I took my kayak out for a test spin at the lower lake lagoon at Castaic Lake here in South California. It’s been raining off and on the last two weeks but I finally just went!

It took about 5 minutes of getting used to the balance of sitting up so high on the center saddle, but after getting used to it, I was fine! I weigh 265, now I can start working out a bit again, paddling.
It was a May Grey day and windy as heck, but I went all over the lagoon anyway. No problem at all except my large profile acts like a sail going straight into the wind, so I leaned forward and that helped a lot!

I couldn’t stand up in the w kayak in the rough windy center of the lake, but when I got in the calmer waters near shore, I could! The fact is, I just don’t have that good of “sea legs!” I even had trouble standing on the back deck a big fishing boat in Alaska last year when the water got rough.

I took most of these pics myself so angles are weird, especially standing shots as I could only shoot straight down, but right at the end of the day, I talked a guy on shore into taking a few pics of me doing a short spin out in the water. It had brightened and got calmer by then too!

I’m NOT a guy that likes to just paddle around for fun. Now that I know how easy this thing is to use, I’m going fishing from now on! The guys in the float tubes just drag 4 to 6-inch plastic worms while kicking along (I saw about 5 fish caught), one about three lbs.
I have the two built-in rod holders in my W kayak, but their angle seems better for holding spare rods then for trolling, so I’m going to try the clamp-on holders. I’m going to paddle around slowly dragging a worm myself, and fish!

The bass are way bigger in this little lower lake lagoon than in the upper lake they said.

I’m back IN THE GAME NOW. That lower lake lagoon was off limits to me with my big bass boat. No power boats allowed except small boats powered by electric. It’s only 30 minutes away…so with launching, it’s only about 45 minutes to world class bass fishing. I’m taking advantage.

Next time I’m going to fish!

Mike Hancock
South California Fishing Kayaks, Simi Valley

Some people mistakenly think that older people are the only ones who suffer from back pain as a result of paddling conventional kayaks and fishing from them. This notion is false, of course, and young people suffer from yack back and kayaking injuries as well.

Kayak anglers down under! -Here is some good new for your lower back:

Aussie Kayaks is the name of a newly founded company that distributes W fishing kayaks in Australia.

The founder of Aussie kayaks suffered from kayaking back injuries, which brought him to look for a solution, as told on his website:
-”Steve has a love for water and paddling but after experiencing 2 months of pain and subsequent treatment as a direct result of using a S.O.T Sit On Top) Kayak, Steve thought there must be a better way. After spending many hours researching different options, Steve was convinced with out doubt that the Wavewalk was the way to go. Steve purchased a Wavewalk direct from the US in December of 2011 and has not looked back since. NO more PAIN or INJURIES.”

At last, Australians can purchase the back pain free fishing kayak locally, in their country, and this comes not a moment too soon.

Stability, ergonomics, and other problems are among the subjects discussed in the new kayak fishing magazine, and the more light shed on these subjects, the better, especially when elderly anglers are concerned, since they are both less capable of enjoying inadequate kayaks, and less willing to do so than the average kayak angler is.

Well, one thing is for sure – If kayak fishing is to keep growing as far as participation is concerned, something must be done to make fishing out of a kayak less a pain in butt, literally, and less of a pain in the back, more specifically.

People aren’t stupid, and most of them think a long fishing trip must also be one that won’t involve being wet, uncomfortable, and unstable, such as you’re going to be if you choose a conventional kayak as your fishing platform.

Most people also want to be able to go places while they’re fishing, and they don’t appreciate the limited range of travel that conventional fishing kayaks offer.

In other words, there’s more than one good reason explaining why only one out a thousand anglers in North America fishes out of a kayak, while the rest fish from other boats (mostly motorized), or from shore.

Ergonomics is key in many products, as well as sports. People don’t like to feel sore, get bruised, or injured. Pain and discomfort are counter productive when your goal is to have fun.

Whatever the future of kayak fishing will look like, we can be sure it will be free of diaper rash, yack back, numb legs, and other unpleasant phenomena that afflict those who fish out of conventional kayaks.
Arguably, the W is the fishing kayak of the future, and it is already here.

I have been flyfishing around the world for 20 years, much of it in a kayak.
I found only two things were missing: a comfortable seating position and the ability to stand up for sighting fish.
After studying videos at Wavewalk, I ordered an inventory of Wavewalk kayaks without even seeing one.
Upon receipt I tested the Wavewalk… -I am 70 years old, weigh 230, have a bad back, need a knee replacement, and have constant vertigo from a chronic ear condition.
During my initial test I was able to stand up and paddle and really enjoyed the seating position called Riding.
IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN!!
The Wavewalk 500 is fast and runs straight.
Everything you read is correct.
One of my customers put a $100 trolling motor on his and said he was “going water skiing”… which was his way of saying its fast.

Glynn

My first red fish, caught on a fly