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Holiday Park and Resort Show

On the 9th and 10th of November we’re heading up to the NEC in Birmingham to spread the word about our Fatyak Kayaks and how much success people have found from incorporating them into their rental and demo fleets around the UK!

“We need kayaks that are tough, safe, and easy to paddle – and the Fatyak range fits the bill perfectly. Children as young as 6 can handle them with ease and we have even had adults weighing over 20 stone singing their praises and commenting on their amazing stability.”
– Action Watersports Ltd

There’s going to be a great array of speakers and seminars, including people from EE, AirBnb, and Anytime booking to name just a few, of around 150. The theme for the weekend is innovation and growth, making it a crucial date for anybody in the holiday park and resort industry looking to gain insider knowledge, tips and experiences that can be re-applied to their own company.

“Fatyak’s after-sales service and support demonstrates a real commitment to our business which is invaluable to us. I would absolutely recommend Fatyak Kayaks as our first choice for recreational or fleet purchase”
– Channel Adventures Ltd

We’ll be at stand 2090 showcasing our range of kayaks and boards. Our products have found great success in the rental and activities market so far and have been noted for their ease of use, flexibility, and value for money in particular.

“We are a relatively new business and are very proud to have received such support from Fatyak. We contacted them before we started up regarding our business and they have been very helpful throughout. The products themselves are truly fantastic.”
– North Berwick Kayak Hire

Many of our fleet customers have praised Fatyak Kayaks as the brand of choice for a variety of reasons ranging from robust and hardwearing designs, to portability and storage, to how easy it makes paddling for beginners and children. We’ll have a range of our products on display and be on hand to offer advice and insight on the place of kayaking and paddlesports in the rental and activities industry!

“Fatyak are great with offering support, sending out replacements for when we did manage to break bits of the outfitting of the boats. And they even delivered the boats to us, craning them over a wall, much to the entertainment of people walking past”
– Fluid Adventures

The advice available on funding, planning, grants, troubleshooting, tools and industry issues is invaluable to those interested. And best of all, its free! So whether you’re in the industry already, or interested in it, come over and check out the range of traders and speakers on display.

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The Fatyak Timeline

We feel as though we’ve come a long way since we launched our first kayak, the surf, around 7 years ago in 2009! Since then, we’ve built up a loyal fanbase (you guys!), a fantastic range of kayaks for every application, the upgraded Adventure S series, the Hono board, and we are soon to release our first SUP board, the Samos!

 

 

We’ve made this short video to celebrate some of the key milestones in our journey so far, but we feel like we’ve got plenty more to give yet!

  • 2009 – Fatyak Surf
  • 2012 – Fatyak Kaafu
  • 2013 – Fatyak Mahee
  • 2014 – Fatyak Hono
  • 2014 – A new van
  • 2015 – Fatyak Kaddy
  • 2015 – Adventure S series
  • 2016 – Adventure S in Orange
  • 2016 – Fatyak Samos

We’re always interested in hearing what you have to say regarding our current line-up, or any ideas you have for new products, so get in touch!

Posted on by Fiona

Paddle round the Pier Summary

 

Fantastic weather accompanied a fantastic event in Brighton last weekend. A great selection of trade stands, entertainment and exhibitors on land overlooked a medley of successful events in the water, including races, the paddle, and demo events.

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The atmosphere was electric – the sun was out for the whole weekend and with a footfall of around 50,000 people there was plenty going on. People were giving things a go, engaging with exhibitors and organisations and having a great time with the entertainment on both land and water. Watersports lectures, events, entertainment and exhibitions were all a fantastic success overall, with a huge turnout for events on the Sunday in particular on account of the improved conditions.

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At least £6000 was raised on the Saturday alone, with the final figures yet to come. All money raised will be given to the RNLI, Surfers against Sewage, and Amaze – fantastic charities that carry out some crucial work not only for those of us involved in watersports but for the wider community also.

We experienced some pretty severe wind on the Saturday, making the water so choppy that it would have been rather difficult to paddle very far! Luckily, the weather was brilliant all day Sunday which meant the races and other events could be re-scheduled, and continued to go off without a hitch.

