Is it normal?

[tito82x]

So I have been out on the yak in really windy conditions paddling parallel to the waves and pretty much have to paddle only on one side to get from point A to point B. I went out yesterday morning with not too much chop, with just a little breeze and again going parallel to the waves and experienced the same thing having to paddle out pretty much on one side to keep straight and then having to paddle on the other side on the way back. Is this something that all yakers experience or is it just me cuz it's a pain in the butt having to pretty much paddle on one side to track straight and if so I might have to invest in a rudder? Thanks!!

[M T Stringer]

RUDDER...once you get it you will kick yourself for not doing it sooner.

[Plant]

RUDDER...once you get it you will kick yourself for not doing it sooner.

Great Avatar.... I'm kayaking.

I was have the same issue on the way in last weekend on an outgoing tide and into the wind... I attributed it to that. I've tried to do all my add-ons myself, but the rudder was one I thought was best left to the pros.

Off topic kind of, but Where would y'all suggest going to have one installed on a Heritage?

[billy bobba]

What you experienced is called Weather Cocking -- and is a normal effect in a head wind.
It can be corrected by use of a rudder , skeg, or by how the kayak is trimmed out (weighted).
Some kayak hulls are simply poorly designed and the weather cocking can be hard to correct.

Here is the first article I ran across with a Google search --

http://solentseakayaking.co.uk/2010/08/ ... ng-a-skeg/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jackinayak]

Rudder X2! I got so used to the rudder on my Prowler 13 that I had forgotten what it was like to NOT have one. Took my new Ultra 4.3 out a few times while awaiting the back-ordered rudder kit. The experience you described was exactly what I dealt with. One particularly windy day in the marshes, I had to make a tight downwind turn after about 30 minutes of the one-sided paddling you describe. It put me in a strain to keep from running up on the mud bank. I decided that this could actually be dangerous if the wind should kick up with a long paddle back to the launch.

[Toolman]

Rudder..... SWPS in The Woodlands, FTU & ACK in Houston.

[tito82x]

Thanks for the input! I found this link on YouTube also
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jB9ySXd9NYY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kinda what I wanted to hear cuz I wanted to get a rudder now I can justify spending another $200 on the yak. Just have to explain it to the misses now

[Sugar Jay]

Thanks for the input! I found this link on YouTube also
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jB9ySXd9NYY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kinda what I wanted to hear cuz I wanted to get a rudder now I can justify spending another $200 on the yak. Just have to explain it to the misses now

head over to the Yak Shack and have them install one for you! You will never own a kayak with out one again.

[txspeck]

Get a rudder

[AlanC]

Build a rudder- it cheaper- it's not hard to adapt to most kayaks. Walmart cutting boards are cheap and that's what we make most of the parts out of. I put up instructions for the OK prowler BG in the salt water form and that is what my brother used on his heritage as well. His bracket was a bit different but not much. Oh! And he managed to get a lime green cutting board for his rudder- got to admit it looks nice.

[TG Canoes and Kayaks]

The waves are the culprit for your uneven stroke. When you paddle with waves at any angle other than exactly perpendicular or exactly parallel, the waves will affect your yak. It's hard to explain, but the wave will grab the end of the yak it touches last. For instance, if the waves are coming at you from left to right, and your yak is pointed into the wave by just the slightest degree, the stern will be the last part of the yak grabbed by the wave. This "wave grab" will push your stern from left to right (with the waves), forcing your yak to pivot and your bow to swing right to left. The only way to combat this is a stroke on the left side of the yak.

The wind can exacerbate this, but only minimally. That's why you still had the issue when the wind wasn't very strong. A rudder can help alleviate this, but only if the waves are small enough that your rudder stays in the water at all times. If the waves are large enough, greater than the length of your rudder, there will be points at which your rudder may come completely out of the water. A rudder isn't helpful if it's not in the water.

The best way to deal with this is to paddle at angles perpendicular to the waves. If Point B is 1 mile from Point A, but parallel with the waves, try paddling perpendicular out to Point C, then perpendicular back to Point B. You'll have covered 1.5 miles, but you'll have done so with a normal paddling stroke, which is more efficient than a one sided correctional stroke for a mile. Plus, one leg of the perpendicular trip will be with the wind and waves, so you'd essentially be sailing/surfing, which saves even more energy.