What Do The Numbers Tell Us?

How Big Is Fishing In The USA?

It’s big, very big. Here’s a quote from a comprehensive report on fishing participation published by Take Me Fishing (TM) -

Recreational fishing is a quintessential American outdoor experience and the most popular nature-based activity among adults and children alike — attracting more than 48 million participants and including over one billion outings in 2008. Equally impressive, fishing is one of the most influential of all outdoor sports, recognized as the top “gateway” activity…

These impressive figures coincide with figures published by other organizations, such as the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), putting the number of American participating in fishing between 40 and 60 million, against a backdrop of some 17 million boats registered in the US, most of which are motorized and used for fishing, among other activities.

This is to say that since most boats are more expensive to purchase and maintain than kayaks are, it would be safe to assume that the reason why only such a small and slowly growing number of anglers use kayaks for fishing is not an economic one, but has to do with kayak fishing itself: What is feels like, and what real, non-hyped advantages it offers over fishing from shore, and from other watercraft.

In Comparison, How Big Is Kayak Fishing In The USA?

Strangely, no one ever published a similar study on kayak fishing, although kayak fishing magazines and blogs often tell their readers that the sport is a fast growing one, or at least they used to make such claims until some years ago. But any way you look at it, US participation in kayak fishing is measured in the tens of thousands, and judging by the number of participants in the best known kayak fishing events in recent years, it is no longer growing rapidly: The biggest and best known kayak fishing tournaments are the Jacksonville Classic, in Florida, and the Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing tournament in New York, and neither has seen any substantial growth in recent years, although sponsorships and prizes appear to have increased. Interestingly, the only store in the world that specialized in fishing kayaks and kayak fishing gear closed several years ago, and although thousands of stores in this country offer a mix of both kayaks and small fishing boats such as canoes and dinghies, there isn’t a single store that sells only fishing kayaks and gear that typically goes with them.

Kayak Fishing Is An Unpopular Sport, But Why?

So, the base rate of US kayak anglers vs. the general population of US participants in fishing is about 1:1,000… No one can contest the fact that one to a thousand is a minuscule proportion, and arguably a negligible one.
Most people already know what kayak fishing is, and they won’t even consider fishing out of a kayak, because they see the SOT, sit-in and hybrid fishing kayak as what they really are: extremely uncomfortable, wet, and ridiculously unstable watercraft, offering sub par fishability when compared to other fishing boats.
Some people still get lured by words, images and sometimes even videos promising fun, stability, comfort and results in terms of catching fish, but the overwhelming majority of anglers who face the possibility of switching to a kayak just shrug, because they think that all types of kayaks out there are simply inadequate for fishing, at least if you consider fishing to be a leisure activity, and not an extreme sport, in the sense that practicing it is extremely unpleasant, and not sufficiently safe.
The above unflattering description of kayak fishing is not applicable to fishing out of W kayaks, obviously, but this is another subject that will be discussed in the next paragraphs.

Is Kayak Fishing ‘Irreversible’?

Is kayak fishing such an advantageous and otherwise rewarding activity that once you start practicing it you get hooked for life?
This is an important as well as interesting question, because if kayak fishing had many new participants and just a few dropouts, we could assume that it would keep growing at a healthy rate. But in reality, many people who try fishing from a kayak, and even those who purchase a top of the line SOT, sit-in or hybrid kayak and spend considerable time and resources rigging it, don’t necessarily stick with the sport for long, and they either go back to fishing from a motorboat, or upgrade to a W fishing kayak.
Simply, the hype generated by fishing kayak manufacturers, vendors and their affiliates may suffice to raise the interest of many anglers in these products, but once people are exposed to the rather unpleasant reality of the sport, many get disenchanted, and quit – “You can’t fool all the people all the time…”

Is Your Regular Kayak A Serious Fishing Platform?

How Does It Feel?

