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THE PROVEN SOLUTION TO YOUR KAYAK FISHING AND PADDLING PROBLEMS
Hundreds of people every year try kayak fishing and quickly abandon it as an uncomfortable and unsatsfying experience. It should be more popular. Kayaks are relatively cheap, and in theory you should be able to paddle to you favourite spot, catch some fish and paddle back to shore having had a very enjoyable time.
Wet butts, sore backs, poorly performing craft – these things lead to the kayak being abandoned in the shed. Our W500 will give you the experience you expected. Let us demonstate it for you.
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Our Kayaks
The W500 Series
2013 MODELS
Specifications
DIMENSIONS
Total Width: 28.5″ (72 cm).
Weight: 59 lbs. (27 kg) without added accessories.
Hull Width: 8″ (20 cm) in the cockpit area.
Saddle Width at Bottom: 12.5″ (32 cm)
Internal Hull Length: 136″ (345 cm) available for storage.
Cockpit-Opening Length: 72″ (183 cm). Internal cockpit space is longer, in the hull tips.
Cockpit Height: 17″ (43 cm) from the bottom of the hulls.
Saddle Height: 14.5″ (37 cm) from the bottom of the hulls.
Storage: 14 cubic ft. (100 gallons ; 0.4 cubic meter) of internal, dry, always accessible storage space, inside the cockpit, hulls, and 4 hull tips.
Material: Rotationally Moulded HDPE (100% Recyclable). Made in USA.
Maximum Recommended Load (MRL): 360 lbs. (163 kg).
The W kayak is symmetrical both left-right and front-rear: Bow and stern are interchangeable.
The entire internal space of the hulls is empty and protected, and serves for storing camping and fishing gear. Passengers occupying the cockpit can conveniently access this 250 litre (66 gallons) dry storage space at all times.
This new type of watercraft is a catamaran in a hydrodynamic sense, since it features two full-featured hulls.
The passengers’ feet reach all the way down to the bottom of the hulls, which also serve to store gear on board, and therefore, the use of the term ‘pontoons’ (floats) to describe this kayak’s hulls is technically incorrect. Draft at 91kg Load = 100mm (200 lbs. Load: 4″)
Recyclable
Recommended Load (MRL) -
equal to the kayak’s internal volume minus the space used by the passenger/s.
The storage space includes the kayak’s two hulls and its cockpit. The passengers can easily access their gear anytime, and the gear stays dry under
normal conditions. The cockpit can be partially or entirely covered by a cockpit cover.
in total, including passengers and all the gear they carry, store inside the hulls or attach to the kayak.
failing to comply with our recommendations could damage it, and might even be hazardous. More info >
W500 Series Models
| Model | Features | Price |
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R
Roaming
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The R kayak comes with one pair of detachable flotation modules. It features eyelets for attaching the flotation modules below the saddle. It comes with 4 standard ergonomic carry handles, and 1 Wavewalk Paddle – no fishing rod holders. |
$1709.00 |
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T
Touring
|
The T kayak comes equipped with two pairs of detachable flotation modules for easier recovery, full deck rigging, a preparation for a cockpit cover, 4 standard ergonomic carry handles and 1 Wavewalk Paddle. It has no fishing rod holders. |
$1858.00 |
| Te Touring Enhanced |
The Te kayak model is the same as the T, except it comes with three pairs of flotation modules that you can install both under the saddle and on the sides of the cockpit. This system is designed for easiest recovery. The Te is better suited for moving water and ocean touring than the T. It also comes with 1 Wavewalk Paddle. |
$1954.00 |
|
F2
Fishing
2 Rod Holders |
The F2 is a fishing kayak featuring 2 flush mounted rod holders. It comes equipped with 2 pairs of detachable flotation modules, full deck rigging, a preparation for a cockpit cover, 4 standard ergonomic carry handles and 1 Wavewalk Paddle.
