microskiff cat – Page 93 – STABLE KAYAKS AND MICROSKIFFS MADE BY WAVEWALK

THE BARGE, A NEW CLASS OF FISHING KAYAKS

The title of this piece should have been: “The Barge – A New Class of Fishing Kayaks, And Why It’s Even Worse Than You Imagine”… 😀 But long headlines are not elegant, so it got cut. Most people know what the term Barge means when kayaks are referred to: It’s a big, wide, long, heavy kayak that’s hard to car top, hard to carry, hard to launch, hard to paddle, and hard to beach. A Barge is a kayak that’s slow, and doesn’t track well, hence the expression “A barge to paddle”.

The title of this piece should have been: “The Barge – A New Class of Fishing Kayaks, And Why It’s Even Worse Than You Imagine”… But long headlines are not elegant, so it got cut.

What is a ‘Barge’ kayak?

Most people know what the term Barge means when kayaks are referred to: It’s a big, wide, long, heavy kayak that’s hard to car top, hard to carry, hard to launch, hard to paddle, and hard to beach.
A Barge is a kayak that’s slow, and doesn’t track well, hence the expression “A barge to paddle”.

Manufacturers and vendors who offer barge kayaks often claim their products are so stable that you can stand up and fish from them. Some vendors would even get some dude to perform stability tricks in front of a camera, while standing up on their barge kayak, but few people fall for this kind of advertisement, and those who do soon learn not to trust improbable advertising, and they learn it the wet way, after they fall overboard :D…

So far, I don’t think I’ve provided any information that’s new to the reader, but I had to lay the foundation for this article on a common and solid basis, so bear with me.

Here is the main point of this article:

Barge Kayaks are Hazardous to Paddle and Fish From

Seriously, they can be, and that’s because fishing kayaks are used by real, everyday people like yourself, in real, everyday conditions. Life is neither a commercial video, nor a glossy ad.

Everyday people are not Olympic paddling champs, and they’re often both overweight to some extent, and not very fit. The average kayak angler is middle aged, and many kayak anglers are elderly folks. Unfortunately, these are the same people who would normally purchase a barge yak, because they are concerned about the instability of narrow sit-in and SOT kayaks, and may not want to pay for a W kayak.

So why is a slow and hard to paddle fishing kayak potentially hazardous for such people?

Simply because in the natural world, which is where real people paddle and fish, you’re bound to get into unfavorable circumstances – sooner or later, unless you paddle and fish in a tiny pond, preferably close to home. Such circumstances usually involve changes in the weather, and since everyone has experienced such things, there’s no point to elaborate on that.

When bad weather happens while you’re seated in your kayak, you’d rather not overturn it, of course, and it is assumed that barge kayaks can normally handle this challenge – not always, and not as well as W kayaks, though… unlike other kayaks that are too unstable for that. However, if you happen to be away from shore in bad weather, being in a barge kayak could turn out to be a bad experience for you, and it may even lead to an accident, because you could find yourself unable to get back to your launching spot, or worse – go back to shore in any part of it. If back to shore means getting back to a beach, and the place you’re paddling and fishing in is the ocean, or a big lake, you’re in trouble. Big time.

This is because big bodies of water (E.G. ocean, lake, big river) also have currents in them, and the combination of wind and current is just too powerful for you to deal with when you’re paddling a barge kayak. Waves would likely swamp you. You won’t be able to direct the kayak to safety, and you’d be drifting somewhere you don’t want to go to. When this happens, you may find yourself in an even worse situation as night comes.

So try to imagine yourself wet, cold and exhausted from useless paddling efforts, your back is killing you, and you’re drifting somewhere in the darkness, in your barge yak. Scary, eh?

Again, the heavier, older, and less fit you are, the higher the chances you’d let some kayak dealer sell you a barge yak, and at the same time the heavier, older and less fit you are, the more likely you are to get in trouble because you’re paddling such a vessel…

Well, life is unfair, sometimes, especially to those who don’t take it seriously, and don’t imagine worse case scenarios that unfortunately are part of many outdoor recreational sports, including kayaking and kayak fishing.

It doesn’t make much difference whether you propel your barge yak with a paddle or a pedal drive – You’s better not venture too far from shore with it, especially in unfavorable weather circumstances, or when there’s a good chance that the weather could change for the worse, because such change may very well be unfavorable, and even dangerous to you.

