Painless Motorized Kayak Fishing

Big motorboats are more comfortable than fishing kayaks, and they offer the advantage of making much longer fishing trips. But they're also more expensive to buy and maintain, store and transport, and let's not forget that using a boat trailer is a pain in itself, not just in the figurative sense, but practically as well - Having to deal with launching a big boat from a trailer and a boat ramp, and getting the boat back on the trailer at the end of the day is neither for elderly anglers nor for anyone suffering from back problems.
So if neither kayaks nor big motorboats are good for you, how can you go fishing from a kayak and still be dry, comfortable and healthy, while maintaining a range of traveling that only motorboats can offer, but without the hassle and pain associated with motorboats??
Thinking about such a possibility sounds like an exercise in futility, until you see movies such as this one, shot by a kayak angler suffering from disabilities including back pain and sciatica:



and this one:



This is the same W kayak, which is the only fishing kayak offering NO BACK PAIN, plus a powerful outboard motor that gets you to the fish on the other side of the lake, or miles up the river, fast and effortlessly...

For those who are interested in reading more, here is an article about motorizing your fishing kayak - It explains the pros and cons of motorized kayaks, electric motors vs. outboard gas engines, etc.

Welcome to the era of Painless Motorized  Kayak Fishing.

Senior Kayak Fisherman With Back Surgery and Balance Problems Finds The Solution

Tony, from New Hampshire, offers this testimonial:
-"The Wavewalk 500 is great. It only took a minimum amount of time of actual paddling to get used to the kayak.
The weather is still bad but I am planning to get out next week and see if I can catch a fish.
My daughter Lisa and I have spent many hours fishing out of the kayaks on the weekends but I have not slimed the 500 yet. Today we had to quit because our hands got so cold.
The 500 is very stable and easy to control. The stability is very important as I had a major surgery on my back last year and somehow it messed up my balance.
Wavewalk have designed a great craft. Thanks to you I can enjoy fishing again."

"No Issues of Any Back Problems & Numbing Pain At Last! Just Awesome"

The launch was excellent! No feet were wet in the process. I brought the rod just in case. Stability was awesome! I started to stand after I got used to the W sitting. Little tricky at first because it was very windy the day I first launched….But I found that U plant and hug your feet more toward centerline (toward seat column) rather than the outside edges. This tactic is ideal in the standing position which then was a breeze. No issues of any back problems & numbing pain at last! Just awesome.
Oh, BTW, two guys wrapping up there bass boat were curious about my boat. I told them it was called Wavewalk. They said that my boat looks more comfortable than those other kayaks. I replied, that’s why I purchased it. And another guy commented about it as well. Those are the first tangible people that I came across during first launch…& already nothing but good news.
Brought the rod with me at first launch just in case. No kidding….2nd cast with a Yozuri crankbait plug….bam the fish was on. Large mouth Bass it is…he said the boat looked pretty good…and I said thank U very much…& in the water for a second life!!
Ok tight lines for sure. I gotta get set up my W for Opening Day at my local Rod & Gun Club for Saturday. It is called Ranger Lake Rod & Gun in the borough known as Egypt which is in Whitehall, PA.

Lou

6'3", 235 lbs, 70 Year Old With Back and Weak Legs Problems

I’m 6’-3”; 235 lbs. I have back and weak leg problems that will keep me from safely balancing in the standing position, let alone jumping up and down. Sitting, I can go all day! (at 70 yrs old that’s probably an hour or so)… The saddle and sitting positions it offers are the big appeal of the Wavewalk for me. Forget about the traditional L position – I couldn’t get up, even if I had managed to get down.
Once I saw the W500 I knew that was the boat for me, but, being me, and never having tried a W500, I kept thinking I could improve on the design here and there. During the acceptance process I learned a lot, and now I’m happy to accept the hull as it is.
I’m feeling a little guilty that I didn’t have any exciting adventures to relate.
The first time out, I went to a lake with a shallow beach where I figured I could walk back to shore if I dumped the boat. I started out cautiously, right from shore, without getting my feet wet. I paddled in the shallow area for less than a minute, then headed down the lake (how’s that for quickly gaining confidence?), then all the way up to the other end (a mile?), then back down the . . . oh, oh! The breeze has kicked up. This could be trouble. A couple of mental adjustments and I was paddling into the wind and doing OK. Remember, I’m not a paddler, not ever a rowboat. I rested a bit in the lee of the eastern lakeshore then headed back to the beach 1/2-way down the lake where I dis-embarked, without getting my feet wet.
So far, nothing out of the ordinary. I initially found the boat to be tender, but that was me, not the boat. Anything that only weighs 59 pounds is bound to be tender when it’s reacting to a 235 pound novice, and the more I use it, the more compatible we become. It took a bit of adjustment to handle the paddle, which I imagine every new paddler experiences. And even though I got a couple of scares out there on the lake by digging in too hard, I didn’t dump the boat.
I haven’t been chasing fish. I realized I’m not going to be an avid fisherman but the lure is still there, and watching Fisheries pour three tanker trucks of keeper size trout into the lake whets the appetite.

