First run

The S4 did very well, a lifelong boater I am impressed at both the function and obvious time spent to design a craft of such function at this size.

Wavewalk S4 motor kayak with 5 HP outboard, Hawaii

By Terry Wilkison

Hawaii

Got to go out today finally! I headed over to Kaneohe bay to run out to the sandbar a 2 mile trip and brought my beach chair along. The tide was running high so the sand wasn’t dry and I didn’t get to beach and break out my chair for a nap so I enjoyed taking a nice long walk across the bar enjoying watching the smaller fish, turtles and such that frequent the area. The S4 did very well, a lifelong boater I am impressed at both the function and obvious time spent to design a craft of such function at this size. The winds were 25 knots and while it looks calm in the pictures that is only because it was about 8 inches deep and the sandbar is quite large which knocks down the chop. Outside the bay were large breakers and inside for the trip across it was a short period 1 to 2 foot chop, the boat did just fine. I really enjoyed how I could run way up in the shallows with no concern and just how easy the boat made the trip. While the big boats could make it there quicker by the time they carefully anchored at the drop and they had to jump in chest deep I was already in the better spot! I have purchased a Garmin fishfinder and will work on my fishing set up tomorrow. Going to take it fishing on Monday! Hopefully I’ll get some beginners luck!

Mounted a 5 HP Nissan (Tohatsu) 2 stroke outboard motor on it, for a start

I’ve attached some pictures of my last 10.5 bullfrog tender.
Rotomolded sponsons. It turned me on to microskiffs before they got trendy. Slightly over powered 🙂 with a 40 hp before port n polish, carb and tuning work. I never GPS’d it because I had to keep one hand on the tiller and the other on the rail! Numbers told me it was somewhere in the 30s, it always overreved, i had a 13 inch prop but it could have spun a 17 or 19 with ease i think. It  was about 10 years old and had to retire it from service as the aluminum hull and rivets finally gave way to crevice corrosion and she would take on water. The weight and torque of the 40 hp Johnson probably didn’t help!

  • The crab pot looking power reel is locally made and called a “henry ching”, simple deep drop electric reel used for queen snapper that are down around 1000 ft.

First fishing trip in my S4 »

2 thoughts on “First run”

  1. Thank you Terry, for your kind words and great pictures, and for your patience too 🙂
    I hope you’ll have a great time with your new S4, and keep updating me and all S4 fans,

    Yoav

  2. Congrats on your new S4, you are going
    to have many of us following your reports in Hawaii.

    Can’t wait to see more.

    Tight Lines and MoPaddle Safe all.
    Rox

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