Do you have any questions for us?

Full W500 Kayak Review, by Gary Johnson, Texas

I am 61, 280lbs, retired, 100% disabled, veteran Navy Officer. I have a very bad back resulting from damage done while I was on active duty. My back has 4 bad disks in the lower end, three bad disks in the neck, and pinched nerves going to my legs. Added to this I suffer from Fibromyalgia. My meds for the most part keep the pain at a semi-manageable level, but the hurt never goes completely away. If I can help some other Vet or civilian with frequent orthopedic pain be able to enjoy kayaking it’s good enough for me.

I think it is important to clarify why I am passionate about the WaveWalk W500 Kayak.
I used to be an accredited Canoe instructor, and have taught lots of Boy Scouts how to make a canoe go straight. For me a regular kayak makes “Pain Management” impossible. I have tried conventional kayaks and NONE OF THEM give me the freedom to stretch and move that I require in order to keep my back from cramping up and making fishing pure hell. The W500 was my last hope for a personal watercraft. If it weren’t for the W500, I couldn’t be a kayak owner – my back will not allow me to sit in a regular kayak for more than about 20 minutes.
The W500 allows me to move into positions that relieve the pain from where it is hurting the most and have it hurt somewhere else for a while. I found the ONLY KAYAK AVAILABLE that allows me complete freedom of movement – something none of SITS or SOTS can claim. I will match my W500 up against anything the SITS or SOTS have shown me, especially since I can use the W500 and I CAN’T use the others. It does bother some other yakkers though that I always have easy answers for the problems they are trying to solve…
I think that eventually I will manage to give HOPE to disabled people that Kayaking is not something beyond their capabilities.

Before I found the W500, kayaking was beyond my capability. You couldn’t have gotten me in a kayak for a days fishing on a bet. I would have passed on an all-expenses paid fishing trip with a guide who was fishing out of kayaks. I COULD NOT HAVE STOOD THE PAIN. Hurting just isn’t worth it.
In late January through early April the white bass will be running in the rivers near me. Kayakers have a field day getting into water that others can’t get to. I plan on showing the W500 off to many of those guys and will offer free rides. They will be bundled up in their waders and still be getting wet. I plan to entice them with a DRY RIDE.
I promote your product on the net for FUN. Its something I believe in and would like others who have the same problems as I do to have the freedom to participate in kayaking without hurting themselves more.

The biggest problem I have faced with my W500 is the comments from non-believers. Some of the things they say can be painful if you don’t have a thick hide. They make their comments UNTIL they get on the water with me. I then do things like reversing direction in the kayak and watch their faces. I also make a big deal about stretching and twisting, standing up to show that I am completely free to move as I desire.

I needed a stable kayak, that kept me dry (I mean 100% dry except for sweat) and after almost a year’s search finally decided that a WaveWalk W500 was the ticket. You are welcome to come to my home and try mine out on our neighborhood private lake. I offer this, because I had to buy mine sight unseen, untried, acting only on faith of others testimonials and several phone calls to a preacher in Corpus who owns one. The W500 is stable enough to not only stand in, but to paddle standing up. If you get wet in one its your own fault or because you decided to go wading. It has so much storage space that is so accessible that a crate isn’t needed. Unlike conventional kayaks I have a seat that is 6 feet long that I can sit anywhere on. I can stand, bend, twist, do anything I desire and stay in the kayak. Without doubt I feel I made the right choice, and I am however, a completely satisfied customer.

I read the Texas kayak fishing boards (texaskayakfishing.com and the kayak section of www.Texasfishingforum.com) and just laugh. “Regular” kayak owners complain about lack of stability, lack of storage space, wet butts and wet feet, etc. An owner of a W500 has NONE of these problems. Take launching for instance – in a regular kayak you wade out half the length of the kayak and then get in – WET already. In a W500 I walk down between the hulls for 2 1/2 feet and step into the cockpit pushing off with the last foot on dry land and have launched completely dry. Landing I do essentially the same. To land I merely slide back in the seat, thus raising the “bow” and paddle or push quite far up onto the beach. I then slide up to the front pinning the hull tips to the beach and walk out between the hull tips – DRY.

