W Kayaks - Questions and Answers

U.S. Patent #6871608

The W Kayak - Questions and Answers

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, Kneeling is 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 more details: Load Capacity

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 Adam Bolonsky's 'WaveWalk' - A W Kayak boat review in WaveLenghth Magazine

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 Recreation 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 click Load Capacity

Please feel free to contact us if you need more information:
Email: WaveWalk or call 1-617-916-2250