This a great expedition kayak with excellent balance! It has more than enough room to carry a couple of weeks’ worth of gear and food. I’ve had this kayak for several years and enjoy paddling it on short day trips as well as overnight outings!
Lee and Jacquie put a…
Submitted by:
paddler237001
on 8/3/2016
Lee and Jacquie put a tremendous amount of care and attention into the individual construction of each boat they make. The craftsmanship is top quality - built to last. The boat handles beautifully in rugged conditions and I expect it to last a lifetime.
I have had my Ascente for…
Submitted by:
paddler236725
on 4/29/2016
I have had my Ascente for over ten years and and have been very pleased with it. I have no desire to even think about a different kayak. I use it mainly for medium distance day trips. One of its major features is its ease of paddling. I have not problem keeping up with friends with much lighter kayak.
I have just bought an Ascente…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 12/1/2008
I have just bought an Ascente and am very happy with my purchase for a solid touring sea kayak. On the plus side it tracks beautifully, is fast through the water and the fittings (rudder, peddles, deck lines, hatches) all work very well.
The reason I gave this boat a 7 out of 10 is due to the high initial stability and therefore the difficulty to put the boat on edge. I would have preferred a rounder hull resulting in a higher secondary stability to make it easier to paddle in rough waters. Also the back support and high aft deck make rolling and hand rolling the boat difficult.
If you are looking for a good fast touring boat I have no qualms recommending the Ascente. To make it the ideal boat for me I would make it narrower, improve the back support to aid solo recovery and decrease the initial stability to make it handle rough water better.
I'm 6'0" 205 lbs and I fit in…
I'm 6'0" 205 lbs and I fit in her just bearly. But I agree it is a fun boat to paddle. I am also a midwest paddler but I had the boat in the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior. 35 knot gusting to 40 winds. Boat tracked great. In fact put a bit a weight in her and she doesn't even notice the wind.
This is my third season with…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 6/24/2002
This is my third season with this boat and I absolutely love it. It is basically a scaled down version of Seward's 19' Quest. Seaward claims that this boat is not for the novice, but that is exactly what I was when I purchased it. My first time out was in high wind conditions with a lot of chop. I managed a decent two hour paddling session with out getting capsized. The Ascente' is not designed for larger people. I am 5'10" and 175 Lbs. and the boat fits me just fine. Initial and secondary stability are both good. The boat will feel tippy to most novices, but after a few hours of paddling you will feel right at home. It tracks well without the rudder being deployed, and weather cocking is not a problem except in strong winds. With the rudder down, it would take a stick of dynamite to pull the Ascente' off course. The boat rolls well too. Most of my fiends are white water kayakers, and they have all comment on how easy it is roll the boat back up after capsizing. Although I do not do overnight trips, there is plenty of space in the bow and stern compartments for gear. I have only noticed water in the bow compartment on one ocassion, and that was after a fairly lengthy roll session. The appearance of the boat is pleasing to the eye, and is one of the deciding factors on me purchasing it. Who wants an ugly boat? I should also mention the rudder control system is a big plus as well, you can actually get a solid brace on the foot pegs which is almost impossible on the aircraft style rudder controls on other boats. All in all, the Ascente' is a great boat and I would heartly recommend it to anyone.
As a guide, instructor and…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/9/2002
As a guide, instructor and working retail in paddlesports I have had the opportunity to paddle ALOT of boats. Although the Ascente is not the most perfect boat out there (for those of you that don't know this yet, there is no such thing as the perfect boat!)it does it's job, and then some. Limited to the midwest for local paddling, I have had the opportunity to take it with me on 3 different week long self contained trips to the coast. There is more than enough carring capacity for me. If you are a larger paddler, however, try considering the Quest. I'm right at 6' and 165lbs. One thing you just can't beat with any Seaward is their attention to detail. Everything from their layup to the color combinations that they come in. My particular boat is Royal Blue with Canary Yellow splatter paint on the deck and hatch covers. With a combination of bombproof design, construction and the test of some hard hits (sometimes theres just no way around em) I would recommend the Ascente to anyone looking for a high performance sea kayak!
