Blade School of PADDLing.
Blade Paddling Culture Magazine introduces our brand-new section ‘SCHOOL OF PADDLING'.
Our School section gives you the best advice, tips and tricks for Stand Up Paddleboarding, Kayaking & Canoeing, Surfskiing, Surfing, Kayak Fishing, and Watercraft Racing, as well as camping and adventure which goes well with all paddle sports. We offer you in depth ‘How To’ guides written by industry leaders, articles based on in-field experiences and show you how to make the most out of every paddle-worthy adventure.
In this section we look at some of the best gear to help you improve your paddling, help you survive, and enjoy the outdoors just that little bit more.
Our School section gives you the best advice, tips and tricks for Stand Up Paddleboarding, Kayaking & Canoeing, Surfskiing, Surfing, Kayak Fishing, and Watercraft Racing, as well as camping and adventure which goes well with all paddle sports. We offer you in depth ‘How To’ guides written by industry leaders, articles based on in-field experiences and show you how to make the most out of every paddle-worthy adventure.
In this section we look at some of the best gear to help you improve your paddling, help you survive, and enjoy the outdoors just that little bit more.
Choosing the Right Electric Kayak Motor with Power Equipment
The Torqeedo Ultralight is the e-bike equivalent for a kayak. It gives you that extra boost when you need it.
Torqeedo’s Ultralight 403 is a one horsepower electric motor for kayaks and canoes. It weighs just 7.3 kg, including the battery, and it is peaceful. It gives you gentle propulsion without noise or pollution.
With the Ultralight it is easier to get to your favourite fishing spot. Or perhaps you plan to do an extended fishing trip around a lake or coastline. With the optional solar panels the Ultralight’s batteries re-charge as you glide along.
Every user has their own style using the Ultralight. Some operate it at low levels whilst they paddle, and some use it to get a boost in a current.
Others use it as a safety backup – the Ultralight will get you home if you injure an arm. Or perhaps your use will change as you get older or if you get an injury or disability. The Ultralight can help you keep doing what you love.
At low speed of about 4.0 kph it will travel a distance of 35 km, which is 8.5 hours of battery life. At half throttle (about 6 kph) it travels 25 km on four hours of battery. On full throttle (about 9 kph) it’ll take you 7.0 km over an hour’s worth of battery.
Jason Hodder is the Torqeedo product manager at Power Equipment, the South Pacific agent for Torqeedo.
He says the Ultralight can be used on just about any type of kayak or canoe.
“It uses a four-bolt mount and can be attached in less than an hour. There just needs to be a flat section on the kayak or canoe. If there isn’t present, you may have to add a small flat panel to bolt onto.”
The Ultralight has a universal ball joint that fits most brands of kayaks and uses the existing steerage system. This means you can have fishing rod in hand whilst trawling along, steering with the foot pedals. Or you can leave the prop fixed in place whilst you steer with a paddle. It’s very flexible.
With the Torqeedo Ultralight it is easy to swap between motoring and solely paddling. It can be turned off and the propeller lifted out of the water with a cord control, or can be left trailing in the water.
A built-in GPS system has a screen next to the throttle. The screen gives a reading on the current speed and remaining charge. It has a USB port, so you can plug in your phone or camera and run it off the battery.
An optional extra is the Torq Trac, a dongle into the motor that will talk to an app on a smart phone. Using Torq Trac you can upload maps and plot your trip when you are in cell phone coverage.
There is no need to be paranoid about damaging the Ultralight should your kayak tip over. The Ultralight is rated IP67, which means it is fully waterproof.
The motor automatically switches off, so there’s no risk of injury to swimmers from the up-turned prop. Once you’ve righted the craft, put it in neutral and it will easily start up again.
If you lift the prop out of the water or if it hits an obstacle and kicks up to save the Ultralight from damage, it will automatically shut down. This ensures there is nothing whirling around that could dice anyone.
If you take an unexpected swim, while the craft stays upright, a magnetic safety key attached to your lifejacket, switches off the motor. This avoids the depressing experience of treading water, whilst your craft serenely carries on its merry way on a solo mission.
The lithium batteries are light and don’t have a charging memory, therefore you can top them up after every use without affecting the capacity. It takes about six hours to recharge the batteries from the mains.
Jason says the life of the battery depends on how you treat it, but in trials after 500 full cycles the battery was still on 80 percent capacity.
The small additional weight of the Ultralight has no effect on the stability or centre of gravity of a kayak or canoe. The prop is in the water anyway, and the battery can be put at the front of the craft as counter-balance.
The optional solar panel weighs 1.0 kg. It is like a blanket that folds out on the back of the kayak when wanted.
“You can almost run it on solar alone, but that depends on the weather and how hard you're going. The solar panels return about five percent of the charge in an hour,” Jason says.
The Ultralight comes with a two-year warranty on both motor and battery.
Torqeedo is a German company that focuses on building non-polluting motors that deliver maximum efficiency and superior propeller speeds.
Its Ultralight 403 first became available in Australia and New Zealand in 2016 through Power Equipment. Power Equipment is the distributor of the Torqeedo marine electric engines including Ultralight, Travel, Cruise and Deep Blue.
Jason says Power Equipment has invested half a million dollars in products parts and accessories to support its Torqeedo customers. Products are available through the full dealer network in Australia and New Zealand.
