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U.S. Patent #6871608
CONTACT US:
WAVEWALK, INC.
83 Adams Avenue West Newton,
MA 02465,
USA
Tel:
(617) 916-2250 Email: WaveWalk
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The
Wavewalk Kayak - Questions and Answers
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What's
a W Kayak?
It's
a new, patented personal paddling catamaran that has a large size,
comfortable
saddle with a hull on each side for each of your legs.
Another
way to describe it would be two deep and narrow hulls attached together
by a saddle.
This
design enables you to to switch anytime between four basic
paddling positions: Riding, Sitting, Kneeling and Standing. While
the narrow hulls enable good speed their position on the boat's sides
offers unsurpassed stability. This arrangement also results in
very good tracking as well as maneuvering by leaning into the turn.
This website offers in-depth articles, photos and demo movies related
to each of these subjects.
How is the
W Kayak different from ordinary kayaks?
A
traditional kayak is a prehistoric, utilitarian design somehow modified (e.g.
SOT) to better fit a particular modern sport
or recreational activity.
In contrast, the
W Kayak is initially
conceived
for
modern paddlers practicing a wide range of paddlesports and activities,
including ones
that neither canoes nor kayaks may offer (i.e. wavewalking, Kayak
Skiing and standup kayak fishing). As such, the W Kayak is more
user-friendly and versatile than any kayak
while offering high performance in traditional as well as new
sports.
What
enables me to be hyper stable in a W Kayak?
The
W Kayak's buoyancy is distributed along its sides where it is most
effective, instead of being centered along its
longitudinal axis where it is mostly wasted. You
stabilize and control the W Kayak by
shifting weight from side to side using your hips, thighs and legs, and
stepping on the bottom of the hulls, below
waterline.
-See cross-section
>>>
What
makes the W Kayak more comfortable?
It's
mostly its unusual stability (primary and secondary) and the ability it
offers to switch between four comfortable paddling
positions.
The
W Kayak also
keeps you drier with its high freeboard. In case some spray or rain
gets into the cockpit it is drained down to the bottom of the hulls
where it doesn't bother you.
Additionally, the W is easier to enter and exit than an ordinary kayak
is.
What's
the best position for paddling a W Kayak?
Riding is
the most
stable
and the most powerful, Standing is fun, and if you're used to the
Sitting positions in either Canoes
or Kayaks you can choose similar ones in the W Kayak
too.
-See
photo of Riding >>>
-Click for For more information on paddling
positions
Is the W Kayak
model easy to maneuver? (Do I need a
rudder?)
The
W1 is just 122" long (310 cm), and you can create a powerful rudder
effect by leaning it into the turn
(on one hull) with most of your weight and get the external hull
almost out of the
water.
Nobody needs a rudder to track well in
it since its tow straight and parallel
hulls do the job. -Watch demo movies
Can
I paddle the W Kayak at sea?
The W
Kayak is most seaworthy and offers unusually high performance in
surfing, touring, fishing and recreational applications (Visit our
website's respective sections). In fact, the W is the only kayak that's
versatile enough to offer high
performance in all these applications.
Can
I paddle the W Kayak in tandem?
Two
lightweight adults can paddle the W Kayak in tandem, and so can one
large size adult and one child. You can
paddle in tandem using double
blade
paddles or canoe paddles. -Click for video
What
makes the W Kayak faster than similar size kayaks?
The
W Kayak's two ultra narrow hulls (Length/Beam per
hull =
20:1)
generate minimal Residual Resistance, so it can go faster than kayaks
that
are 25% longer. There are also other factors associated with
biomechanics (body function), ergonomics (comfort and fatigue),
stability and control (seaworthiness), and the dynamic application of
known advantages applied in both 'Fish' form and 'Swede' form: A W Kayaker sitting a little aft of
his boat's CG will
cause the bow to be higher than the stern and by that reduce the angle
of penetration of the hulls ('Swede form' advantage) and consequently
generate lower drag without
decreasing his boat's seaworthiness ('Fish' form advantage) i.e. its
performance in
waves or 'Real World Speed'.
For
articles on hydrodynamics, ergonomics and seaworthiness:
Articles
How
easy is it to paddle a W Kayak?
The W
Kayak is comfortable in
all positions because your legs are lower than
the rest of your
body: Only
ordinary kayaks require a
substantial back support to prevent you from falling backwards because
you are forced to keep your legs at an unusually high position
relatively to your upper body - at the same level as your
hips. For
more information see:
paddling
positions
The
W Kayak both tracks well and is easy to maneuver without a rudder -
just by leaning into the turn (Watch demo videos).
What
do kayakers say? Read some reviews
Can
children paddle the W Kayak?
Kids as young as 5 years old feel perfectly
comfortable paddling the W Kayak either sitting or standing, solo or in
tandem, on
flat water and at the beach.
For
more information visit the Children and Demo Movies
sections.
Can very heavy people paddle the W
Kayak?
Yes, but over a certain weight it could
become more difficult, especially if the heavy paddler also happens to
be very tall.
For more information go to Load
Capacity
Please feel free to
contact us if you need more information:
Email: WaveWalk or call 1-617-916-2250
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W
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Riding position: View of cockpit, saddle &
bottom of the hulls
Wave walking
W shaped cross
section of a W Kayak
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