Get the Popcorn Ready

[jorluivil]

Originally Posted by buddha

Ross I have been a critic of the pedal kayaks as well as my FB Group gave me a lot of crap since I was able to borrow a Hobie on this trip for a week.

Interesting article. http://wavewalk.com/blog/2010/10/11/...ishing-kayaks/

What are your criticisms of the pedal kayaks other than possible breakdown of parts?

I scanned and read the a portion of article on the link above but stopped after I read this:




Stability and Control

First of all, a kayak being such a small and inherently unstable craft demands that the person who operates it take care of balancing and controlling it actively, using their own body for this purpose.
It is important to remember that while pedal drives may be used solely for propulsion , paddles are useful for propelling as well as balancing the kayak. This is particularly difficult for kayak pedal drivers, since they are required to move their feet away from the footrests, located low and on the kayak’s sides, and place their feet on the pedals, located higher, and on the kayak’s center line. This repositioning of one’s feet severely reduces their ability to control and balance the kayak, and for this reason pedal kayak drivers are often seen holding the sides of the kayaks while pedaling them – By holding the kayak’s sides with their hands in such a way, they try to compensate for the loss in balancing capability as a result of their repositioning their feet to a less stable position, and no longer being able to use them for either balancing or control.


First of all, moving your feet a few inches will not necessarily cause your kayak to lose its balance, I've sat and slept on my kayak with one leg sitting on the side of the kayak slightly hanging over and I wasn't the least concerned about flipping over. I've seen kayakers fight fish on Hobie revo's while side straddling the kayak, the kayak never flipped over.

Why do I hold the sides of my pedal kayak? ummmmm......probably because I'd look really silly if I had my arms crossed over each other. when you drive your car/truck and you only have one hand on the wheel where is the other arm? Chances are its sitting on the center console or lodged on the door right near the window, I really doubt you're driving your car with the other arm in your pocket, that is if you're not driving with both hands on the wheel.

The real reason I have both hands on the side of my kayak is because pedal kayaks have something called a rudder control and its located, Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?..............you guessed it!!!! on the side of the kayak. My kayak has two rudder controls and both perform the same function. However, if I only had one rudder control I can assure you I would not be using my other arm to try and balance my kayak.

I didn't read any other parts of the post it but I'll have to assume(my apologies in advance if I'm wrong) that the writer is pro-paddle and hates Hobies or anything with a pedal/propulsion system.

[YakDout]

Ya I read the article and felt it was biased as well.

[Rambo]

As with any product that has a nice size market, there will be smaller size company that will come into the market and try and capitalize on that niche to win over some consumers and business. Therefore, this article is to help focus the problem on what problematic things they found in so and so kayak and the solution they offer; so in light help promote their business and the product of the so call "Wavewalk."

[Cbad Mike]

Trust me... I'm an expert on all things and after only reading the part of the article that Jorge posted I believe that all foot propulsion kayaks should be made illegal.
Peddle kayaks are not only extremely hazardous to those who use them but also to every other person on the water.
It's no secret that the only people who buy those death traps are drunks and stoners. We all know that these "dark siders" like their hands free to drink their craft beers and smoke their Marijuana cigarettes while moving at ungodly speeds across the water.
Studies have also proved that injectors of heroin prefer the hands free method of kayaking so the they can easily "fix" themselves while bouncing the bottom for Halibut.
Even to the untrained eye this drug and alcohol induced behavior is evident by watching these crazed hooligans try to land their barges in the smallest of surf.
The time is now to ban the sale, use, and ownership of these dark side death tubs.

[Zed]

That wavewalker guy tried to tell the world his kayaks were better than all others 7-8 years ago. His bias is against all others not just petal Hobbies.

[lowprofile]

I only hold one side of my yak and that's where the rudder control is. The other one has a rod in it.

[kjsdad619]

Originally Posted by Cbad Mike

Trust me... I'm an expert on all things and after only reading the part of the article that Jorge posted I believe that all foot propulsion kayaks should be made illegal.
Peddle kayaks are not only extremely hazardous to those who use them but also to every other person on the water.
It's no secret that the only people who buy those death traps are drunks and stoners. We all know that these "dark siders" like their hands free to drink their craft beers and smoke their Marijuana cigarettes while moving at ungodly speeds across the water.
Studies have also proved that injectors of heroin prefer the hands free method of kayaking so the they can easily "fix" themselves while bouncing the bottom for Halibut.
Even to the untrained eye this drug and alcohol induced behavior is evident by watching these crazed hooligans try to land their barges in the smallest of surf.
The time is now to ban the sale, use, and ownership of these dark side death tubs.