Can You Paddle a Kayak After Spinal Fusion Surgery?

Spinal fusion is an extreme surgical intervention performed on patients who suffer from certain chronic, serious back conditions, including severe pain, which have not responded to conservative treatment.
One of those patients recently posted a short review of her W kayak. Her testimonial sends a message of hope to other people in her situation:
I had spinal fusion six years ago. I have always wanted to Kayak but I know there is no way that I can sit in the L position on a regular kayak.
I contacted Norm Craig, a W kayaker who had spinal fusion too, and he assured me I would be fine with the W500.
I love my W kayak. I have taken it out about 7 times, and my longest trip was about 2 hours. It is very easy on my back. I just bought a new life preserver today made for kayaking. I am planning on going out tomorrow morning.
I am also going to make a cushion for the seat.

The Barge Yak: A Not So Cozy Fishing Kayak

A common fishing kayak is essentially a broad, clumsy recreational kayak, in most cases a sit-on-top (SOT) kayak, which is another name for a paddle board. Sea kayakers call these types of kayaks 'barge', since they although they are stabler than sea kayaks, are also hard to paddle.  
But barge kayaks are hazardous to paddle and fish from
Seriously, they can be, and that’s because fishing kayaks are used by real, everyday people like yourself, in real, everyday conditions. Life is neither a commercial video, nor a glossy ad.
Everyday people are not particularly fit, and they’re often both overweight to some extent.
The typical kayak angler is middle aged, and many kayak anglers are elderly folks. Unfortunately, these are the same people who would normally purchase a barge yak, because they are concerned about the instability of narrow sit-in and SOT kayaks, and may not want to pay for a W kayak.

So why is a slow and hard to paddle 'barge' fishing kayak potentially hazardous for such people?

It's because in the real world, where real people paddle and fish, you’re bound to get into unfavorable circumstances – sooner or later, unless you paddle and fish in a tiny pond, preferably close to home. Such circumstances usually involve changes in the weather -
When bad weather happens while you’re seated in your kayak, you’d rather not overturn it, of course, and it is assumed that barge kayaks can normally handle this challenge – not always, and not as well as W kayaks, though… unlike other kayaks that are too unstable for that. If you happen to be away from shore in bad weather, being in a barge kayak could turn out to be a bad experience for you, and it may even lead to an accident, because you could find yourself unable to get back to your launching spot, or worse – go back to shore in any part of it. If back to shore means getting back to a beach, and the place you’re paddling and fishing in is the ocean, or a big lake, you could be in trouble.
This is because big bodies of water (E.G. ocean, lake, big river) also have currents in them, and the combination of wind and current is just too powerful for you to deal with when you’re paddling a barge kayak. Waves would likely swamp you. You won’t be able to direct the kayak to safety, and you’d be drifting somewhere you don’t want to go to. When this happens, you may find yourself in an even worse situation as night comes.
So try to imagine yourself wet, cold and exhausted from useless paddling efforts, your back sore, your legs are numb, and you’re drifting somewhere in the darkness.
The heavier, older, and less fit you are, the higher the chances you’d get yourself a barge yak, and at the same time the heavier, older and less fit you are, the more likely you are to get in trouble, discomfort and pain just because you’re paddling such a kayak.
Well, life is unfair, sometimes, especially to those who don’t take it seriously, and don’t imagine worse case scenarios that unfortunately are part of many outdoor recreational sports, including kayaking and kayak fishing.
It doesn’t make much difference if you paddle your clumsy fishing kayak or propel it with a pedal drive – You’s better not venture too far from shore with it, especially in unfavorable weather circumstances, or when there’s a good chance that the weather could change for the worse, because such change may very well be unfavorable, and even dangerous to you.

Have You Been Fishing From The Wrong Kayak?

Statistically speaking the almost sure answer is 'Yes': You have been fishing from the wrong kayak, since most anglers do, as most of them still use sit-in and SOT kayak for fishing, and only a minority has discovered W kayaks, and switched to them.

