Today the "Little Wing"-kayaks from Warren draw my attention: just because of their very unconventional look.
The first glance made me think: brr, what a "broad looking", blunt kayak.
A closer look was much more positive because of the innovative shape with the waistline.
Oh ...., and what a narrow width of the waterline. It looks like a racing machine.
This kayak is not exactly brandnew because the first information is already dated 2005, but nevertheless it is worth a closer look now.
Look yourself:
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Probably you have to get used to this model, but I think this is the result of real, innovative thinking.
Read on to think along with me What it might be good for:
Looking at the shape and dimensions under the waterline, this must be a fast kayak.
Looking at the 4 "wings" (the expansion of the body above the waterline) in fore- and aftship, this must indeed be, by all accounts, a safe kayak with good secundairy stability and with good response to leaning the kayak.
It looks like that this kayak can serve the beginner looking for a stable kayak, as well as the experienced paddler looking for a rough-sea kayak.
A drawback however could be that the "wings" can reduce speed in rough seas because they get immersed in waves increasing the waterline temporarily with each wave. If the sea is rough enough this becomes an advantage because speed is not important anymore in that case.
The wings give quite a lot of extra volume in bow and stern so you can be sure that waves willen not burry you. I guess the kayak will not have problems with nosediving once surfing on big following waves.
A drawback could be that you might have more spray from the bow. Or would that be less than normal with this kayakdesign: This is difficult to predict.
Another volume related issue is that the load capacity will be high. Just With the remark that the kayak will change its characteristics once the 4 "wings" are permanently in the water when fully loaded.
About performing an eskimo-roll I have no idea: wether it is very easy to roll or being very dificult ?!
I would love to paddle it for a while to experience myself. Just to find out all of this.
I never thougth someone would come up with a design that differs that much from our conventionel looking seakayaks which do not differ very much from their ancestors; the kayaks from the eskimo´s cq. inuits. Not realy.
If you want to read more about this kayak you can take a look at the Warren-website: www.warrenlightcraft.com
And at www.wavelengthmagazine.com/2005/on05adam.php you can find a review.
If you have an investigational mind, this migth be something for you.