Small Craft Advisory - How to Sail a Kayak 

I'm a sailor and have to say that you explained sailing in a brilliant 12.32min video!.. well done. I think adding the stabilizing floats might be a good idea. Tipping over when you're just out having fun is ok, but if you have all your gear onboard the added stability would be worthwhile.

This is the best "getting started vid" I've seen yet. Good stuff. One "tip" to prevent from capsizing is when the gust of wind hits, quickly release tension from the mainsail sheet so that it flaps in the wind. Should help mitigate tipping, if done in time.

Good job Ryan. I have owned two Hobie kayaks with sails. I blasted across the water and never flipped. I watch so many Hobie kayak sailing videos where nobody knows how to sail. They never get up to speed and their sail trim is nonexistent. I'm glad that you made the video. Peddle while you sail to double your speed! Peddling will improve your ability to sail closer to the wind. Oh ya, use your body weight to keep your kayak upright. Hang a knee or leg over the gunnel. Leaning forward helps. If you feel tippy let the sail out. A larger sailing rudder is a must.

One of the best and informative videos on RU-vid, cheers.

Just rigged up my kayak with a homemade sail. Going to take her for her maiden voyage in a few hours. I’ve been so excited to do it that I haven’t slept so I started looking up kayak sailing tips. Great video!

Very well composed video. That was a lot of information conveyed in under 13 minutes without the confusion. Now that you've launched all of these new kayak sailors off into the wind, you might want to tell them how to stop or reduce power. You explained the accelerator in great detail but never really mentioned the brakes. :)

This video is from 5 years ago, so I don't know if you are still monitoring comments. I have the most fun, narrow, and "unstable" pedal kayak Hobie makes. I've NEVER capsized even though I've been in crazy waves while CROSSING the Chesapeake Bay. I love my kayak! I am a skilled sailor, but I don't think my 180 drive Revolution 11 kayak would be a good fit for the sail kit. Plus, I LOVE using my telescoping goofball retrieval tool in the kayak's sail mount as a 12-foot mast to fly the American flag! PS: Great job on the video!

Decking my Perception out with a sail & outriggers. Thanks for the education !!! Solid video!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

Looked like great fun..... Cheers...

Thank you for showing me what to expect when I tip it over. Great video.

Very helpful info thanks for taking the time to share nice quality and sound

This gotta be one of the best videos on youtube.

Excellent video Well-produced. Explained very clearly the basics of sailing a kayak, including terminology.

Great video Ryan, thank for sharing your knowledge on a great detail way!

This was so helpful. Thank you!

Very practical and objective explanation! Thanks and Congrats!

Great vid, informative and entertaining - thank you.

I have been looking into getting into a hobby kayak for sailing on lakes and really enjoyed some of your tips.

Nicely done! Good intro to the physics of sailing and how it pertains to yaks.

Great vid. Thanks, Ryan

Excellent video , thanks

Good job Ryan, excellent sailing education.. Thanks and Congrats!

Excellent video!!

I have SO MUCH FUN sailing my Hobie! A word of caution -- in a good wind the Hobie sport will easily capsize. Then because the sail is under water it is VERY difficult to get the kayak back upright. I would never again attempt to sail the Hobie Sort kayak without the pontoon kit. Pontoon kit is a good idea even on the Outback. Sailing a Hobie is so easy and so fun!

Last month I was trying a Hobie Island Tandem with biggest sailing rig. It was very interesting but for fun we haven't enough wind. Have a good time on the water and fair winds 🍀

What a great instructional video , I'm thinking of figuring out how to do a sail hook-up on my 2021 hobie compass Duo . Looks like so much fun !

Thank you very much. I’ve considered sails for our 2019 and 2020 outbacks, can’t always be about bass fishin.

That was very good, well done.

Great video bro.. Im planing to sail with my mirage sport with my diy sail. Your video really help me a lot. Greating from Malaysia

Very helpful. Might try making a sail for my old ocean kayak, but before that I think it'll need a rudder.

One of my favorite kayaks. Perfect kayak for the Florida keys

That was fun and informative!

Great video. Good info. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent instruction. Where you said you were doing a starboard tack and went port had me messed up for a second 😂

Awesome video, thank you. Im new to this and your video has revealed a lot. Ill give this a try when i save up for a Kayak. All the best, have a good year

Thank you for the insight into kayak sailing. My family had a catamaran years ago in Florida and as kid it was alot of fun. As an adult in Knoxville, TN sailing with anything bigger than a kayak is not appealing to me with the average low winds in my area. This looks like a good way to scratch the sailing itch but can double as a simple kayak activity if the weather is not ideal. Also would be easy to take it on the road to better locations.