How do you know if the kayak you're using is bad for you?
That's easy to tell, and all you need to think about is how your back feels after about one hour paddling it, and fishing from it.
If you feel an urge to get up and 'unkink', that is stretch your legs, walk, do some physical exercise, and stretch your back and shoulders, it means that it won't be long before you start suffering from a sore back, which is the hallmark of sit-in and SOT kayaks, because they force you into the L kayaking position, while not offering real alternatives for operating the kayak.
It doesn't really matter if you're paddling your kayak or propelling it with a pedal drive - In fact, the latter means of propulsion demands that your legs push your lower back even harder against your seat's backrest.
A sore back simply tells you 'Stop Using This Kayak!'.
Why? Because if you keep paddling and fishing from this kayak, you'd be risking back injury, such as sciatica and even a herniated disk, and whether mild, severe, or permanent - it's not worth it.
If you consult with a primary care physician, and especially with a doctor who's a spine specialist, you're likely to get both good advice, as well as a detailed assessment of your situation.
If you think back pain and injuries are worth it, you may want to consider consulting with another kind of specialist :D
And here's another point to think about: Paddling and pedaling kayaks while suffering from back pain, or any pain for that matter, is unsafe, as this article about kayak fishing with a sore back explains fairly well.

Improving the Well Being of Kayak Anglers in the Netherlands

Kayak fishing in the Netherlands (Holland) is a fairly new sport. Anglers in the Netherlands still prefer to fish mostly from canoes and boats, because of the obvious ergonomic disadvantages associated with fishing from kayaks.
Now, Dutch anglers have an opportunity to see and test a new type of fishing kayak, one that does not cause any back pain or discomfort.
See invitation for these fishing kayaks' demo days in a few days: http://www.catamayak.com/2011/01/10/nl-kom-proefvaren-in-de-wavewalk-kayak/

