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.
John is one of those W kayak fishermen who live in northern states (Wisconsin, in his case), and for whom every opportunity to get out and hit the water in spring (or autumn, for this matter) is a cause for celebration:
-”It was only in the forties today and cloudy but I had the day off am really getting the itch to get out and practice in the “W”.
I decided to go to a spot on a river close by which offers a safe paddling route.
The cold temperatures made me take all the safety precautions very seriously. I have been a professional firefighter for 16 years and served 11 years on the dive rescue team for the city of Milwaukee, and have seen the results of cold water tragedies.
The current was somewhat strong but the wind was calm. After spending three hours today on the river I am feeling very comfortable maneuvering around in the “W”.
It is comforting to know that I can now paddle during cold weather periods and feel safe.
Looks like it is going to be cool all week.
Hope it will warm up soon so I can take more Photos. I am also looking into waterproof video cameras.
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.
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’.
Rudders are almost a necessity in modern SOT and sit-in fishing kayaks, simply because most of these kayaks have become so wide that they lost the ability to track, which is essential for any water craft.
The increase in width is the kayak manufacturers’ response the the demand for more stability, and it comes at a price of lesser speed and poor control, I.E. lack of tracking capability that’s often coupled with lackluster performance when it comes to maneuverability.
Interestingly, no W-kayak paddler or fisherman has ever felt the need for a rudder. This fact is amazing, considering the W-kayak is shorter than most kayaks out there, and considering the fact that people are using it for multitude of applications in a wide range of aquatic environments, including long trips in the ocean, big lakes and wide rivers, where good tracking capabilities are an absolute necessity.
So what’s the problem with rudders?
First of all, they cost extra money, and good rudders cost a lot.
Second, and more importantly, they slow down your kayak, and are often cumbersome and difficult to handle. After all, there are other things you’d like to do when you’re in your kayak, such as paddling or fishing, rather than steering with a rudder.
Third, and that’s really too bad for paddlers and fishermen who go in shallow water - Rudders have a nasty tendency to get stuck in the bottom, or bump into rocks or branches down there, or get entangled in sea weed, so they limit your range of paddling and fishing.
And fourth, like any mechanical device, rudder systems can break, and their cables can get torn. This problem can turn out to be anywhere between unpleasant and dangerous, especially if you’re far from shore and the weather is getting nasty, the wind is picking up, it’s getting dark, the tide is getting strong etc.
In sum, rudders seem to be yet another necessary evil that’s imposed on the sit-in and SOT kayak fisherman, and W-kayakers and kayak fishermen should be thankful they don’t need to purchase and use such devices.
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.”
Those of you who are familiar with this blog already know Jeff McGovern is an expert kayak fisherman from Northeastern Florida, and a Wavewalk Kayak fan who has contributed great kayak fishing articles and reviews, as well as pictures and movies to our website.
When Jeff told me he was coming to Boston on a business trip it was clear we had to meet and go paddling together, rain or shine. Well, it so happened that it rained abundantly thanks to ‘hurricane’ Kyle, but that didn’t deter us, and we grabbed a couple of W kayaks and headed to my favorite spot - the Charles River Reservation.
Well, I won’t tell you any fish tales, and this alligator we’ve encountered on the bank is not a real one. It’s an amazingly realistic sculpture that a local resident put there for everyone to enjoy:
We got to Treehouse Island and landed, and discovered the place was undergoing some renovation, and was a bit of a mess. The third floor of the tree house had collapsed, and its second floor was pretty much gone too, so we couldn’t climb up and watch the Charles River scenery, unfortunately.
While we were there the rainstorm had gradually weakened, and we continued our paddling trip in clement weather…
Jeff getting ready to launch
After the trip Jeff told everyone that he had so much fun just paddling the W kayak although it had been the first time in his life to be in a boat without taking with him any fishing gear…
So, reading this headline you must have thought this post is about yet another guy paddling standing in his W kayak, but this time it’s not…
Stand up paddle boards are becoming increasingly popular among surfers, which use special, extra-long single blade paddles to paddle and surf standing.
Jason Starr, from Vermont got himself a double-blade 9′ 4″ long Wavewalk paddle, and this is what he wrote us:
-”I’ve attached a photo of me using the paddle on a Stand Up Paddleboard near Rye, N.H. I really enjoyed having a paddle on both ends and think it’s an advantage over the single blade paddles. Especially when standing facing forward when paddling for speed or on flatwater.
-Jason”
Boaters are always ready to help one another. Usually it’s motorized boaters who assist paddlers, but yesterday, while paddling our W kayaks on the Charles river in Waltham, we had an opportunity to help Anthony and Kelley, whose boat’s outboard motor had stalled.
We attached the back of my W kayak with a rope through its carry handles to the front of the motorboat.
From their motorboat, Anthony used my 9 ft long paddle, and Kelley paddled using a canoe paddle they had onboard. I paddled using an 8ft long paddle that belongs to my 9 year old son Yanay who had been onboard my W kayak and moved to the motorboat before we began the operation.
