By Joe Stauder
I think Wavewalk hit a home run!
It’s hard to believe Wavewalk could improve on the stability of the 500 series, but you did!
The new 700 series is the perfect size for two adults, & Zena (my dog), in fact my wife Susan would be along with us, but today she is behind the camera. You can see though Zena was moving around (as kids & dogs do) and there was no tipping issues at all.
The fish-ability out of this craft will be unsurpassed especially in bigger rougher water catching larger fish.
I was a little concerned about the weight of this new Wavewalk 700, however it seems to be a very manageable 80 lbs. due to the four carry handles & the slightly wider design.
Pictures from our first trip on the Susquehanna river in our new Sunshine W700 –
Thanks Joe,
Zena steals the show even from the W700 😀
But that’s what kids and dogs always do, don’t they?…
Yoav
Hi Joe-
Excellent pictures. Let’s review:
You Are Standing While Paddling
Rough Water
Moving Water
Moving Dog
Zero Modifications to the Boat
Dry, Stable and Secure.
Maybe these W700s are worth investigating. 🙂
-Michael
Joe,
If Zena does decide to jump in to chase a fish or for any other reason that only a dog might fathom, do you have a safe means to get her back aboard?
I ask, not only for the dog’s safety, but to open up ideas for safe boarding of human occupants from the depths of the sea.
Larry J.
Larry,
I don’t know about dogs getting back in – it depends on the dog, I guess, and some may need help, but for humans it’s pretty easy, as demonstrated here in a British DIY W kayak (3:30 min) – https://wavewalk.com/blog/2012/11/27/my-diy-w-kayak-for-fishing-and-diving-by-berny-marsden-uk/
I would do it slightly differently than shown in the video (more slowly and more sideways), but it’s just a personal preference.
Yoav
Yoav,
I would be interested to see if any other contributors have difficulty getting back on board without using fins, for example, after a dip overboard for a swim. I am considering using a large boat fender as a drop over sponson to keep the boarding side up as I slide over the horizontal inflated fender to slip back into the W500. Just planning ahead to avoid bailing later. Been there. Done that.
Larry J.
Larry,
Few W kayakers use their W kayaks for swimming and diving. Typically, they stay inside the boat. My kids and their friends have used our W500 for diving (without fins), and never had any problem getting back in, which they prefer to do by climbing and sliding in from the end of the boat rather than from its side. This way there’s hardly any balancing issue to address. But they are young and lightweight.
If I were in your place, I’d first practice reentry in shallow water, and then gradually, in deeper water, and finally, in deep water. Progressing this way would give you a chance to learn how your W500 responds to your weight, your hand grabbing the cockpit rim, etc.
Yoav
Yoav,
The Wavewalk series tandem kayaks are so distinctly different than the sit on top or in cockpit kayaks that there are many niche uses yet to be explored. I look forward to also incorporating the W700 series into my commercial fishing operation which unfortunately is floundering due to a poor lobster season and Federal closure of dolphin fish for commercial licensees. Millions of people visit South Florida every year and only witness the ocean and backcountry creeks or bays from shore. Owning a Wavewalk tandem kayak gives people the freedom to experience the saltwater realm from both above and below the surface, affordably. Most boats down here have boarding ladders to facilitate entry back into the boat from the depths for those of us not agile enough to porpoise over the transom or gunnel. I’ll work on a simple re-entry design and report back.
Larry,
Indeed. Even the definition ‘tandem kayak’ points to a broad niche market that includes tandem kayaking, tandem canoeing, and tandem fishing.
We position the 700 primarily as a car-top fishing boat that you can easily paddle as well when you can’t motorize or if you just don’t feel like it.
In my opinion, the best way to solve a technical problem is to first make sure that it really exists… For example, before the 700 came out, we were a little concerned about the fact that boats from this series would weigh 20 lbs more than W500 boats, and we started thinking about possible ways to facilitate car topping it.
Well, it turned out that car topping a W700 isn’t that much different from car topping a W500, and therefore no accessories are needed 😀
Yoav