WAVEWALK FISHING KAYAKS BLOG » stabilizers

Ted Stevens, Stand Up Kayak Fly Fisherman, Florida

W kayak — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:06:59 +0000

Here are pictures contributed by Ted Stevens, courtesy of Gene Andrews, W fishing kayaks dealer in Palm Coast, Florida.

Ted is a fly fisherman who practices sight fishing: He paddles his kayak standing, and scouts for big fish (e.g. redfish, tarpon). He wants to stand as high as possible, since this extends his range of vision. Once Ted spots a fish, he instantly casts a fly at it.
Many fly kayak anglers and reel anglers sight fish while standing comfortably in their W kayaks. However, Ted wants to stand higher, so he can look further.
Unlike Kevin, who fly fishes the flats standing on top of his W kayak saddle without using outriggers, Ted added both a pair of outriggers and a frame to his W500. This setup puts him about 15″ higher than he would have been if he stood on the bottom of his W kayak hulls, and he’s perfectly stable.
The drawback of paddling from such a high level is that you lose some leverage on the paddle, so you can’t go very fast. However, if the water is shallow enough, you can push pole, like Kevin does.

Safety:

Standing as high on top of such a small vessel as a kayak means that sooner or later, the fly fisherman is going to lose their footing, or lose balance, or both – It’s a statistical fact, and every experienced angler knows that “Stuff Happens” is the rule out there, on the water.
So the real question is not “What if” but “What happens when” (-get the subtle difference?…) -
When you stand up on top of a conventional fishing kayak (SOT, sit-in, or ‘hybrid’), you need to somehow manage to fall on your knees, or on your butt, and regain your balance instantly. Good luck with that! Although it never hurts to try, you’re more likely to find yourself in the water.
But things are different when you’re standing high on top of a W fishing kayak, as Ted does: He can drop on his kayak’s saddle, with a leg in each hull, and stabilize himself while he’s in the Riding posture, which is similar to riding a jet-ski, a snowmobile, an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) – or a pony. In other words, it’s the most stable, and most powerful position you can hope to be in when you’re trying to regain balance and control in your kayak. When Ted wants to switch from standing to sitting, it’s just a matter of hopping down -

Another Good Day For Wayne Taylor Kayak Bass Fishing In Florida

W kayak — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:12:03 +0000

Fishing for bass has been Wayne’s passion for decades.
However, fishing out of an ordinary fishing kayak was out of the question for him, as it would be for most anglers. Several years ago, when he was 68 years old, he got himself an early W300 model, and outfitted it with a pair of rowing oars – He needed the extra precision in positioning his kayak for casting, and for reeling in the big ones.

Back then, the stabler W500 series was merely at an early research and development stage at Wavewalk.
Having a somehow impaired sense of balance, coupled with a talent for design and craftsmanship, Wayne created a pair of DIY outriggers to fit his his W300 kayak.

Wayne recently wrote us: -”I haven’t made any more modifications to my Wavewalk. It’s set up perfect for me.”

Bass in Fish Net

Three years ago, Wayne sent us this video showing him rowing his W300 kayak with deadly precision, from a fish’ standpoint (or should we say ‘swim point’?…).

Reade more about kayak bass fishing >>

Riding Tropical Storm Irene In The Stand Up Kayak

W kayak — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:05:26 +0000

Earlier today we took the W500 kayak to the beach at lake Massapoag, a 1 square mile lake in eastern Massachusetts, on the path of Irene – a tropical storm at that point in time.
The wind was blowing at 35 mph, with long gusts of up to 55 mph, beating the waters of this small lake to waves between 1 and 2 ft high.
Such waves are almost unnoticed when you’re paddling the W500, but paddling standing up against such powerful headwind isn’t easy, as you’ll see in this movie:

Can you jump up and down, and from side to side in the W500? -Absolutely!
Can you fall down with all your weight without losing balance at all, and rise to your feet instantly and with zero effort? -Absolutely!
-Watch this classic video and see for yourself:

The paddler in both videos is middle aged, non athletic, 6 ft tall (1.84 m), and weighs 200 lbs (90.7 kg)- He’s neither a small sized, lightweight guy, nor an athlete who just graduated from college.

The 28.5″ wide W kayak offers unrivaled stability – Much more than any other kayak, including extra wide ones, and even kayaks outfitted with outriggers.
What’s the technical explanation behind such unrivaled stability? –
Read more about stability in fishing kayaks, and the patented invention enabling this super stability >>

True stand up paddling requires a kayak that fulfills a number of basic requirements. The W kayak is the only kayak offering true stand up paddling – Interested to learn more about stand up paddling? – Continue reading >>

Brian’s Folding Outriggers for Motorized Kayak

W kayak — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:42:27 +0000

Brian Vickery, from California, is a fisherman and photographer who has special reasons to look for absolute, no-nonsense stability in his kayak, as well as total comfort.

Those of you who’ve visited our blog before already know that Brian has a genius and a passion for kayak outfitting and rigging projects-

Says Brian:

-”I have been away having left shoulder surgery, total replacement, so I am presently thinking of no more paddling for me at all. Dr says “mild” shoulder work in a few months PT time.

I put my W kayak in the water this morning and tried-out the folding amas. Wow!, when I tried my hardest to make it tip , I could not. Just like standing on a concrete floor. Solid, solid as I never thought it would be. That is saying a dickens of a lot, coming from me. I could not budge it at all.

I did find it was a tad hard to keep course though. Once the turn was made tho it kept good tracking. I think that with the two batteries and motor gone, it will sail well with a Genoa jib, and NO mainsail.

Cheers,, Brian”

Brian's sailing W500 Kayak

More on Brian’s electric motor setup for his kayak >>

NEW: read more about motorizing fishing kayaks >>

How to Save Money When Buying a Fishing Kayak

W kayak — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:50:44 +0000

Fishing kayaks can be expensive, and when you start adding the cost of all accessories you’ll find they actually cost much more.
However, by buying a Wavewalk fishing kayak you can save a lot of money (up to $1,350) just on accessories:

Rudder: Our kayaks track better than any other kayak, and require no rudder. You save $220 – $300
Kayak Seat: Our W Kayaks are yak-back free, and require no special seat added. You save $80 – $200
Kayak Rack: Our kayaks are easy to cartop and fit any car rack – No need for a special kayak rack. You save $50 – $500.
Outriggers: Our W500 kayaks are stabler and safer than other kayaks that are equipped with outriggers. With the W500 you don’t need outriggers, even with an electric trolling motor. You save $100 – $350.

Rudders are a pain to operate, they slow you down, and get stuck in shallow water and weeds.

Kayak seats are bad for your back, and can turn your kayak fishing trip into an unpleasant experience. They are even likely to get you to quit kayak fishing in the long run, because of back pain and discomfort.

Kayak racks need to be installed on your car rack, and when they’re there you can’t use your car rack to carry other things.

Outriggers are a pain to install, they slow you down, and they limit your kayak’s mobility and maneuverability. Plus they’re one more bulky thing to carry.

BOTTOM LINE: Rudders, yak racks and outriggers are annoying, and kayak seats are bad for you. Aren’t your health and peace of mind priceless?