|
$1869.00 |
| F2e Fishing 2 Rod Holders Enhanced |
The F2e fishing kayak is the same as the F2, except it comes with an additional pair of detachable flotation modules, for easiest recovery. The F2e is better suited for moving water than the F2. It features 2 flush mounted rod holders. |
$1986.00 |
| F4 Fishing 4 Rod Holders |
The F4 is a fishing kayak featuring 4 flush mounted rod holders: 2 in front of the cockpit, and 2 behind it. It comes equipped with 2 pairs of detachable flotation modules, full deck rigging, a preparation for a cockpit cover, 4 standard ergonomic carry handles and 1 Wavewalk Paddle. |
$1875.00 |
| F4e Fishing Enhanced 4 Rod Holders |
The F4e fishing kayak is the same as the F4, except it comes with an extra pair of detachable flotation modules (total of 3 pairs) for easiest recovery. The F4e is better suited for moving water than the F4. It features 4 flush mounted rod holders. |
$1995.00 |
| Custom |
We are able to supply deck mounted fishing rod holders, clamp on fishing rod holders, motor mounts, or we can fit your own fittings. Enquire.
|
P.O.A. |
Common kayak paddles are not long enough for adults paddling W Kayaks. To learn more about our extra long, multi-purpose, extra-rigid, composite, durable paddles, please visit our website’s paddles section
Some Important Facts You Can Check:
- It’s the world’s most stable kayak by far, even stabler than kayaks equipped with outriggers.
- t’s the most comfortable kayak, offering you to switch anytime between various positions, so you can avoid fatigue, leg pain, a sore back and a wet butt.
- It’s the easiest kayak to paddle, since it tracks better in strong wind, and requires no rudder.
- It’s the only kayak offering true stand-up paddling and fishing in safety and confidence, with a 14.5″ high seat ready for if you lose balance, so you don’t have to swim
- It’s the most mobile kayak, enabling launching, paddling, fishing and beaching where other kayaks simply can’t go.
- It’s the roomiest kayak, offering several times more storage space than any other kayak, and room for a second passenger
- It’s the most versatile kayak, for any weather and water condition you need, including cold water, shallow water and the ocean surf – even in tandem
- It’s the kayak that offers you both the best performance and best value, since you save a lot by not having to purchase a special car-rack, a rudder, a seat, and outriggers
Long Trips
W500 on the Car
Long Fishing Trips -
Touring, Sea Kayaking and Camping
Long fishing trips at sea, on fast moving rivers and even on flat water are very demanding – both from you and from your kayak, and you expect to enjoy them, obviously. This article discusses the problems you’re likely to encounter, and offers ways to solve them.
Can you stand a long paddling and fishing trip?
First, you’d better consider your own ability to withstand a long kayak trip since ordinary (E.G. monohull) kayaks are notoriously uncomfortable, and both paddling and fishing for long hours in the traditional L kayaking position could prove to be an experience that you may want to avoid altogether.
All fishing kayak models that are not using the W design have only this paddling position to offer, and they don’t enable you to paddle while sitting in other positions or in the riding, kneeling and standing positions. This is bad for the blood circulation in your legs, and may cause fatigue and back pains. If your fishing trip is meant to be enjoyable then you should feel comfortable both paddling and fishing.
Is your kayak safe to begin with?
The second thing you want to consider is not less important, and it’s your safety: You may decide to use a special, slender touring or sea kayak that’s designed for long trips, but if you’re not an experienced and well trained sea kayaker you may be looking for trouble since those kayaks are very unstable, and are designed to make it easy for their passenger to roll them on their side, which isn’t something you’re likely to consider – let alone be able to accomplish without extensive, constant training…
Is your kayak friendly to you?
The third issue to examine in detail would be the overall ‘friendliness’ of the kayak, or in other words – is it designed for long trips?
As you may have noticed, in most cases the term ‘Fishing Kayak’ is a glorified code name given by manufacturers to an over hyped recreational kayak design to which various fishing related accessories were added, and the term ‘Recreational’ is a common codename for wide and sluggish kayaks that don’t track well (I.E. tend to zigzag). The truth is that any monohull design can be either stable or fast, and never both, and this is true for all types of vessels including kayaks.
