Wave Walker Pedal Kayak Review

If you love pedal kayaking, then you’ve come to the right website! This post is an in-depth review of a unique pedal kayak: the Wave Walker pedal kayak.

In past reviews, I’ve talked about some of the top and well-known names in the industry. The Hobie Mirage, Perception Pescador, or Old Town PDL are high-end pedal kayaks. They are known for quality for serious users to kayak for fishing or fun.

The Wave Walker Pedal Kayak is a bit different. And  I don’t mean that in a bad way!

Depending on your objective, the Wave Walker might be a better fit for you!

This pedal kayak comes from the house of Intex. It has some interesting features and therefore it would not be a bad idea to have a closer look at it. It is suited for a single person and it does offer quite a few features and functionalities. Let us have a closer look at from various angles so that our readers get a better perspective.

Pros: Wave Walker

Many things are likable about this walker pedal kayak from Intex. Intex is a name that has stood the test of time and has a pretty sterling reputation for quality. Products that are developed by Intex are looked at with keen expectation, enthusiasm, and respect for the environment. There are quite a few things features that are interesting about this wave walker pedal kayak.

First and foremost, it is designed to give extreme comfort to almost anyone.

It comes with a well-thought-out, intelligently-designed, and completely adjustable and inflatable seat. The seat is complete with a high-quality backrest. Further, the cockpit design has been thought through very well. It is designed for space and comfort, making kayaking in water for long periods a pleasing and comfortable experience. The kayak, when inflated, will be quite significant and will have a total dimension of 10 feet 3×3 feet and 1 foot 8 inches.  Further, the kayak, when fully inflated, is capable of accommodating two persons with a total weight bearing capacity of around 400 pounds. This is good enough for two fully grown-up adults.

It’s also straightforward to use. In my experience, this is an "entry-level" pedal kayak from a  useability perspective. Since it is so user friendly, anyone should be able to pick it up quite quickly. Kids and teenagers should have no problem figuring this out on a protected water environment.

Of course, safety is a big concern. The best safety features are also built into this pedal kayak. It offers the best possible directional stability.  This is possible because of the removable skeg. This is a unique and versatile thing and it goes a long way in offering the best possible directional stability and safety. Not every pedal kayak has this.

The bright yellow color has not been selected just like that and quite a bit of thinking has gone beyond it. If the weather is bad and when the visibility becomes poor, the bright yellow color will certainly help in more ways than one. The kayak will be visible from a long distance and it could come in handy for rescue or avoid crashes because of poor visibility.

The material that makes up the kayak is also worth mention. It is made from the best quality and total puncture-resistant vinyl material. It also comes with three separate air chambers that offer complete safety and stability to the entire unit. You also will be impressed with the I-beam (inflatable) and goes a long way in providing the required rigidity as the kayak moves. Inflation and deflation is also quite easy and it happens quite rapidly. This is because of the high-quality Boston Valves. It is a product that has been certified by the National Marine Manufacturing Association. They use the most rigorous ABYC standards.

Cons: Wave Walker

However, as is the case with every pedal kayak, there are also some downsides to it. It would be pertinent to have a look at the downsides also so that the readers are able to take an informed and correct decision. To begin with, it does not come with a hand pump and it has to be bought separately.

However, if you look at the advertisements of both the manufacturers and the dealers where it is sold, they often talk about hand pumps being a part of the deal. Hence, there is a need to correct this misunderstanding and set the records straight. Else, many customers believe that they have been misled and perhaps even been short-changed.

I personally think this is somewhat of a disingenuous thing and it actually makes me like the Wave Walker a lot less.

There have been some instances where the seam of the pontoon broke, and it has split. Some instructions seemingly may help overcome this problem. However, despite using the right adhesive and following the proper directions, the breakage of the seam has not mended for a couple of people I  know.

Calling the manufacturer and trying to get a solution to the problem has not helped much. There are a few customers who believe that the service standards are below average and there is scope for improvement by a few notches.

Perfect Fit

Answer: Tandem pedal kayaking in calm water

If you are a husband and wife, or partners who are adventurous minded and are looking to spend a day in waters that are tranquil and calm, then you may find this kayak quite useful. It is well designed, engineering to perfection, and also has the best possible safety features built into it.

It could help even those people who are fitness conscious. Pedaling the kayak over long distances is indeed wonderful exercise. The good thing about this pedal kayak is that it has two seats and therefore it is possible to interchange pedaling and take turns should yo so desire. Further, it also is quite lightweight and well-engineered and could be suitable for those who are not masters in kayaking and other such activities.

It also can bear a total weight of around 400 lbs. The capacity is quite generous, and therefore even two fully grown adults can make use of this wave walker pedal kayak. On the whole, there are reasons to believe that it is the right product suitable for a range of people who are keen on being fit or who wish to spend some time during the weekends deep inside a calm water body.

In short, this pedal kayak is perfect for a couple who wants to putter around calm water for exploring or exercise. I would not use it for anything else.

Alternative Options

At the beginning of this post, I talked about how it was unique! Now that I  talked about who this is perfect for, I hope to make this point.

If you want to go fishing in your kayak, or get some excellent pedal kayaking in, then you need the Hobie.

But, if you are just looking for exercise,  then the Wave Walker could be a good fit.

Think of the wave walker’s closest competition, and what people should cross-shop it with, as a paddle boat instead of a pedal kayak.

Final Verdict

Most of the end-users are reasonably happy with the product, its ability to move through placid waters quite quickly, and for exercise. They are, in particular, pleased with the tough vinyl material.  It is sturdy, ergonomically designed, and can withstand rough use.

However, make sure you know that the keywords above are are "placid" and "exercise." I wouldn’t bring this out onto fast-moving or choppy water, and I’d use an actual pedal kayak if  I wanted to do some serious kayaking.

See you on the water!

Robert Walker has been a Kayak enthusiast for over a decade. He's owned several different Kayak's, but only recently got into Pedal Kayaks in the last few years. This website is Robert's way of sharing his passion for Pedal Kayak's with the world.