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First Look: Biyak, with Pedal Drive

“The Biyak began a number of years ago with work on a pedal drive design,” said the designer Aaron Baldwin. “I couldn’t afford one of the existing systems, and building my own seemed easily done. Turns out that was a pretty naive assumption, but there were enough early successes to keep me trying.

My concept was based on the way that a duck swims. “Folding paddles” fold shut on the forward stroke and open on the propulsive stroke.  I had a way to link the two arms and a way to rotate each paddle to create reverse direction. The biggest trick was finding the right materials and hinge system for the folding paddles. In my shop there is a large bucket stuffed with failed prototypes. I call it “the bucket of failure.”  A few hundred trips in and out of dumpsters, a little thermoforming on my gas grill, and I finally have something that works well. I was awarded a patent on the design in the fall of 2013.

The Biyak came about because I needed something to mount the pedals to. Originally, I had stripped up some ¼” plywood and tacked them together with a brad nailer. The result was a blocky looking punt. It served its purpose, but was not an ideal form. Another designer, who was looking at the pedal drive, suggested that it would work well on a catamaran-style kayak. He was right and somewhere along the way of building a wooden catamaran it occurred to me that an adjustable beam would be easily doable. Naïve, again.

I built two wooden prototypes and one fiberglass.  In each version, I tweaked and adjusted until I was confident enough to have an ABS prototype thermoformed. I’m very pleased with the result. I have a deep love for fishing and the Biyak is an excellent fishing platform.  In its narrow configuration, the width is 30”, so it paddles well with a kayak paddle.  At its widest, it is around 46” and super stable. It breaks down into three components, each being light enough to easily car-top.

Now that I have been messing around with it, I’ve realized that for some folks the rowing set-up or the sail rig might be primary reasons for Biyaking. I think the boat is ready for production and I don’t know what I will do without having it to worry over. Fortunately, there are a lot of Biyak accessories yet to be designed.

Biyak and Pedal Drive Design Description:

The patent pending Biyak is a catamaran-style kayak with an adjustable beam.  It is thermoformed from ABS plastic and can easily be broken down into three components and lifted for car-topping by a single person.

The patented pedal drive is based on the way that a duck swims.  “Folding paddles” fold shut on the forward stroke and open on the propulsive stroke.  Rotatable arms allow the paddle orientation to be spun 180 degrees to allow for reverse.

For more information about the Biyak , check out biyakboats.com.

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MICRONAUTICAL BOAT DESIGN

BOAT DESIGN, MICROSKIFF, CATAMARAN, PORTABLE BOAT, KAYAK

About Wavewalk’s new W720 catamaran kayak-skiff

Wavewalk recently announced the new THE W720 CATAMARAN KAYAK-SKIFF . The W720 is the newest model from the classic W700 series, and it comes with an integrated motor mount, standard. This mount is suitable for outboard motors up to 3 HP. The W720 catamaran kayak-skiff weighs 85 lbs without a motor, and it’s perfect for inland fishing in ponds, lakes, and slow moving rivers. With its roomy cockpit and its carrying capacity of 360 lbs, it can comfortably take up to two anglers on board. Its price makes it even more appealing: $2,200 without shipping.

The W720 is not the S4, but it’s a stable and comfortable motorboat for up to two anglers, and it’s the easiest to cartop and carry.

In kayak fishing terms, the W720 is the most stable and roomy one or two person kayak out there, and the easiest to paddle (only 31 inches wide!). And last but not least, the W720 is the only kayak out there that’s back pain free.

Whether human powered or motorized, the W720 is certainly the best of breed in fishing kayaks, and the only microskiff in the “even lighter than the S4” class.

W720 Kayak-Skiff Basic Info

Wavewalk, W720, Catamaran Kayak, Motor Kayak, Tandem Kayak, kayak-skiff, Catamaran Kayak, Fishing Kayak

The Wavewalk 720 Kayak-Skiff

Price: The W720 goes for $1,800 plus shipping to the client’s address. The cost of shipping depends on the distance from the factory in Latta, South Carolina.  Factory pickup available.

Sales Tax : Clients pay sales tax locally when they register their motorized W720 with their state authorities.

Colors: The 2024 W720 Kayak-Skiff is offered in White and in Gator Green

More on the W720 Catamaran Kayak-Skiff »

Watch how easy it is to carry the W720 with a heavy 6 HP outboard motor attached to it: Video: Carrying The W720 Kayak Skiff »

Note: The W700 seen in these videos is identical to a W720, except for the motor mount. Currently, the W720 isn’t offered with a spray shield such as seen in this video. Wavewalk’s website features instructions for making such a spray shield, in case you’d want one for your W720.

