Gangsta

We love the Gangsta. It is longer, faster, and stronger. Don’t take our word for it. Hear what Waka team rider Evan Garcia has to say.

“The Gangsta, Waka Kayaks fourth whitewater kayak, is setting a new standard not only in racing, but in all aspects of whitewater. Measuring in at 274 centimeters, the Gangsta is longer than its predecessor the Tuna, giving it heaps more speed in all types of water. But with length comes a lack of maneuverability right? Wrong! The Gangsta is effortless to steer and correct even while charging fast downstream, while moving in and out of eddies, and going off drops. The bow rocker is unstoppable and allows the user to easily stay on top of every feature to remain head-dry all the way down the river. The extra length, volume, and space finally gives larger paddlers the opportunity to join the Waka revolution and understand why so many boaters are switching over to these Kiwi designs. While it is a big boat suiting paddlers over 200lbs/100kg, even lighter paddlers (I weigh 160lbs/73kg) can transition into using the Gangsta as their everyday boat. This boat is a perfect blend of Waka’s past designs. You have the bow happiness and stability everyone loved in the Tuna 1, plus the speed and line precision of the Tuna 2. It’s a no brainer. For me, it was incredibly easy to sit in this boat comfortably and to feel confident and ready to paddle difficult whitewater. I want a kayak that’s fun, fast, responsive, and allows me to progress my paddling. The Gangsta is a total machine. I have complete faith that this design will allow all types of paddlers to push their speed, style, and the difficulty of the whitewater they paddle. While most other companies are still trying to catch up and make their Tuna, Waka just stepped up and set the bar higher!”

Easy to adjust outfitting is what the Tuna has been equipped with. We wanted to have strong but fast adjustment to our outfitting to ensure it caters for everyone from schools to experts.

Seat
The seat is Roto-moulded. It has three screw holes under the hip pads on seat tab to adjust the seat position. Just loosen two screws and the seat will slide forward and backwards. The seat is very comfortable, especially over longer periods of time.

Hip Pads
The hip pads are the most adjustable on the market. A simple elastic sock gives easy access so you can adjust the amount of foam needed.

Back-band
The back-band is extremely comfortable. It has two ratchets and ladders, making it easy to adjust and tighten. It can be adjusted even more by altering the length of webbing on the back of the back-band. The back-band has been mounted to allow for easy access to any safety equipment or overnight gear stored behind the seat.

Thigh braces
The thigh braces are extremely comfortable. They are simple, light weight and most importantly, very effective, giving you perfect control.

Foot-block
The foot-block is fully adjustable thanks to four thumb-nuts on the inside of the hull. The width of the foot-block is also adjustable, depending on the position of the foot block.