hulls that act as double ‘hard chines’. A chine is the area where the hull’s side meets its bottom. If a boat’s chines are rounded the boat would ‘roll’ more easily than if its chines were angular. Kayak designers would give a kayak hard chines when they try to improve its resistance to rolling, or in other words when they try to increase that kayak’s ’secondary stability’. This design principle is utilized to the maximum in the W-kayak’s twin hulls that offer twice the resistance to rolling and maximal angularity.
Max response time: Stabilizing yourself in a small watercraft such as a kayak is easier if you have some extra time to respond to the destabilizing event. Much of the overall instability in mono-hull sit-in and SOT fishing kayaks is caused by their poor initial (primary) stability. Those kayaks’ low effective (side) buoyancy causes them to tilt faster than stabler boats such as the W-kayak. A sudden, ultra-fast and strong change can leave you too little response time. In contrast, the superior initial stability provided by each of W-kayak hulls’ position and buoyancy makes them tilt less in terms of time and distance (depth). Therefore, each time you get destabilized in a W-kayak you benefit from some extra split seconds, as well as from a better body position, so you can react more effectively and regain control more easily.
Maximum ‘grip’ and safety: The W fishing kayak’s patented, 14″ high saddle adds two important things when stability is concerned, especially in the Riding position, which is the most effective paddling and fishing position in kayaks. First, the saddle gives you perfect grip through your legs, without using any straps. Second, the saddle offers you good safety in case you lose balance while standing up, because you can instantly and effortlessly ‘drop’ on it, and ‘grab’ it with your thighs and knees in the riding position. Other fishing kayaks are unsafe because they offer you no such ‘plan B’ in case you lose balance while standing up.
Stand up paddling capability: The W fishing kayak is designed specifically for stand up paddling and fishing, while other sit-in and SOT fishing kayaks are simply too wide, which makes them ineffective for stand up paddling due to bio-mechanical problems and poor tracking.
And what’s a kayak fishing blog nowadays without a movie? This movie is played in 4X slow motion in order to enable the spectator to appreciate how the kayak doesn’t tip over while a large size guy is jumping up and down and from one leg to another in it:
It seems like all fishing kayak manufacturers these days claim that at least one of their fishing kayak models lets you stand up and fish from. Some of them even go as far as say ‘in confidence’.
The problem with those claims is that they aren’t true, and the sure way for you to know that is by asking yourself a basic, simple and essential question:
-”What if?”
-What if you lose your balance for any reason, just because stuff happens?
And as you probably know, stuff does happen - and in fact it’s practically unstoppable… It’s usually small stuff, like a gust of wind, a motorboat’s wake, someone calling your name which makes you turn your head, a fly, a bird, a moment when you let your thoughts wander, your kayak drifting and hitting the bottom or a submerged log while you’re focusing on your line, or just a fish… Yes, some fish can be quite strong, especially those fish you’d like to catch - certainly strong enough to make you lose your balance when they bite and start vigorously pulling on your line, and most likely not in a direction that would make it easy for you…
Any of these things can destabilize you, and sooner than later it will. And then what? You’ll tip over and fall overboard, because that’s the only solution all those wishful-thinking stand up SIK and SOT fishing kayaks have to offer you. And when that accident happens you’ll get wet, and some of your precious gear and tackle (or all of it) would get lost, and that’s too bad. You might also catch a cold, or something else (read this article about the Wet Ride ).
And let us not forget that all those pseudo stand-up fishing kayaks are not stable enough to begin with: The very form and structure of those monohull kayaks is inherently unstable (read article about kayak stability). It’s helpful to remember that all of them were developed out of the native Inuit kayaks, which were supposed to enable performing the ‘Eskimo Roll’ - if you’re sitting inside… Not a practical option for the great majority of kayak paddlers, and not a solution for anyone attempting to fish while standing on top of a kayak. Understanding this is a matter of common sense - You don’t have to be a kayak designer to realize that a kayak that’s barely stable enough for you to feel fully at ease while fishing sitting cannot support a full size, adult fisherman standing on top of it, and still be safe.
