Adventure Sail

Adventure Sail Description

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Adventure Sail Reviews

Read reviews for the Adventure Sail by WindPaddle as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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4

This sail is great. It pops…

Submitted by: banjopatty on 4/29/2016
This sail is great. It pops up so easy and folds down just as easy once you get the hang of it. Stows on deck for quick deployment. My friend and I had made homemade sails and I almost got dumped cause I couldn't collapse it quickly enough during a very windy day. These are easily collapsed. Just let go.
5

We were flat-water kayaking…

Submitted by: paddler235724 on 7/7/2014
We were flat-water kayaking recently and had a steady tail wind all the way back to the dock . . . it got us thinking that perhaps it would have been fun to have sails for our kayaks so that we could coast all the way home! We did a lot of online research to learn what types of sails were available and – more importantly – a lot of thinking about how we would actually use sails. Turns out there are many different types of kayak sails offered with a varying range of capabilities and prices. That includes relatively complex (and costly) rigs which turn your kayak into a mini-yacht. Some are designed to lash two kayaks together with the sail mounted in between; others are based on adding an outrigger to your kayak for stability. (Not familiar with outriggers? Just think of those Polynesian canoes with a long, thin hull extending off to one side.) We discarded those designs as over the top. What we wanted were sails that could be quickly and easily rigged on the spur of the moment when the wind puffs up and just as quickly and easily stowed when the wind dies down or when we prefer to paddle. Also, we didn't want to have to install all sorts of hardware to support a mast, let alone figure out how to store the mast when we didn’t need it. We wanted to keep it simple because simplicity is part of the beauty of kayaking to begin with.

That narrowed the field quite a bit but, surprisingly, there were still about a dozen different designs to consider. On the low end was an inexpensive triangular sail with a wide seam into which you would insert one-half of your take-apart paddle to act as a mini-mast. The web site didn't disclose just how you would secure the "mast"; it appeared that you held it between your knees while you used the other half of the paddle as a rudder. We weren’t impressed! We saw a number of “inverted triangle” sail designs which appeared to be effective in the sense of being able to capture wind but somewhat clumsy to rig and to store. There were also triangular sails (i.e. miniature versions of the classic sloop sail design). Of all the sails we considered, these were probably the most efficient in terms of performing under all sorts of wind conditions but again, they required the installation of deck hardware and storage would not be as simple as we had hoped. Then we stumbled across something called WindPaddles (which we refer to as our "WindBags").

The WindPaddle sail is perfectly round; it requires no mast; it needs virtually no hardware; it is self-erecting; it weighs only 12 ounces; it has a huge see-thru window; and it stores flat as a pancake in 10 seconds, ready to spring into action again at the drop of a hat. It can be rigged on either a canoe or a kayak. Imagine a three-and-a-half-foot beachball cut in half and that’s what it resembles. Instead of hoisting a sail up a rigid mast, this sail simply pops open just like one of those fold-up sun screens you place on your windshield on hot days. Basically, it looks like and behaves somewhat like a spinnaker on a sailboat. And, at around a hundred bucks, it's very affordable.

To mount the sail on your kayak or canoe you simply clip the two snap-hooks to whatever is conveniently located: deck lines, bungie cords, it doesn't really matter as long as it positions the sail where you can easily reach and control it. the only alteration we made was to affix two little "pad-eyes", one on each side of our kayaks.) When folded, the sail is held by a sort of a waist-strap and to "raise" it, all you do is remove the strap and let it pop open by itself. When it opens it flops down in front of you so, to catch the wind, you simply haul back on the sheet lines and - - - you're off! This sail performs beautifully when you’re running straight downwind. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, occasionally using your paddle to steer. When you have wind coming over your shoulder loosen the slider at the base of the sail so that it can pivot a bit to pick up the wind and tighten your left or right sheet line to trim the sail. With these adjustments you can reach across the wind at about a 75º angle, tacking left then right instead of running a straight line. What this sail cannot do is "beat" close-hauled straight upwind like a sloop. But, all things considered, that's not much of a negative when you compare it to all the positives.

These WindBags are a real "hoot". They're at their best when, instead of fighting the wind to go where we want to go, we just change our mindset and let the wind take us where it wants us to go.

4

The Windpaddle is a pretty…

Submitted by: elcid on 8/14/2013
The Windpaddle is a pretty durable and fun change up for longer trips or enjoying windy days. We tend to use it after the first six miles in a narrow wooded trip down Riverbend, once the river opens into tidal estuaries, and around Jupiter inlet on windy days. The sails luff a little bit until you learn to cinch down on the rigging with the turtle that sits at the six o'clock position. It's more helpful to have a rudder, but if you know how to edge and the wind is generally behind you, you can get by with fewer correction strokes.

All in all, the sail is durable, easy to stow, and is a good time when you just want to relax on the way back in or during a longer trip.

4

Purchased the WindPaddle…

Submitted by: paddler233518 on 3/30/2010
Purchased the WindPaddle Cruiser model to use with an Innova Helios II tandem inflatable kayak after it was clear that my attempt to attach the sail from my Feathercraft K2 folding kayak was going to negate the portable advantages of inflatable kayak. I resisted the rather unorthodox circular Windpaddle, but after further research decided it was the best fit for a kayak designed to be ultra portable and airline ready.

