This year, we started an experiment with local dealers and international distributors who are basically W fans with neither storefront nor prior experience in the kayak business. This experiment proved to be a success, with all having sold W kayaks, and some even making multiple orders.
Our dealers in upstate NY and in the Midwest sold W kayaks not just locally, but also to clients from other states, as well as to clients from Canada. Our distributor in the Netherlands sold W kayaks in his country and in neighboring Belgium, and our distributor in Norway and Sweden was surprised to get a mail order from a duck hunter living hundreds of miles away, who didn’t even bother to come over and see the product before ordering it. Our dealer in Houston got orders for 5 W kayaks in one demo day he organized. One of the clients who picked up a boat from him that day drove 160 miles from San Antonio, and stayed in a motel the night before, to make sure he’d get the W kayak in the color he wanted…
Such stories are normal for us at Wavewalk, and we’re happy to see that our distributors, wherever they are located, are beginning to experience similar things.

Our dealers and international distributors proved to be both creative and productive – Our dealer in Wisconsin developed a way to camouflage the W500 kayak for duck hunting, and posted instructional videos on his website and on YouTube. Our distributor in New Zealand developed a new type of flotation. Our distributor in South Korea successfully rigged a W500 with a powerful outboard gas engine, and our dealer in Minnesota picked up the idea and improved the transom motor mount.
Their efforts resulted in Wavewalk developing two new products: The 502 series that can be outfitted with extra-large side flotation, and an off-the-shelf transom motor mount that fits electric tolling motors as well as outboard gas engines.
These new products are already selling, and our clients are both excited and satisfied with them.

During this year, we’ve learned to work closely with our dealers and distributors, and they’ve learned to provide various services to their clients, including live demos, outfitting, repair, and even finishing and assembly in the case of those who’ve made big orders.

We’re looking for new dealers and distributors in the US and overseas, but we’re also expanding our direct sales, such as in Australia, where we’ve started advertising and selling factory direct as a matter of routine.

This year, more than ever before, our clients proved to be a valuable source of information, ideas and support, both for us and for other W clients. They’ve provided interesting trip reports, pictures and movies, innovative rigging solutions, useful tips, product reviews, and some of them have even battled our competitors in online discussion forums that are not always friendly to us   Both our clients and distributors helped us choose the additional Sand color that we introduced this year, and it turned out to be popular among our new clients.

We’ve produced some amazing and cool videos this year, and a bunch of new technical articles, some of which have become quite popular. Our YouTube channel movies got over 280,000 views this year, a 50,000 increase compared to the year before, and in addition, videos posted by our dealers and clients got thousands of views.  The number of visits to our website was 10% higher in 2011 compared to 2010, and the average time spent per visit increased as well. We hope this means more visitors are finding our website more interesting

The only things that remained unchanged this year are our absolute commitment to our customers, and the fact that our W kayak has no match when stability, ergonomics, mobility, versatility and overall fishability are concerned. As Rox put it – “nothing like it, nothing better”.

THANK YOU ALL, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!

Yoav

The new 502 W kayak series features the same hull and deck rigging as the 500 series. However, the 502 series models come with an additional feature: They are outfitted with a set of 4 Nylon eyelets (tie-downs) on each side of their hull (total of 8 eyelets). These additional eyelets enable attaching a pair of extra large (XL) detachable flotation modules to each side of the W kayak – a total of 4 XL flotation modules.

What Is Extra Side Flotation Good For?

This extra side flotation increases the kayak’s recovery performance, in the sense that it’s less likely to tip over or flip, and if it does, recovering it would be easier. This is especially important if the kayak is outfitted with heavy accessories such as deck mounted rod holders, rowing oars, a motor, a sailing rig, etc.

Note: There Are Drawbacks In Having Extra Large Size Flotation -

Additional side flotation makes the kayak wider, and therefore less efficient for paddling: Each extra large (XL) flotation module is 4″ in diameter. Adding such module on each side of a W kayak makes it 8″ wider, that is 36.5″ wide instead of 28.5″ which is the basic width of the W kayak hull.

Note: Additional Side flotation Does Not Improve Your Kayak’s Stability

Side flotation modules do not act as stabilizers (outriggers). They do not prevent accidents, since they are strictly a means of recovery, and come into action after an accident happens – not before it does.

Note: Additional Side Flotation Does Not Increase Your Kayak’s Load Capacity

Flotation improves the kayak’s buoyancy only in case of an accident, but it has no affect on its load capacity in normal operating conditions. Outfitting your kayak with extra floatation doesn’t mean you can exceed its maximum recommended load capacity.