Don’t believe the hype you will hear from folks who have other kayaks, and criticize the W500, because they have no idea what they are talking about (99.9% of whom have never even seen a W500 much less paddled one) that the W500 won’t turn, is hard to paddle, won’t track. Phooey on them. I can turn a W500 literally in place using 2 methods they don’t have in their arsenal. IF I need to change direction immediately I just turn around in the kayak (don’t try this in a regular kayak) and paddle the opposite direction OR I slide to the back of the seat lifting the front tips and do a couple of back paddles on the same side of the W500 and pivot in place. Regular turning is no problem either. Anchoring is another problem solved in a W500. A regular kayak MUST have an anchor trolley to be able to keep the anchor in the proper position to keep the kayak from going broadside to waves. The anchor trolley moves the anchor from place to place. In a W500, I can move from the back to the front of the kayak and I can move the anchor with me. I do have an anchor trolley on my W500, but its for MY CONVENIENCE mostly with Drift Socks so I can move the socks in small increments to keep me in position on a drift Quickly so as not to interfere with my fishing.

The WaveWalk kayak will keep you completely dry (no scuppers for water to enter to soak your butt) both on using the kayak and upon getting in and out of the kayak. The W500 has more storage than I can effectively use (14 cubic feet). I use a crate, not because I have to, but because it allows me to have a convenient place to fly my 360 light and flag from, and a place to keep my anchor and drift sock where it is instantly available should I need it. I use an anchor trolley because it makes the adjustment of where an anchor is located, not because I have to. Unlike those who use a conventional kayak and are largely confined to one place, I have a 6 foot long cockpit seat that allows me free access to the kayak tips on both the bow and stern which are interchangeable since the kayak can be paddled equally well either direction as they are exactly the same. You talk about turning – I can turn on a dime by sliding back to the rear of the seat and giving a couple of back paddles and the W500 will swivel in place. I can reverse direction simply by turning around in the cockpit and paddling the other direction. I don’t need to add flotation as that comes standard in the kayak tips and no it does not use up some of my storage space. Can anyone who has a regular kayak even approximate these features?? The features are as they are, and I will be posting about the merits of the W500 because I believe for the big guy and more importantly for the person who has disabilities that the W500 is the best kayak going.
It is so much easier to throw a cast net when you don’t have to do it from the sitting L position, and it’s so much easier it is to get things from your crate and from the 14 cubic feet of storage in the hull tips, if you can turn completely around like in the cockpit of a W500.

I did a lot of research before I finally settled on the WaveWalk W500, and I am glad that I can continually point out the things that are HARD OR IMPOSSIBLE from a regular Kayak that are so easy from a WaveWalk. It is most important to me for DISABLED KAYAKERS to know about the only kayak that I can own and actually use. As I have said before, my legs and back will not let me sit in a regular kayak for more than about 30 minutes before I have to get out. The having to get out is true for both paddling or sitting one place fishing.
The other fun and easy stuff like having max storage space, having max stability, ability to throw cast nets, are just gravy, because if you can’t get comfortable in the kayak, then you won’t use it and the subject is moot. IF I had a fishing kayak with the pedal drive I could not use it, and would not use it, because my disabilities keep me from using it. That said, after having a WaveWalk W500, I would still not use a pedal drive kayak even if I could. There are just too many other advantages to the WaveWalk that I would want to take advantage of. Why would I use a kayak with reduced capability and comfort???”
Give me a call or better yet come and paddle my W500,

Gary Johnson

Fishing Kayak Stand Up Paddling Tricks – Demo By 11 Year Old Kid

11 year old (almost 12, actually…) kid performs stand up paddling and kayak stability tricks for the camera: The paddle he uses is not the typical, 9 ft long Wavewalk paddle, but a shorter, 8 ft long version, and it’;s possible to see that he could use a longer one for stand up paddling.

11 year old (almost 12, actually…) kid performs stand up paddling and kayak stability tricks for the camera:

The paddle he uses is not the typical, 9 ft long Wavewalk paddle, but a shorter, 8 ft long version, and it’;s possible to see that he could use a longer one for stand up paddling.

What Is Kayak Back Pain, and What Does It Mean For You?

Definition of Pain: Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. Pain plays a critical role in our survival and well being, because it motivates us to withdraw from potentially damaging situations, avoid those situations in the future, and protect a damaged body part while it heals.