Anyone observing a person seated in a traditional SOT, sit-in or hybrid kayak cannot help wondering what it feels like… A brief observation would immediately reveal the discomfort imposed by the L posture, the leg numbness and back pain, as well as the wet butt and excessive wetness in general. Furthermore, if the observed angler happens to be activating a pedal drive, the discomfort and senselessness of their situation becomes even more apparent, and the observer can’t help wondering why would anyone want to suffer that much. Surely, there are better means to catch fish.

How Well Does A Fishing Kayak Perform – The Fishability Test

Not that well, actually -

Mobility and Propulsion – Unsolved Issues

Kayaks propelled by means of a pedal drive are rather useless in shallow water and wherever seaweed is to be found, and they require their users to operate a rudder system in addition to activating the pedals, while trying to compensate for the stability lost by not using a paddle. Rudders are hated by practically any paddler or angler, and they are seen as a necessary evil because without them most kayaks would track far too poorly, and be even harder to drive to their destination, especially under wind. Interestingly, fishing kayaks featuring pedal drives are offered at premium prices, and hyped as being most functional…
Most kayaks designed for fishing are slow and hard to paddle by the nature of their design, which means they offer a restricted range of travel, both in terms of mileage and in terms of the limited weather and water conditions in which these watercraft are safe to operate, such as strong wind, cold, fast currents, and so on.
Years ago, kayak manufacturers and vendors realized the above mentioned problems are crucial for fishing. Those who happen to be in the electric motor business launched a massive marketing campaign, touting the advantages of motorized kayaks, and by motorized they meant kayaks outfitted with small, electric ‘trolling’ motors. Needless to say that such motors must be small and weak, otherwise they’d drain the battery too fast. Following that marketing initiative, many kayak anglers have tried using electric propulsion systems, which are quiet and easy to operate, but heavy, and not particularly reliable. In real world terms, these electric propulsion systems do not extend the kayak’s range of travel by as much as most anglers really want. In sum, electric trolling motors fell short of solving the propulsion and travel range problems with fishing kayaks.

The Stability Of Fishing Kayaks, Or Lack Thereof

If you believed what most kayak manufacturers claim, you’d think that fishing kayaks are dock stable, and offer you to stand up in full confidence, and both paddle and fish in this posture. Very few people believe it, because it obviously isn’t true, and sooner or later people exert good judgement based on common sense, especially when their own safety and well being are concerned. Those who put the stability of such fishing kayaks to the real world test, find sooner or later that hype and reality don’t coincide in this case. You can’t take a mono hull kayak, or small canoe (a.k.a. ‘hybrid kayak’) and have a regular Joe stand in it in full confidence. Period. Anyone attempting to stand and fish in a mono hull watercraft that small is bound to spend both their energy and attention to constant ‘micro adjustments’ of their balance, and as soon as something distracts them, or destabilizes them, they take a swim, along with their tackle and gear.
This is true even if you outfit this kayak with small outriggers attached to its rear end, or integrated in it. Carving tunnels in the bottom of the hulls doesn’t help much either, and if the reader is interested in learning more about these technical issues, they should read this article about kayak stability >>

Fishing Kayak Ergonomics: How Much Are You Willing To Suffer?

Very few (1:1,000…) anglers are willing to suffer being locked in the L sitting posture, and having their own legs act as powerful pistons that constantly compress their lumber spine against a backrest. Kayak manufacturers have never admitted the fact that sitting in the L posture is extremely uncomfortable (painful, actually) and unacceptable for any period of time that even the shortest fishing trip takes. Without conceding that foam and gel stuffed in the seat’s backrest can’t solve the problem, these manufacturers began offering fishing kayaks featuring canvas seats that are slightly higher than the traditional foam seats… The thought behind this new approach must have been that sitting a couple of inches higher may somehow alleviate the pressure on the user’s lower back. But it didn’t happen, because mono hull fishing kayaks are not stable enough, and therefore, a passenger sitting higher in such a kayak inevitably becomes less stable, and feels less stable too, and therefore must push harder on the footrests in order to apply more pressure on the backrest – in an effort to better balance the craft, and regain control over it. This design proved to be yet another fiasco, as have all the pseudo ergonomic designs that offered more foam or more get stuffed in the backrest.
It’s one thing to be a young, fit, lightweight and of small stature as the native Inuit kayak hunters used to be, and a totally different thing to be a middle aged, non-athletic, heavier and bigger person, like the majority of people who fish out out boats are in America. Almost everyone gets it, except some fishing kayak manufacturers, vendors, and people who seem to believe in miracles…

