Launching
any kayak in the ocean surf isn't easy, and launching a fishing kayak
loaded with fishing gear and tackle can be even harder.
However, launching a W fishing kayak is considerably easier, and it can
be fun: You just get
the
kayak in the water and hop inside - as you can see in the demo movie
below.
How to
prevent your W kayak from broaching:
If the waves drive your kayak to a position that's parallel to the
shoreline (a.k.a. 'broaching'), all you need to do is slide to the
front of the cockpit, thus lowering the bow and making the stern go up.
The bow will act as a pivot while the waves hit the stern and make your
kayak face the ocean again.
When this is done, you
go back to paddling forward from a position in the middle of the
cockpit, and most importantly: in the Riding position.
Remember - the riding
position
is your position of choice in rough waters. Standing up is less stable,
and sitting with your knees forward isn't recommended at all in such
circumstances.
If you need to go pass big incoming waves, you should ride the saddle
from the back of the
cockpit. This makes your kayak's bow go up, so you can go over the wave
crests rather than have to go through them.
Most
important:
Before entering the water you need to make sure that you're wearing a
PFD (Personal Floatation Device), and that all your fishing tackle and
gear are secured to your kayak.
Every W fishing kayak
comes
with at least one pair of side flotation modules. The E series
(enhanced) kayaks come with two pairs.
Outfitting your W kayak with at least one pair of these side flotation
modules is highly recommended.
How to cope with side waves?
It's actually part of
the fun of
surf playing with a W Kayak - You paddle your W kayak in parallel to
the beach, and let the
side waves roll under you.
You'd need to learn how to lean your kayak into the wave just enough to
prevent it from being overturned, but don't lean too strongly or else
you might roll to
the other side once the wave has passed under your kayak.
Never
surf alone or too far from shore, and make
sure the beach is safe for kayak surfing: No underwater rocks, oyster
beds etc.
You should practice with your W kayak in smaller waves before
you tackle bigger ones.
What
happens if you capsize?
If you bail out
swiftly enough the W kayak is likely to stay right. In
such
case you can hop back in or crawl inside from the back. (Learn more in
the User
Manual section).
If the W kayak is just laying on its side, chances are the side
flotation would prevent it from overturning, and with some luck the
kayak may even right itself back. Read more about side floatation.
If
your W Kayak gets overturned close to shore, the easiest and most
sensible thing for you to do
would be to let the waves
wash it to shore. Once it's there, pull it out to shore, and drain it
by
simply overturning it. It's easy and takes little time, and you can be
back
paddling
immediately after you're done.
If your W Kayak is overturned far from
shore, you can turn it
back but when you do so one of the hulls will scoop some water
in, and you'd want to pump or scoop it out (or at least part of
it).
Keeping a hand bucket or small bilge pump onboard is highly recommended.
Do you
need a spray skirt?
Spray isn't that
much of
a problem when you're a W fishing kayak:
The W kayak features a real cockpit and higher freeboard, which other
kayaks don't have. When
you launch or go back to sea you can "climb" even big waves by standing
or riding in the back of the cockpit and leaning backward -This
way you're lifting your W kayak's bow
in a steep angle and the waves normally pass under you.
When surfing you get relatively little water in, and it is
drained to the bottom of the hulls, where even several gallons might be
unnoticed by you.
You can also outfit your W kayak with a cockpit
cover that will protect you and your fishing gear from spray.
All
our 2008-9 models come
equipped with a preparation for such a cover. You can use any
waterproof
fabric or plastic sheet to cover your cockpit in full, or partially.
What makes
the W Kayak so easy to maneuver?
1. The W500 kayak is 136" long.
2. The W kayak's patented hulls and saddle enable you to create a
powerful rudder effect by leaning into the turn, which is the
natural
thing to do.
3. You can paddle the W kayak and fish from it from the cockpit front,
middle or back part, according to your need. Just move along the
kayak's saddle to reposition yourself.
Safety: Watch for
bathers and surfers
When
paddling or surfing your
W fishing kayak you may go
overboard, especially while you're in the initial, learning phase -
Before you catch a wave you need to check and make sure that in case
you fall overboard and your kayak gets
washed
ashore it won't hit anybody. Possible
solution:
Have your paddle attached to your kayak with a long bungee leash, and
don't let go of
it if and when you're in the water.
This will help you stop the
boat from hitting people in the surf zone.
Please be courteous
Good
surfing beaches are sometime crowded. In
most
cases board
surfers have no paddle, so they are both less protected
and less mobile than you.
A collision between you and a
surfer may be harmless to you but it could be painful to the surfer
-
Always leave
surfers enough space for surfing and maneuvering, even it means you're
losing a nice, big wave... -Don't worry, there will be others, and you
can always paddle around and do other fun stuff with your W
kayak...
If you cross paths with surfers let them pass
before
you.
When launching make sure that no surfer is
being
thrown
against your W kayak by an incoming wave.