Yadin, my 12 year old son stayed in his own W kayak, and took pictures using a camera he borrowed from Anthony and Kelley.
It was a long and slow process, although the distance we had to paddle wasn’t long. After about 15 minutes we heard thunder and it started raining.
The Charles was already swollen from a previous thunderstorm, but since this part of it flows slowly the fact we had to paddle upstream didn’t seem to change much. The rain grew stronger, and after some 20 minutes more of paddling we made it to this dock in Waltham, where our cars were parked.
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. First 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.
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.
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.
The 2008 W Kayak offers two new positions: Side-Saddle, and the Riding-Over.
The side-saddle position is a stable and comfortable but static position for fishing or resting while your feet are cooling in the water.
It’s possible to paddle in this position, although not in fast moving water or for long distances. You can paddle on both sides of the boat: The one you’re facing and the one behind you. It’s not particularly difficult, and takes little time to learn. Paddling in this position can be useful when you’re fishing and you need to reposition the boat.
The new side-saddle position adds another option to choose from when you feel like changing positions and relieve your fatigue, and it’s fun!
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.
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.
Again, according to Isaac Newton’s Third Law whenever a body exerts a force on another body, the latter exerts a force equal magnitude and opposite direction on the former.
This also means that when your torso’s entire weight is combined with the weight of your thighs, and together this weight pushes down against your seat, your seat pushes back up with an equal force on your posterior and lower back.
One more, instead of having your powerful legs support your body weight, you find yourself in a position where you have to support most of your legs’ weight with a part of your body that already supports your torso’s weight.
This vertical pressure is exerted during the whole time you’re seated in the traditional kayaking position. Furthermore, it is combined with the horizontal pressure that your legs exert on your lower back (see part 1), thus enhancing the ergonomic problem in your lower back.
No wonder cushioned seats and various ‘lumbar support’ solutions don’t change much.
First, some basic mechanics:
According to Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Action and Reaction, whenever a body exerts a force on another body, the latter exerts a force of equal magnitude and opposite direction on the former.
In other words, when your legs push your feet against your kayak’s foot braces (or footrests) they also push your lower back against your seat - and as a result the seat pushes back against your lower back with an equal force.
Your legs have the most powerful muscles in your body, and they constantly generate this force from the moment you sit in your kayak until you get out of it.
The L kayaking position deprives your legs from their natural role, and together with the seat and footrests turn them into a source of ergonomic problems for your back.
All that unnatural pressure is bad for your legs as well, and this is why you suffer from leg numbness, poor circulation and sometime pain and even chronic injuries.
Today Jeff emailed me this short addendum to his fishing report from yesterday:
“I wanted to mention these two things. First not having really to lift much of anything is great. From the time I put my W into my pickup truck until I arrive home I only lift it to put it away. At the launching site in and out it’s only a pull out, lower, and drag the water (one trip by the way with all gear) then reverse when I’m done. No strain at all.
The other thing is the saddle positions you can get. I found that by bending all the way forward while seated you can stretch out the back issues and take off a bunch of strain. Nothing else allows a position like that except maybe riding on a horse, and I would guess loading a horse in my Ford Ranger would negate any gains from the position. Besides the W doesn’t eat much and you don’t have to clean it’s stall.
I had to mention this stuff because today is the best my back has felt in weeks. Maybe it’s the W maybe not.”
Why do I think this is important? It’s because you can’t overestimate good ergonomics since it is critical to the well being of any paddler and kayak fisherman, and because unlike stability and mobility it’s hard to demonstrate in a video or discuss in an article.
Whether you’re on a paddling or fishing trip in shallow water, you don’t want to have to turn back, or worse - get stuck somewhere because of underwater obstacles. Such obstacles may be rocks, tree roots, fallen branches and fallen trees that prevent you from reaching your destination, be it an interesting place to tour or a promising spot to fish in.
If you have to turn back the W solution is either to paddle backwards, or turn the boat, or turn yourself inside the cockpit and face the direction from which you came from: The W kayak is fully symmetrical front and back and it feels the same paddling forward and backward.
Another strategy you can try is poling with your paddle (preferably the Wavewalk PSP), or going over the submerged obstacle - whether it’s top part is underwater or even a few inches above water:
You position yourself at the back of the cockpit, thus raising your W kayak’s bow. Then you paddle forward full speed and try to get the boat to go as forward as possible over the barrier. If you succeeded in getting the middle of the boat pas the obstacle you’re almost there, and you’ll have to move swiftly to the front part of the cockpit and thus make your W kayak tilt forward and go over the obstacle.
It may not be as easy as it sounds, but practice makes perfect, and in this case it’s fun too.
It’s also great to know that you’ve gone where no other canoe or kayak could go…
This video shows how it’s done:
I recently visited a popular online kayak fishing forum serving kayak fishermen in a Southern state. One of the discussions in it was about the negative side of kayak fishing as the participants see them.
Most of the participants fish from SOTs and some from sit-in kayaks, but none of them fishes from a W Kayak.
