Access 11.5

I've had the access 11.5 and use it as my medium and big-water fishing 'yak. I have 2 other boats (Emotion Guster and a Sea Eagle 370) that I use for exploring and taking the wife and kids out respectively. The Access is what I use when I want to focus on fishing. I picked mine up on amazon for $350 off season, but also have seen it on sale for a short time at Dick's for the same amount. For this price it's definitely 4 stars - if i had to pay full price ($500) it'd drop to a 3.

Pros: Fast for a SOT. Tracks very straight. Very stable, handles inshore (bays) and big lakes very well. easy enough to mod if you watch some videos on how to use a rivet gun, also I've add many eye pads, a swivel rod holders and also a 8" front deck hatch. The last requires being ok with a skillsaw. Exceptional value for an 'entry level' fishing kayak.. on sale it is in the same price range with many cheaper brands/models you find at Walmart etc. Has decent storage space but it's not like a frame-seat SOT where you have tons of room.. you need to take the time to think about how you want all your gear laid out (for fishing - regular recreational kayaking you shouldn't have this problem).

Cons. The rod holders are crap... not quite deep enough and too wide. I lost a rod before I got wise to wrapping them with pool noodles for flotation. Stock seat is very uncomfortable - if you're moderately serious about kayaking (moreso about yak fishing) you'll need to upgrade to a harmony style high back seat, which isn't hard to do and is fairly cheap @$30. You also can't really stand up and fish in it as the deck flexes. The last con is it isn't really nimble and can't turn like a smaller yak, but this is completely ok considering how fast and straight it tracks,

PROS (Reiterating what has been posted previously)
Good quality for the price
Molded handles make for easy grip on front/back/sides
Tracks very well
I think it is extremely stable (I can stand in it while scouting rapids)
Plenty of room for storage of dry bags/cooler/gear on outside of boat

Handles well in Class I & adequately in Class II. I need to give myself extra space/speed to make some technical turns. It will NOT make turns quickly and requires a bit of brute force to navigate obstacles (I am a former Necky Jive owner w/ several years of river running / play exp.) This fall I will attempt a short Class III run if levels get high enough. If I can edit this post, I will report how well the barge handles it!

CONS (some of these have been stated in other posts)
Molded high back seat makes loading multiple boats a bit of a pain.
Does not stack well.
Dry storage access is a tiny opening w/ a little baggie you can use to store a few valuables.
*Dry storage access cover is only a rubber sealed pop top that pops on top (does not twist & lock).

*I felt like a violent capsize could knock the cap loose and expose the boat to take on water. So, I took it to the lake this past weekend and tested out the possibility. I removed the pop top and flipped the boat over in waist deep water to see how much/quickly it would take on water. I crawled on top and rocked it vigorously…I then flipped it back onto its proper side, dragged it on shore, pulled the drainplug, and stood it up to drain out a ton of…nothing. It didn't take on any water! The best answer I can come up with is that the opening is recessed and when it is upside down, the opening is lifted above the water line by the buoyancy created by the sides of the kayak. Or maybe an air pocket is created. I don’t really know.

Overall, I am happy with the purchase for myself. I am undecided it I will keep both. We may sell the wife's and get her something smaller and a bit more manageable next spring.

I have paddled several kayaks from 15' fishing yaks with rudders to 8' recreational yaks without and I have discovered that they all excel in certain categories that they are specifically designed for. However, kayaks that are considered recreational are exactly that; they are designed for the beginner or the expert to have fun on the water.

With that said, this is a great kayak. It has many design features that I wish were on other kayaks that cost exceptionally more. Almost everything that needs to be replaced at one time or another on other kayaks such as seats and carrying handles are a thing of the past with the Sport Access 11.5. It has molded carry handles on the bow and stern as well as port and starboard. It also has molded foot holds, storage wells front and back, 2 molded rod holders aft, a cup holder, a place to mount a third rod holder, and a fish finder or GPS. It also has a small hatch with bag that allows you to store your wallet and cell phone all features are easily accessible from the molded seat with back support. This is a very well thought out kayak. I understand why they call it the Access!

Anyway, enough about the ergonomics of the kayak and onto the technical stuff. The kayak weighs a mere 52 lbs, which allows for a single person to transport and load easily. It is 11'5" long and tracks very well for a kayak under 12' and it can hold up to 300 lbs of weight. It is easy to paddle and fairly fast. I use my Access on slow moving rivers, lakes, and fish the mangroves and canals. I didn't purchase the angler version, but I did install an 8" hatch upfront in the storage well, a paddle holder and an anchor trolley system. Furthermore, it comes with a Kevlar plate on the skeg that protects the kayak if it is dragged. It also comes equipped with a drain plug at the rear of the boat in case any water should get into the hull, which has not thus far and I have owned it for over a year and have used it extensively during that time.

The best thing about this kayak is the cost doesn't reflect upon its quality!!! Therefore, I am extremely happy with my purchase and look forward to more fun on the water!!!