Dieter Jakobs is the visionary designer behind the innovative NATSEQ by Kayak Innovations. This modular kayak offers a high-quality solution for those seeking a craft that combines easy storage and transport with reliable on-water performance. With decades of experience as an organizer of kayaking excursions, in 2018 Dieter started designing and constructing the NATSEQ modular kayak for Kayak Innovations, founded by Jörn Lorenz. The design and construction teamwork with Michael Müller from Austria finally made the NATSEQ what it is today. Dieter shares the story behind NATSEQ’s design and his insights on how sea kayaking can positively transform lives.
SEGT: Dieter, what first drew you to kayaking, and how did the concept for NATSEQ emerge, especially given that plastic modular kayaks were already on the market?
Dieter Jakobs: I have always loved the great outdoors, on horseback as well as on the water. About 35 years ago I bought my first kayak, an inflatable one. After 6 months, getting bored with the performance of an inflatable kayak, I bought my first hard shell type. I also started organizing kayak tours and excursions with the main target of letting people experience our wonderful nature in a kayak.
At the same time, I started travelling with a camper van.
In 2015 I discovered a manufacturer who made modular kayaks, and I instantly liked the idea of travelling around with my camper van with such a modular kayak, which makes storage and transport so much easier. Coincidentally I had the chance to become the distributor for Germany, Austria and Benelux for this manufacturer. After three years of working with them I stopped the co-operation, since I was dissatisfied with the quality of that modular kayak and because of strategic issues. At that time, I gave intensive thought to the development of a modular system which was much more stable than the one I had worked with, and after the separation I started to tackle the project concretely. Jörn Lorenz, an old friend, liked the idea very much, was ready to finance the project and founded the company Kayak Innovations.
Michael Müller, the brilliant constructor from Austria liked the idea as well, so in 2018 we started the process of designing and developing the NATSEQ, which we finished in April of 2020.
Real sea kayak, easier than ever!
NATSEQ now available for ordering in Greece and Cyprus.
SEGT: How has NATSEQ impacted the European market so far, and what types of people are choosing it?
Dieter Jakobs: If you remember, in March 2020, when we had just finished the development and were ready to go into production, the worldwide corona crisis started. The traders in Europe were deeply unsettled and very reluctant to take in new products, since the prediction of the development of the market was extremely difficult. Nevertheless, the German, Austrian and Benelux dealers, to which I had a historical good contact, were curiously waiting for what we would come up with.
Their confidence in our design and construction made them order the first kayaks and their feedback after testing was: “You guys brought modular kayaks to a completely new level!” So, our main markets until today are Germany, Austria, Benelux and thanks to you, Aggelos, Greece and Cyprus as well. As you might know, due to the Ukrainian crisis, the market for kayaks in Europe declined by up to fifty percent, which made it very hard for many manufacturers and dealers to survive. This has greatly hindered our target to get more international.
Our main customers from the start are beginners and those people who own an inflatable kayak and wish for a kayak with similar transport and storage properties but are much better to steer. We were lucky enough to get attention from some professional kayakers like you and Alex Wehling. Your feedback and confidence in our NATSEQ give us trust in the future, when things will get better.
“Learning how to kayak is as easy as learning how to ride a bike. We had customers who started kayaking at the age of 70+!”
SEGT: For someone considering their first kayak purchase, what advice would you offer? What key criteria should they consider?
Dieter Jakobs: 1. Make up your mind: what do you want to do? Coastal kayaking, river kayaking and/or kayaking on lakes?
2. Will you only go on shorter trips of two to four hours, or would you like to do overnight trips, spending one or more nights in the outdoor?
3. Do you prefer to go just on your own, or would you like to have a friend or partner join you, e.g. in a tandem kayak?
4. In case you have a dog, would you like to take it with you on your trips?
5. When you are clear about all this you should look for a kayak dealer with a good range of different types of kayaks: tandem, solo, touring, sea kayaks, and maybe canoes.
6. The most important advice I would give is testing, testing, testing. This means not to just sit in a kayak in a show room, but testing the kayak in the water, to get a feeling what fits your needs best.
SEGT: How do you envision the future of sea kayaking in Europe? Considering kayak sales and participation rates, do you feel optimistic about the sport’s growth?