These are the problematic points that the participants seemed to agree upon:
1. You really can’t do it [kayak fishing] right without getting wet and muddy. Either water will slosh into your cockpit or your scuppers will fill up. You’ll need to get about knee deep to launch comfortably, so you’ll probably encounter mud, grass, sand, or all of them (ergonomic problem)
2. You’ll have to get used to loading and unloading your boat and equipment. You’ll take 15 minutes to unload and you’ll take 15 minutes to load everything back into/onto your vehicle/trailer (storage problem).
3. You can’t take your kid fishing with you.
4. Paddling into the wind is difficult (’windage’ problems).
5. It’s very hard to relief oneself (ergonomic problem).
6. No place to keep your catch when you paddle back in. You need to tie your stringer to the side and drag it, which can be difficult and attract predators, or use the fish-in-the-lap approach (storage problems).
7. Fishing in high winds makes it difficult to cast.
8. You can’t really fish standing. If you’re accustomed to casting in a standing position (power boat, shore or pier) you feel awkward casting from a low, seated position (ergonomic and biomechanical problems).
9. Since there’s little room on deck everything is close to you and you may unintentionally “snag” nearby items with your hook (ergonomic problem).
10. Not being able to stand up and stretch after being seated for a long time - discomfort in your legs (ergonomic problem)
11. Lower back and posterior pains (ergonomic problem).
12. It can get very cold onboard (ergonomic problem)
Compare this to the W Fishing Kayak, that:
1. Offers dry launching and beaching even in difficult spots, and its cockpit protects you against spray.
2. Is a ‘Toss and Go’ boat - you can leave your gear and tackle inside when transporting it.
3. Offers enough room onboard for a second passenger
4. Enables you to paddle in strong wind
5. Offers to stand up anytime and for any purpose…
6. Offers sufficient dry and protected storage space onboard for every possible need.
7. Offers powerful casting positions such as riding and standing
8. Enables fishing standing in confidence even in the presence of wind and eddies.
9. Features a full size, spacious and deep cockpit.
10. Offers to switch between various positions and stand up for fishing anytime.
11. Enables your legs to support your torso and back in a natural posture.
12. Puts you higher on the water and protects you from wind and spray.
Kayakers call this type of accident ‘Entrapment’ (which in regular English is a juridical term…)
However, in the world of kayaking entrapment is described as a situation where the paddler’s lower body, or a part of it (E.G. leg, foot) is caught inside the hull while the kayaker is trying to retrieve it from there during a ‘wet exit’, that is while attempting to leave his or her kayak and swim.
Imagine yourself in turbulent water, your kayak overturned, you’ve been ‘pumped out’ of it (by gravity) or you’re just trying to perform a ‘wet exit’ - and you’re ‘entrapped’.
It’s not merely a stupid situation - it’s actually a very dangerous one.
How can such thing happen?
It’s a fact: Whitewater, sea and surf kayakers who paddle monohull sit-in kayaks (SIK) attach themselves to their boats with a watertight accessory called ’spray skirt’. This garment is made from strong fabric, usually Neoprene reinforced with rubber, and it’s tightly secured both to the kayak as well as to the paddler’s body by various mechanical means in order to prevent water from leaking in, or the skirt coming out of its place. Being well secured is especially important during a recovery maneuver that such SIK kayakers perform called ‘Eskimo Roll’ - when their kayak is upside down.
As in other outdoor sports the rule of thumb in kayaking is ‘Stuff Happens’. Since kayaking accidents are by definition events characterized by the reduced control the kayaker has over what’s going on, it can happen that SIK kayakers remain attached to their kayaks against their will, I.E. they are ‘entrapped’ inside to some degree.
Such situations are particularly hazardous if the accident occurs in turbulent water (E.G. big surf) and ‘rock gardens’ (beaches with underwater rocks), which is often the case.
Why am I talking about this?
W Kayaks are not equipped with such spray skirts, and W kayakers don’t perform Eskimo Rolls, and so far no one has ever reported any W Kayak accident involving any degree of ‘entrapment’.
Nevertheless, I feel it’s important to explain this issue and discuss it because it highlights the necessity for accelerating the paradigm shift in paddlesports safety: Most paddlers today wouldn’t even consider using kayaks equipped with spray skirts anymore, and they have chosen to paddle stabler kayaks rather than ones requiring paddlers to have a ‘Bomb Proof Eskimo Roll’ (I.E. 100% reliable under all circumstances). In other words, people have generally voted against those sit-in monohull kayaks (SIK) that demand a high level of expertise in this overrated recovery maneuver that too few people can actually depend on. The problem is that too many kayakers out there still use that type of spray skirt without possessing a ‘Bomb Proof Eskimo Roll’, and by that are exposing themselves to the danger of being ‘entrapped’ in their kayaks.
First 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.
The 2008 W Kayak offers two new positions: Side-Saddle, and the Riding-Over.
The new side-saddle position adds another option to choose from when you feel like changing positions and relieve your fatigue, and it’s fun! 
