A Kayak with a difference

ceeboy14 · Jan 22, 2013

I must have been at the practice river. These guys with outriggers were all over the place and those without them probably wished they'd given into using them...quite a few dumps but most too far away for me to record properly.

pgriz · Jan 22, 2013

Man, those look like training wheels! I kayak, and to have those things attached would really be a serious impediment. Pretty much anyone who takes the sport seriously knows how to stay up using bracing and similar techniques, and knows how to use the lean of the kayak to carve turns, balance, ride waves, etc. I have seen videos of a kayak hydrofoil a few years ago, but haven't seen anything like that since. As for this type of boat, it would be interesting to learn why it exists.

cgipson1 · Jan 22, 2013

outriggers? lol!

ClickAddict · Jan 22, 2013

If you look closely, the far one looks like it has a camera under the "wing" A similar one could be on the closer wing but hidden due to angle. There's also an antenna on the closer one. I don't think these are training outriggers but more likely put there to film from an angle to show the paddling. (Guessing of course)

Redeyejedi · Jan 22, 2013

i yak too, and there are plenty kayak fisherman who run or's for stability when stand-up fishing or landing large fish....
...or even for the occasional blatter relief :mrgreen:

google image search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=kay...zNMnxiQLj3oDACA&ved=0CF0QsAQ&biw=1280&bih=672

ceeboy14 · Jan 22, 2013

ClickAddict said:
If you look closely, the far one looks like it has a camera under the "wing" A similar one could be on the closer wing but hidden due to angle. There's also an antenna on the closer one. I don't think these are training outriggers but more likely put there to film from an angle to show the paddling. (Guessing of course)

I see it now and the cable attached to his hand...good catch!

pgriz · Jan 22, 2013

It's actually a very interesting boat. The hull itself resembles a K1 hull shape, with the cockpit being more of a surf-ski type. The paddler is using a wing paddle which "usually" is used only by racers or strong fitness paddlers. The paddler himself appears to be fully clad in a wet-suit, neoprene balaclava, and is wearing a PDF, indicating preparation for paddling in both cold and potentially rough water. The outriggers, if they are that, are nothing like I've seen before - most outriggers are rather slender and long if the goal is speed, or relatively short and cylindrical when the goal is stability. In either case, they are partly submerged in the water. These seem to be designed to touch the surface but not run in the water. If immersed, the blunt ends would create a lot of drag. The wires and other things appearing about them could indicate a radio-controlled camera, or could be something else altogether. So, I really don't know what to make of this vehicle. I've done a quick internet search and found the picture of the hydrofoil "kayak" here: http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/593/flyak1.jpg, where it was called the "flyak".

But the craft that ceeboy showed us here is definitely unusual.

Ceeboy14, that "cable" is a paddle leash, a common piece of gear for kayakers where there is a danger that the paddle may be knocked out of their hands...

ceeboy14 · Jan 22, 2013

Learning all kinds of good stuff on here, tonight. I guess the leash serves the same purpose as the surfboard leash. There were a lot of singles and duos out there paddling up a storm but unfortunately, most were on the other side. I was up in the Atlanta area visiting my daughter so won't be back for awhile. Oh, as to the wetsuit, it was about 42 degrees out, dropping to 26 later that night..