No More Back Pain for Gary, A Disabled Vet, Kayak Angler From Texas

I am 61, 280lbs, retired, 100% disabled, veteran Navy Officer. I have a very bad back resulting from damage done while I was on active duty. My back has 4 bad disks in the lower end, three bad disks in the neck, and pinched nerves going to my legs. Added to this I suffer from Fibromyalgia. My meds for the most part keep the pain at a semi-manageable level, but the hurt never goes completely away. If I can help some other Vet or civilian with frequent orthopedic pain be able to enjoy kayaking it’s good enough for me.
I think it is important to clarify why I am passionate about the WaveWalk W500 Kayak.
I used to be an accredited Canoe instructor, and have taught lots of Boy Scouts how to make a canoe go straight. For me a regular kayak makes “Pain Management” impossible. I have tried conventional kayaks and NONE OF THEM give me the freedom to stretch and move that I require in order to keep my back from cramping up and making fishing pure hell. The W500 was my last hope for a personal watercraft. If it weren’t for the W500, I couldn’t be a kayak owner – my back will not allow me to sit in a regular kayak for more than about 20 minutes.
The W500 allows me to move into positions that relieve the pain from where it is hurting the most and have it hurt somewhere else for a while. I found the ONLY KAYAK AVAILABLE that allows me complete freedom of movement – something none of SITS or SOTS can claim. I will match my W500 up against anything the SITS or SOTS have shown me, especially since I can use the W500 and I CAN’T use the others. It does bother some other yakkers though that I always have easy answers for the problems they are trying to solve…
I think that eventually I will manage to give HOPE to disabled people that Kayaking is not something beyond their capabilities.
Before I found the W500, kayaking was beyond my capability. You couldn’t have gotten me in a kayak for a days fishing on a bet. I would have passed on an all-expenses paid fishing trip with a guide who was fishing out of kayaks. I COULD NOT HAVE STOOD THE PAIN. Hurting just isn’t worth it.
In late January through early April the white bass will be running in the rivers near me. Kayakers have a field day getting into water that others can’t get to. I plan on showing the W500 off to many of those guys and will offer free rides. They will be bundled up in their waders and still be getting wet. I plan to entice them with a DRY RIDE.
I promote your product on the net for FUN. Its something I believe in and would like others who have the same problems as I do to have the freedom to participate in kayaking without hurting themselves more.
The biggest problem I have faced with my W500 is the comments from non-believers. Some of the things they say can be painful if you don’t have a thick hide. They make their comments UNTIL they get on the water with me. I then do things like reversing direction in the kayak and watch their faces. I also make a big deal about stretching and twisting, standing up to show that I am completely free to move as I desire.
I needed a stable kayak, that kept me dry (I mean 100% dry except for sweat) and after almost a year’s search finally decided that a WaveWalk W500 was the ticket. You are welcome to come to my home and try mine out on our neighborhood private lake. I offer this, because I had to buy mine sight unseen, untried, acting only on faith of others testimonials and several phone calls to a preacher in Corpus who owns one. The W500 is stable enough to not only stand in, but to paddle standing up. If you get wet in one its your own fault or because you decided to go wading. It has so much storage space that is so accessible that a crate isn’t needed. Unlike conventional kayaks I have a seat that is 6 feet long that I can sit anywhere on. I can stand, bend, twist, do anything I desire and stay in the kayak. Without doubt I feel I made the right choice, and I am however, a completely satisfied customer.
I read the Texas kayak fishing boards (texaskayakfishing.com and the kayak section of www.Texasfishingforum.com) and just laugh. “Regular” kayak owners complain about lack of stability, lack of storage space, wet butts and wet feet, etc. An owner of a W500 has NONE of these problems. Take launching for instance – in a regular kayak you wade out half the length of the kayak and then get in – WET already. In a W500 I walk down between the hulls for 2 1/2 feet and step into the cockpit pushing off with the last foot on dry land and have launched completely dry. Landing I do essentially the same. To land I merely slide back in the seat, thus raising the “bow” and paddle or push quite far up onto the beach. I then slide up to the front pinning the hull tips to the beach and walk out between the hull tips – DRY.
Don’t believe the hype you will hear from folks who have other kayaks, and criticize the W500, because they have no idea what they are talking about (99.9% of whom have never even seen a W500 much less paddled one) that the W500 won’t turn, is hard to paddle, won’t track. Phooey on them. I can turn a W500 literally in place using 2 methods they don’t have in their arsenal. IF I need to change direction immediately I just turn around in the kayak (don’t try this in a regular kayak) and paddle the opposite direction OR I slide to the back of the seat lifting the front tips and do a couple of back paddles on the same side of the W500 and pivot in place. Regular turning is no problem either. Anchoring is another problem solved in a W500. A regular kayak MUST have an anchor trolley to be able to keep the anchor in the proper position to keep the kayak from going broadside to waves. The anchor trolley moves the anchor from place to place. In a W500, I can move from the back to the front of the kayak and I can move the anchor with me. I do have an anchor trolley on my W500, but its for MY CONVENIENCE mostly with Drift Socks so I can move the socks in small increments to keep me in position on a drift Quickly so as not to interfere with my fishing.
The WaveWalk kayak will keep you completely dry (no scuppers for water to enter to soak your butt) both on using the kayak and upon getting in and out of the kayak. The W500 has more storage than I can effectively use (14 cubic feet). I use a crate, not because I have to, but because it allows me to have a convenient place to fly my 360 light and flag from, and a place to keep my anchor and drift sock where it is instantly available should I need it. I use an anchor trolley because it makes the adjustment of where an anchor is located, not because I have to. Unlike those who use a conventional kayak and are largely confined to one place, I have a 6 foot long cockpit seat that allows me free access to the kayak tips on both the bow and stern which are interchangeable since the kayak can be paddled equally well either direction as they are exactly the same. You talk about turning – I can turn on a dime by sliding back to the rear of the seat and giving a couple of back paddles and the W500 will swivel in place. I can reverse direction simply by turning around in the cockpit and paddling the other direction. I don’t need to add flotation as that comes standard in the kayak tips and no it does not use up some of my storage space. Can anyone who has a regular kayak even approximate these features?? The features are as they are, and I will be posting about the merits of the W500 because I believe for the big guy and more importantly for the person who has disabilities that the W500 is the best kayak going.
It is so much easier to throw a cast net when you don’t have to do it from the sitting L position, and it’s so much easier it is to get things from your crate and from the 14 cubic feet of storage in the hull tips, if you can turn completely around like in the cockpit of a W500.
I did a lot of research before I finally settled on the WaveWalk W500, and I am glad that I can continually point out the things that are HARD OR IMPOSSIBLE from a regular Kayak that are so easy from a WaveWalk. It is most important to me for DISABLED KAYAKERS to know about the only kayak that I can own and actually use. As I have said before, my legs and back will not let me sit in a regular kayak for more than about 30 minutes before I have to get out. The having to get out is true for both paddling or sitting one place fishing.
The other fun and easy stuff like having max storage space, having max stability, ability to throw cast nets, are just gravy, because if you can’t get comfortable in the kayak, then you won’t use it and the subject is moot. IF I had a fishing kayak with the pedal drive I could not use it, and would not use it, because my disabilities keep me from using it. That said, after having a WaveWalk W500, I would still not use a pedal drive kayak even if I could. There are just too many other advantages to the WaveWalk that I would want to take advantage of. Why would I use a kayak with reduced capability and comfort???”
Give me a call or better yet come and paddle my W500,
Gary Johnson, Texas