STABLE KAYAKS AND MICROSKIFFS MADE BY WAVEWALK

microskiff, stable kayak, portable boat

S4 Microskiff

The World’s Most Stable, Comfortable, Seaworthy and Versatile Portable Microskiff

Price: $3,400 + shipping to client’s address. Discount on factory pickup in Latta, SC. See more info below –

1. S4 YOUTUBE VIDEO PLAYLIST

2. ABOUT THE S4 MICROSKIFF

The S4 is a catamaran (twin hull), super-stable, high performance, extremely versatile and seaworthy cartop microskiff that’s easy and fun to drive at high speed, both on flat water and in rough water. The S4 microskiff also works perfectly for kayak fishing, with its user or crew paddling it.

This boat is 100% Made in USA.

The S4 delivers the highest performance in small boats and ultralight micro skiffs, even before you’ve reached the water, starting from the fact that at 100 lbs it doesn’t require a trailer for transportation, and it’s easily portable even on rough terrain. Its patented twin-hull (catamaran) design delivers more stability than any boat of comparable size out there, including wider and heavier ones.  This allows for driving in fast currents, in choppy water, and in the ocean. The S4’s extra large cockpit (8′ long x 38″ wide) offers ample room for two anglers or hunters and their gear, or for up to three adult passengers – a total of up to 600 lbs. The S4 features a long saddle seat similar to the saddle of other high performance vehicles (e.g. Jet-ski, ATV), which offers maximal balancing capability and full comfort in choppy water, and long trips. The S4 features a skiff’s stand up casting platform at its bow. The S4 cockpit’s sloped sides enable its passengers to paddle with more ease and better control than canoes and tandem fishing kayaks offer. All types of paddles fit the S4, including canoe, kayak, and SUP paddles » The S4 has an extremely shallow draft, and this fact in combination with its portability, load capacity and high performance as a paddle craft makes it the most practical solution for shallow water fishing.

S4 Owners Reviews »

3. features.

• Length: 13 ft (396 cm)
• Beam (Total Width): 38″ (97 cm)
• Cockpit Length: 95″ (241 cm)
• Cockpit Height: 17″ (43 cm)
• Saddle Height: 15″ (38 cm)
• Width of a single hull: 13″ (33 cm)
• Total Weight: 98 lbs  (44.5 kg)

Structural Overview and Features

• Patented twin-hull Wavewalk® catamaran hulls
• Personal watercraft (a.k.a. ‘jet-ski’) style 7’6″ long Saddle seat featuring a series of seven molded-in brackets, and six vertical molded-in reinforcement columns
• Integrated Skiff Style Stand-Up Casting Platform at the bow, with anti-skid surface. Read more »
• The Cockpit’s Slanted Sides allow passengers to paddle with more ease and comfort than paddling a canoe or a common kayak of such width.
• Preparation for a vertical mounting plate for outboard motor at the stern
• Each S4 ships with a heavy duty mounting plate for an outboard motor , standard
• Two Medium Density Overlay (MDO) 0.75″ thick Saddle Brackets – One bracket at each end of the saddle. The bracket in the front provides additional support for the stand up casting platform, and the rear bracket serves as extra support for a motor mount. Each bracket is attached to the vertical wall that’s adjacent to it by means of two rivets. The rivets are sealed with waterproof adhesive.
• Built-In Flotation – The S4 Saddle is a watertight compartment that offers 180 lbs of positive buoyancy.
• Two pairs of integrated, molded-in heavy duty Carry Handles – A pair at the bow, and a pair at the stern.
• Material – The S4 is roto-molded  from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), for extra durability and resilience. Polyethylene is the polymer resin from which nearly all modern kayaks are made.
• Average Wall Thickness: 0.150″ (3.8 mm)

Colors: White, Gator (drab) Green

4. benefits, best stability in small boats.

• Initial (Primary) Stability : The S4 is more stable than any kayak, canoe, Jon boat and micro skiff of similar size. A 200 lbs person standing with both feet in one of the S4 hulls will make it draft barely 1″ lower than it would if that person stood with one foot in each hull – hardly a noticeable difference.
• Secondary Stability and Balancing Capability: The unique combination of a saddle seat (such as ATVs, PWC and snowmobiles feature) with high-volume twin hulls enables the passengers to balance themselves easily, intuitively, and more effectively than in any other boat, including kayaks, canoes, Jon boats, dinghies, skiffs, and personal watercraft (PWC / ‘jet-ski’).

