Why Yak?

Expert Design

So paddling is your thing and you want to make sure you’re set up with the best kit to suit exactly what you do on the water. Well with Yak, you’ve found a great partner: paddling is our thing too. And we’re experts at discretely combining safety with practicality and style.

All Yak buoyancy aids are specifically designed for paddling – without compromise. Our design team has studied all the movements you do, the shapes and sizes you are and the features you want and need. We’ve combined all that with top-end design, materials and manufacturing techniques and distilled it down to a comprehensive range of buoyancy aids, all shaped to fit and offering total freedom of paddling movement.

Our continuous product research and development also ensures that every single Yak product remains innovative and inspired, with function above and beyond our very own high standards.

Check out our range and you’ll find it covers the entire scope of paddling activities, from recreational right through to touring and whitewater. Whatever your adventure, there is a Yak to fit.

Examine our Hallertau buoyancy aid below, specifically designed for white water use, and we’ll share with you what we think you should find in any paddling buoyancy aid. If you’ve not got one that does all this, perhaps you too should go Yak (and as they say, once you go Yak you’ll never go back.)

 

 

                 

                 

                      
                          
                               Safety First
                               

Approved to ISO Standards, all Yak buoyancy aids tick the box for fundamental safety and quality issues. But naturally, as a Yak, there’s a whole lot more on offer too.

                           
                           
                               Super strong
                               

Shoulder straps stay super strong providing a breaking strength of 3.4kn

                           
                           
                               
                                                           
                           
                               Adjust to fit
                               

Yak multi-point adjustments let you quickly tailor your jacket snugly to your body shape. The failsafe, adjustable shoulder straps give the right fit whether you’re a long, lean string bean or a shorter, rounder baked bean.

                           
                           
                               Breathe easy
                               

A breathable spacer mesh lining adds to your comfort levels and helps to improve circulation. Which makes you nicer company for the après-paddle too.

                           
                           
                               In safe storage
                               

You never know when you might need a knife when afloat, not to mention the other bits and pieces essential to your individual needs. All except our most basic jackets offer additional safety storage options, such as this quick access expanding knife pocket with lanyard attachment.

                           
                           
                               Magnum Throw Bag Pocket
                               

This lightweight pocket throw bag with 8mm buoyant line is designed to fit into all top-end Yak buoyancy aids. Pack it to have this essential rescue solution to hand when you need it. Choose to leave it behind when you want to paddle free without excess equipment. The rope bag is foam lined ensuring it floats clearly for easy use.

                           
                           
                               PLB pocket
                               

A Personal Locator Beacon is a useful safety device that’s ideal if you are making a long voyage or night passage. The McMurdo Fastfind 220 fits safely and conveniently into this specially designed PLB pocket.

                           
                           
                               For when you need to make a noise
                               

A quick access whistle pocket with lanyard attachment point, ideal for when you need to attract attention in an emergency.

                           
                           
                               Secure, accessible pocket
                               

When you’re heading out into the wild, never underestimate the value of good communications between yourself and your party, and with the wider outside world. This large pocket provides easy access storage for all makes of basic radios

                           
                           
                               Ever more storage
                               

Like a house with an attic, a garage, a shed and couple of extra bedrooms, we know it’s good to have more options in the storage department. Dual zipped side pockets ensure easy access and ease of use, while the stylish colours mean they look good too. Check out some of our other storage solutions encompassed within this jacket.

                           
                           
                               Store the little things
                               

Helping you to store those extra bits and bobs is a very useful internal mesh pocket.

                           
                           
                               Serious about safety
                               

We like fun at Yak, but serious fun couples with a serious attitude to safety. Yours is of paramount importance to us. So you’ve a fully integrated harness built into every jacket within our whitewater range, complete with our unique easy access quick-release belt and cam buckle. Remove it to enjoy the comfort of a freestyle vest, but with it in place you can remain confident of tackling whatever the water throws at you.

                               

                                   We’ve also specially designed the harness with an O-ring attachment that helps make sure you clip directly onto it and not any other parts of the jacket. Plus all front zip jackets come complete with a left hand pull, while all over the head jackets can be set to pull from either side.                                

                           
                           
                               Attach it here
                               

Not that you want to go off for long adventure days afloat weighed down like a pack horse, but some accessories are essential. We know that, we’ve been there. So we’ve added plenty of strong attachment points including a quick release split D-ring to which you can secure as many or as few accessories as you wish. Giddy up now.

                           
                           
                               4D Cast
                               

Extensive research and development sees the integration of 4D Cast foam technology, providing full freedom of movement for performance paddling. We have precision distributed the buoyancy to provide a sleek, slim-line high performance product.

                           
                           
                               Snug as…
                               

… you should be in your jacket. The fully concealed centre buckle ensures your buoyancy aid hugs your body tight, keeping it firmly in place. A snug jacket is more comfortable and prevents the double trouble of chafing and constricted movement common with poorer fitting garments.

                           
                           
                               Gripping stuff
                               

A lower adjustable buckled cinch belt provided just for you, to reduce jacket ride up. It’s a serious point: one thing you never want in a buoyancy aid is for it to ride up. It’s never safe and a jacket that’s prone to it could prove next to useless if you end up in the water. All Yak designs feature devices to prevent ride-up – just one of the many ways we help keep you safe to paddle another day

                           
                           
                               Ultimate grip shoulder straps
                               

No one likes having to carry their kayak, but our ultimate grip shoulder straps will make it a great deal more pleasant for you. Just like a spoonful of sugar helping the medicine go down.

                           
                           
                               Impact wings
                               

Impact wings on the side of the jacket help to keep you comfortable and safe. With characteristic Yak flexibility, you can also choose to remove these when you’re not using the quick release system

                           
                           
                               Safety First
                               

Approved to ISO Standards, all Yak buoyancy aids tick the box for fundamental safety and quality issues. But naturally, as a Yak, there’s a whole lot more on offer too.

                           
                           
                               Don’t get caught out
                               

This is our quick release O-ring for cowtail attachment. We’ve specially designed the O-ring attachment to help make sure you clip onto the O-ring directly without getting the karabiner caught on any other parts of the jacket.

                           
                           
                               Easy glide
                               

Our quick release, dual interlocking glide waist adjustment helps you buckle up.