WAVEWALK KAYAKS

I have been looking for a kayak or canoe that fits my needs for quite a while.

I love the sport, and find it a relaxing and useful mode of transportation. However, as I get “older” I found that the body does not necessarily wants to do everything my mind wants to do. I am 65 years old, 5’9” and 190 lbs having had back surgery a few years ago.

Jose stand up paddling in his W500 fishing kayak, Mission Bay, San Diego

The hours on end I used to spend paddling along the coast, around lakes and down rivers looking for thinks to photograph, enjoying the views or drowning some worms became a painful experience after half an hour of sitting in a standard kayak in the infamous “L” position.

I could not find a comfortable position and after about one hour I could not get out of the kayak in a graceful manner (actually I had to roll out on the dirt) and was unable to straighten for several hours.

I had to either stop doing what I enjoy, or find a different way to do it.

After a lot of web surfing I found Wavewalk’s website and was intrigued by the new design and its claim of ergonomic delights. I was disappointed that there were no dealers or a place where I could actually try it (or even see one,) other than in pictures and You-Tube videos, but my back kept screaming to try it and get my mind off my back, literally, so I called Yoav and ordered a W500.

As soon as it arrived, I went to one of the lakes north of Tucson, AZ and gave it a try. The lake was very busy with many motor boats so the water was choppy with lots of wakes. The W handled well and although at times felt a bit unstable, after getting used to it, it became easier to handle and I enjoyed the outing.

FIRST TRIP TO SAN DIEGO

The following weekend I made a trip to San Diego and took the W with me to give it a more thorough workout. In the calm water of Mission Bay it felt a lot more stable and easier to handle. I paddled for several hours without discomfort to my back.

Only when I tried to turn inside the kayak to paddle the opposite way (just like Yoav does it) I lost my balance and the W flipped… As I said, the body does not necessarily wants to do everything my mind wants…

I purchased a Solo Canoe paddle 280 cm. [9'1"] which is light, and can be broken down and reassembled at different featherings. After all, I am not going to do any extreme kayaking…

Heron on the river bank

LONG CAMPING TRIPS

I went camping in a long and narrow lake in the northern mountains of Arizona. I loaded it with a lot of camping equipment, water, food, etc for a 4-day trip, which was too much, and the overloaded W was riding too low on the water, and felt unstable. So the following day, with an unloaded and lighter W, I was able to paddle 14 miles in it and for about 6 hours, including breaks, side trips, etc. without discomfort, something I have not been able to do in other kayaks.

MY WIFE’S EXPERIENCE

I also tried using my W as a romantic canoe “a la Venice” with my wife in a small lake south of Tucson. However, she was very tense, and the W felt unstable since I had to compensate for any movement she made. It turned out not to be such a romantic event after all. My wife also tried going out with me in tandem one more time in San Diego, but we flipped at launching and she won’t get back in it unless I put on some outriggers … They are on order. She is going with me come hell or low water!

[Editor's note: You should not attempt paddling a W kayak in tandem unless both paddlers are well acquainted with operating it as solo paddlers. Unlike canoes, kayaks are basically solo boats, and therefore tandem kayaking is usually considered an advanced application.]

CONCLUSION

I am using and enjoying the W very much. It is fun to be able to spend long hours on a kayak again and do the things I enjoy such as photography, fishing and sightseeing in the water. Overall, I am happy with the W.

Those are my first, second, third and fourth impressions. I hope they help!

Jose

Bruce Young, from Laser Lure, sent us a couple of action videos showing him standing up in his new W500 Super Fishing Kayak… and using his Laser Lures, of course:

When we talk about Super Mobility, or Extreme Mobility, many people find it hard to imagine what it could mean.
When we say ‘Launch anywhere, go anywhere and beach anywhere’, some think it’s just another marketing phrase.
But it’s not -
This movie shows how kayak anglers and touring kayakers can go above and beyond obstacles in shallow water paddling and fishing.
Once again, our W500 kayak keeps expanding kayaking and fishing in every dimension. When compared to other types of kayaks, it is not just the world’s best kayak for touring and fishing – it’s in a league of its own.

We just got back from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for Jeanne’s family reunion. We brought all of the W kayaks along. Her family and friends had a blast and were impressed with them. It was fun for us sharing are love for the W kayaks with her family.

John

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”

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

The W300 first appeared in April of 2004, and it was called ‘W boat’. Later, its name was changed to W-Kayak, and in May 2009, when we launched the new W500 series, we renamed the early series W300.

The W300 represented a breakthrough in paddling and fishing, from every aspect:

It introduced stand up paddling into the kayak world, as well as stand up fishing. To this date, no other kayak has shown such performance, except the W500.
The W300 also introduced the W saddle, and the Riding position, as well as the freedom to switch between a variety of comfortable positions – none of which is the infamous L kayaking position.
The W300 broke the records in kayak mobility and versatility, and was the first kayak to enable its operator to move fore and aft along the saddle, thus enabling to change the boat’s center of gravity (CG), and thereby gain the best control in strong wind, breaking waves, and fast current.
This was also the first kayak to offer leaning into the turn as means to facilitate turning – a feature that some kayak designers had argued was a fiction, until we proved it to be real in online demo videos

The W300 gained fans in 4 continents, among kayakers and canoeists as well and anglers, who outfitted it with electric motors, outboard gas engines, and sails.

The W300 made people happy, whether they were 80 years old, or 5 years old. It was used for both solo and tandem paddling, and I loved playing with it in the ocean surf.