Dieter Jakobs: Since I am not a professional sea kayaker like you, and more into kayaking on rivers and lakes besides the sea kayaking, I can only talk about the kayak market in general. I personally believe that since the corona crisis, people are more interested in outdoor activities in general, and quite a lot are specifically trying out how it feels to be out there in a kayak. If the kayak manufacturers and dealers could manage to work jointly together with the target to show interested people how beautiful our kayak sport is, I would see a great chance to double or even triple the market. That’s why I invented – after my retirement – the brand KAJAKHELDEN.
We organize kayak camps from Friday to Monday, basically in July and August, where beginners can experience and learn kayaking during a full weekend. On top of that we organize before and after the camps, in May and June as well as September, various eight-day-holiday tours where we go kayaking with our guests mainly in Central Europe. Our guests are all beginners who never kayaked before, and mainly people over the age of 60. Quite a good percentage of them stick to the sport after this experience, so I am very optimistic about the sport’s growth, and I would be even more optimistic if there were more dealers and manufacturers who would carry out a similar concept.
“My own experience, and the feedback we get from many of our customers, proves that kayaking gives them a mental kick like no other sport they have done before.”
SEGT: In our experience, many people are interested in trying kayaking but are often deterred by concerns that it might be too strenuous or demanding. How do you think we can encourage these individuals to give it a try?
Dieter Jakobs: I think part of this has been answered, but there is much more to it. First, we should encourage people by saying; learning how to kayak is as easy as learning how to ride a bike. Secondly, there is no age limit to start with kayaking. If you can walk around without additional support, you surely can go kayaking. We had customers who started kayaking at the age of 70+. Thirdly we should show the people that overweight is not a reason to be kept from kayaking. There are enough kayaks in the market with cockpits big enough to admit and carry people with considerable overweight, like e.g. our NATSEQ. In my opinion, all this should be communicated by kayak manufacturers and dealers all over Europe, and it would surely increase the demand.
SEGT: Recently, you’ve emphasized the benefits of kayaking for the physical and mental health of older adults, even those in their 60s or 70s, and its role in promoting longevity. What insights have you gained, both theoretically and practically?
Dieter Jakobs: That is an important point; a few facts should be emphasized and communicated by kayak manufacturers and dealers:
1. Kayaking can be done at all age levels, from ten to eighty.
2. Kayaking is a sport which is absolutely great for mental and physical health.
3. It does not hurt your joints, like many other sports do.
4. It is a sport – like few other sports – that makes your body burn fat and strengthens the cardiovascular system.
5. My own experience, and the feedback we get from many of our customers, proves that kayaking gives them a mental kick like no other sport they have done before. They speak of the relaxation they feel as soon as they get on the water, and how much the solitude, the sound of the waves, the experience of flora and fauna at river and lake shores soothes and restores their souls.
My conclusion is that kayaking is the best sport to stay or become physically and mentally healthy.
SEGT: Do you observe a trend towards solo kayaking, or does group paddling seem more popular? Ultimately, do people prefer the quiet of paddling alone or the enjoyment of kayaking with friends? Or, do you think there’s a growing preference for tandem paddling, like with the NATSEQ tandem?
Dieter Jakobs: Our experience and observation with our customers are rather clear:
1. There is not a distinct trend in preference of solo or tandem kayaking.
2. No explicit trend in preference to go kayaking on your own or in a group.
3. Most of our customers enjoy both; once in a while enjoying the tranquillity of going out alone, but as well at other times sharing the fun of kayaking in a group.
4. The fact that our NATSEQ offers the chance to make a tandem out of a solo with only one additional module is certainly a reason for some of our customers to decide to purchase our brand. And on top get a packer, if they want to take their dog along.
5. However, there is one remarkable fact that struck us in our camps: we have more than 70% female guests, so we conclude that there is a great potential of women who want to join this sport and need to be encouraged to try it in a relaxed atmosphere; and bearing in mind that women have different body mechanics than men (with their built-in upper body strength), a woman who wants to learn kayaking from scratch should be encouraged to look for a female trainer.
SEGT: Dieter, thank you. We look forward to seeing you in Greece and Cyprus for some time in the water! One final question: what has been your most beautiful or memorable kayaking experience to date?
Dieter Jakobs: I had my most memorable kayaking experience last year in October, when we did the Ardèche tour with a group of beginners in our NATSEQ kayaks, and we paddled the complete Ardèche canyon of 32 kilometres with 31 rapids. All participants had been guests in our camps before, and the fun they had and the confidence they showed in our kayaks proved to me that we are on the right way with what we do. The wonderful nature of the Ardèche Gorge rounded off the experience.