And if you think that any long monohull kayak is also a fast one including those very wide ones labeled ‘Fishing Kayak’ you’d probably want to try paddling one for more than 20 minutes and see how it feels: You’re likely to find that in order to move such a big kayak in the water for a long period of time you’re required to provide a physical effort that you’re simply not prepared to make…
As for a rudder, it would add an element of complexity to your paddling experience, and keeping things simple is always better. A rudder would also increase the drag generated by your kayak by 10% in average, which in other words means that whatever energy you’ll manage to save by going straight instead of zigzagging you’re likely to waste because of your rudder.
And there’s also the issue of exposure to consider: Are you willing to be wet during most or all of your fishing trip? -Both sit-in and sit-on-top (SOT) kayaks eventually get you wet whether from spray or from the scupper holes. Spending long hours wet and exposed even in warm weather can become unpleasant after a while, and it can turn to be more than just unpleasant in cold and windy weather: It’s actually dangerous.
Storage space is key
The fourth issue you’d better evaluate carefully is storage, which is problematic in both traditional, sit-in and sit-on-top (SOT) kayaks. Going on a long fishing trip means you need to take more gear with you, and it also means this gear is more likely to get wet.
Hatches offer a poor storage solution since they are small, and in many cases they’re not totally watertight. You’re also prevented from accessing the gear stored inside hatches while you’re on the water paddling or fishing…
Technically speaking SOT kayaks are not boats but take more after the paddle board from which they initially evolved, so they don’t have a real cockpit to speak of but rather an area on the deck that the manufacturer labeled ‘cockpit’… In other words, they don’t offer any serious storage solutions for long fishing trips.
Sit-in kayaks do feature a minimalist cockpit that may or may not be enough to accommodate both you and your gear – especially if the cockpit is a closed one and you’re one of those who considers legroom and freedom to stretch to be basic human rights…
The primary thing for you to consider would be the level of comfort and ergonomic design of the fishing kayak you’re planning to use for long trips.
You cannot use a kayak that’s too small since it won’t go fast enough, won’t track well and you won’t be able to take sufficient gear with you. Going on a long fishing trip with your kayak requires different preparations and a kayak that’s good both for fishing and touring, which is contradictory in some ways, unless you use a W-kayak.
Extended Fishing Trips in a Twinhull Kayak?
Of course! – Polynesians have roamed the vast Pacific and Indian Oceans for millennia in their catamarans and outrigger canoes.
What do you mean by ‘Comfort’?
Since you’re spending hours at a time paddling your kayak you want to reduce fatigue and physical impact to a minimum, and eliminate them when possible. The W Kayak offers 6 different, comfortable kayaking positions that you can switch between, and thus minimize fatigue, back pain and other unwanted, short and long term physical impact. All these paddling positions are more ergonomic than the traditional L kayaking position.
You want a kayak that keeps you dry without forcing you into a tight rubber skirt, and doesn’t force you to sit for hours in a puddle.
With so much freeboard, and the ability to raise the bow by moving to the back of the cockpit and climb waves, your trip in the W Kayak is likely to be a dry one. If some spray or rain gets in it’s drained to the bottom of the hulls, and the saddle eliminates the need to marinate in a traveling puddle.
Easy Launching, Easy Beaching and Highest Mobility:
You don’t want to have to drive more, or paddle more just because your kayak does not enable you to launch or beach somewhere. The W Kayak assures that you’ll always be able to find a location that’s suitable for either launching or beaching, and in most cases stay dry. In fresh water it’s extremely rare that you even have to get your feet wet, and even ice is not necessarily a problem anymore. At the beach you just hop in or out of the boat.
And what about maneuvering?
Paddling a long Touring kayak is not easy in the surf or in rapids. The W Kayak gives you the highest level of Control and Maneuverability in tough conditions. In fact, you can even use it for surfing and in whitewater.
Speed and Stability?
When kayaking in a group you want to be able to keep up with the others who may have fast boats, but you don’t want to struggle to keep your boat from capsizing, so you don’t want to sacrifice stability for speed. The W Kayak speed is comparable to that of 13 ft long kayaks in all water and weather conditions, while it’s stability is beyond anything offered by any paddle sports boat. The W kayak is fast, stable and comfortable enough to enable you to tow another boat.