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The Fatyak Races were a great success with competitors taking to the water in pursuit of a Fatyak Kaafu as first prize, and a Hono as second! Big congratulations to Michael Van Doorn who came first in the race, with a time of 2:26, and has bagged himself one of our lovely UK-made Kaafu kayaks!

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As well as the races – we also a lucky young man who won himself a Hono in the raffle! Along with a variety of great prizes from generous exhibitors at the event, including kayaks, surfboards, lessons, accessories and more.

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Overall, we had a fantastic time at Paddle round the Pier and would like to extend our thanks to the organisers, the other exhibitors and the community who came and engaged with it all. We loved chatting to you all about our products, and hearing your thoughts on issues within kayaking and the paddlesports world and can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Posted on by Fiona

Paddle round the Pier is this weekend!

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With Paddle round the Pier only a few days away, it’s probably time to get your gear together and begin planning your weekend!

 

How to get there?

Paddle round the Pier is located across a 60,000sq meter area across Hove Lawns, just to the west of the pier remains. Free parking might be hard to find on site, though if you are prepared for what would be a stunning walk then it can be found around up to a mile away. There are plenty of pay and display sites just to the north-west of the Lawns.

The postcode for sat nav users is BN3 2FR, but just make sure you switch from car to Fatyak before you enter the sea! If you’re coming by train, simply head downhill for the sea and turn right.

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What to bring?

There will be a huge variety of events going on throughout the course of the weekend – so consider what you might be interested in and pack accordingly. For our own Fatyak Races, the boats and PFDs (Personal Floatation Devices) will be supplied, but if you have a wetsuit or anything else you’d like to bring then we would recommend it! If you plan to enter on the day, Adult entry is £10, and Youth (Under-16) entry is £6.

You won’t be able to bring any alcohol on site at Paddle round the Pier – there will be a range of bars serving beer, lager, cider, cocktails and PIMMs! You can bring dogs, but consider whether your hound is a fan of people and loud noises as it’s a busy place to be. The BONE-yard dog show will be happening at 1pm each day.
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What’s happening at the Fatyak stand?

As well as supplying boats for the Fatyak Races, there will be show deals on some of our range, giveaways, and information on our new Samos SUP board! Our staff will be on hand to talk about our products and offer guidance on our range, as well as boats being available throughout the day for you to have a go on. Simply come and find us at Blue Zone J!

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Paddle round the Pier

Paddle round the Pier is a fantastic event run by volunteers, which has raised over £300,000 for charity! Not only does the event give to charities, but it’s also a great community get-together over the course of the weekend, with plenty of local involvement and a friendly atmosphere to boot.

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We at Fatyak Kayaks are delighted to be a part of it this year’s celebrations on the lawns, as part of over 200 stalls and in the midst of a 50,000 strong crowd. Additionally, the festival’s 20th year in operation will see the launch of our new Fatyak Races, alongside other great events that will be happening simultaneously – including various shows, competitions, and performances.

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The festival will be on the Hove Lawns in Brighton, on an expansive 60,000 square metre venue that will host the main event village for the weekend. A variety of bars, stalls, activities, events, competitions and prizes will be available for all to enjoy, as well as many industry and trade stands. A lecture theatre will be in places offering a variety of insights from within the watersports and beach leisure industries.
We will be running a competition to find the fastest fatyaker at the event on the Saturday, with a load of great prizes up for grabs including Kaafu kayaks, and Hono boards, as well as a variety of great accessories up for grabs. The heats will include Mens, Ladies, and Youth categories – full details can be viewed here, including how to enter.

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Additionally, we will have a trade stand for the duration of the weekend with a variety of our range on show, including our latest and greatest addition to the range; the Samos! If you have any questions or thoughts whatsoever, come and find us for a chat!

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Posted on by Fiona

Introducing the Fatyak Samos

If you’re already a keen fatyak follower then theres a good chance you’ve already heard about our new Samos board, and perhaps even seen some pictures of it in development! But for those who are as of yet, unaware, we are pleased to announce the very latest addition to our range.

