DESIGN STATEMENT

Wind 505 is a new design for 2008. It is a fast and stable cruiser, packed into a compact and beautiful form. Slim body with small amount of rocker is the key to good acceleration and cruising-speed. Shallow v-shaped bottom provides confident stability and edging. Water-tight compartments of Wind 505 are spacious enough to allow making multi-day trips. Keyhole cockpit gives adequate support for knees, to make you feel yourself comfortable on rough waters. Relatively low back-deck makes rolling easier. Wind 505 has also great maneuverability. The day-hatchis replaced a mini-box in front to allow faster access. Rescue straps make paddle-float entry easier and stainless loop can be used for locking your kayak. The Wind 505 is capable surf-waves and multi-day trips. Wind 505 is a very good kayak for beginners, but also for an advanced paddler. Wind 505 is meant for a paddler up to 185 – 188 cm long and in the weight of 90 – 95 kg.


REVIEWER SPECS

JK: 5’ 6”, 140-pound male. Day paddle. Winds to 5mph, waves and wakes to 1.5 feet, tidal current. No cargo.

SR: 5’11”  160-pound male. Day trips. Wind to 12 knots, waves and wakes around 2’.

TE: 6’1” 200-pound male. Day trips. Winds to 12 knots, Waves and wakes to 2 feet No cargo

BOAT SPECS

Length overall    16’ 5 1/2 ”
Beam    21 1/4”
Volume    cu. ft.
Cockpit size    15 1/2’ ” x 28 3/4”
Cockpit coaming height
Forward    12 5/8”
Aft    9 7/8”
Height of seat    1 1/4” n/n
Weight    52 3/4 lbs.


DETAIL SHOT CAPTION:

The  day compartment is set in the foredeck and creates a “knee tube” in the cockpit.


BEST FEATURES
• Speed
• Tracking
 
TO IMPROVE
• Back band


THE REVIEW

First Glance

“At first glance, I’m loving this boat.  Great finish and color scheme and great layup work” (SR).  “The Wind 505 is an attractive boat with nice lines and a beautiful finish. The layup is solid and the interior painted with gel coat to give it a very slick bright-white finish” (TE). We got a range of opinions about the Wind’s nearly 53-pound weight: “moderately heavy” (JK) to “impressively light” (SR) but agreed that is “balanced well on the shoulder” (TE) for “comfortable solo carrying” (SR).
The recessed deck fittings anchor “perimeter lines fore and aft.  The forward perimeter line crosses in front of the coaming and I found myself confusing it with the similarly colored bungee next to it. The bungees on the back deck are good for securing a spare paddle. Webbing and quick-release buckles on each side hold a paddle-float outrigger securely and releases easily” (JK).

Fit

The length of the cockpit allowed only JK to get in seat first. “The pod for the day hatch on the foredeck is just forward of the coaming so I had to angle my feet to the side as I entered to keep my shins from hitting it. The foredeck has cutaways to provide clearance for the paddles stroke” (TE).  JK and TE found the seat short and lacked thigh support but neither complained of sore spots or numbness after paddling the Wind: “it was comfortable for hours at a time” (JK). For TE, the back band was “nice and low and worked well with an upright sitting posture. The seat and back band cradled my hips, leaving my spine with good freedom of movement.”  JK and SR had trouble with the back-band on reentries: “It flops and requires a hand in situating upon entry.  Securing the base of the band to the seat with a bungee would solve this however, and can be easily done” (SR). “The thigh bracing is effective enough for bracing and rolling but my knees slid a bit against the deck; gluing foam pads under the deck would make it more secure” (JK).
The SmartTrack rudder pedals “are very easy to adjust while seated in the cockpit” (JK). “They provide smooth, tight predictable rudder control while keeping your feet solidly in one position” (SR). The Wind 505 is equipped with both a retractable skeg and a SmartTrack rudder. The slide for the skeg is “easy and smooth to operate.  The rudder deploys with a cord and cam cleat on the aft deck—“hard to see but once I got my hand on the cord the rudder dropped and raised easily ” (TE).