Extra large (XL) and standard size detachable flotation modules

In practical terms, this means that you can make a very dense object weighing 25 lbs such as a led weight stay close to the surface of the water and not sink to the bottom, if you attach it to an XL flotation module.
An object’s density is measured by its volume divided by its weight.
The density of water is 1.
If the object you want to save from drowning is less dense than led, it can be heavier than 25 lbs and still be recovered by being attached to an XL flotation module. The less dense the object, the heavier it can be, since more of its weight will be supported by its own volume.
Objects with a density of 1 or less don’t require flotation to stay afloat, since the density of water is 1, and therefore they are lighter than water.
Most kayaks are molded from Polyethylene resins. Polyethylene is slightly less dense than water, but a Polyethylene kayak could still sink to the bottom if its hull gets filled was water because of the weight of the accessories attached to it, such as rubber handles, rod holders that have metal parts in them, and rivets, let alone a motor…

How To Attach Extra Large Side Flotation Modules To The W502 Kayak?

If you’re driving a motorized W502, you’ll be going at a high speed, which would raise the kayak’s bow, and lower its stern. In such case, the rear pair of XL side flotation modules might occasionally come in contact with the water, and spray you… In order to avoid it, you’d need to attach the front end of the rear flotation modules higher than the rear ends of the front pair, as shown in this image:

How to attach the front end of the rear float higher than the rear end of the front float

Note: XL flotation modules are wider than standard ones, and attaching them on the sides of your W kayak would make it less easy to paddle. Therefore, we recommend using XL flotation modules only in cases where they are required.

More about detachable kayak flotation >>

More about motorizing your kayak >>




Here is an example of a motorized W500 kayak with a 2HP outboard gas engine:

Why Motorize Your Kayak?

Simply, because a motor adds to your kayak’s speed and range of operation. In certain situations, this can make the difference between being able to come back home, and staying out on the water, or beaching far from where you had launched from. That is to say that a motor can add an element of safety to your kayak fishing or touring experience.
Another consideration is that a motor can make life easier, if you don’t feel like paddling, or in case you’re not capable of paddling where you want to go.
If you’re fishing from a kayak, a motor can be useful for trolling, and for quickly skipping from one fishing spot to another.

Electric Trolling Motor or Outboard Gas Engine?

If you don’t own a W kayak, you may as well skip this section, since other kayaks are not suitable for outboard gas engines, and they can accommodate only weaker, electric motor systems that are commonly know as trolling motors, because they typically involve going at low speed, and generally on flat water.
However, if you own a W500 kayak and you’re looking to motorize it, you’re facing the problem of choosing between an electric power system, and an outboard gas engine.
Before going further, we’d like to clarify a number of things about outboard gas engines:
First of all, we don’t recommend using an outboard motor that’s rated above 2hp, simply because there’s no need for more, in our opinion, and we think that a stronger motor might overpower the kayak, which is hazardous.
Second, when we refer to outboard gas engines, we mean 4-Cycle (4 stroke) motors that are cleaner, quieter, and easier to operate than the old, 2 stroke motors.
Third, we recommend using an outboard gas engine with a 20″ (long) shaft, and not a 15″ (short) shaft.

What are the drawbacks with outboard gas engines?

The most obvious is that they are noisy, while electric motors are quiet.
As far as fumes and ease of operation, the new 4-cycle motors are as clean and easy to operate as electric motors are: No fumes, no need to mix oil in the fuel, and starting them is easy.
Weight: The 2hp 4-cycle Honda outboard gas engine weighs 28lbs. It’s heavier than some small or expensive electric motor systems, but considerably lighter than others that can weigh up to 80lbs. In any case, at this weight you can lift the propeller out of the water and paddle your W500 without feeling much of a difference in performance. You can drag the kayak on the beach, and you can even car top it.
Price wise, a new 4-cycle outboard gas engine can cost between $500 and $1,000, while an electric trolling motor system can cost between $250 and $1,500.
Maintenance: Outboard gas engines require some maintenance while electric motor systems are almost maintenance free, but the new, 4-cycle motors are much easier to maintain than the old 2-cycle ones, so this is not necessarily a big disadvantage.
Some areas are restricted to motorboats, but not to ones that are powered by electric motors.

What are the drawbacks with electric trolling motors?