Stand up paddle board

The Samos is a rotationally moulded stand-up paddleboard, born in effort to bring something new to the SUP arena which has recently exploded in the world of paddlesport. Traditionally, epoxy and composite boards are the natural choice, although with the continuing adoption of inflatable paddleboards, we wanted to do what we do best, and bring a fresh new alternative to the market.

We had two main priorities in creating the Samos – firstly, to combat some traditional problems found in Rotationally moulded boards, and secondly, create a feel that was comparable to more expensive options on the market – making it suitable for beginner to intermediate level paddlers. Typically, rotationally-moulded paddleboards have been problematic due to their evolution from a kayak design, making them impractical in shape and weight; often in excess of 25KG.

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The innovative design of the Samos targets both these problems in one. The unique wishbone features on the Samos works by acting against the natural yarding as the paddler strokes – which keeps the nose pointing straight; splitting below the deck to give support for a natural stance. In doing so, this has allowed us to produce a much thinner board than many standard rotationally-moulded boards, which means at 18KG the Samos is the lightest board on the market! Even still, the Samos still manages to boast an all-rounder profile, making it great for all applications from day play, and exploring, to fitness and fun on the waves.

The Samos includes a wide set of features as standard, including branded carry handle grips and deck area, drain plug, bottle holder, paddle, straight leash, a custom 10.5″ fin box accepting all standard fins. And, as always, you can be safe in the knowledge that it’s manufactured to Fatyak’s high quality rotational moulding standards; with no seams and no joints the Samos is manufactured using high grade, high density UV stabilised polyethylene; in accordance with BS7852 as well as our own procedures, in Somerset, England.

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Posted on by Fiona

Are these the best-travelled Fatyakers around?

Of course, our Kayaks are travelling the country every day to new homes, straight from the factory, to be enjoyed by fans all over the UK. However, the main point to note here is that the kayaks in question here are travelling along Britain’s roads in the back of our lorries, and not in the water!

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Not to forget, of course, the beaches that have their share of Fatyak action by way of a plethora of retailers, schools, and partners up and down the country – wisely stocking Fatyak Kayaks as part of their business:

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So what about the Fatyaks that travel the country themselves? The independent kayaks, well-travelled Fatyaks that see many, many different bodies of water throughout their career. We occasionally ponder the question, and we think we may have found one of the most well-travelled group of Fatyak Kayaks to-date!

This group of kayaks belongs to Martin and a keen kayaking family, who have been enjoying their fleet of Fatyaks in all kinds of spots. Martin and his family have explored waters from The Grand Union Canal to the Praa sands in Cornwall, with destinations in between – a distance roughly as long as 160,000 Fatyak Kaafus!

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Here he can be seen in the waters at Croyde Bay, in Devon. Croyde Bay is not too far from ourselves in Somerset, and certainly a location worth checking out for adrenaline junkies and explorers alike – offering a beautiful location for outdoor activities and exploration in general, especially kayaking and surfing!

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As well as Croyde, Martin and his family have experienced some of the wealth that Cornwall has to offer for lovers of the surf; including both Maenporth and Praa Sands in West Cornwall:

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If you think you’re also a well-travelled fatyaker, we would love to see your pictures and some details on the spots you’ve covered! Keep on fatyaking Martin!

Posted on by Fiona

Balancing exercises for Kayakers

Despite the naturally stable design of our Fatyak kayaks, the importance of good balance cannot be emphasised enough. Our kayaks cater for all shapes and sizes of paddler, but sometimes even the most seasoned kayak users can sympathise about the wobble one might experience if stepping into a floating kayak.

Luckily, there are a variety of exercises and movements that can be practiced in order to help you keep your balance, and they revolve around the 3 main types of movement that the graphic below shows;

Balance Planes

It’s important to include all three planes when training to avoid the possibility of developing muscle imbalances. Some simple balancing acts that will help you to stay stable on a kayak would logically start from one requiring the least amount of compensation in order to retain balance, and would progress upwards and onwards – for example, from sitting on a chair, to standing with feet apart, to feet together, to one legged, and so forth.

Fabio Comana with ACE Fitness does an excellent job of demonstrating some simple exercises incorporating all 3 planes that could really help to develop skills for stable fatyaking!

If you’re interested in some local training and outdoor expertise, our friends at Exmoor Adventure and Channel Training can certainly offer some great assistance!