Definition of Pain

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.

Pain plays a critical role in our survival and well being, because it motivates us to withdraw from potentially damaging situations, avoid those situations in the future, and protect a damaged body part while it heals.

Pain is usually initiated by stimulation of the peripheral nervous system, that is the nerves in various parts of our body. These nerves are connected through the spinal nerve to our brain, where we become aware of the pain.

The Nerves Involved In Kayak Back Pain, Leg Pain, Etc.

The sciatic nerve is a large nerve fiber that begins in the lower back and runs through the buttock and down the lower limb. It is the longest and widest single nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve supplies nearly the whole of the skin of the leg, the muscles of the back of the thigh, and those of the leg and foot. It is derived from spinal nerves L4 (in Lumbar vertebra # 4) through S3 (in Sacral vertebra #3) in the lower part of our spine.

Meaning of Back Pain When You’re Kayaking, or Kayak Fishing

Any unpleasant sensation you feel in your body while kayaking or fishing from your kayak, is a sign that something is wrong, so you need to pay attention to it, and do something about it:

Your legs getting numb is a sign that means you should change positions, stretch, get up, and get things in order.

Pain in your legs, or your lower back means something is seriously wrong, and you’re either risking physical damage, or actually causing it just by being seated in the L position, whether you’re paddling, resting, or fishing.

Pain means you need to stop paddling and fishing, and try to ‘unkink’, stretch, stand up, walk, do some physical exercise, etc.,

You shouldn’t ignore pain, because the longer you feel it, the less likely it is that it’s just a warning of a possible damage, and the more likely it is to be either a sign of actual physical damage in the making, or worse – damage that’s already done.

What To Do, And What Not To Do

Paddling and fishing in the L sitting position while you’re feeling back pain is bad for you. By doing it, you’re actively prolonging your healing period, and you may even be increasing the damage in your back. This is especially true if you’re suffering from chronic, frequent, or acute back pain.

When you consult with other kayakers and kayak anglers, or with kayak outfitters, kayak fishing guides or kayak dealers about the pain you feel in your back, some of them might dismiss pain as being unimportant, and complaining about it as ‘unmanly’. Others could even brag about their ability to keep paddling or fishing despite the pain they feel. In our view, anyone telling you to ignore your back pain is being irresponsibly wrong, and you should not listen to them. You’d better listen to what your back is telling you, don’t ignore it, and take it seriously, and you’d better consult your physician.

If you’re advised to take pain killers while you’re kayaking, or kayak fishing, you’re being given a bad advice, since that would double your risk: You could be aggravating the damage already caused to your back, and possibly turning it into severe damage, and on top of this you’ll be increasing likelihood of becoming the victim of a kayaking or fishing accident resulting from numbed senses and slower reactions. Needless to say that the same is true for drinking alcohol, and for the same reasons, and in some states drinking alcohol while being on board a small boat is illegal, and could get you in a lot of trouble.

Conclusion: You’d better not operate kayaks while suffering from a sore back.

Seeking advice from a physician specializing in back problems, and even from your primary care physician is likely to help you better understand you back problem, avoid aggravating it, and eventually solve it.

What Does The W Kayak Offer To Your Back?

1. Different basic sitting positions:

When you’re operating a W kayak in the unique Riding position, your legs support your upper body’s weight, similarly to when you ride a horse, or an ATV. This means there’s simply no backrest for your legs to compress your lower back against. The W kayak is unique, and all other kayaks (I.E. sit-in and SOT) feature a system including footrests in front of the paddler, and a backrest behind them. Such kayaks require that you sit in the infamous L position, with your legs stretched in front of you – constantly pushing your lower back against the seat’s backrest, and thus creating a condition that often leads to pain and injuries among kayakers, and kayak anglers.

2. Various ergonomic positions to switch to, anytime:

When you operate a W kayak, you can switch between Riding, Sitting in several postures (none of which is the infamous L position), Standing up, and Lying down on the saddle, in several postures. This means you can effectively ‘unkink’ , rest, stretch – both standing up and lying down, and relief local fatigue and stress in any part of your body, while still being in the boat, and operating it. None of the positions offered by the W kayak is potentially harmful.

