Have you been fishing from the wrong kayak your whole life?
Unfortunately for nearly all anglers in the world the answer is almost certainly ‘Yes’. Chances are you have been fishing from a traditional sit-in and SOT kayak, which despite being the only solution since the advent of kayak fishing, is in no way the right way to go. Only a marginal minority of the world’s anglers have discovered W kayaks, and been able to make the switch to this superior product, ridding themselves of the problems of traditional yaks.
But what can back up these claims that traditional kayaks really are bad for you?
This is easily done, and all you have to do is think back to how much your back aches after just one hour of paddling and fishing from a traditional kayak to realize that something is terribly wrong.
Anglers using traditional kayaks often experience an impulse to get up and out of their yaks to ‘unkink’, that is to stretch their legs, back, and shoulders, and failing to do so regularly, thus interrupting your kayak fishing trip, will undoubtedly mean that it won’t be long before you start suffering from a sore back. This hallmark of sit-in and SOT kayaks, results from the uncomfortable squishing of the angler into the L kayaking position, while failing to offer any alternative method of operation.
This pain is not dependent on whether you’re paddling your kayak or propelling it with a pedal drive – In fact, the second method of propulsion makes you push your legs lower and thus forces your back further into the backrest, aggravating your discomfort instead of alleviating it.
A sore back yells to the angler, plainly and simply: ‘Stop Using This Kayak!‘
What’s the problem with some back discomfort though? What may start as a nuisance can rapidly intensify if you continue paddling and fishing from this kayak, putting you at a risk of serious back injury, such as sciatica or even a herniated disk, and regardless of severity or permanence - it’s simply not worth it.
If after reading all of this you still want to consider using a traditional fishing kayak and think back pain and injuries are worth it you may want to consult a mental health specialist in addition to the chiropractor you’re going to have to visit.
In addition to health concerns, safety is also an issue. Paddling and pedaling kayaks while suffering from back pain, or any pain for that matter, is not safe, as this article about kayak fishing with a sore back explains fairly well.