Took the Windpaddle to the Florida Keys last week and was quite pleased with its ease of use and performance. This sail will also see use on our canoes and other kayaks. Setup easy, deployed quickly, and came down easily (see YouTube videos on how to fold back up--that's the only tricky part). All in all, a great addition to the paddling kit.

4

So much fun! Have been casually window shopping the past couple of years…

Submitted by: YakSlacker on 10/17/2008
So much fun!
Have been casually window shopping the past couple of years for a kayak sail to take advantage of the winds when we do our Spring and Fall paddles in Assateague. Have used the sail for one weekend. Great new accessory/toy for my Wilderness Systems Tempest 170! GPS clocked us at 9mph.
    What won me over:
  • Portable. No need to drill holes in you boat, clips onto your deck rigging. The sail clip line is fully adjustable.
  • Lightweight - 13 oz
  • Small - folds down to 15" diameter circle (similar to portable car sun visor).. great for backcountry paddles where space is valuable. Stores neatly under my deck bag.
  • Easy to set up and take down.
  • Low center of gravity. Did not affect the boat stability.
  • Great conversation piece.
    Cons:
  • A bit pricey at $175. Very much this gal's gear-indulgence.
  • Portability - TOO Good! All my paddle buddies wanted to share the fun, too. Easily switched between boats while in route on the water.
All-in-all, very happy with the purchase!
4

Wind Paddle – “Adventure” Mk I model is a 9 out…

Submitted by: paddler235835 on 12/12/2007
Wind Paddle – “Adventure” Mk I model is a 9 out of 10 for pure fun.
This is a very clever kayak sail that is simple to use and totally portable from kayak to kayak. Since it has no mounting hardware to worry about, I just clip it to my side deck cords or clips and if the wind comes up... I “pop” it up and I am sailing. If the wind goes down... I fold it in half and store it flat under the deck cords. Works best in winds over 10mph.

I have had this puppy for 3 months now in 25+ mph winds and I fly faster than I could possibly paddle. The real fun comes when you are going the same speed as the waves and you feel a surfing effect under the boat as you catch a wave.

I find the further forward towards the bow the sail is .... the more wind I can catch. Since I don’t use the paddle when I am under sail, I recommend you use a paddle leash, since you will need both hands to control the sail, especially when catching wind 90 degrees to the side. I also strongly recommend this for kayaks with rudders.

The biggest Kayak I have tried this on is my Wilderness Systems “Northstar” 18.5 foot, 95 lb tandem. My girlfriend ran the sail in the front while I paddled in the back and ran the rudder. We were going so fast that my paddling was slowing us down.... so I lifted my paddle and decided to “enjoy the ride”.

Although I still enjoy a calm day on the water.... I really look forward to a windy day now !!

4

Got my new wind paddle…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 11/19/2007
Got my new wind paddle Adventure sail last week, and have only had it out for about an hour due to uncooperative weather. Here are my first impressions, comparing it to the homemade variety of the PA sail I have. Here is the link to the PA style sail I am comparing it to....
http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/grantglazer/kayak/Hintssail.htm

First of all, if you are considering the Wind Paddle, get the Adventure, not the Sport. In a decent wind, the sport would get snatched out of your hand. Both sails are attached to my Caper midway on top of the front hatch. I've added padeyes on both sides for attachment points.

  1. Deployment..... my vote goes with the PA style. The wind paddle when folded up requires me to scoot forward in order to deploy it. Also, out of the package, the Wind Paddle does not have front bungees. This makes it more difficult to pop up, and when the sail luffed, it wanted to fall in my lap. I am in the process of adding bungees up front. I am concerned that they will interfere with the WP sail filling fully with air... it sort of fills up like a shallow wind sock, and the front bungees might keep it from filling fully. Probably not enough to matter though.
  2. Storage on board..... goes to the Wind Paddle. It folds up nicely like a sun screen in your car. Takes up very little room when folded, only covers my front hatch. The PA type lays across my legs and makes for a busy deck.
  3. Maneuverability..... slight edge to the Wind Paddle. Seemed more "steerable". Frankly though, I mostly cleat the lines on my PA type sail and paddle/rudder anyway. Both can darn near get a full broad reach.
  4. Dousing the sail..... advantage to the PA type. I simply pull it back and fold it up. The Wind Paddle will pull back into my lap, but folding it up while underway is challenging. Perhaps I will get better over time.
  5. Speed.... to be determined. I need to get my wife out there so we can race them. Both sails are 1 sq meter, and both will move the kayak as fast as I can paddle in a 8-10 mph wind.
  6. Field of vision.... the winner hear goes to the PA type. At eye level. the window goes across my entire field of view, while the Wind Paddle is both wider at eye level, and the clear panel does not go across the entire sail.
  7. Ease of attachment.... goes to the Wind Paddle. It is simple, adjustable, and can be attached just about anywhere foreward there is a padeye or hatch strap. My PA type sail requires a "saddle" ( I made mine from closed cell foam) that allows for the sail to deploy fully open.
  8. Price..... Pacific Action new: $250
    Wind Paddle Adventure: $175
    PA style homemade sail $35 and about 6 man hours
Conclusion... well the jury is still out. I don't think it will replace my PA style sail, but it will make an easily stowable emergency sail if I have hardware failure, and it is also wonderful to have around for guests to use, and I can use it on my OK Malibu XL tandem without any modifications.

The WindPaddle could be moved from boat to boat easily, with no major modification. My PA style sail seems more substantial and rugged. I like the better field of view also. Both are fun !!
You can read more wind paddle info at windpaddle.com