Moken 12.5

This Moken makes my 7th kayak that I've owned. It is my first sit on top that I've owned.

I paddle some pretty rough water here in Beaufort, SC - we have a 7ft average tide change, and the water can change in a very short period of time.

My first weekend out, I had a great test run. I had wind, fast tide, and lots of chop. On day one, the wind was extra hard, and the tide was moving really fast. I didn't make a lot of headway that day -- but to be honest, I would have had difficulty paddling my sit in kayaks in those same conditions. The Moken however felt really stable. I wasn't getting wet at all.

The next day, the wind was still moving pretty fast, but not like the previous day. I easily paddled 2 miles up river (against the wind and tide) to my favorite fishing spot. I had no trouble at all getting there. The Moken handled extremely well.

I did try standing up, and I was able to do it, but probably won't try it unless I'm in some really still water.

Is it a fast boat? No, but I certainly was not disappointed with the speed I got out of it. It is a fishing kayak after all.

I do not have a rudder installed, yet it tracked extremely well.

As far as weight, It's about 80 pounds, but it has a great side carry handle, and it's really not that bad to lift.

This is a very good kayak, as long as you know what your buying. This isn't a fast kayak at all. It's designed for stability. It is an excellent platform to build a top quality fishing rig. The wheel in the keel is an excellent way to transport it, provided you dont have a lot of accessories on it. I use it mostly for paddling, not too much fishing. It is harder to paddle than my sit in yaks. But it is bigger snd heavier than them. Overall though, it is my go to yak in the summer. For the price, it's a great value too.

I purchased this kayak 1 year ago and am very pleased so far. I bought it in the Navy blue camo pattern and love the way it looks, there is plenty of dry storage in the hull and the center console storage is extremely handy. The seat is well made and comfortable, everything seems to be quality built. The wheel in the keel is very handy for solo launches and it is a very stable kayak, I can stand in it but it does take some good balance to do so, otherwise it never feels tipsy while sitting. It does paddle ok but not as easy as some narrower kayaks, but that is the trade off for stability, and it is a little heavy. I would definitely recommend this kayak for it's intinded purpose which is recreation and fishing. I have two other kayaks and this is my favorite.

After talking with several people and reading reviews this is the first Kayak I purchased. My wife and I have really enjoyed these kayaks. I think it's the best Kayak on the market for it's price point. It has a good balance of stability and speed. The seat is comfortable for even all day trips. I like that the seat sits low in the Kayak, but not so low that your sitting in water all day. The FeelFree Moken 12.5 tracks straight even without the optional rudder, but it's nice to know that it's a easy bolt on if I ever decide I need it. The Kayak offers plenty of storage space, and has a well designed area ready for a fishing crate, and it comes with two rod holders from the factory. Soon after purchasing mine we went and got a second FeelFree Moken 12.5 for my wife and we go get on the water every chance we can get.

The built-in wheel makes it very easy for my petite wife to transport the boats to the water, though we haven't moved them through sand yet. The molded-in handle at the bow allows the boat to be pulled without pitching left and and right. When on the water, the boat is very stable. Shifting my weight extremely to either side does not cause me to feel that I am about to go swimming. Even when standing the boat serves as a stable platform for casting and paddling. The standing leash makes standing and returning to the seated position very easy.

There is ample storage for gear. The center console is water tight and a convenient place for quick access to cameras, phones, etc. I do use water tight boxes that fit nicely in the center console just in case I forget to latch the lid. The front hatch is easily accessible while on the water and has copious room for all sorts of gear. If you are concerned about keeping the contents dry, use dry bags. There is a rubber seal around the opening, but it looks like water could find its way in. The built-in uni-track system makes mounting accessories very easy. The foot pegs are conveniently adjustable by a lift-and-slide mechanism. With two built-in rod holders and the uni-track rails, there are plenty of places to attach gear. The boat does not have an anchor trolley, but the exterior surface could easily accommodate eyelets for an aftermarket system.

The boat tracks straight and doesn't wander noticeably when paddling. The boat is set up for a rudder system if that is important to you. The molded-in paddle keepers are accessible just behind the seat on the left and right. There is a round storage hatch behind and under the seat. The trunk space behind the seat has adjustable hooks and bungee cord for securing gear. The rear uni-track can also be used to attached gadgetry.

I do have one criticism. The seat has limited adjustability and causes my lower back to ache after a couple of hours of paddling. But that may be true of a lot of boats and seats during extended paddling sessions. When fishing, it is possible to move around enough and to stand to relieve the aching back.