A great vid. Thank you

Great video! Thank you!

Great video which not only let’s kayakers know how to get there hulls moving for free but also has real info about sailing. Have taken several courses on sailing and you are spitting straight facts. I have added a sail to one of my kayaks and I’d like to share that adding amas to your set up will help you from capsizing when a gust takes you unawares. Not crazy about the banana shaped inflatable from Hobie which I have tried. Better than nothing but there is a nicer one out there. Sorry I can’t remember which one right now or supply a link. Just saying with a little research you can be super safe and stylin. Cheers!

hello ryan thanks for share this video

Looks like fun but it dawned on me watching you fall in that its a good thing you were able to hold onto it, otherwise you have a good chance of your kayak sailing off in to the sunset without you in it.

Well done!

As an old school windsurfer, very cool.😊

Excellent sailing education. You are a great instructor. Just what I learned on Flying Juniors. I’ve sale 65’ in the ocean. Would be fun to sail a kayak. .

Jolly good show.👍🍺

Where was this video last night when I was trying to explain this to a person using a beer can and plastic knife stuck in it? Great explanation. Fair weather sailors are just yachtsman, and no one has money for that. If it's rough stand on the side!

This may be the best video I have ever seen produced, next to Mike Jordan''s many at iTOOLco? Ha, ha. Perhaps your video is even better than the previous front runner, "Jacques Pepin omelette omelet" which was a great example of instruction you would have to think very hard on how to to improve. But back to you Ryan. The "clam cleat" closeup you showed I was unaware of previously. I was using a product made by RAM which while better than nothing, has the big drawback of needing to be hand tightened to avoid failure and movement. Even falling in was essential showing how you climbed back in. As an old guy, when the sail has me leaning a bit too much, I wonder how much of a pain it is going to be getting back on. But now I know I can do it without an issue and is liable to even be fun in our warm St. Petersburg' waters. Showing the kayak out of the water on blocks from a side view was another excellent decision. I have a 12' Pro Angler that I taught myself how to sail poorly. Your instruction and explanation for how a sail works and the terminology will improve my enjoyment a lot. I am going to recommend that our local distributor, Andy and Jimmy, give a card to each customer of their Hob with a QR code captioned: "Ryan Wood RWoods Outdoors - How to Sail a Kayak", which takes them right to this video. It will improve both their sales and customer experiences for sure. Hell, I think I will just make up the cards and present them to them and then track how much their sails and sails accessories sales go up. Since you have this in you, I can't wait to see what else I will find on my new Subscription to Ryan Wood - RWoodoutdoors. Ed Kelley

I sail my Hobie Revolution 13 as much as I use it as a normal kayak or more it’s great fun

I've been sailing small boats for years, then a Hobie Outfitter tandem and now just starting to sail my Hobie PA12. This is a very well presented instructional video. How did your sail bungee get released at 11.05 ? You really need a sail furler.

Tassos Manolas. Greece. Dear Ryan .I think its time to make a second part of your first fantastic video for beginners with more details.For example the cause to capsize in your firs video etc .Manny greetings from Greece.

I flipped 😢over on my Hobie Outback with a sail kit and stabilizers . A gust of wind around 15 knots caught me by surprise and off I went . Ok , I was on the cell phone and I didn’t let go off the sheet . I lost my fishing pole , all my fishing gear . I didn’t think it would happen to me and I was too confident with the stabilizer. Because I had the Hobie floating stabilizers I couldn’t flip the kayak over , had yo be rescue by a nearby boat . If you think it would happen to you, think again . 20 mph winds is a bit too much for a kayak with a sail kit .

Nice video dude

That is bad ass!

bahhaahahaha!! that was great to see you go over!! Actually, very informative video....thank you.

The bungie cord at the foot of the sail should be fixed to a cleat. If it’s loose like in the video and the kayak turns over the mast can slide out of the socket.

Bro I was sold till the clip of you flipping. lol. I'll stick to my drive lol

Thanks👍

Funny sailing terms include “mast step” not “mast receptacle”. But still a fascinating development.

Thank you

With sidekicks fitted I’ve never felt mine would flip

Awesome video I am going to get me one for my PA14

Got my sail today at Sound Bike and Kajak today

Imagine your kayak sails away when you fall off and you’ve got no life vest and are a mile from shore haha

It could be alot of fun... *flips over in high winds*... yea I'm good lol

You gotta be the best pirate I’ve any seen

Just got myself a Hobie Lynx, partially for the sailing! Great video. Can you tell me what clam cleat and track mounting hardware you used? After day 1 with the sail kit I realized that the cleat is a must!

