Wilderness RIDE Angler 135 - May 2007 WOW- That how I will start my review of the boat. This is the first season that 100% retired my sea kayak, all the fishing I have been doing has been done with sit on tops. I am a sea kayaker at heart and I love to paddle so the only way for me to force myself to paddle the SOT was to leave my touring boat down in Virginia last year after the TKAA Tournament. The RIDE paddles incredibly smooth, I was thinking that because of the pontoon style hullit would have more resistance in the water. I was amazed to see and feel that the boat actually has less boat surface in the water creating last drag and friction, giving the boat a very effortless glide. I was also able to just skim the surface in the shallows 
This is my son standing up in the boat Even after I really dug in with the boat to get it up to speed and see how it acted at faster speeds, I was a little weirded out, because as I went faster the boat seemed to rise up out of water, with the bow really being in aggressive position to smack thru some waves. The boat paddled like a longer boat, it had nice glide and was especially stable. One of things I didn’t like was the ability to use body English, which is to lean and use the hull to track differently as you are moving thru the water. - No more oil canning
With the pontoon style hull there is too much boat surface on the bars to cause boat damage, see pictures attached
- Stand up and fish
Incredibly stable, I have stood up on the boat and fished in 2-4 foot chop and also on some lakes. This is where the WOW came in, not once did I feel like I was going over. I would suggest on the next revision of the model to make some nice no slip, positions for your foot, or some no slip tape from West Marine. My son and I have booth stood up and fished together. I am amazed with the stability of the boat.
- Pontoon Style Hull
Find one and take a look and then take it for a paddle. Let me know what you think. It paddles differently and it’s hard to put it into words, it is like paddling with 2 mini hulls underneath you. Watching the water come from the bow to the middle of the boat creates these 2 mini wakes because of the hull design. It’s really cool and different, try it out. Not once did I say to myself I wish the boat was longer.
- Room in the cockpit
What a pleasure, plenty of room for my legs and my stuff. I have paddled the boat with my son between my legs. If you’re a big person try this boat.
|
