Our Story

YakShade was born out of a necessity to extend float time and mitigate the harshness of the sun while kayaking. After five years of intense field testing, multiple prototypes, followed by hundreds of hours of exposure to some of the most challenging weather conditions a kayaker will ever face, YakShade became a reality. Using materials that were adapted for shade structures at Burningman, we have created a sun shade that resists wind shear forces often encountered while kayaking that previously would have rendered a shade structure impractical.

The YakShade provides substantial shade protection without fear of collapse of the shade structure or capsizing of the watercraft. YakShade can be assembled in minutes and installed without permanent modification to the kayak. YakShade reflects up to 70% of harmful UV and IR rays directly back into space while allowing wind to pass through the shade structure with minimal resistance.

The design is elegant yet effective and does not hamper or interfere with paddling or fishing/casting. The design utilizes lightweight aluminum and time-proven materials (Aluminet shade cloth and Sunbrella canvas), the YakShade will provide years of protection from solar rays for a very affordable price. YakShade was granted utility patent protection in the USA under US Patent #9745021.

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