BTW, none of these facts has ever prevented any kayak manufacturer from hyping their kayaks as being ’stand up fishing’ kayaks. People want to stand up while fishing, and they want small, portable and inexpensive boats like kayaks. Naturally, kayaks manufacturers want to satisfy this demand, at least verbally….
There is only one fishing kayak out there that has a real, dependable, tested solution: Our W-kayak.
To begin with, it’s the only watercraft out there that was invented and designed specifically for stand up paddling in all types of water: flat water, streams and surf. We have a US utility (invention) patent on it.
Each of the W kayak’s twin hulls offers sufficient lateral buoyancy to support strong and sudden shifts in load, which is what happens when you lose your balance. Your feet are planted at the bottom of the hulls, below waterline - exactly where you can tap the hulls’ buoyancy to the maximum.
The W-kayak’s 14″ high saddle is positioned between your legs, which is exactly where it would be the most helpful to you when you’ll need to lower your center of gravity both suddenly and intuitively in order to regain your balance and keep your kayak from tipping over.
Bottom line: Marketing hype won’t make you stabler if you try to fish standing from an inadequate kayak platform that’s bound to send you overboard sooner than later. Having no plan B when your plan A is too shaky is a strategy that you’re bound to regret.
You need a specially designed, real-life tested and truly dependable fishing kayak for stand up fishing, and there’s only one such kayak that can answer these requirements: the W.
And if you want to see it’s not just theory, here’s a three and a half minute demo movie you may like to watch:
Here is new clip of Jeff McGovern paddling standing in his Wavewalk fishing kayak, during a kayak fishing expedition with his friend Jeff Moran to Mosquito Lagoon, Florida.
“I went out yesterday with a couple of the fellows from JaxKayak. We hit the Pellicer area around 8:45AM and had a heck of nice day despite the lack of landed fish. Saw huge schools of redfish in some cases smaller groups of 6 to 8 fish would swim by within inches of our kayaks. The weather was beautiful and the area magnificent with it’s scenery. The water was like gin and in the deeper sections blue in color. I’ve attached a couple of shots I took when we landed for a quick lunch. That’s my friend Jeff Moran sitting in the W getting his waders off. It was the only place to sit comfortably where he could do that. His little [SOT fishing kayak] was not the place to try wrestling waders off, you need to sit upright for that and the W was the only place. I spent quite a bit of time standing and paddling the W searching for reds. It’s times like that you appreciate a kayak you really can stand in and paddle. I was stable, balanced, and quite comfortable, something any of the sit on top boats could not be said of.
One of the fellows I fished with had a sit on top [brand name] kayak. When we got out for lunch I noticed he was wearing rain pants on a bright sunny day. He said he had to wear them because his seat was always wet. Looking at his kayak, no kidding! He had nearly 4 inches of water in the seat well that kept coming in the front scupper holes and running back to fill the seat depression. Got to wonder what the designers were thinking. Of course I made the comment about how dry my seat was all the time. We even got into the discussion of comfortable seats in a kayak. The name [brand] came up and they do indeed make a wonderful seat. But that means you buy a boat and still have to add another nearly 200 dollars to find comfort. I of course mentioned how the W already has the best seat in kayaking and it comes as standard equipment. We are planning a trip Tuesday to Mosquito Lagoon, it’s always best if you can to go there during the week.
This is our latest wave walking video (2 minutes long):
The ocean didn’t deliver big waves that day at Jenness Beach, NH, so we had to surf play using a more subtle technique. Anyway, there’s hardly ever a dull moment when you’re wave walking in the surf. You can always find new challenges that don’t necessarily involve surfing but rather measuring your skills against the waves in various angles, turning sharply, and more. Even staying in place while being battered by small breakers can be fun, if you know what you’re doing. If you don’t you lose balance and may end up swimming, but that’s no big deal, really.
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