I bought a brand new Honda 5 hp motor and it sure is fun!
Also, the S4 paddles surprisingly well and tracks superb!
I am very happy indeed. I told my wife that I have no regrets and if I ever need another boat, I will buy one… but it’s going to be another S4! 😀
Your boat design is exactly what I envisioned. Practical and flexible. The Catamaran hull adapted to a kayak/skiff design is absolutely outstanding. I used to keep [expensive pedal driven] kayaks but that changed after I saw your S4 boat. I sold them by the way.
Now I’m planning to put up a bow trolling motor. I want the one that has a spot lock GPS.
We definitely do not recommend transporting your S4 cartop microskiff with it resting directly on the roof of your car, without a roof rack, but since it’s possible, and there may be a case where there is no alternative for doing it, here is a picture that shows how it can be done successfully.
Note that Matt made sure to protect the roof of his car with a thick and wide mattress, and he used three straps to attach his S4 to it.
The big problem is not that uploading, transporting and downloading this 100 lbs microskiff might leave scratches on the car’s paint, but the worst case scenario is that if you don’t attach it well, it might fly away, and hit another vehicle.
Attaching a Wavewalk 700 or S4 to the roof of a car that does not feature a proper roof rack with crossbars is particularly risky in long distance trips, since the boat is exposed to powerful, high speed winds, as well as sudden stops, slowdowns and accelerations that are also characteristic of urban trips.
This is to say that extreme caution is advised, and stopping every now and then to check that the boat still sits well on top of the roof is very much recommended.
Needless to say that in such trips, your motor should be transported inside your car, and never stay attached to the boat.
We ship every S4 with a paddling kit, standard, for no extra charge.
Kayak Paddle or Canoe Paddle?
Canoe paddles take less legroom onboard than longer kayak paddles do, so it’s more convenient to carry canoe paddles onboard when you drive your W700 or S4, and you need a paddle just for launching or beaching.
On the other hand, for most people, kayak paddles are more user-friendly for paddling longer distances.
Problem Solved: Two Configurations For One Paddle
We offer a 2-piece, 9 ft extra-long paddle for paddling in the kayaking style. This lightweight aluminum shaft kayak paddle can be instantly converted into 2 canoe paddles: Just disconnect its two halves from each other by pushing the button clip in the middle of the paddle, attach a T-grip handle to each half, and start canoeing in tandem.
Our paddling kit includes the above 9 ft 2-pieces XL kayak paddle and the below 2 T-grip handles –
2 T-grip handles for canoe paddles2 canoe paddles:
2 halves of the XL kayak paddle plus 2 T-grip handles = 2 canoe paddles:
The 9 ft XL kayak paddle converted into 2 standard canoe paddles
Made in USA
Tech Specs
Paddle Shaft: Aluminum
Shaft Diameter: 1.125″
Blades: Impact resistant and UV resistant plastic material
The 2024 W720 Catamaran Kayak Skiff is the new model from Wavewalk’s W700 series.
W720 Classification
The W720 is classified as a Kayak. This means that if you motorize your W720 you will register it as a motorized kayak, and neither as a boat (monohull) nor as a multihull boat, such as the S4.
2024 W720 Colors
The 2024 W720 is offered in Gator Green, which is a dark, drab, khaki-style green such as typically seen in Jon boats and airboats. It’s a color that blends well with surrounding vegetation, and as such best serves applications such as inland fishing, wildlife photography, and duck hunting. We also offer the W720 in White.
W720 Features
The W720 Kayak Skiff features the same HDPE catamaran twin-hull, spacious cockpit, and watertight, jet-ski style saddle-seat as previous models from the W700 series, and similarly, it comes outfitted with 4 carry handles located at each of its 4 hull tips.
However, the W720 comes with a built-in support (mount) for a mounting plate for outboard motors up to 3 HP, and we ship this mounting plate with every W720.
Back Pain Free Kayak
Like all Wavewalk’s boats and kayaks, the W720 features a comfortable saddle seat that totally back pain free »
W720 Weight: 85 lbs including a new integrated motor mount
The patented catamaran W720 is a more stable kayak than any other kayak out there, including the biggest, widest and heaviest SOT fishing kayaks.
W720 vs W700?