No Back Pain In This Stand Up Fly Fishing Kayak

What Is Kayak Back Pain, and What Does It Mean?

A new just article got published on this painful subject.
Here's a quote of a couple of comments made by readers:

1. "Glad you mentioned unmanly and bragging about being out for a long time. Heard that many times and still do on a regular basis. Some folks even comment about how they are in such great shape and it can’t happen to them. Frankly they don’t get the joke, being in good shape does not make up for the fact the body is damaged by the wrong position. Now maybe if they commented how much they could stand pain verses someone else OK. But being out there fishing in pain kinda sorta takes away from the enjoyment."  and -

2. "Sporting injuries are more frequent among people who exercise on a regular basis than among people who don’t exercise at all. Each sport and physical activity carries some potential problems that people who practice it should be aware of. Some sports and activities are more prone to get you injured, that’s all. It’s not a mere coincidence that kayakers appear in ads for pain medication – Kayaking has become almost synonym with back problems, and people who aren’t aware of this issue learn as soon as they start.
The main point here, in my view, is that physical damage can happen to you over time – You don’t get a herniated lumbar disc the first time you go fishing in your kayak, but over time, your risk of suffering from such a severe injury increases."


The article explains what kayak back pain is, what are the nerves involved in it, the meaning of back pain when you’re kayaking, or kayak fishing, what to do and what to avoid, and the benefits of paddling Wavewalk kayaks, fishing from them, as far as your back is concerned.

How Does Pedaling a Fishing Kayak Affect Your Back, Legs, Feet, etc.

A new, recently published article offers a remarkable insight on pedal driven fishing kayaks.It discusses practically every issue related to pedal drives, from every angle, including Ergonomics, Mechanics, Hydrodynamics and Real Life Performance.
This blog is interested in the ergonomic and bio-mechanical aspects of kayak fishing, and here are the findings on these subjects (quote):

Pedaling Kayaks’ Ergonomics - How Does It Feel To Operate a Pedal Driven Kayak?
The first and main argument in favor of pedaling kayaks instead of paddling them, is that our legs are far more powerful than our arms are, and therefore it makes more sense to use our legs for difficult tasks such as propulsion, rather than using our arms.
While being generally true, this argument is not necessarily applicable to the propulsion of kayaks. This is because although our legs have the biggest and most powerful muscles in our body, and are best fit for hard, long lasting efforts, using them for propelling any vehicle must be done under certain conditions, which are dictated by our own built, and ability to endure certain types of effort -
Limbs that have bigger muscles are comparable to engines with bigger cylinders – They can burn more fuel, and thus generate more power. The legs of a kayaker pedaling their pedal driven kayak generate considerable force, and this force is transmitted from their body to their kayak through three points:
1. The kayaker’s two feet, which the kayaker’s legs push forward, against the pedals, and -
2. The kayaker’s lumbar spine and lower back, that the legs push backward, compressing them against the backrest of the kayak’s seat, so as to provide support for the legs’ pushing effort in the opposite direction.
The force each leg applies on a pedal when pushing it is equal to the force the leg applies on the kayaker’s lower back. With two legs pushing two pedals, the force the kayaker’s legs apply the the kayaker’s lumbar spine is double the force needed to move each pedal, and here lies a big ergonomic problem.
Pedaling in the L position (recumbent) is essentially different from pedaling in the upright position (e.g. biking). The difference being that in biking, our legs push against our own body weight, and its that weight which supports the legs’ downward push against the pedals, and allows them to move. Recumbent bicycles have been known to exist since the 19th century, but upright (riding) bicycles outnumber them at a ratio of more than a thousand to one, simply because recumbent bikes are harder to use, meaning that they present serious ergonomic issues that upright bikes don’t.
Pedaling common kayaks is done in the L position, which is similar to the recumbent position. The L position is kayaks is known to cause a variety of back problems starting from premature fatigue, acute pain known as yak-back, and other problems including one known as yak-ass, circulation problems in the legs. In extreme cases it may even lead to a painful, chronic condition called sciatica, caused by the vertebrae in our spine compressing the sciatic nerve, which is the largest group of nerves in our body.
These problems are accentuated by the fact that the driver of a pedal propelled kayak cannot switch positions. This means that the above mentioned symptoms tend to occur shortly after the kayaker starts pedaling, and their severity can increase rapidly.
That is to say that if paddling a kayak in the L position is highly problematic from an ergonomic standpoint, pedaling a kayak in that position is notably worse.

