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Name: meretricious
Most Recent Reviews
My wife and I have had our Rides for 8 years now, and I have a couple more comments for anyone looking at buying a First generation Ride 135. Two major issues have stood out over the years:
The seats cannot be changed out, as they're built into the yak, and they dig into your tailbone during a long paddle. You really need a PFD's thickness between you and the seat for it not to happen, and it's still not that comfortable.
More importantly, however, is the failure of the small "hatch" between your legs. I mean, in particular, the model with the small round hatch with the fabric bag inside that is right between your legs. If the kayak is loaded, and that can mean simply a heavy person using it, the kayak scupper holes admit water - of course. However, the small hatch is very low in the boat, and does not seal well. It's lower than any other hatch, and even lower than the seat itself. Water gets into the hatch, and into the yak, making it ride lower, which lets in more water, and it rides lower still, etc. it is a serious design flaw, which is probably why you won't find it on the newer models.
If you're looking at buying a used, 1st generation Ride 135, please be warned. If you keep it light, you may not have the problem, but we've seen that hatch cover get looser over the years, so that may exacerbate the problem.
Other than that, it's still one of the smoothest riding kayaks I've had the pleasure to paddle. See my earlier review [4/17/2008] for other comments.
Really comfortable paddle. Once I stopped trying to muscle it, my kayak moved along with little effort. I too like the slightly flattened spot for your right hand. The newer ones have more feathering options than mine - my fiberglass handle only has the two 45 degree positions. Very light swing weight for the price, and the blade is sturdy - I have the bad habit of pushing off of things with it, so no carbon fiber for me...
Less well designed, however are the cheap footpegs. The tracks for the pegs are only screwed in at the ends, causing the middle to bow out and twist over time. The seat is bothering the both of us, as well. The hinge where the back meets the seatpad at the boat sticks out, denting my butt after about a half hour's ride.
It's a wide boat; which can be good and bad. It holds a lot of stuff, but it's darn heavy - 65lbs. It takes the both of us to get each boat onto the truck. The width also makes it harder to paddle; my girlfriend keeps banging her hands against the side handles. We had to purchase longer paddles than we'd originally thought - 240cm's for the two of us.
Those nitpicks aside, however, it's a great boat; a pleasure to paddle. Its stability makes it easy to get back in after jumping out for a dip in the middle of a lake in the summer. It tracks well. The spacious tankwell fits a cooler easily. The seat's up a bit high, even for a SOT, and I like that, as my arms are long - and my butt stays pretty dry, considering.
As stated in an earlier review, the mango color scheme is beautiful - and safer, let's face it.