Is the W Kayak easy to carry and handle?
The W Kayak is molded from highly resistant Polyethylene (PE), so you can simply grab a carrying handle and drag it on the ground (soil, grass, bush, roots, sand, rocks etc.) without worrying much about it getting damaged. This enables you to put in and take out in spots that are not necessarily a few yards from where you park your car. The W Kayak weighs 56 lb.
Versatility and storage space:
Not all trips are the same. In one trip you may need to carry plenty of gear and in another time take a child with you. You may even want to use a canoe paddle in such occasion. The W Kayak offers you all possible choices. It has more storage space than any other kayak, and it keeps keeps the gear dry and within your reach anytime. Your passenger can spend hours with you in the cockpit and both of you will be comfortable.
Is the W kayak a good tracker or easy to maneuver?
It’s the only kayak that’s both: Catamarans are known to track well, and the W Kayak shares the twinhull design with them. But it’s also very easy to maneuver a W fishing kayak since you can apply your weight on the hull that’s ‘inside’ the turn and use it as a powerful rudder. It’s called leaning into the turn, and it can’t be done with ordinary (i.e. monohull) kayaks.
Watch DEMO VIDEOS
How to cope with side waves?
If the wave is not breaking on you it’s likely to pass under the boat in most cases, even if it’s fairly big. You have to lean in its direction and keep your balance as your boat tilts in one direction, and then in the opposite direction after the wave passed. Watch DEMO VIDEOS
Dry suit, wet suit or neither?
It’s really up to you to decide. In cold water and/or cold weather such suits are recommended regardless of the type of boat you’re paddling.
Please always wear a PFD when W kayaking!
How do you outfit your W fishing Kayak for sea kayaking?
All W-kayak models come with side floatation modules, and for paddling in the ocean and on fast moving rivers we recommend double side flotation (models F2E, F4E and TRE).
Do you need a spray skirt?
You don’t, but in order to increase dryness you can cover the front part of the cockpit with a plastic sheet or some other watertight material attached to the cockpit with the preparation for cockpit cover that comes standard with every W-kayak – It works.
Is the W-Kayak better than a sea kayak?
Originally kayaks are native hunting boats, which isn’t necessarily a good start for a sea touring boat for present days kayakers.
The W Kayak is not as fast as the longest and fastest sea kayaks, but otherwise it can deliver a better experience in a long fishing trip, and it’s the best fishing kayak out there.
Story and Boat review in WaveLength Magazine:
“This is a boat designed and constructed to liberate a paddler from concerns about paddling form, good technique, expeditions, navigation, rescue ops or one’s rank in the pecking order of local paddling hotshots.”…
-”This is a craft designed for fun, for simplicity of trips, and even, as the craft’s site shows, for surfing three to four-footers.”
Adam Bolonsky – WaveLength Magazine 08/2005
For full text see: Wavewalk Fishing Kayak Reviews
In case you have questions or comments please feel free to email or call us
About Stability
WHAT IS STABILITY?
In naval terms it means the ability of a watercraft to maintain equilibrium or resume its original, upright position after displacement, as by the sea or strong winds. This article discusses lateral stability and not directional stability i.e. tracking, which is discussed in other articles on this website.
Before going further the author of this article would like to stress that in his opinion the idea of relying on the kayaker’s skills in performing the ‘Eskimo Roll’ as a primary resource in safety terms has largely failed since the overwhelming majority of people who paddle kayaks in recent decades has ignored it, and increasingly so. The reason for this is that rolling is basically a method of recovery and not a means of prevention. This explains why most manufacturers and kayakers apply common sense and prefer to prevent accidents rather than focus on unreliable recovery techniques.
Primary (Initial) stability refers to what the kayak feels like when used in flat water – Does the kayak convey a basic sense of ease and confidence as far as its stability goes?
This approach is mostly passive and regards the kayaker as a load having certain physical properties such as height, width and weight.