Storage Space – A Bleak Situation

Mono hull fishing kayaks simply don’t have storage space in a sense that a normal angler is used to think about. Hatches are too small, can’t be easily reached, and they’re often leaking. Crates do not present a serious solution to the storage needs that anglers have.

So What’s The Future Of Kayak Fishing?

Does kayak fishing have a long term future?
We think it does, but only as a sensible sport and outdoor activity that would attract many more anglers, and not as the kind of unrewarding experience it currently is, which repels new participants while expelling existing ones.
The only venue is through an increase in use of W fishing kayaks rather than SOT, sit-in and hybrid kayaks. This is because W kayaks offer the solutions to all the problems discussed in this article, and some others, and these are the problems that make kayak fishing that marginal activity it has been so far in the much broader world of fishing.
Simply, as soon as realize that they can fish out of a watercraft that’s as small, nimble and lightweight as a regular kayak (not even a huge ‘barge’ fishing kayak..), and yet is as stable, dry and comfortable as a regular motorboat, and even has a similar travel range as a motorboat – they would adopt kayak fishing in growing numbers, and stick with the sport. The watercraft that combines the advantages of kayaks and motorboats, while offering better mobility than both, is the W kayak.

I had spinal fusion six years ago. I have always wanted to Kayak but I know there is no way that I can sit in the L position on a regular kayak.
I contacted Norm Craig, a W kayaker who had spinal fusion too, and he assured me I would be fine with the W500.

I love my W kayak. I have taken it out about 7 times, and my longest trip was about 2 hours. It is very easy on my back. I just bought a new life preserver today made for kayaking. I am planning on going out tomorrow morning.

I am also going to make a cushion for the seat. I am also trying to figure out how to configure a cup holder. Has anyone come up with a cool design?

Thanks again.

Laura

I’m feeling a little guilty that I didn’t have any exciting adventures to relate.
The first time out, I went to a lake with a shallow beach where I figured I could walk back to shore if I dumped the boat. I started out cautiously, right from shore, without getting my feet wet. I paddled in the shallow area for less than a minute, then headed down the lake (how’s that for quickly gaining confidence?), then all the way up to the other end (a mile?), then back down the . . . oh, oh! The breeze has kicked up. This could be trouble. A couple of mental adjustments and I was paddling into the wind and doing OK. Remember, I’m not a paddler, not ever a rowboat. I rested a bit in the lee of the eastern lakeshore then headed back to the beach 1/2-way down the lake where I dis-embarked, without getting my feet wet.
So far, nothing out of the ordinary. I initially found the boat to be tender, but that was me, not the boat. Anything that only weighs 59 pounds is bound to be tender when it’s reacting to a 235 pound novice, and the more I use it, the more compatible we become. It took a bit of adjustment to handle the paddle, which I imagine every new paddler experiences. And even though I got a couple of scares out there on the lake by digging in too hard, I didn’t dump the boat.
I haven’t been chasing fish. I realized I’m not going to be an avid fisherman but the lure is still there, and watching Fisheries pour three tanker trucks of keeper size trout into the lake whets the appetite.

I’ve constructed a rack for my car using the trailer hitch and a roof rack on the 2 door coupe. The T-bar trailer hitch rack is connect to the roof rack by two 2 X 6 spruce(strong and light) boards. Because the car is low, it is an easy chore for me to lift one end of the kayak onto the back rack and then lift and slide the boat into place on the racks. I have the kayak, strapped to the roof rack ,hanging above the car in the garage. Just lower the whole setup onto the car, screw it down and voila!