The W300 enabled people with sore backs and other health issues to paddle and fish again – Without it they would have had to stay at home, or go in a motorboat.

The W300 took 3 years to design and build. Jo Mares, a boat builder and offshore kayak fisherman from Key West, Florida, said about his 2006 W300: -”…still thrilled with the W and not have been able to improve the basic concept without detracting from it in some other way. The W really is the best”
This was an important sentence for me, since it forced me to work harder in designing the next generation of W kayak – the W500 series. The challenge we took upon ourselves was to improve everything… and today, one year after we launched the W500, it’s possible to say we succeeded:

1. The W500 weighs just a little more than the W300, yet it’s much bigger and roomier.
2. The W500 is just 12″ longer than the W300, yet its redesigned hulls make it go much faster.
3. The W500 is just 3.5″ wider than the W300, yet it’s much more stable, without being harder to paddle.
4. The W500 is a true tandem kayak, yet small children and elderly people can control it very easily.

Customers who already owned a W300 and tried the W500 unanimously said that the W500 was much better. Some of them sold their old W300, and some kept them as ‘guest’ boats

New customers kept ordering the W500, and praising it, and the W300 became so much less popular in comparison to the new, bright star, that we finally decided to discontinue it. However, we’ve kept all the customer reviews on it on our website – for sentimental reasons  – We simply love this boat

I went to Huntington Harbor on Sat. I had no problems paddling my W500 in the sitting position. I had to paddle thru a deep area to get to a shallow part of the harbor. I paddled around in the sitting position for a while in that area. After I felt comfortable, I stood up and paddled in the standing position (in the shallow area, about 1 to 2 feet deep). On the way back, I had to paddle thru deep areas and paddled in both in the standing and sitting position.
I took it slow, and I found the W to be very stable. I think my experience with SOT, ATV and riding horses helped.

I didn’t take a fishing equipment on my first trip, and will not take any while I’m learning to handle the W. After that I’ll start using the W for offshore fishing.

W loaded on Tundra to head home. My wife made the red flags about 8 years ago that I used to clip to the handles of my SOT while transporting those kayaks.

“Finally, here are some pictures for you from Alaska. We’re very happy with the Kayak, she’s brain dead easy to use.
We took her out for a few practice runs. Mostly right by our place (Hammer Slough) and Woodpecker Cove.
My wife, Bev (The Admiral) really likes the kayak, and the dog (Critter) is very comfortable now that he has rug velcroed onto the bridge deck.
I’m not totally comfortable paddling standing, yet, but I will get there.

Not much time for kayaking yet, but as soon as I get the mother ship back into full service (2 years of sitting don’t do wonders for a boat) we’re going to be using the kayak as our crab pot and shore boat.
I’m also going to use her for some halibut fishing.

Carl”

I took my W500 out to Rainbow Reservoir in Windsor Connecticut on June 30th.

June has really kicked my butt, as far as fishing goes. I’ve caught plenty of fish, but nothing over 2 lbs.

But today, the Air temps were perfect, water was 77 degrees, from 82 degrees yesterday.
Windy, and it was a pain…
Started off with the Carolina rigged worm, with a 3/8 oz weight, fan casting all around me, but the only thing I was pulling in the boat was weeds.
Went to the deeper edge with a steep drop off from 9′ to 22′, started working the C-rig there…….NADA
Went back to my confidence bait, the yum dinger, Texas rigged weedless, and started working the wood.
Remember when I said wood is good.
Well it is, I started pulling in crappies, perch, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass, but nothing with size.
Headed to a fresh tree that came down last week, and skipping my yum dinger, up and under the tree’s outside edge in 8′ of water – Let it sink, while counting to 10, as I reached 8, I felt a tick – Swung back and set the hook hard, Crap it’s Big and heavy, pulling my yak right into the tree.
I’m trying to paddle with one hand to back out, then the wind kicks up, like Gail Force.

I Worked myself and the fish out in front of the tree and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ………… Back in she goes, towing my yak back into the tree once again.
Now I’m almost certain I must have snagged a crap, because this baby was yanking me all over.
I dig in as best I could with the Paddle, and backed the yak off a good 10′ with my bail open…………reel in the slack line, and she’s still there, I stand up and really put the screws to her -
This was the moment of truth, either she’d come out of the tree with my lure still in her mouth…………or she’d be gone. I felt the weight of the fish as she popped out of the limbs, and she gives me a big howdy doooooooooo with a tail walk.
I’m c—-ing my pants, grab the net and pull her towards it, and scoop her up.

BIG Large Mouth Bass – I Get her weight, 5.4 lbs, just a hair over 22″ long.
Man if she was fat she would have weighed a lot more. Long and skinny, and recouping from the spawn.

I thanked Rainbow Reservoir for finally giving up one of her Pigs.

Life Is Good.
Paddle Safe All.
Rox

Here’s another result from Craig’s visit here:

Craig is a saltwater kayak fly fisherman who’s usually fly fishing standing in his W300 kayak in Cape Cod and Florida. He got that fishing kayak back in 2008, and has contributed a kayak review about it, as well as interesting rigging ideas.
Now he’s come to test the W500, and guess what – he became an instant fan of it.

Craig is getting a yellow W500, and we can hardly wait to see how he’s going to rig it.

The movie shows Craig fly fishing standing in his kayak, paddling standing, and doing a bunch of other things that are amazing and amusing, including entertaining a guest on board, and testing a lawn chair as a seat add-on (just stick the chair in the cockpit…).
BTW, Craig said he prefers the kayak without any added seat, which proves the W saddle is a classic