Adam Masters on Wilson Creek, NC. Boat: Play 45. Photo: Effort, Inc.

Team Bellyak on the French Broad River. Photo: Effort, Inc.

Play 35 Profile, Hanging out at Ledges River Park near Asheville NC. Photo: Effort, inc.

Play 35 Front view

Play 35 Stern View

Derek Turno getting big air on Wilson Creek. Boat: Play 45. Photo: Effort, Inc.

Adam Masters and Derek Turno on Wilson Creek. Play 35 (green) and Play 45 (red). Photo: Effort, Inc.

Does your face get wet?

And after…bellyak rock slide into river. Wilson Creek, photo Effort Inc.

Bow Splat! Paddler Adam Masters on Wilson Creek. Boat: Play 45. Photo: Effort, Inc.

Stern Squirt on Wilson Creek. Boat: Play 45. Photo: Effort, Inc.

Folly Beach NC. Photo: Lindsey Graham

Still life with Bellyak. Photo: Lindsey Graham, Folly Beach NC

Getting big air on Wilson Creek! Photo: Effort, Inc.

Folly Beach Demo. Photo: Lindsey Graham

Wilson Creek. Boat: Play 45. Photo: Effort, Inc.

I’ve often thought of the bellyak as a cross between a kayak and a surfboard, and I even studied surfboard profiles when coming up with the bellyak design. Rivers and waves have one thing in common: they are both dynamic, moving forces that can either beat you down or give you the ride of your life. I spend most of my time in and around the rivers of western North Carollina, so sun and sand were a welcome change from rain and rocks.

I traveled to Folly Beach recently to visit with dealers and outfitters, but most importantly to have a photo shoot with ladies on the boats…we have way too many shots of a: me, and b: dudes in rivers all geared up. My friend Stratton Lawrence, proud bellyak owner and excellent journalist for the Charleston City Paper has many beautiful and willing friends who came out for a fun surf session at Beach Access #4.

Paddling out through the waves is almost as fun as surfing back in

Which boat is good in the surf? All of them! The Frequency is great for paddling out and getting a good workout in…the fast hull combined with the toecups allows for great speed and glide. Paddling just past where the waves break is a lot of fun. The ‘body cavity’ of the bellyak gives you great stability within the boat, and the hatch lets you take whatever you might need. There is a beer ban on the beaches of Folly, but does it extend to the ocean? The Frequency holds two beverages of your choice in the drop in bowl in the front hatch…just paddle out past the waves and enjoy! I doubt anyone will stop you.

Not just for bellies! You can stand on it too.

The Play series, designed for ‘playing’ in the river is right at home on ocean waves. The planing hull makes surfing a snap, and the extra rocker allows you to do 360′s and other tricks.

The new Play 35

 Why Bellyak in the Ocean? Why not just surf?

Surfing is great, if the waves are good. If the waves aren’t great, then the surfing is not so great. Since the bellyak is like a kayak, you are planing above the water at all times, which means that you can surf the smallest, sloppiest of waves and still have fun. What does this mean for you? That any conditions will provide endless exercise and entertainment. Plus, you can lay on it when you’re done, as it makes an excellent ‘dynamic nap platform.’

Play 35

Frequency

Don’t you want to be this happy?

You too can be this happy! Just ask your local retailer or rental agency about Bellyak, and if they haven’t heard about us, tell them! If there isn’t a dealer close to you we ship anywhere in the USA!

1: You will get wet.

2: It’s harder and easier than you think.

3: You will get a great workout.

The Bellyak is meant to be primarily ridden in the prone position. At first, you may feel a little unstable if you’re not used to watersports. You’ll want to lean right and left to feel your ‘secondary stability.’ This lean is crucial for entering into and out of eddies, and for turning the boat while paddling. You’ll want to make sure you are in the middle of the boat: not too far forward and not too far back. This is known as your trim. If you’re too far forward the boat won’t go straight, and if you’re too far back, it will make the boat feel sluggish.

The benefit of the Bellyak is the ability to ride in multiple positions. This gives you a break from one position, and allows you to enjoy hanging out on the boat.

The trick from going from prone to seated is the swing your legs around the boat as you transition (straddling the boat with your feet in the water). Our soon to be released instructional video will show you how to do this. At first, you may fall off, but the good news is it’s really easy to climb back up on the boat from the water.