Stability and Maneuverability

The initial stability was rated from “moderate, only slightly twitchy while sitting in the boat “ (TE) to “good—not too tippy” (JK).  Secondary stability was “good, yet easy to edge and felt secure” (JK) and “excellent. I could easily submerge the gunwale and hold the boat there” (TE).  “This boat likes to lean and holds easily on edge all the way over”  (SR). “This boat tracks like a dream.  You would need to extend your stroke or use really long low angle blades to make it yaw” (SR). JK and TE similarly noted no tendency to yaw between strokes.
With the rudder and skeg both retracted, the Wind “definitely wants a lot of lean to expedite a turn” (SR) TE thought the Wind  “responded very well to edged turns, and with a strong edge the stern will swing around making a sharp turn.”

Speed

For JK “a leisurely pace yields about 3 1/2 knots, and I could sprint to 6 1/2 knots.  What surprised me was accelerating from 3 1/2 knots to 5 knots at an “exercise” pace with little effort.” “The Wind’s best feature is its speed.  Easy, quick acceleration—this boat does not require a lot of effort to get it moving and to maintain a good pace. I averaged a 4-knot plus cruising speed and was able to get it over 6 knots for a spell” (SR). TE logged  4 3/4 knots at  relaxed cruising pace, 5 3/4 knots at an exercise pace and a top speed over 6 1/2 knots. It’s a fast boat.”
“In light air the Wind 505 seemed to hold its course well.  I noticed no weathercocking with the skeg up” (JK). “This boat was remarkably neutral in what wind I had” (SR).
TE “caught a good tug wake moving over a shoal. The Wind accelerated well and had no trouble  catching and riding the wake. It had little tendency to broach and I could use a stern rudder to correct.  I stuffed the bow in one wave only when it had steepened in shallow water, the rest of the time the bow  stayed up on the surface.”


Roll and Rescue

Wet exiting was “easy” for JK and SR. For TE “getting out required leading one leg before the other.”  “Most of the water drains out after lifting the bow.  Re-entry with a paddle float outrigger is facilitated by a groove in the back deck behind the coaming and webbing with quick release buckles.  It works well and releases easily” (JK). “The Wind 505 rolls well, although the back deck is a little too high for me to lay back fully” (JK). TE could do “about 3/4 of a layback, more than enough to make that option easy.  The coaming contour at is comfortable to lie on. About the easiest and quickest reentry and roll.”

Cruising

“The decks are low and the cargo space limited but long weekend would still be easy enough to pack for. The soft rubber hatches were easy to get on and off” (TE). “After rolling and rescues all three hatches were bone dry.  Wow!” TE and SR also reported the compartments remained dry. The day compartment forward of the cockpit opening “works well and seals nicely. Space is limited and the lids requires multiple twists to undo and replace” (SR).
With 50lbs of gear aboard, the handling and speed “did not change enough for me to remark about problems.  Nice straight flying boat” (SR).
The Bottom Line
“The Wind 505 is a good all-around kayak, suitable for a range of experience and a variety of paddling conditions.  Fine for day trips as well as camping. The manufacturers characterized their kayak well” (JK). “This boat is great for someone who wants to comfortably log miles and just cruise.  It wouldn’t be great for coastal exploration and big water, but that is not the intention, so don’t think about it for crossover use.  It is one of the nicest looking boat designs I’ve seen in awhile and very well constructed. I would paddle this boat a lot if I owned it. It excels in the conditions it was designed for” (SR).  “I liked the Wind 505. I’d add a bit of customizing to the fit, but the speed and maneuverability were quite satisfying. It’s a good combination of abilities for some light cruising, fitness paddling and rough water play” (TE).



MANUFACTURING DATA

Designed: 2008
Standard construction: Fiberglass hand lay-up in polyester resin.
Optional construction: Vacuum-infused hull and hull & deck with epoxy resin and carbon/kevlar multiaxial
Standard features: Retractable skeg and rudder, SmartTrack rudder pedals, KajakSport hatches
Options: compass and a stainless towing ring in the bow
Weight: 46 pounds in fiberglass, 38 pounds  in carbon/Kevlar hull + fiberglass deck,               36 pounds in carbon/Kevlar deck and hull
Price:
Availability: See web site for list of dealers
Manufacturer: Tahe Kayaks Ltd, janek@tahemarine.com; www.tahemarine.com

See Wind 505 product page here!