WAVEWALK KAYAKS

-”I was out yesterday much closer to home over at Pellicer.  I was by myself and had quite bit of time to reflect on the W kayak and just how well it does work for fishing.
It was raining yesterday and of course you have to be able to keep some items dry.  Having those 2 Rubbermaid trash cans one on each side in front of me is ideal.  They slide very easily out of the way and in fact deep enough in you can still tuck up into the bow with your knees in the hulls to fight larger fish.

Between the two cans I have all the tackle I need plus drinks, snacks, and assorted tools.

When I transport the boat I put both cans into one hull still out of the rain by the way.  The other hull gets the paddle, stakeout pole, net, etc.

I’ll have to do another short video of moving those cans around.  I think the only place I really moved one was in that rigging one months back.
Dragging the W kayak is so much easier than any other paddle craft.  Yesterday I had lots of dragging over sand bars to get where I wanted.  Most kayaks or canoes are horrible to drag.  Way too much hull contact and then they tip around throwing your gear all over.  Also retry into deeper sections is easy.  Just hop in at the edge and tip you way into the water then off you go.  Kind of like the ice paddling movie.

–Jeff”

And since this blog is about fun, here’s the movie that Jeff mentioned:

Unless you live in a waterfornt property you need to get your fishing kayak and gear form your car to the launching spot, and back.

It can’t be easier and simpler than doing it with a Wavewalk fishing kayak: Just toss your gear and tackle inside, grab the carrying handles, and drag it on practically any surface except concrete and asphalt pavement…

It’s as easy as it gets, and as Jeff points out – you really don’t want to have to carry a kayak trolley on board if there’s another solution.



Portaging (‘carrying’ in normal English) is a problem for many paddlers, especially for those who fish from their kayaks, since they have to carry their fishing gear in addition.  Jeff’s new movie shows how easy this problem is solved with his W fishing kayak: He simply drags it from the beach, up the stairs that lead to the parking, and he doesn’t have to unload the kayak first – All his fishing tackle and gear stays in, and that’s how he uploads it to his pickup truck. Cameraman: Jeff Moran.

Easy, isn’t it? -No problem, no hassle…

Dennis Vircks is a saltwater kayak fisherman from California who wrote a review on his Wavewalk fishing kayak. Dennis rigged his W kayak with a simple and effective means for long distance carrying:

-”I have to take the Wavewalk over long stretches of sandy beaches in order to launch and retrieve.

Even when empty this is a chore.

Here is my solution: One large low inflation tire placed between the stern hulls.

I chose a Wheeleeze WZ1-30UB.

The axel is a ¾ inch aluminum cylinder 29 inches long.
Holes were drilled to accommodate two hitch pin clips.

Here is how I attach it:

Take about nine feet of the anchor line (it’s already there so you might as well use it).
Make a double loop around the end of one axel.

Run the line through the provided “EYE”.
Run the line across the hull through the other provided “EYE” make a double wrap around the other end of the axel and tie off to the cleat, part of the additional rigging.
Lift the craft and bounce it to get the slack out of the line and secure the
anchor end to the cleat.

Here is the good part:

Prior to launch, remove one of the hitch pin clips and the wheel from the axel.

Insert the keeper end of the axel through a bow (or stern) caring strap.

Slide the wheel  back on to the axel, run the axel  through the other caring strap and replace the clip.

You are good to go even into Newport Harbor Channel.

-Dennis Vircks”



John Putnam is a kayak fisherman from eastern Massachusetts who likes to fish the beaches and small lakes in the southeastern part of the state, where few other fishermen venture.  The access to those places is sometimes very difficult, and therefore requires an all-terrain solution for portaging.

A kayak or canoe trolley would be expensive and bulky to carry onboard, and might not be up to the task in particularly hard to access spots.

John’s DIY solution is simply brilliant: Use the W kayak as a wheelbarrow, with a wide wheel attached in the space below the hull tips. The wheel is mounted on a lightweight, plastic tube frame, which itself can be attached to the boat with just one strap going between the hulls.

John’s ‘all terrain’ 2007 W Fishing Kayak:

If you visited Wavewalk’s website you’ve probably noticed that unlike regular surf kayakers W surf kayakers don’t wear helmets. This is because we choose our beach carefully and try to avoid playing in places where underwater rocks or other submerged objects are to be found.
Traditional surf kayakers must wear a helmet because they constantly roll they boats so they could get head injuries even without hitting a rock. Board surfers don’t wear helmets because whenever they lose balance they simply jump overboard. In this sense W kayak surfing is more like board surfing, although we go overboard much less often…

Another thing you want to avoid is to portage your W kayak over long distances. If you must do it try to choose the beach that has a parking lot that’s closest to the beach because you can drag the boat on sand and pebbles, but it’s not advisable that you do it on asphalt or concrete – In fact it would damage your W kayak in the long run.

You also want to avoid a beach that’s too crowded with bathers since paddling among them might lead to accidents.

Generally, a beach where you can see many board surfers could be a good beach for you.
Difficult spot for beaching…