You can also ride the boat in kneeling, which is a little tippy at first, but a great way to surf and for scouting rapids before you run them, or for riding ocean waves.

What if I fall off?

Since there is no cockpit to fill with water you can remount the boat in two ways: slide the boat under you as you mount from the rear, or climb on from the side as you throw your legs over the boat.

Will I be tired?

Doing any new sport for the first time will require new muscles and skills. If you’re using the boat in the ocean, you can easily take breaks as needed. If you are going down a river, it is recommended that you stop and enjoy the scenery…there is no rush. River surfing and running harder whitewater require a higher degree of fitness, but the good news is that the bellyak provides a terrific shoulder and core workout.

Key Pointers for River Running:

Adam Masters at Thunderhole on Wilson Creek, photo Effort, Inc. Boat: Play 45

Set up way in advance of your line. What this means is that if you want to go left at the next rapid begin setting up to go left before you get there. The benefit of being so close to the current is that you can learn exactly how the water works and find path of least resistance. There are really only a few strokes required at any given time: setting up your angle, punching through waves and holes, and crossing into and out of eddies.

The Boof Stroke:

Adam Masters on Wilson Creek in the Play 35. Photo by Effort, Inc.

As you come over a drop, or into a hole, the last stroke is crucial. You want to take a big breast stroke, which naturally takes your weight off the bow of the boat. This accelerates the boat and insures that you glide over the feature rather than get bogged down in it. The handles are not for grabbing onto while going through whitewater, they are meant to be used to reposition yourself on the boat.

Eddies:

As you come into and out of eddies (the interface between the moving water and still water) you’ll want to lean into the turn.

Leaning into the turn will help you carve across the current and keep you from flipping over. If you’re already a kayaker, all the same rules of edging and leaning that you know in your kayak apply directly to the bellyak. After all, the bellyak is a kayak that you swim on top of!

Key Pointers for Paddling in the Surf:

As you paddle out into the break, the same ‘boof stroke’ is crucial for getting past the breakers. Take a strong stroke right as you crest the wave. If the wave crashes over you and pushes you back, then just surf backwards! The bi-directional nature of the bellyak works well either forward or switch!

Paddling out through the waves is almost as fun as surfing back in

When catching waves, the shorter length of the bellyak means you need to start paddling sooner to catch waves than you would if you were on a longboard or SUP. With a little practice you’ll have it down in no time.

If you get turned sideways to a wave, then lean into the whitewater (away from the beach). This will keep you upright and smiling.

The handles can be used for surfing!

The best pointer of all? Have fun, and be safe!

See you on the water.

Flowing in the shadow of much gnarlier runs, the French Broad is a fine piece of whitewater often overlooked. One section that is infrequently run is Section 6, flowing from our shop in Woodfin to the Ledges Park, approximately 6 miles downstream. The flow was 8800 CFS, the weather sunny, and the water brown. We put in right at the Metropolitan Sewer District…downstream of Asheville. Good thing that Asheville’s shit don’t stink, cause we were about to swim in it. I wasn’t worried, I had on Immersion Research’s new ‘SuperModel’ drysuit, and planned to keep my mouth shut tight. Right after we put on, we had to portage around this, the Brown Curtain.

We were looking for these:

And these:

Swimming in whitewater is fun. Even when it’s downstream of the sewer plant. There were over a dozen great waves in this section (only run at high levels…at normal levels it’s no fun). The Play 35 surfs like a dream, and loves to catch wave holes, waves, eddy lines, whatever. As it’s name implies…it’s for playing.

One of my favorite waves is the Campground wave, just above Ledges Whitewater Park.

What is the point of any of this playing in the river? There is no point. Unless the point is experiencing the freedom that flying on water has to offer ala the Bellyak. Then it’s awesome. Sure. I’m biased. The bellyak is my puppy. I love it no matter what. But so far, I’ve been on this section with kayakers, C1 paddlers, and SUP boarders. And I know, subjectively, I had way more fun than them. If that’s the point, then I won. But the real awesomeness is finding a piece of river that I drive by every day, but never paddle, and finding little gems of waves hidden amongst the high water. That is one of my favorite reasons to paddle…for the sense of discovery. Sure, it’s not Class V, but the experience of “high performance” whitewater swimming on Class III is all the Class V I need after work.

