: g'day all,
: The baidarka i'm paddling at the moment throws up a substantial
: amount of stern wave at around 5-6 knots. ( seemingly over an
: inch and maybe two inches wave height).
: Having never seen another baidarka in the flesh, my question is; is
: the stern wake of a baidarka meant to be smooth and almost
: imperceptible? or is this normal?
: I worry that this is all causing too much drag...... but i'm no
: hydrodynamicist.
: thanks, tippy

Hi tippy,
I haven't noticed much in stern wake (my eyes tend to look forward) :) in my baidarka but try scooting a small bit forward to raise the stern slightly. That should lessen any drag you feel.

5-6 knots is pretty close to hull speed on flat water. Catching waves is another story, the stern shape does help boosting you speed.

If you look at the original use and hunting practise, baidarkas were less stealth hunting than Greenland kayaks, so wake making would not be a major problem, barring any drag. Even with a greater carrying capacity than a Greenland kayak, I find the baidarka less tiring over longer paddling distances.

Mike Savage
South West Cork