THE S4 STABILITY IS UNRIVALED

Best Boat Ergonomics

The 15″ high saddle featuring in the S4 is similar to the saddle featuring in other high performance land and water vehicles, such as All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV), Personal Watercraft (PWC / ‘jet-ski’), and Snowmobiles, as well as certain Rigid-Inflatable Boats (RIB) designed for high speed motorizing offshore. Passengers riding this saddle can travel for long hours, including in choppy water, without suffering from back pain or fatigue. This is due to the fact that while seated in the Riding position, with a leg on each side of the saddle, the passenger’s legs support them in the most effective way, and no horizontal pressure from a backrest is being applied on their lower back. In addition, the S4 passengers can stand up any time they want, and keep driving and paddling while standing up. They can even lay down with their back on the saddle, and relax. Switching between positions assures that no extreme fatigue or tension would build up in any part of the passenger’s body.

Easy Transportation and Full Portability

The S4 weighs 100 lbs without a motor attached to it, and one person can cartop it. Therefore, it does not require a trailer for transportation.

Total Mobility and Increased Range of Travel

The S4 can be dragged or carried over rough terrain, and launched practically anywhere, whether it’s a rocky beach, shallow water, or other difficult spots that are not accessible to other boats.

The S4 can go almost anywhere, thanks to a number of special features – No other boat offers such a combination of shallow draft and total multi-modal propulsion, namely the ability to keep going in an effective paddling and poling mode even if the water is too shallow and/or infested with weeds to allow for motorizing. No other boat, big or small, works so well both on flat water and in the ocean chop. The S4 is both the most stable and seaworthy boat for its size.

Large Size Onboard Storage

The Wavewalk S4’s twin hulls offer 260 gallons (34.7 cubic feet) of onboard storage. This huge volume is comparable to the storage space offered by a 16 ft Jon-boat, or a full size skiff.

Our Recommendations –

• Size: 20″ Long (L) propeller shaft outboard gas motor. Other shaft lengths don’t work with the S4
• Power: 3.5 HP to 6 HP (2.6 KW to 4.5 KW). Avoid using bigger motors
• Propeller pitch for a 6 HP motor: First choice: 9″ pitch, second choice: 8″ pitch
• Propeller pitch for other motors: Always choose the biggest pitch available

What Motor For My Microskiff? »

Shallow Draft

• Empty, no motor: less than 1″ draft
• Loaded with 200 lbs: less than 3″ draft
• Loaded with 400 lbs: less than 5″ draft

5. Mounting Plate

The S4 Comes With a Heavy Duty (HD) Mounting Plate For a 6 HP Motor, Standard

Mounting Plate Tech Specs

• Thickness: 1.5″
• Material: Medium Density Overlay (MDO) coated with urethane.
• Parts: The S4 mounting plate comes with a pair of 5/16″, 3.5″ long carriage bolts, and self-locking nuts.
• Compatible with outboard motors up to 6 HP and a 20″ Long (L) propeller shaft.

6. PRICE AND ORDERING INFO

• Price: $3,400 plus shipping to your address.
• Discount on factory pickup in Latta, SC 29565

Please contact us for a quote on shipping to your address

• We ship to addresses in the contiguous US and Canada.
• Shipping includes insurance and call before delivery service.
• We ship every S4 Microskiff in a custom heavy-duty cardboard box.
• We do not ship to addresses on islands, unless the island is connected to the mainland by a bridge enabling a trailer truck to cross over and deliver the S4 to the client’s address.
• All overseas clients, including clients in Hawaii and Alaska, take care of shipping their order from the factory to their address. We’ve found that UPS Air Freight offers competitive rates for shipping to addresses in Europe and elsewhere. Please contact us for details.

Wavewalk does not collect sales tax, but you’ll be required to pay sales tax when you register your S4 multihull boat with your local authorities.

Most states require issuing a title for a boat, and the S4 is a multihull boat. You’d have to find out what the specific requirements are with your state’s authority that’s responsible for registering boats.

To order your S4 simply send us an email to [email protected] In your order, please include your name, address, the color and accessories you chose for your S4, and the best phone number for the carrier to call you before delivery. We’ll quote you the cost of shipping to your address.

Do you have any questions for us about the S4 microskiff?

• Please make your check payable to Wavewalk, Inc, and mail it to –
• Wavewalk, Inc.
• 115 Terrace Avenue
• Riverside, RI 02915

Order Cancellation, Product Warranty, and Service Policy »

Checkout our list of local Dealers and Demo Agents »

W720 or S4?

• W720 advantages over the S4:  Solo kayaking, solo canoeing, tandem kayaking, tandem canoeing, portability.
• S4 advantages over the W720: Motorizing, tandem motorizing, tandem fishing, stability, offshore trips, load capacity (big guys, additional passengers, heavy gear).
• Shallow water – The S4 drafts less than the W720, and it features a skiff stand up casting platform, but the W720 paddles better.
• Offshore –  The S4 is more seaworthy than the W720.

Do you feel unsure? Please don’t hesitate to call or email us. We’re always happy to answer questions about our products and the best ways to use them, and offer more details about performance, outfitting, etc.