Excellent, Thank you, Sir. Jai Hind.

Very good instruction, however I would add that the sail should be unlcipped (let go loose) before righting the kayak, and the kayak is best turned into the eye of the wind (this goes for all sailboats) as the wind won't catch it and flip it back over the other way. Also that one should sail to the conditions: if you think the wind is too strong and you feel aprehensive or uncomfortable, and if you have a sail furling kit installed, furl the sail either completely or partially. Furling kits should allow you to furl the sail in seconds, a great comfort to know when gusts are around. Learn to swallow your pride and reduce sail if you thnki it is advisable. The sail is not only like an aircraft wing - it is your accelerator so remember to "take your foot off" when things get hairy and furl the sail enough so that any danger of tipping over is past. Being in the water is fine - but where I live Great White, Bull, Hammer Heads, Tiger sharks and other hungry things swim below the surface (and sometimes breach out of the water to scare you away from fish, I suspect). I prefer to stay on my craft so I keep alert and 'work' the boats with care and attention. Plan not to tip over before you launch and keep your head in the game.

It looks like you didn't tie down the downhaul down 😆 Great kayak 👍

Clam cleat info please!Awesome video!

So great! Thank you so much. Couldn’t find any other instructional videos for this even by hobie! Do you have a furler kit or is it necessary?

I’m thinking about adding weight to the underside of the kayak including a full keel made from PVC rail fence material.

add outriggers for stability and use your paddle to steer it - especially going upwind or combating crosswinds this is how ancient Polynesians traveled from Samoa 6000 miles away to the Americas This was way before Columbus landing in south america

Nice video. I know it's been a few years, but where did you get your sail and sail mast from? Thank you

can you share the model of cleat you have and how you mounted it?

This is an awesome video! Any idea how fast you were going ? Faster than pedal drive? I'm gonna share this on my mesquite outdoors Facebook page 👍

Your video is best. I have an i9 & getting my sail kit finally this upcoming week. The claim cleat(?) is that available for inflatable? Is that a must? Should I upgrade to larger rudder? Do I need furling kit? Do you hold the rope in your left hand while sailing? I never sailed so wasn’t sure if gets clipped in somewhere as your sailing in that direction. Hopefully attaching sail to inflatable same as hard shell. I can’t find any videos on how to attach it. Thanks!

What do you find you can get as your top speed in knots?

ótima aula parabéns obrigado ...abraço.

Would it help to have 2 lines on the sail¿

You need the must have roller furling.

Dear Brian .I have a hobie sport kayak 2019 model and i think to try sailing.i want your advice about it .Long time ago i went sailing with small boats and i think i forgot almost everything.Thank You so match .Athens Greece

In the broad reach the sail isn't acting like a parachute but is still working like a wing - but with the wing flying backwards! Sails are amazing things - they act as wings with the wind flowing from mast across the sail and in reverse - where the wind flows from the back of the sail towards the mast - here the main sheet acts like the mast. Makes a mockery of how a wing is supposed to work if iyou believe the high/low pressure standard argument!. It's all Newtonian innit?

Very nice video, i would like to know where can I get a sail like yours...

😁👍

Thank you! What's your opinion on sailing with Outfitter tandem kayak?

Great video! Have you seen a tandem with a sail? Would be fun with a friend!

What v-cleat and mounting hardware did you use?

Excellent video. Exactly how did you get that v-cleat to secure to the running slot on the side of the kayak (screwed to a backing plate?). I have a Hobie Outback, would love to add that. Thanks.

I'm curious where you acquired this sail, I'm looking to buy one as I am also converting my kayak to be able to sail but actually buying the bloody sail has proven difficult

Ryan, great video. What is the purpose of the piece of PVC pipe you have while righting the kayak?

Hi Ryan, what size Ronstan V-Cleat are you using? Online I'm seeing small, medium, and large...

The usual fastest point of sail is the broad reach and not the beam reach.

🇧🇷

It seems not so much stable, at least not in the high wind. But, what about adding a pair of floats for stability, like trimaran? I guess it could be much more sail-worthy

close hauled with no centerboard or keel? I have doubt. What about drifting? What about heeling?

Would a side floater keep u from tipping over

This track mounted clam cleat is it a Hobie accessory?

Roughly how much was all this kit?

No ropes on a boat Ryan, ain't line.