Here’s a shot of the top wave at ledges park, right at the takeout:

For an after work run, at the right water levels (above 6500 CFS) this section is hard to beat.

“The Bellyak is a great platform for people to experience watersports.  At our Walter Reed facility, we have amputees(single, double, and even quad) paddle the Bellyak around the pool and even play kayak football on Bellyaks.  Many of our leg amputees paddle both the kayaks and the Bellyaks and like to change up between the two because of the great workout the Bellyak affords–arms and balance when trying squirts.  One patient that is missing an arm and a leg tried the Bellyak and prefers it over swimming because it’s so much faster, easier, and still gives him a good workout.  Another great feature of the Bellyak is it’s very easy to remount in the event of a flip.  The leg amputees cannot climb back into an inflatable kayak without help, whereas the ease of remounting the Bellyak is perfect for games and rough water where flips are inevitable.  We have not tried ocean surfing(only standing river waves) in Bellyaks yet, but I know it would be a fun use of the Bellyak.  All in all the Bellyak offers a comfortable way to enjoy watersports without fear of entrapment(e.g. closed kayak or canoe), provides a great aerobic workout, helps with balance–especially in the case of TBI patients, offers more possibilities for people with disabilities, and it’s just plain fun!  Hope this helps and thanks for all your help and support!”

You have to deal with the abundance of novice butt kayakers and rafts, but if you learn to time it right it’s pretty easy to have the river to yourself.  Thirty runs is a good day.

Season Pass+ an easy 2 hour drive+bellyak(or 6)=hot damn that’s fun.

I made this little ol video with my Narwhal Film Mount (patents pending), and on second bellyak and regular camera, Spencer Cooke. Music by my good buddy and I kid you not his real name is Ram Mandelkorn and his band the Blood Gypsies. 100% made in Asheville NC.

Player haters beware. Real paddlers do it laying down.

So I’ve always liked water, but not loved it.  I know, to all you hard core paddlers out there, you must think I’m weak.  It was just never my thing.  I love being near the water!  To stand on a sandy beach and look out over the expanse of ocean-like the rest of the Earth is just beyond the end of the horizon-is an unmatched feeling.  I grew up in Western North Carolina, 4 miles from the French Broad River.  It always felt like a part of me, like somehow that murky water was in my DNA. However, due to my immense respect for the power of water I was always happy enough to just look at it, watch the waves curl white over the rocky surfaces.  My family would take a rafting trip once a year down the river with the French Broad Rafting Co.  It was great!  I loved being on the water…but my exploration ended there.  What was my next option? Canoe….not interested. I tried a Ducky years later…fun and safe, right up my alley.  But to kayak…this is where my relationship with the river ended.  I couldn’t get past the spray skirt.  It seemed like too steep a learning curve.  I am HUGELY impressed by all who can get in a sprayskirt and learn to roll, or at least face that challenge.  But, so sorry, NOT for me!

Fast forward several years, and I met Adam Masters.  **Cue wedding music** We met, fell in love, got hitched.  Ohh…how sweet!   Unlike me, Adam has been in and on water his entire life-kayaking since 6 yrs old.  What does this have anything to do with the bellyak?  I’m getting there…

As we develop and test the boats, we have to get them out on the water to feel how they do.  I’ve watched and helped Adam develop and design the boats for the past year now from the perspective of someone who is green to the river.  For months, I was the wimp whining, “it hurts my neck!  We need to steepen the curve of the chest cavity.” Or, “I feel too insecure, out of control” helped realize a deeper body cavity to lower the center of gravity and soften the edges of the boat so it was less tippy.  I can’t tell you how many times Adam would lead me through a rapid and immediately turn around once through, only to see me getting flipped and dumped on some benign rapid.  What came out of all this was some perspective of those who don’t know water as well.  It’s definitely an art.  There’s a whole language in how the water moves and as someone without all the experience, it was important that the boats could be ridden by everyone, even us newbies.  And there’s plenty of us out there! Kayakers are amazing.  They can take a boat beyond the limits of what seems sane, safe, or possible.  But there are also lots of people who simply want to have a fun and safe experience.  We’re hopeful that the boat can provide this for you–especially the Frequency–our more stable of the two models.

