Reviewer:

Paul

Rating:

5

Date:

10/2/2012

Review:

350 lbs person so I was limited to the number of boats I could choose from. The ride 135 handled better then the OK Big Game. Great seat and did not need a ton of after purchase accessories to buy. Outstanding boat.

Reviewer:

Jay in MA

Rating:

4

Date:

8/13/2012

Review:

I purchased this Kayak over a month ago. I fell in love with the Wilderness Systems WS company when I started looking at their products at a local EMS store, but the store just didnt have the options I wanted. Furthermore, the instock WS kayaks just didnt seem to have enough cockpit size for a 64 230 lb guy. I then discovered the Ride 135, which solved this problem with a top notch seat and the ability to slide it back and forth. Actually, I think an 8 ft person could fit in this monster. ACK provided the package that I wanted at a very reasonable price with free S&H. The shipment arrived quickly and without any issues. My opinion on the kayak is still high but I warn people to truly consider how big they want their kayak. WS/ACK sells slightly shorter ones with the same features. Just shy of 14 feet width is above average too is bigger than you might think and it makes it very difficult to get off an SUV, even if you have the right equipment. It really is a two person job every time you load and unload it. Additionally, remember that this is an angler model and can be used as a touring kayak. This means that it is definately not the fastest or even close to the fastest kayak you can buy. If you dont plan on using this for exactly that than you will be disapointed. These two things are the only negatives I have with the purchase and these have nothing to do with the intended design or anything that ACK has done.

Reviewer:

Dave

Rating:

1

Date:

3/19/2012

Review:

I purchased the Ride 135 Angler edition and was excited to get out on the water with it. Within the first ½ hour fishing out of it I was not impressed at all. Its does not have a lot of room & the storage compartments are not sealed off from the kayak. Your gear you store in them ends up all inside your kayak and you have tip it up and down to get it out. Then the claim that the ride makes it easy to stand up and fish… it is not easy at all. I have let friends that have great balance try it and they say noooo way. My buddy bought the Ocean Kayak Big Game and it is wider and more stable. If you’re looking to invest in a fishing kayak this is not the one to pick. I am already looking to get something else and I fished in it 2 times so far! Wilderness Systems let me down big time!

Reviewer:

Jim

Rating:

5

Date:

1/9/2012

Review:

I like the ride a lot, truly very stable. I am a big boy - 270 pounds 6'2". I never kayaked before and I appreciated how stable this kayak is since at the end of a day I was tired kayaking and if needed to portage would drop myself into the kayak after the portage and it never flipped. It is heavy and once loaded with gear you will need help to move it around. Same for loading it up on a lexus rx-350. Not impossible but definitely an extra set of hands helps. This is not the fsatest kayak. But for the wide beam and open deck you can have very leasurely paddling days ahead.I mainly paddled on the Wisconsin, Illinois, Mississippi and Kishwaukee rivers last summer. The seat can pop loose if you drop suddenly into the boat like I did. The wide beam was really good for stability while crossing the Mississippi from Illinois to Iowa. You do not want to tip in a commercial channel. For the ladies I would recommend the Tarpon 120 as it weighs less has a wide beam and less wieldy due its shorter length. But for the big boys it has plenty of room - not claustrophobic at all. Plus plenty of storage for carrying overnight camping gear including a stool tent, sleeping bag, just an excellent value. The hull takes on rocky river edges eases without having a hole gauged out as if you had a fiberglass bottom. Would really reccomend paddle boy wheels to portage - they fit in one of the hatches too for when you need it later. haven't fished in it yet but seeing its so stable I am sure it will be fine. Again biggest drawback is its weight - if a second set of hands available to load then it should be ok.For safety purposes a big yellow ride is stable, maneuverable, easily seen, can take some cargo and a beating and is fun and safe. The rudder helped a lot in fast water.Steering was responsive with rudder - I really reccomend the rudder - flips up and down -works fine.Not as wet as I thought it would be. I plugged all the scuppers every time and was hardly ever wet. The seat remained dry for the most part. A handheld pump can get any water out witha few pumps. It is a good all around kayak for leisurely paddles down rivers and lakes.

Reviewer:

mojofishin

Rating:

3

Date:

9/27/2011

Review:

I bought my Ride from ACK ( who did an awesome job btw )in 2011 so it isn't the new 2012. I have my doubts about the 2012 also. I mainly saltwater fish out of the yak, but do go down creeks and rivers on occasion. The hatches leak! When I'm in the Gulf fishing, they leak a lot! Bad design that should have been fixed. Seriously doubt those little channels on the new ones relieve the problem. The ride is great fishing Yak just wish Wilderness would fix the leaky hatches. Somehow my rear handle disappeared on a trip back home. I emailed Wilderness to ask where/how to get another. It's been a few weeks and i have yet to hear anything from them. In flat water conditions while paddling it seems as if the boat gets caught on one of the tines and wants to go that in that direction. You have to work hard to correct it. Glad I bought the rudder. I really wouldn't get one without it. Fix the hatches Wilderness and I'll consider another one.

