I’ve had my WD12 for 10 years now and it has brought me many hours of happy exploration, discovery, and enjoyment of the outdoors.  I thought I’d share some of the modifications I have made over the years to enhance its versatility:

Seat

I have a hard time finding the right seat for a kayak.  My last kayak (Aquaterra Chinook) had a wonderful seat and was able to paddle for 4-5 hours quite comfortably.  I started out with the stock seat and Rapid-Pulse backband, then went to the Happy Bottom Pad, then to the Creature Comfort seat.  Honestly (for me), the Creature Comfort seat was the least comfortable seat.  My latest seat is the Crazy Creek canoe chair and it is super comfortable.  It’s easily adjustable and I like the fact that I can move the seat around a bit in the boat.  Probably not the most efficient way of doing things, but it is comfortable. I do a lot of photography from my WD12, and having the ability to turn the seat a few degrees right or left makes it more comfortable while waiting for a particular photographic opportunity. I also can take the seat out and use it while having lunch.

Hip Braces

With my longer outings, I like to have a solid connection to the boat, but was hesitant to install traditional hip/knee braces.  After some experimenting, I came up with a helpful solution - foam yoga blocks.  I can wedge the yoga blocks along the side of the kayak and they provide solid support for a longer distance paddle.  I can move the ‘braces’ up/down/back/forth as needed for comfort or remove them entirely since I like to paddle with my legs crossed occasionally.

All in all my WD12 has been a wonderful boat. Lately I have been keeping my boat on top of my car so that it’s ready to go at a moments notice.  I live a couple of miles away from a freshwater tidal creek and try to get there a couple of mornings during the week for my ‘coffee on the creek’ paddles.  I typically encounter many species of birds, deer, raccoons, beavers, and muskrats and it is a great way to start the day.