Posted on by Fiona

Fatyak Quality Control

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We pride ourselves on our high quality kayaks, known and loved by our customers who use them well – and push us to keep improving! And not only are our kayaks of a great quality – we strive to provide great customer service and after-sales support to boot. By ensuring we keep up the high standards we think it results in a good name for the sport, not to mention promoting the goodness of paddle sports to a wider audience; the benefits of which trickle down to all of us. Oh – as well as providing safety and fun for Fatyak owners everywhere.

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You can be content in the knowledge that the manufacture of your Fatyak has been left in safe and experienced hands – and it’s not just our manufacturing workforce that know their stuff. Both our manufacturing workforce and management team have over 30 years of experience in working with plastics in various applications. Daily meetings amongst our team help to keep our process as efficient and targeted as possible, taking into account any suggestions from customers or staff as part of our customer-focused approach.

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To make sure we can back up our claims of a high quality product (as well as the glowing reviews we get from the community!) we implement a 4 stage quality check system throughout the manufacturing process – ensuring that the Fatyaks are fit for purpose in every way. All products undergo inspection for moulding defects, visual examinations by the shift leader, examinations as bagged or stored, as well as an examination on dispatch. Additionally, each Fatyak undergoes a check against 3 key criteria as part of a customer-focused approach to assess potential risk, including;

  • Functionality, such as performance and longevity
  • Aesthetics, considering how the product will meet our customers’ expectations
  • Legal requirements, ensuring that the product complies with or exceeds necessary standards

And if any defects are discovered are recorded against the product’s unique serial number and investigated – allowing us to amend process, implement training, or increase control checks if needed to stop any further failures.

Our quality checking system is independently verified by external auditors to the British ISO 9001:2008 standard, so you know we can be relied upon!

 

Posted on by Fiona

Transporting your Fatyak

It’s easy to see how loading large objects to the roof of your car could present some serious issues, but pay heed to these tips and recommendations and you’ll be arriving safely at your nearest Fatyaking spot before you know it.

Transporting a Kayak

There are a variety of ways in which you can safely load and transport your Fatyak, with some ways more accessible than others. Of course, the easy solutions might involve a trailer, a helpful friend to take the kayak on your behalf, or a van such as our own!

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However, for the average paddler these won’t always be an option. You can easily make use of a wide range of safe accessories and equipment to make sure your kayak is securely and safely attached, ready to be mobilised, avoiding situations like this;

 

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In favour of situations like this!

 

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Transport accessories you will need

There are various products available that make loading and transporting a kayak easier to do, such as the foldable trolley that can be found in our store here. We’ve been told our Kayaks are especially easy to carry alone for all shapes and sizes, particularly due to the moulded handles and light weight, but regardless, some tips to avoid injury include lifting with your knees, not with your back or waist, and if you’re wearing your Personal Floatation Device when loading your kayak, this can also provide some padding. If your Fatyak is fitted with the legstraps available here then this can also provide a useful handle!

transporting a kayak

We stock a variety of roof racks and accessories designed to make your Fatyak-loading experience safer and easier. First things first, any dedicated kayak-carrying racks will require that your vehicle is already fitted with crossbars on the roof rack, after which, it is simply a case of clipping on one of the J or T-racks available from our shop – no tools needed, simply thumbscrews, clamps, and clips – making them a great choice for quick loading on the move. The racks are fitted with foam pads and rubber bumpers offering great protection against any damage to your pride and joy during transportation.

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As mentioned, a key benefit of dedicated kayak racks is that peace of mind and simplicity that you might not get with other “solutions” seen from time to time; kayaks hanging out of car boots, windows, or sliding around on the roof! A dedicated rack will offer quick handling of your kayak, while keeping it secure too.

Last of all, ensure that once loaded, if it seems necessary, use appropriate tie-down or ratchet straps to secure the ends of the boat against a tow bar, if your vehicle has one fitted, and any other secure areas. Ensure that your vision is not blocked and that you meet legal requirements such as a working electric light board with indicator buzzer relay for trailers, if you choose to use one, and that all loads are secured, and you’re good to go! Transporting a kayak has never been so easy 😉