Inflatable Kayak Blog

The WindPaddle™. I think it’s a clever name. After all, you’re using the wind to paddle your kayak. Nick Wiltz, who lives in the kiteboarding/sailboarding mecca of Hood River, Oregon, designed this lightweight, circular, portable sail a couple years ago. It’s slowly gained momentum in the paddling marketplace and is now considered to be one of the main choices as a sail for kayaks, canoes and other small crafts. The sails have received good reviews from Practical Sailor Magazine and Playak dot com.

It comes in two sizes, the “Adventure” sail, which uncoils from 15 inches to a 42 inch diameter sail and the “Cruiser” sail, which deploys from 20 inches to a 56 inch diameter sail. Either sail can be set-up for instant self-launching either before sailing or while out on the water. It connects easily to existing boat hardware (perimeter line, bungee cords, eye-straps, etc.) and a continuous sheet (or steering line) allows the paddler to easily control the sail while keeping their paddle in their hands for bracing and steering. There’s also a large window in the center panel of the sail for visibility. The WindPaddle™ design puts the center of force of the sail down low, at about the same level as the paddler, making the boat/sail combination incredibly stable and easy-to-use.

If you’ve ever thought about sailing a kayak, canoe or other small boat, the WindPaddle™ could be just the ticket. It’s an inexpensive and easy way to add the functionality of sailing to almost any craft.