‘First Impression’ Fishing Kayak Review, by Gary Johnson, Texas

Gary is a 61 year old, disabled war veteran from Texas, and he’s also a fairly big guy (6’2″ / 280 lbs). Gary conducted a thorough investigation before ordering his W500, including a call to another Texan W kayak angler and wave walker … Gary also spent some time discussing his purchase plans for a W500 with ‘members’ of an online, Texan kayak fishing discussion forum, who made some strange comments about the W500, as none of them had ever seen one, and most of them are affiliated with other fishing kayak brands, one way or another.

Read Gary’s full review of his rigged W500 fishing kayak >>

Gary writes:

“I took the W500 out for her maiden voyage this afternoon on our 14 acre lake. The W500 was easy to launch and my feet stayed completely dry. The launching area we have is totally unimproved and is rather steep. Neither the steepness, nor the unimproved nature caused any problem with launching. Landing was another story – I learned how to sit in the very back of the kayak to lift the front pontoons up out of the water. On the 5th attempt I was able to drive the W500 far enough up onto the bank for me to get out of it – again with totally dry feet. The 5 attempts were not caused by the Kayak not performing rather my timidity on getting far enough back on the W500 to adequately lift the front end sufficiently.

I had initially thought I might want to add an electric motor for powered use – NOT ANYMORE!! Paddling the W500 is so easy and even going into a 10mph breeze it was almost effortless. For those who say the W500 won’t glide and won’t track straight I say you are FULL OF HOOEY!! Paddling couldn’t have been easier – in fact too easy – I’d like a paddle with a blade twice the size of the one I purchased. It almost felt like I was overpowering the paddle blade and not being efficient. I got the 9 foot paddle and I wish I had gotten the longer one.

Getting used to being in the W500 took about 1 lap around the lake (approximately a mile). I learned quickly that when you first are starting and the kayak seems “Tippy”, grabbing onto the sides of the kayak is NO HELP. Raising my hands and bringing the paddle up to my chest stabilized the W500 quickly. I also found that as I became accustomed to being in the W500 (its like learning to ride a bike again) that if I would concentrate looking where I wanted to go or even looking to see if I could see fish ahead of me made all the initial “Tippiness” go away quickly. Looking at the kayak is of no help whatsoever. I can say I spent over a hour in the W500 and I never got wet – I also haven’t tried standing up, but I have gotten comfortable changing where I was sitting, sliding up and down the seat, etc. Don’t worry – sliding up towards the bow or all the way back to the stern will not cause any problem whatsoever and the kayak will not flip. Trust me, I am a BIG guy (6’2 1/2″ and about 280 lbs), and if it won’t flip for me, it won’t for you either. Someone as big as 325-350 lbs should be safe in the W500, and no you won’t sit so far down in the waterline as to take on water. Its not going to happen. The Specs say the max load is 360 lbs – I say hooey – it will handle much more than that.

Now comes the rigging of the W500 for fishing. I purchased 2 flush mount pole holders on eBay – no not the slanted ones like come on the W500 if you desire, but 90 degree ones. I plan on using one very far back on one of the “stern” pontoons as the holder for my fluorescent flag and 360 degree light mast (all in one). I am getting one of TekTite’s lights and installing it inside a piece of 1 1/4″ PVC (actually 3 pieces about 18 inches long each that will connect together using 1 1/4″ PVC fittings. The flag will mount on a piece of galvanized rod that goes through holes bored through the PVC. My fishing pole holders will be above deck mounts that are removable so if I am fly fishing I can remove the ones which would tangle my fly line. I am still trying to figure out how and where to mount my hand held GPS and where to mount my Fishin Buddy II depth and fish finder.

My wife bought me one of the huge frozen food bags from Costco to use as my fish bag. Last I have to figure out what I am going to do for anchoring and which kind of boxes to use for storing lures, etc. Rods will store easily. The W500 has a large amount of storage space, it just will be a search to find the boxes, etc that are the correct size to fit the storage.

Pictures will be coming soon and please wish me good luck on trying to stand up the first time.

I have also figured out that I am going to have to get one of those automatic inflatable life jackets. My regular one is TOO WARM for the amount of exercise you can get paddling a kayak. My shirt was wet when I was done. Wet means COLD in the winter, and I plan to use the W500 all winter.

Gary Johnson”

Read Gary’s full review of his rigged W500 fishing kayak >>