There’s a much broader choice of electric trolling motor systems on the market today, which means there are numerous advantages and disadvantages to consider.
The most common disadvantage in electric trolling motors is their limited range and speed, and the two are closely linked to each other. Gas motors offer unlimited mileage at high speed, since you can take plenty of extra fuel on board in a can. This is not the case with electric systems that depend on batteries that are either very heavy (too heavy to carry more than one on board at a time), or very expensive. Going at full speed with an electric trolling motor, even a weak one (30-40 lbs thrust) can drain your battery pretty quickly, even if it’s an expensive high-tech battery. This leaves you with a choice of a weaker electric motor, and consequently reduced speed.
When evaluating the potential of an electric trolling motor, you need to remember that going at full power instead of half power would never double your speed (in fact, in some cases the effect of adding power may be hard to notice…) but it would surely drain your battery at half time. You also need to bear in mind that both water and weather conditions often require using more than a fraction of your electric motor systems’ capacity, because the real world is not an ideal one. Knowing this, you need to view electric trolling motors data as representing perfect world situations that have partial, or little relevance to real-life situations in which you could, and eventually would find yourself on the water.
Weight: A standard, deep cycle marine battery can weigh between 40-60lbs. That’s a lot for a small, car top boat such as the W500 kayak. On top of this, the motor itself adds weight, so the entire electric trolling motor system can weigh more than the kayak itself, which is counter productive and problematic. For example: If your heavy, deep cycle marine battery runs out of juice far from your starting point, you’d need to paddle your kayak back with an additional heavy load on board – It’s a point worth consideration, especially if you imagine going against a tidal  current, and/or strong wind, while being tired after a long kayak fishing or touring trip.
Price: A battery, cheap electric motor and charger can be yours for less than $250. This is a good deal, but you’ll pay the price in high weight and low speed. At the other end of the spectrum, a computerized electric trolling motor system with integrated GPS would cost you over $1,500, and although it will be lighter than an outboard gas engine, it would still offer less speed and a smaller range of travel.
Maintenance: While electric motors are practically maintenance free, their batteries need recharging, which takes both time and a power outlet that might not always be available to you.

Conclusion? -Between outboard gas engines and electric trolling motors there is no winner or loser, and it’s up to you to systematically weigh the pros and cons, relatively to your touring, camping and fishing needs, as well as your carrying capabilities, and last but not least – your budget.

Tips: If you’re thinking long trips, camping, moving water and tandem – think outboard gas engine. If you’re thinking short trips, flat water and lighter loads, think electric trolling motor. Needless to say that more power equals more fun, but too much speed could very well get hazardous.

Motor Kayak Recovery

Whether you motorize your kayak with an outboard gas engine or an electric trolling motor, you’d need to take into consideration the extra weight, and consequently add flotation, so that you may be able to recover your kayak in case of a bad accident. Read more about flotation >>

How To Motorize Your W Kayak On A budget?

The number of options and price range of outboard gas engines is more limited, which makes it somehow easier to decide. There are numerous online retailers offering small outboard gas motors, and if you take the time to compare prices, chances are you’d find a good deal.

As for electric trolling motors, places like Wal-Mart offer very cheap ones online and in stores, and the same is true for batteries and chargers, although buying a battery online doesn’t make much sense due to the high cost of shipping – unless the battery is shipped free, for store pickup.
A detachable mount suitable for an electric trolling motor can be purchased online for about $50 (look for canoe motor mount), but since it’s easy to make one, you may want to consider doing it yourself, following the instructions on this page: http://wavewalk.com/blog/2011/09/13/motor-mount-for-kayak-electric-trolling-motor-by-gary-thorberg-minnesota/ and this one: http://wavewalk.com/blog/2010/11/10/clamp-mounted-side-mount-for-fishing-kayak-electric-trolling-motor/

Side Mount Transom Mount?

Due to its weight, an outboard gas engine should be mounted at the back of the W500 kayak cockpit, using a transom mount. In this position, steering is made easy by the use of a long, preferably articulated tiller extension.

Being lighter, electric trolling motors can be mounted either at the back of the cockpit (transom mount), or on its side.

Some of the more expensive electric trolling motor systems come with a kayak mount, but we recommend you double-check if the mount is compatible with the W500 kayak.

Accessories For Motorized Kayaks

Wavewalk offers a transom motor mount for its 500 and 502 series:

Read more about our transom motor mount >>

In addition, Wavewalk offers standard as well as extra large (XL) detachable flotation modules:

Extra large (XL) and standard detachable flotation modules

Read more about extra large (XL) detachable flotation modules >>

More About Motorized Kayaks

Rox’ Bass Fishing Kayak With 1.2hp Outboard Motor >>