Herniated Lumbar Disk, Back Pain, and Long Kayak Fishing Trips

This is part of a fishing kayak review combined with a fishing trip report published on the Wavewalk Fishing Kayaks blog, and on the Jacksonville Kayak Fishing forum:

I bought a Wavewalk kayak  in anticipation of using it for fishing the flooded grass because of the ease of standing in it and also because my lower back had been bothering me after long trips in my [15 ft long SOT fishing kayak]. Since then I've actually herniated a lumbar disk and was out of commission for 6 weeks, but although I'm functional now using the [15 ft long SOT fishing kayak] is out of the question in the near future.
I finally got to try out the W for what I bought it for.  We had flood tides over the weekend and I was anxious to pole the boat around the flooded spartina grass in search of tailing red fish.
I was not disappointed, it performed flawlessly.
It poles very easily in the grass, the view is great standing, and there is nearly no balancing effort for standing in it. I actually put a board across the top of the seat and poled standing on top of that. The view there is about 12" above the water and the perspective that gives you hunting for tails is incredible.
I've also used the boat for some short trips fishing, and find that it's a great little boat to fish out of because it allows you to be in so many positions while fishing and you never feel the need to get out and stretch or get the numbness out of your butt.
-----------------
The Wavewalk is a keeper in my kayak herd now and for the near future will probably be the only boat I'll be able to go out in. It's nice and compact, stores a lot of stuff easily and keeps it dry, plus allows those of us with non cooperating bodies to fish more comfortably.
I'm also looking forward to staying nice and dry and warm fishing out of it this winter. This is a great boat to own even if my back wasn't part of the reason I bought it.

Kevin

To read the entire review go to the Wavewalk Fishing Kayaks blog >>

Note: To review featuring on Wavewalk's blog does not reveal the mentioned SOT fishing kayak's name and brand, but if you're interested to know what it is, you'll find the info in the Jacksonville Kayak Fishing forum version.

COMMON KAYAK INJURIES

Paddling a common kayak, be it a sit-on-top (SOT) kayak or a sit-in kayak (SIK) involves being seated in the non-ergonomic L position, and paddling it in the traditional kayaking style, the latter requiring typical, repetitive motion that can lead to various injuries.


Lower Back Pain
Traditional kayak paddling technique, a.k.a. kayaking is based on torso rotation initiated from your hips. This motion is impossible to perform while you're leaning backward ("slouching") and it's best performed while you're slightly leaning forward. The combination of leaning with continuous, repetitive rotation puts strain on the lower part of your spine, known as the lumber spine, as it must support the body even while rotating. What makes matters significantly worse is the fact that while your lumbar spine is constantly rotating, your legs compress it against the backrest of your seat in order to transmit your paddling effort from your paddle, through your body, and finally - to your kayak, so it can move forward through the water. This considerable force is applied constantly on your lower spine, an area that has no other bones to protect or support it.
Regardless of how much padding your so-called "ergonomic" kayak seat my have, you will always feel discomfort to some degree, as long as you paddle either sit-in or SOT kayaks.
Only W kayaks do not require that you be seated in the L position, and only W kayaks offer a wide range of paddling positions that you can switch to anytime you feel like it.The ability to introduce change into your posture offers to reduce stress levels from particular areas in the body, and provide relief. Similarly, the ability to stretch offered by the W kayak's saddle is highly beneficial in this regard.


Sciatica
The L seated position in a kayak forces the lowest part of your spine, known as the tailbone, down onto the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body. The sciatic nerve is formed by nerve roots coming out of the spinal cord in the lower back, and it runs from the lower back down through the buttocks to the feet.
Prolonged sitting in the L kayak position can result in pinching of the sciatic nerve. As a result, you will feel an acute pain starting deep in the rear that could travel down the leg.
Being unable to stand up, stretch, or even switch to another sitting position will increase the severity of the problem.