When I’ve put a few more miles on the boat and had some experience with the different situations that I’m sure will pop up, I’ll pass them on to you.

Jim



Lower Back Pain

Traditional kayak paddling technique, a.k.a. kayaking is based on torso rotation initiated from your hips. This motion is impossible to perform while you’re leaning backward (“slouching”) and it’s best performed while you’re sitting straight or preferably, slightly leaning forward. The combination of leaning with continuous, repetitive rotation puts strain on the lower part of your spine, known as the lumber spine, because it has to support your upper body even while rotating. What makes things significantly worse is the fact that while your lumbar spine is constantly rotating, your legs compress it against the backrest of your seat in order to transmit your paddling effort from your paddle, through your body, to your kayak, so as tom propel it forward through the water. This considerable force is applied constantly on your lower spine, a vulnerable area that has no other bones to protect or support it.

Regardless of how much padding your so-called “ergonomic” kayak seat my have, you will always feel discomfort to some degree, as long as you paddle either sit-in or SOT kayaks.

Only W kayaks do not require from you to be seated in the L position, and only W kayaks offer a wide range of paddling positions that you can switch to anytime you feel like it. The ability to introduce change into your posture offers to reduce stress levels from particular areas in the body, and provides relief. In addition, the W kayak’s saddle offers you the ability to stretch your body, and this feature is highly beneficial in this regard.

Sciatica

The L seated position in a kayak forces the lowest part of your spine, known as the tailbone, down onto the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body. The sciatic nerve is formed by nerve roots coming out of the spinal cord in the lower back, and it runs from the lower back down through the buttocks to the feet.

Prolonged sitting in the L kayak position can result in pinching of the sciatic nerve. As a result, you will feel an acute pain starting deep in the rear that could travel down the leg. Before such pain is felt, you could experience other, milder symptoms in your legs, such as leg numbness.

Needless to say that being unable to stand up, stretch, or merely switch to another sitting position will increase the severity of the problem.

Shoulder Pain

The rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles in your shoulder, which connect the upper arm (humerus) to the shoulder blade (scapula).

In kayaking, the rotator cuff has to withstand a great deal of torque (twisting motion), especially in turning maneuvers and paddle strokes aimed at controlling your kayak. Such force applied on the shoulder can result in injury in the the rotator cuff tendons and muscles.

Here too, being able to change paddling positions and paddling styles is beneficial, as well as changing paddle strokes, but only W kayaks offer a variety of options that are sufficiently different from each other.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Wrist Injury

Carpus is a Latin word derived from the Greek word karpos, meaning ‘wrist’. The wrist joint is surrounded by a band of fibrous tissue that normally supports it. The Carpal Tunnel is tight space between this fibrous band and the wrist bones. The median nerve passes through the carpal tunnel and receives sensations from the thumb, index, and middle fingers.

Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms include numbness and tingling of the hand in the distribution of the median nerve, that is the thumb, index, middle, and part of the fourth fingers. Carpal tunnel syndrome may be a temporary condition that completely resolves, or it can persist and progress.

Traditional kayaking technique involves repeated, typical wrist flexion in combination with wrist torsion, and can result in carpal tunnel syndrome. In order to minimize the risk for such injury to occur, you need to be able to change paddling styles and paddle strokes as often as you feel like, but the range of change and motion that common sit-in and SOT kayaks present is minimal.

Only W kayaks enable you to switch between a wide variety of paddling styles and paddle strokes, and paddle from positions that are totally different from each other , including standing up.

Foot Pain and Ankle Pain

When you sit in a sit-in or sit-on-top kayak, your feet are positioned at an unnatural angle, and they serve to lock you in the kayak, so that you keep being well connected to it at all times. This is especially true when you’re paddling and controlling the kayak, but it’s true for when you’re just fishing.

This position and activity of your feet frequently leads to injuries known as Pain in the Arches (I.E. the arches of your feet), Achilles Tendon (in the back of your ankle), and Ankle pain.

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