Ultimate FX 15 Solo

The Ultimate FX 15 Solo Kayak is a really great, well-made, and reliable kayak. I've been paddling this as my primary kayak for the past 3 months. It is roomy (which is what attracted me to the vessel in the first place) - it is almost like a canoe/kayak hybrid. There is a lot of space for all your gear, has many groove tracks for equipment – such as rod holders and a GPS, and it tracks very well in the water. The seat can be placed in a high or low position, though it can be difficult to remove from the boat at times. The seat also has a tendency to lose the endcaps when removed.

The really cool thing about this kayak is it sturdiness. I can stand in this boat and never feel as if I will tip. I can fish all day while standing or sitting.

A big drawback with the boat is its weight. This thing is HEAVY! It is 81 lbs. completely empty, seat removed and all.

When I purchased the kayak, I also purchased a Thule Hullavator, which has made all the difference in the world loading the kayak on my car. If I didn't have the Thule, there is no way I would be able to load the FX by myself. Once I have the kayak set and ready to go with the seat in all of my accessories (cooler, fishing rods, rod holders, tackle box, and safety gear) loaded, I require the help of my husband to portage the kayak from my car to the water when launches are at a distance. (Though I just purchased a kayak cart last week, so we'll see if that makes portability a bit easier in the future.) It's still a big heavy boat!

Improvements, for me, would be to have the kayak a bit lighter, make the seat easier to put in and take out, and perhaps add paddle grooves or bungees, as a place to store the paddles when fishing. (The optional cam-lock paddle holders just don’t cut it.)

Overall, I love this boat!! If my son chooses to come out with my husband and me, he will also choose this boat and relegate me to a different kayak.