The 2024 W720 is Wavewalk’s newest model in the W700 series.
Unlike previous W700 models, the W720 features a new, higher wooden saddle bracket at the stern, behind its saddle seat, and a new mounting plate for an outboard motor up to 3 HP. The mounting plate is attached to both the boat’s stern and the new wooden mounting plate.
Together, the wooden mounting plate and the wooden saddle bracket form the W720 motor mount for outboard motors up to 3 HP.
Unlike previous models of the W700, the 2024 W720 kayak skiff is offered in Gator Green, and in White.
The W720 allows its users to attach an electric motor or a lightweight outboard gas motor up to 3 HP directly to the transom, for use as backup and/or auxiliary propulsion on top of paddling, as well as for trolling and traveling in calm and mildly choppy water.
The W720 kayak-skiff’s extreme light weight allows for easy car-topping and transportation, as well as easy carrying (portaging) over difficult terrain, sand, rocks, etc.
Users of the W720 can launch and beach it practically anywhere. Unlike other motorized kayaks, driving the W720 kayak-skiff is easy, intuitive, and effective, including launching, starting, changing gears, refueling on the water, driving standing, driving in moving water, and driving with a passenger on board. None of these things works well with other motorized kayaks, where accessing the motor from the cockpit is very hard or even impossible, and stability is poor.
Integrated Motor Mount vs Add-On Motor Mount
Older W700 models did not feature a motor mount, and they were offered with an optional add-on motor mount. The W720 is the first model from the W700 series that features a new, integrated motor mount that’s similar to the S4 motor mount. This new, standard integrated motor mount is both lightweight and strong.
We do not recommend driving the W720 in rough water
The reason – better safe than sorry. If you’re looking for a seaworthy cartop boat, get the Wavewalk S4.
Do not outfit your W720 with a motor that’s over 3 HP
W720 Advantages: The main advantages of the W720 over the S4 are its lower weight and the fact that it’s easier for one person to paddle. A typical 2.5 HP outboard weighs 30 lbs, and a typical 6 HP motor weighs 60 lbs. This means that when motorized, the 85 lbs W720 weighs 115 lbs, while a 100 lbs S4 outfitted with a 6 HP outboard weighs up to 160 lbs. It’s a noticeable difference, especially if only one user has to carry it.
S4 Advantages: The S4 is much faster and much more stable and seaworthy than the W720, and its higher volume and load capacity offer more onboard storage, as well as more room onboard for passengers.
In sum, the S4 is a high performance, seaworthy, multi-hull cartop boat that you can drive anywhere and paddle effectively, while the W720 is a stable and comfortable catamaran kayak skiff that you can paddle and drive effectively and comfortably on calm water.
Top: W720, Bottom: S4
Components of the W720 transom motor mount
3/4″ thick MDO (Medium Density Overlay), urethane coated saddle bracket that includes a supporting plate for the mounting plate.
3/4″ thick MDO urethane coated mounting plate that the user installs by means of two 5/16″ diameter bolts and two screws, and to which the motor is attached.
W720 bracket. The two arms at the bottom help prevent the catamaran hulls from splaying, and the plate at the top plate serves as support for the W720 motor mounting plate.3/4″ thick W720 mounting plate for lightweight outboard motor up to 3 HP.
Installation Instructions for the W720 Mounting Plate
The plate comes with two 5/16″ carriage bolts, two self-locking nuts, and two 1.5″ screws.
Place the mounting plate as shown in the above picture, with the side that features the screw marks facing outward (i.e. backward).
Use a 5/16 drill bit to drill through the 5/16 holes from the outside of the cockpit inwards, all the way to the other side of the support plate, inside the cockpit.
Push the carriage bolts from within the cockpit outwards (forcefully), and secure tightly with the self-locking nuts, as seen in the pictures below.
Install the two screws sightly in the two marks below the bolts.
You can apply some Goop watertight adhesive over the heads of the bolts and nuts, or spar urethane.
Attach your motor to the mounting plate.
Drive carefully.
W720 Mounting Plate – Interior View. The heads of the 5/16 carriage bolts are facing inwards.W720 Mounting Plate – Exterior View. The 5/16 carriage bolts are pointing outwards.
Do not outfit your W720 with a motor that’s over 3 HP