Shoulder Pain
The rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles in your shoulder, which connect the upper arm (humerus) to the shoulder blade (scapula).
In kayaking, the rotator cuff has to withstand a great deal of torque (twisting motion), especially in turning maneuvers and control paddle strokes. Such force applied on the shoulder often results in injury in the the rotator cuff tendons and muscles.
Being able to change paddling positions and paddling styles is beneficial, as well as changing paddle strokes, but only W kayaks offer a variety of options that are sufficiently different from each other.


Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Wrist Injury
Carpus is a word derived from the Greek word karpos, meaning 'wrist'. The wrist joint is surrounded by a band of fibrous tissue that normally supports it. The Carpal Tunnel is tight space between this fibrous band and the wrist bone. The median nerve passes through the carpal tunnel and receives sensations from the thumb, index, and middle fingers.
Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms include numbness and tingling of the hand in the distribution of the median nerve, that is the thumb, index, middle, and part of the fourth fingers. Carpal tunnel syndrome may be a temporary condition that completely resolves or it can persist and progress.
Traditional kayaking technique involves repeated, typical wrist flexion combined with torsion, and can often result in carpal tunnel syndrome. In order to minimize the risk for such injury to occur, you need to be able to change paddling styles and paddle strokes as often as you feel like, but the range of change and motion that common sit-in and SOT kayaks present is minimal.
Only W kayaks enable you to switch between a wide variety of paddling styles and paddle strokes, and paddle from totally different positions, including standing up.


Foot Pain and Ankle Pain
When you sit in a sit-in or sit-on-top kayak, your feet are positioned at an unnatural angle, and they serve to lock you in the kayak so that you're well connected to it. This is especially true when you're paddling and controlling the kayak, but it's true for when you're fishing as well.
This frequently leads to injuries known as Pain in the Arches (I.E. the arches of your feet), Achilles Tendon (in the back of your ankle), and Ankle pain.

Arizona Kayak Angler Finds Solution For His Yak Back Pain Problem

This is fishing kayak review that appeared on the Wavewalk Fishing Kayaks blog:

I have been looking for a kayak or canoe that fits my needs for quite a while.
I love the sport, and find it a relaxing and useful mode of transportation. However, as I get “older” I found that the body does not necessarily wants to do everything my mind wants to do. I am 65 years old, 5’9” and 190 lbs having had back surgery a few years ago.
The hours on end I used to spend paddling along the coast, around lakes and down rivers looking for thinks to photograph, enjoying the views or drowning some worms became a painful experience after half an hour of sitting in a common fishing kayak in the infamous “L” position.
I could not find a comfortable position and after about one hour I could not get out of the kayak in a graceful manner (actually I had to roll out on the dirt) and was unable to straighten for several hours.
I had to either stop doing what I enjoy, or find a different way to do it.
After a lot of web surfing I found Wavewalk kayaks website and was intrigued by the new design and its claim of ergonomic delights. I was disappointed that there were no dealers or a place where I could actually try it (or even see one,) other than in pictures and You-Tube videos, but my back kept screaming to try it and get my mind off my back, literally, so I called Yoav and ordered a W500.
As soon as it arrived, I went to one of the lakes north of Tucson, AZ and gave it a try. The lake was very busy with many motor boats so the water was choppy with lots of wakes. The W handled well and although at times felt a bit unstable, after getting used to it, it became easier to handle and I enjoyed the outing.

The following weekend I made a trip to San Diego and took the W kayak with me to give it a more thorough workout. In the calm water of Mission Bay it felt a lot more stable and easier to handle. I paddled the kayak for several hours without discomfort to my back.
I went camping in a long and narrow lake in the northern mountains of Arizona. I loaded it with a lot of camping equipment, water, food, etc for a 4-day trip, which was too much, and the overloaded W kayak was riding too low on the water, and felt unstable. So the following day, with an unloaded and lighter W kayak, I was able to paddle 14 miles in it and for about 6 hours, including breaks, side trips, etc. without discomfort, something I have not been able to do in other kayaks.
I am using and enjoying the W kayak very much. It is fun to be able to spend long hours on a kayak again and do the things I enjoy such as photography, fishing and sightseeing in the water. Overall, I am happy with the W.