[alanw]

I posted a link to that article 5 months ago (http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...9&postcount=34) and the snippet posted above makes sense to me. Raising your legs raises your CG which of course causes a loss in stability, which means having to make a wider kayak to compensate. What you do with your free hands is your business. I know that placing my legs wider on a yak seems to give me more stability and control as well. Yea the guy is trying to sell his kayaks, but his ideas seem thought out and based in science.

[GregAndrew]

I can't believe that you guys would be so defensive over an article written 5 years ago by a guy trying to hock his "kayak". The search button is great for research, but they used to think the world was flat too!

[Pocoloco]

Originally Posted by Cbad Mike

Trust me... I'm an expert on all things and after only reading the part of the article that Jorge posted I believe that all foot propulsion kayaks should be made illegal.
Peddle kayaks are not only extremely hazardous to those who use them but also to every other person on the water.
It's no secret that the only people who buy those death traps are drunks and stoners. We all know that these "dark siders" like their hands free to drink their craft beers and smoke their Marijuana cigarettes while moving at ungodly speeds across the water.
Studies have also proved that injectors of heroin prefer the hands free method of kayaking so the they can easily "fix" themselves while bouncing the bottom for Halibut.
Even to the untrained eye this drug and alcohol induced behavior is evident by watching these crazed hooligans try to land their barges in the smallest of surf.
The time is now to ban the sale, use, and ownership of these dark side death tubs.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!........its just a stereotype
:cheers1

:

[Stuck20]

I read this article before deciding on what kayak to buy. Borrowed my buddy's outback and loved it. I've never had a stability issue.

[RockyRaab]

He's a biased wingnut, but at least he can spell.

[dmrides]

Originally Posted by Cbad Mike

The time is now to ban the sale, use, and ownership of these dark side death tubs.

Oh you're just bitter because you can't post your OTW report while pedaling back to shore and having a beer.

[619-SWIM-DOG]

Only thing I'm holding onto is a cold beer and the rod with a fish on it.

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Originally Posted by Cbad Mike

Trust me... I'm an expert on all things and after only reading the part of the article that Jorge posted I believe that all foot propulsion kayaks should be made illegal.
Peddle kayaks are not only extremely hazardous to those who use them but also to every other person on the water.
It's no secret that the only people who buy those death traps are drunks and stoners. We all know that these "dark siders" like their hands free to drink their craft beers and smoke their Marijuana cigarettes while moving at ungodly speeds across the water.
Studies have also proved that injectors of heroin prefer the hands free method of kayaking so the they can easily "fix" themselves while bouncing the bottom for Halibut.
Even to the untrained eye this drug and alcohol induced behavior is evident by watching these crazed hooligans try to land their barges in the smallest of surf.
The time is now to ban the sale, use, and ownership of these dark side death tubs.

That's good!

I'll be more careful around those guys from this point forward.

Will surf booties protect my feet from needles in the sand?

[tomahawk]

Just read Jorge's excerpt. I think what the author is trying to say is that spreading your legs increases your mass moment of inertia making it easier to balance. It is easy to think of it like a tight rope walker. He uses the pole to increase his MOI giving him better balance. The paddle and your legs can have a similar effect. Also, the comment about the hands grasping the sides has to do with adding a torque to the system for balance. All true and based in science as alanw said, as is the the higher cg associated with sitting on raised seat. All kayakers have the most advanced feedback control system available to them, the human brain. I bet the pedalers have crazy good balance in a paddle yak where all those things are helping them.

[ful-rac]

Who the hell wrote this article....?


GREG?!

[rossman]

That dude has issues that could only be solved with a cruise ship.

[kjsdad619]

I like using flaps, Flaps are great! Wow..what a boner.

[YakDout]

Honestly, I hold the sides of my kayak a lot because I dont have a PADDLE in my hands. What would paddlers do with their hands if they had alternate means of propulsion? Would you guys sit on your hands or..??