This approach in W kayaks takes into account the kayaker’s physical attributes such as size and weight, as well as his/her physiological attributes namely his/her natural propensity and obvious capability to balance himself/herself through the use of the legs, feet etc.
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One Simple Question
For a clearer understanding of this point we recommend that the readers ask themselves the following:
-”Would I consider sitting in the traditional, L kayaking position when surfing, riding a horse, riding a snowmobile, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), a jet ski etc.?” The correct answer would obviously be “Definitely not!”, and this is because all these sporting activities require active and efficient balancing, which is best achieved through the use of our legs, and for this purpose the L kayaking position is among the worst imaginable. |
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Figure 1
This figure shows a cross section of a W Kayak and its 5.5″ (14 cm) draft when loaded with a 200 lb (90 kg) passenger.
The red arrows show where the kayaker applies his weight with his feet at the lowest point in each hull’s bottom – in this case 5.5 inches below waterline. |
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This figure shows a monohull kayak (left) and a new, W500 kayak (right) of identical length and width – Both kayaks are viewed from the bottom.
The vertical, interrupted lines represent the center line of each of the two kayak forms. The white colored areas represent those buoyant parts in the kayak that are sufficiently distant from its longitudinal axis to effectively contribute to its stability. Although the monohull kayak on the left is wide for its length, the white areas in it still make just a small part of its overall volume. In contrast, the white areas in the W kayak on the right represent 100% of its total volume, and they are several times bigger than the white areas in the traditional kayak.
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______________ A. B. C.
Tunnel Hull
In other words, most of the tunneled hull’s buoyancy is wasted when it comes using it to increase lateral stability, which is also the problem in other monohull designs (E.G. SIK and SOT).
It’s easy to see that with its sides considerably less buoyant than the sides of a multihull kayak a tunnel hull kayak cannot possibly be as stable.
Interestingly, the tunnel hull kayak is less buoyant than the hull of common monohull kayaks (SIK, SOT). In other words, the tunnel reduces the kayak’s load capacity, which decreases both its primary and secondary stability.
If the monohull kayak’s tunnel is made deep and wide enough, and its vertical sides have the right form (see example in figure 4) they can act as additional ‘hard chines’ and thus add some initial resistance to rotational motion. This is far from being comparable to such effect in a catamaran kayak because the tunnel’s sides are shorter than the boat’s overall length while in a catamaran kayak (E.G. W kayak) the hulls’ length is equal to the boat’s overall length.
In stability terms it means that on still, flat water certain tunnel hulled kayaks could feel more stable than comparable common monohull kayaks, that is offer a little more primary (initial) stability than a traditional SIK or SOT design. However, this potential advantage is likely not to be perceptible since it would be offset by the tunnel hull’s deficiency in buoyancy.
A tunnel hull kayak may not provide additional stability for significant weight displacement of its passengers, and it wouldn’t be useful in moving water, waves and other adverse conditions: The secondary stability of a tunnel hull kayak does not exceed that of a regular monohull kayak of the same size and proportions, I.E. it’s considerably less stable than a multihull kayak.
In a tunnel hull kayak the paddler or fisherman sits with their legs stretched forward and the trunk only a few inches higher than the ankles. This position hardly differs from the notoriously non ergonomic L kayaking position, and therefore hardly offers any improvement as far as the ability to use the legs for balancing, control and power generation while it still forces the passenger to rely on a back rest for support, consequently causing fatigue and discomfort, which are additional disbalancing factors.
Incorporating a tunnel in a monohull can be an effective means for improving tracking as the tunnel enables water to flow in a straight line (I.E. not deflected or ‘curved’) along the hull, in parallel to the direction of the boat.
Similarly to a rudder, the tunnel has a negative effect on speed.
In motorized boats the tunnel can help the hull plane but this is irrelevant in low speed boats, especially human powered ones such as canoes and kayaks, which are the slowest.
Introducing a tunnel in a monohull kayak places the passengers higher than in a regular monohull kayak without having them benefit either from significant increase in stability or significant improvement in their paddling or fishing position.