What the bellyak has done for me:  I’ve taken the bellyak down sections of river I never would have seen before unless in a raft or ducky.  Not only that, but the vantage point is entirely different!  It is so much more intimate as the water splashes up and down the body of the rider.  It’s not like sitting up and above the water–you’re in it on the bellyak!  The bellyak has helped me get out and see places I probably never would have.  It has provided me with another way to encounter the water and to go places I likely wouldn’t have traversed.  We live in such an amazingly beautiful and rich planet.  To be out on a river or out in the ocean surf and feel safe is such a gift.

So I encourage all of you who may be too timid to try kayaking to try bodyboating in a bellyak.  It might just do for you what it did for me.

I grew up around rivers. The ocean was a place that was hot, full of sand and too many people. Growing up in SC, Myrtle Beach was my association with the ocean. Loud motorcycles, t-shirt shops, too many people who I didn’t want to see not wearing nearly enough clothes, and no waves.

Surfing the Bellyak Frequency at Folly Beach, SC

At first, I wasn’t that great at reading the waves. I can read whitewater, as it’s fairly predictable. Gravity, water, rocks…there are only so many variables to learn. The ocean was a different thing altogether. How the waves break in sets, how to anticipate…luckily we had the break to ourselves. I really have a lot to learn about the ocean, but regardless of my lack of experience, I caught a lot of great waves and had a great time.

When I was a kid, I was always afraid of something eating me as I swam past the breakers. Even though I liked it, I thought the great white shark of Myrtle Beach was going to take my legs off. I never had that fear of swimming in the Chattooga or Twelve Mile rivers, as I wasn’t afraid of anything that lived in the river. What does this have to do with the Bellyak? Swimming out on the Bellyak for the first surf of the day, I paddled out past the breakers and headed up the beach. What I loved immediately was that I was a) going fast, and b)felt completely protected by the boat underneath me, and I was still swimming. The first boat I went out on was the Frequency, without a fin. I was able to punch through the incoming waves no problem, it was much like punching through a hole on a river. I caught a few waves to start with, slowly figuring out where I needed to be to catch the best ride. I had a few good rides, and then went in to install the fin. The rear drain on the Frequency holds a longboard finbox perfectly (with slight modification). I was curious to see how this affected the tracking of the boat, and how it influenced surfing.

See the fin in the back? Friction fits in drain slot. These boats rigged for filming.

I put the 9″ fin in first, and paddled out. I immediately noticed how much easier the boat tracked…little or no correction strokes. This fin will be good for those with injuries who use our boats (Wounded Warriors/Team River Runner) as well as for those using our boats for flatwater workouts. I caught my first wave with the fin, and the increased speed the fin provided was immediately noticeable. I was able to hold my line down the face of the wave, and turning was much easier. Whereas before I would just “mush out” at the bottom of the wave, the fin allowed me a lot more control. I never thought I would have as much fun as I did…I caught wave after wave, and when I needed a break, I just stopped paddling! I was already laying down. I also caught a lot of waves on my knees, which provided even more control.

Knee Surfing

Next up was the Play, which I’d modified with set of thruster fins. I basically guessed at the placement, going on what I’d learned from the internet and my own instinct. This is a fiberglass version of the Play 35 with fins mounted:

This boat was more fun than I imagined. I knew how well the Play series surfed on standing waves in rivers…it surfed great! Very fast and easy to control.  I’ve since mounted fins closer to the rail…testing those next.

Spencer Taking a Turn on the Bellyak

After a few hours of filming and getting used to the waves, I was completely hooked. The Bellyak is so user friendly in the surf. Granted, I don’t expect anyone to be surfing Mavericks on one of these, but for the thousands of miles of beach in the world that has small to medium sized surf, the Bellyak offers the best of a kayak, a surfboard, and swimming, in one easy to carry package!