Jose paddling standing in his fishing kayak, Mission Bay, San Diego

View of Arizona river - Photo taken from Jose's fishing kayak

No Yak Back Issues for This Kayak Angler – Minnesota

The delivery process of my Wavewalk w500 kayak was seamless …I was pleased by how quickly it arrived.
I’m having a blast so far. My back tolerates and actually benefits from using this kayak.
I have significant back challenges (that’s what actually got me to your site via Google) and I’m just thrilled.
I feel good about what you’ve got there.
I have massive back issues that I’ve been working on since a surgery gone wrong about 10 years ago. The ww fishing kayak keeps my core engaged and my posture correct…amazingly comfortable. It’s a real pleasure.
I’ve included a shot of what I caught this weekend…my first bowfin, caught Sunday. Definitely was looking for bass and this thing took a spinnerbait. Fights extremely hard, before it got hung in some weeds…I really liked how I can reel the kayak in to the fish in those situations, I hate breaking lines on hooked fish (yak fishing all new to me).
W. Taylor

"Your kayak design will give me another 10 years on the water."

Here are some paragraphs from a newly published kayak review of the Wavewalk W500 -

My last fishing kayak was a [12' long, popular sit-in brand].
Being a 220 # male with some physical limitations, including arthritis, knee, mobility and lumbar issues, my sit-in fishing kayak was getting very difficult to use. I was thinking I was at the end of my kayak days due to my physical limitations, and this is why I’ve become interested in W kayaks, since I thought this craft will overcome them.
I was very pleased with the W and my progress on that initial trip with it. With my knee and back limitations, I knew I’d be advancing slowly.
I’m very grateful for being able to get out on the water again at all. Being able to launch and land easily is more than worth the cost of the W kayak. I am now thankful that I’ll get many more years on the water.
I think you have one hell of a nice product.
Mike Ratigan, Rochester NY

Over 1,000 Visitors To Painles Kayak Fishing Blog Since Beginning Of Year

This blog, Painless Kayak Fishing, got over 1,000 unique visitors since the beginning of the year, and the monthly number of visits keeps increasing.
Most visitors find Painless Kayak Fishing through Internet search engines, mainly Google.
It proves that kayak fishing related back pain is a real, painful subject, and that kayak anglers are actively seeking information on this problem, and other, related problems, such as leg pain, leg numbness, kayak fishing and old age, etc.

As for kayak fishing magazines and websites, they keep ignoring this subject, and some even promote the notion that kayak fishing in pedal driven fishing kayaks is great, without mentioning the fact that the person operating the pedal drive uses their legs to push their lumber spine against the backrest of their seat - not a beneficial thing for the back, and neither for the legs.


How Sit-In and SOT Fishing Kayaks Defeat The Purpose Of Kayak Fishing

This headline doesn't make sense to you if you haven't tried fishing from a sit-in or sit-on-top fishing kayak, just to find that after some time your legs feel uncomfortable, and your back hurts from sitting in the L kayak position, and you're unable to switch to any other sitting position, while standing up is just hype that those fishing kayaks manufacturers and distributors promote, but it's not a realistic proposition - if you intend to stay dry...
In other words, kayak fishing is meant to be an enjoyable, recreational outdoor activity (or sport), and and for many people it feels like torture, while for others it's just so uncomfortable that they feel they can't go on with, and eventually they switch to either a fishing boat, or a Wavewalk kayak.

Critical ergonomic problems such as those associated with sit-in and SOT fishing kayaks cannot be solved by words, and they won't go away if ignored. Marketing hype generated by kayak manufacturers can lure people to kayak fishing, but it can't make them keep fishing from sit-in and SOT fishing kayaks once they realize they're facing a serious problem involving discomfort and pain that ruin their experience, and defeat the purpose of kayak fishing.

Similarly, the notion that you can stand up in one of those fishing kayaks is fallacious, simply because such kayaks don't feature a 'Plan B' - something that enables you to safely and effectively regain your balance once you lose it, because you're bound to lose it sooner or later, whether your fishing kayak is one of those over-wide models that are so hard to paddle, or one of the many kayaks equipped with some sort of outriggers (stabilizers).
Therefore, there is no fishing kayak out there enabling you to stand up confidently and safely (except W kayaks), which is why sit-in and SOT fishing kayaks effectively force you to remain seated in the notorious L position, and endure numbness and pain in your legs, butt and back.

Great Exercise for Your Back and Legs: Rowing Your Fishing Kayak

When it comes to ergonomics, being able to change positions and movements is very important, as it enables using different groups of muscles, while letting others rest and recuperate, as seen in this review of a fishing kayak rigged with rowing oars from Pennsylvania.

This is more good news for you, if you happen to be suffering from kayaking back pain, circulation problems in your legs, etc.
Note that this rowing setup doesn't necessarily have to replace the paddling setup, as you can carry a paddle on board.