We reviewed and paddled a lot of boats before deciding on the Moken. It is a great boat at a very fair price. It is outfitted like a boat costing hundreds of dollars more. It weighs 72 pounds, but feels much lighter when moving it around due to the built-in wheel. I would definitely recommend this boat to a broad range of users. It functions nicely as a recreational boat, and can be set up easily for use by the serious angler.

Good luck in your pursuit of a boat. keep this one on your short list, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Here's my take:
Molded handles - large, firm, comfortable to use and make great tie-down points when strapping to a truck bed or trailer
Wheel in the keel - Not as good as a kayak cart but not bad either. It does not work good in soft terrain, loose gravel, sand, mud. Also keep in mind this is a single wheel, anything out of balance and the yak will tilt to one side. To avoid the tilt use it like a wheelbarrow, push it where you're going if possible or double grip it and walk backwards with it.
Unitrack - You can move the rod holder forward when paddling to get it out of way. I have also used them for trolling. Pushed forward enough to get the rod out of the way but still be able to get to the rod for a strike in time to set the hook. It also seems wobbly but so far has not been an issue and is strong enough.

The Kingfisher seat is very comfortable, sat it if for 6 hours straight without fatigue or pain. Is a new boat for me, have had for 4 months, but the quality of the seat looks like it will last a long time.

I have the rudder option on my boat. I don't use it often the boat holds a good line, the hull design and the wheel in the keel help without the rudder. I drop the rudder usually when fishing in current or wind to keep my hands free and control my drift. I also like the rudder when trolling to help with a slower gradual turn again, usually taking advantage of currents.

The Moken is very stable. I am able to reach the very back of the well behind me, and though I haven't tried yet, since I haven’t needed to. I am certain I can get to the front hatch as well.
The back tank well is huge it will hold a regular crate or a rectangular crate with room to spare.

You will be hard pressed to find something to complain about the Moken. I fish freshwater and have had this on lakes and slow rivers nothing over a Class I with this kayak, yet.

I can't say enough about the wheel in the keel as it is EASY to transport, even when you have to pull it 30 yards to the launch site.

10 out of 10 for me. There are a ton of great yaks out on the market but the Moken is a SOLID buy.

The next thing that made me exclaim "nice!" was the Kingfisher seat. This seat is well padded with a padded riser under the seat to give the best angle for your lower body to paddle all day. It is thermoformed with stainless screws that attach the straps to the seat. This is the first seat that I have ever seen with screws.

Just in front of the seat, there is a new standing platform with a pad. I was able to stand up with no problem on the lake and make a few casts to test it out. There are supposed to be scupper holes under the platform but I could not tell. Under the seat, there are two scupper holes with optional plugs. I believe the seat is plenty high for a dry ride to not need the plugs. In the ocean, I would recommend taking the plugs out if you decide to use them on flat water. The primary stability of the boat is very good as well as the secondary stability. This was not what I was expecting. So it was another bonus.

The hatch just in front of you is a long hatch with a rubber lock on a hinge in the back. You can open it from where you are seated and have access to a 6" deep well for tackle, water, food etc. There are two buckle straps that can be put over the hatch if you are coming in for a rough landing or just want to keep stuff dry. I would not trust just the rubber latch to keep things in the hatch in rough water or launching or landing through surf. The prototype video from OR mentions that you could cut out the bucket and create a rod storage area. The hatch seems a bit short for that but I would consider doing it or see if anyone else has done this. Ocean Kayak has had great results with its "rod pod" in kayak storage.

The front hatch has a unique three lock system that keeps it tight and dry. Even after rolling the boat over 3 times from the shore, the boat was dry on the inside. Behind the seat is also a unique 6" round hatch. It can be easily accessed with a milk crate strapped in, however it took a bit to get it just right to close. I would also like to see a mesh hatch bag on the inside to keep things in its place.

The wheel comes in handy because with all of the hardware the boat can seem heavy to carry by one person. The wheel is makes it so you do not have to carry it but lift and walk with the kayak. My paddling partner and I had no problem carrying the boat using the molded in side handles rather than a bow and stern toggle.

Some of the other features that I appreciated was the rigging for an additional rudder. The cable openings are already in place. The rudder looks like the post style that just drops in. The foot braces need to be changed out for the Smart Track rudder to work. One of the features about this rudder system is that the foot pegs stay in place and the rudder is controlled by the toe plate. Even though the boat is made overseas in Thailand, the boat is well made and has all the right things most kayak fisherman are looking for.

Overall, this is a great kayak for anyone who wants to fish. There are more details about this boat that add to the value of the $1099 price tag but these were the major ones that really stuck out. On a 1-10 scale I would give the Moken 12.5 made by Feel Free kayaks a 9.5.