Preordered this boat after talking with a very helpful rep from
Wilderness Systems, and the wait was worth it ! This is definitely a
bigger boat than my Ride 115, and the advantages and features on
the ATAK are obvious the first time on the water. This boat is a
very stable platform that paddles so well with speed and comfort,
not to mention how well the new Air Pro Max seat works in this
boat. Hats off to Wilderness for working out the kinks with their
pro staff before releasing this boat, the results are amazing and
have to be experienced first hand to fully appreciate all that this
boat offers.
I had previously fished alot out of my Ride 115, and never felt that
I was under gunned wherever I took my kayak, until I got my
ATAK............ Then I realized how serious Wilderness was about
delivering an incredibly well thought out fishing kayak that eclipses
all the other brands. No doubt that you can by a cheaper kayak,
but when someone is serious about having a kayak that comes
ready to hit the water, and has everything you could hope for and
need to pursue just about any type of fish, this is the only
legitimate choice. Standing in the cockpit area is comfortable,
stable, and certainly not cramped, and the included non slip pads
for the floor are just another prime example of Wilderness
Systems' expertise in addressing the real needs in a fishing kayak.
The Flex Pod console works great, and I mounted a Lowrance HDI
5 Elite on it with A Ram Mount, and it provides the convenience of
an all in one unit for battery, transducer, and fish finder that can
be removed for transport and to eliminate the loss of an expensive
unit to theft.
About the only thing that could use a bit of refining is how the seat
mounts inside the cockpit, it fits very tight, and might just need
some customizing to make the seat frame fit smoother. Overall,
this is truly the ultimate fishing kayak out there, and worth every
penny. Looking forward to getting the 3D Air Pro Max seat to really
set this kayak apart from the wannabes !!!