About to get wet

Spencer Cooke Standing up

Almost all plastic kayaks on the market are rotationally molded. Think of rotational molding this way: Imagine a glass jar. Now imagine taking a candle and shaving small bits of wax into this jar. Then imagine the jar being heated over a candle while being rotated and rocked back and forth. The wax melts and coats the inside of the jar. Now imagine breaking this jar, and inside you have a mold of the jar. This is rotomolding in a nutshell (or in a jar…). To make a kayak, polyethylene powder is placed in an aluminum mold (wax shavings in a jar), and then cooked at approximately 600 degrees while rotating in two directions. What comes out is a tough and durable plastic boat. Before roto molding kayaks were typically made of fiberglass, which although light and stiff, was fragile and unable to stand up to the demands of rocky rivers without frequent repairs. A quick note on the history of rotational molding in the kayak industry:

My dad, Bill Masters, was the leading innovator in roto-molding for kayaks with his company, Perception Kayaks. My dad built his first ovens in Liberty SC and turned out boats such as the Quest, the Spirit and the Mirage in the early 80′s. The most sold kayak of all time was the Dancer, designed by my dad and my uncle Allen Stancil, and named by my mom, Janet. Bill Masters contributions to manufacturing innovation in the kayak industry are unsurpassed…few people outside the industry recognize his long reaching effect on the sport. He effectively took kayaking from a fringe sport enjoyed by a few and helped make it the multi million dollar industry it is today (props to you, dad). So it’s only natural that his progeny continue on in the family business…face first.

The Frequency

You might be wondering “How does a concept or an idea turn into a plastic boat that can be paddled?”

The first bellyaks I built were made out of foam and fiberglass. After going through approximately 25 iterations, I decided to create a design that could be rotomolded.

First, the boat design is translated into CAD….in other words, a digital image of the boat is created from the physical prototypes. Evan Solida, of 6ix Design, has been instrumental in helping me translate my rough prototypes into digital models. Back in the dark ages of kayak design, before internet and when people still had home phones, this was all done by hand. People like Allen Stancil and Jim Snyder would painstakingly carve every single facet of a “plug” before making a mold. This is an art form that is under appreciated by many of todays modern kayakers who aren’t familiar with what goes into designing a boat….a lot of work, a lot of dust, and plenty of trial and error.

However, in the past twenty years huge strides have happened with technology and boat design. Now, boat design happens in the virtual world, where edits that would have taken weeks to make by hand can be completed in a matter of minutes by a skilled CAD driver.

Once this is dialed in, and edits made, a CNC machine (think a super smart robot cutter) cuts an exact image of the digital model out of dense foam. Our CNC cutter is Tom McGuire of Digital Designs in Winston Salem, NC. In the photos below, the first photo shows the Frequency right after being cut. The second photo shows the same plug, but after being sprayed with primer and sanded to a super smooth finish. Once this was done, we shipped the plug off to a foundry in Texas, where our aluminum mold was cast.

You can put a caption here. To add or edit captions, just click on the little “landscape icon” that appears with you hover over the image in WordPress.

You can put captions on any image.

The image on the left is the mold prior to strategic shielding, and the image on the right is after modifying the mold. I used silver paint to reflect heat (reduces thickness of the plastic) and black paint to absorb heat (increases thickness of the plastic). I also shielded the front of the mold to reduce the amount of plastic that builds up on the ends. These are tricks I learned from being around rotational molding my whole life. What does this mean to you? It means I created a stiffer, lighter boat by working with the molders. Another reason why we chose to be 100% made in the USA. We were able to get the weight of the bellyak down from 35 pounds to 29.5 pounds, while increasing the stiffness in key areas.

All of the products on the Bellyak are made in the USA….the handles, hatch and pad all come from North Carolina, drain plug from Washington, and graphics from Arizona. As always, they are designed and tested in beautiful Asheville NC! We are proud of our product and want to share it with you!

1) It makes me feel safe

2) I see sections of river I’ve never seen before

3) I feel way more awesome than when I’m in the ducky

4) People think I’m cool and courageous going “head first” through whitewater

5) I can learn water flow and current better by removing some of my fear

6) I can sit up, lay down, or kneel without the boat tipping over

7) I carry the beer and snacks in my hatch

8) The integrated toe cups allow me to “hook myself in” when the current gets gnarly

9) I haven’t had to learn how to roll a kayak (yet

10)The graphics are freaking bad a**

11) It makes me look more talented than I actually am

12) I have more fun on the water than ever before