Reviewer:

Bobby

Rating:

5

Date:

9/16/2010

Review:

I bought this 'yak in the summer of '09 for salmon fishing on the waters of Puget Sound in Washington. After 2 seasons, I'm still extremely happy with the boat. All the feature are laid out in the product description so I'll stick to an on the water review. First and foremost, just as described, this boat is incredibly stable. I'm 6'2" and 180 lbs so not huge, but I can still stand up in the yak in 2 foot chop. You would have to REALLY try to flip this thing. Even fighting 5' Dogfish (sandsharks) the boat doesn't tip or rock. After that are just the details. It's not going to win any races being close to 110 lbs fully loaded with fishing gear plus myself, and it takes some effort to get it moving but once it's moving, it's easy to maintain a 4mph pace in most currents. In still, flat calm lake water, 5mph is pretty easy to achieve. It glides surprisingly well for a such a big boat, tracks very nicely but is a bit slow to turn and the now needs a bit more upturn to ride up and over waves instead of through them spilling water over the bow, hatch and into the footwell. The included Angler package is pretty nice, but you can do it cheaper yourself and customize it the way you want it. Nonetheless, It works well and the only modification I had to make was to but an 8" extension for the front rod holder. The hatches seal well and with the exception of the far front one, are well placed. The front hatch could be another 3 or 4 inches back making it easier to access while on the water. The front hatch has enough room to store the NRS C-Tug that I use to transport it to and from the vehicle which is a real blessing. The unusual hull shape makes the C-Tug about the only one you can use with it. The rudder package is well worth it for an angler, especially one that does any trolling with a heavy, high drag lure hanging out one side. It offer great control thought deployment takes a little more effort than one would think it should. The rudder is powdercoated with makes it pretty durable when you forget to stow it before you beach. The pedals could use another 2 inches or so of adjustment to accommodate us long legged folks but it's still pretty comfy for a 4 hour trip. The polyethylene is thick and tough which makes for great stability and durability but adds to the weight. The bare boat still weighs in at around 80 lbs when I have to load it on top of a Jeep Grand Cherokee which takes some strength and effort. Those of slight build and your average lady will probably not be able to load it by themselves on taller vehicles. It's not too bad if you're in good shape and don't mind a bit of effort to load and unload though. It's certainly not unmanageable. The track system that WS offer on the Tarpon series would be AWESOME on this boat. So would the side net storage areas. The seat is so-so. It will make you butt go to sleep after 3 or 4 hours and the back rest is nicely adjustable but doesn't mesh well with my chosen PFD. The Ride is a pretty dry and the only scupper holes you really need are the ones at your feet. The rest of them get plugged. If you're on a nice calm lake, plug them all. You'll appreciate the dry cockpit. This boat has way more features than it lacks but it could use a little refining. As a fishing platform, I don't think it would be very easy to find another boat that is more capable and at home on the water. I trust this boat out in the brine with no qualms. I think you could use it catch as big a fish as you want. A minor nit is the cupholder could be a little bigger to accommodate a Gatoraide bottle or the like and the tackle bod cutout would be better positioned in front of the 5" day hatch instead of behind the paddler. All in all, this boat is a great deal, great performer, and great fishing boat. Austin Kayak was first rate all the way with the purchase too. It arrived early and in great shape. I definitely recommend them to someone looking for a hard to find 'yak, far away from Austin. If you fish and utility and stability are more important than speed, this is the boat for you.

Reviewer:

Omar

Rating:

5

Date:

7/21/2010

Review:

This kayak has a ton of space to put all you need in it and is extremely stable! Standing up is easily accomplished even on a slight choppy bay. I fish the Lower Laguna Madre and it gets windy but this kayak moves well even when paddling against the wind. The width of this kayak allows me to carry a live bait well bucket in between my legs for live shrimp. Simply an awesome kayak! Cant go wrong with this one!

Reviewer:

Colonol Angus

Rating:

5

Date:

11/20/2009

Review:

The Wilderness Systems Ride 135 Angler Kayak is a fisherman's dream. Tracks well on flat water and handles well on rivers. The Susquehanna River in particular. Little modifications needed to this boat, it is fishing ready. Love the locking hatches and for a large kayak she is easily lifted for storage and transport. A by the way. I sit 6'4" and 320lbs, this craft can handle size. This is one well worth tast paddling. ACK gave me a way better deal than any of my local dealers would and even from half way across the country ACK made a personal call to my home to ensure I understood the shipping process and to ensure I was getting what I wanted or if I needed anything else. Kudos to ACK!

Reviewer:

Colonol Angus

Rating:

5

Date:

11/10/2009

Review:

The Wilderness Systems Ride 135 Angler is an impressive yak. Susquehanna River, Swatara Creek and, flat water, she is a gem. A boat not needing many modifications for fishing, that's refreshing. I purchased the 2010 from here and had it shipped to PA. Better service than my local shop and timely shipping.

Reviewer:

J Griffin

Rating:

5

Date:

4/23/2009

Review:

I love the stability and tracking on this boat. I find it has room enough to fish from with all my gear.

Reviewer:

Kennon Mulhollan

Rating:

5

Date:

2/26/2009

Review:

Great fishing, trolling, more than pleased, wider flat areas front and back for luggage. You can do some serious kayaking in this thing.

Reviewer:

Bob

Rating:

5

Date:

8/24/2008

Review:

It's like fishing from a barcolounger. Easy to paddle, tracks straight as an arrow, stable as pier (and I'm 6'2", 240 lbs.). No complaints.