Profile

Name: rskuhn

Most Recent Reviews

I bought the new updated Tarpon 120 in 2021. The new sit on top has a lower weight capacity than the older Tarpon 120. I weigh 245 lbs and a little water comes in the scuppers of the new Tarpon 120. That is not the case with the older Tarpon 120 where I ride dry even though boat boats have a mfg. weight limit of 350lbs. The cover on the back well is a joke and will easily fly off when the boat is in transport and we will be buying bungee to make it like the older Tarpon 120.. The dry box and magnetic cup holder are nice features. The new Tarpon is an inch wider than the old Tarpon, I was expecting a higher weight limit. Very comfortable seat, tracks well.

Wife has a Tarpon 12 for 2 years the 2019 model She is 140lbs and a perfect fit. Boat handles wonderful, lots of room for storage or packing. The seat is one of the most comfortable available. Wilderness made some slight modifications for the newer 2020 model. She loves to hang her feet over the sides on a hot day. Max load 240lbs. for dryness and handling I tried a Tarpon 12 but I weigh 290lbs. not enough buoyancy for me, I was riding with water all over the floor. I bought a Ride 115

We did 3 days of Kayaking Lake Wisconsin and love the boat. I am a big guy 6' 290lbs. and the boat handles wonderful. I have the lower sitting mesh adjustable seat that you can slide the seat forward or back to trim out the weight and handling. Yes the boat is heavy but not a problem loading on a roof rack with 2 people. I bought the boat about 4 months ago and it was delivered about 2 months ago. Unfortunately the factory rep. mentioned it may not be made much longer. I just checked out the Wilderness website and none of the Rides appear there anymore. A big loss for the big guy. The Ride 115 and 135 were great boats for the big boys, hopefully they are just making some model changes for 2020. Time will tell. Great boat for lakes and wide rivers. If you are thinking about buying one, do it fast as supplies are low and soon no more.

We had a chance to rent two Tarpon 120 for a day and kayaked the upper IOWA river. This is a great Sit on Top (SOT) Kayak for warmer water and the summer months. The boat handled well, stable, easy to maneuver on a river. We both loved the cup holder and adjustable seat. The mfg. recommended weight capacity is 350lbs but that is overloaded for good handling, my suggestion would be 260lb max weight. Several mfgs make a similar kayak but the seat on the Wilderness Tarpon 120 is very adjustable and very supportive. The foot petals were easy to adjust. The self bailing scupper holes worked great. This is a great boat for some short camping trips with lots of storage. The handles on the end made for easy carrying.

I had the opportunity to try out the Prodigy 13.5 for a day on the Upper Iowa River. This is a Sit In Kayak with a shallow long cockpit. Due to the length of the boat, it is not the best for maneuvering in tight turns or in a river with slight to moderate current. It tracks well but too well for even light to moderate currents it can be difficult to turn and wants to go straight. I wish there was a hatch/compartment in the front of long bow. The large cockpit is wide open and a spray skirt would be difficult to use safely if you needed to bail out for some reason. The boat has good weight limits for cargo or perhaps small child or dog. The adjustable seat allows much flexibility in balancing the load. Due to the shallow long cockpit, I found it impossible to use the foot pedals, which made a long ride uncomfortable and lost some strength of paddling that you would normally have with foot pedals. Flat legs in a kayak bottom is not comfortable.

A great recreational boat for lakes and larger rivers. The boat has both front and rear hatches with lots of cockpit room and easy to adjust and reach pedals. The 12ft. Sit in Kayak tracks well and can be a little challenging in moderate currents. A great kayak to do some overnight trips with lots of room, comfort and storage. A great kayak for a mid size person. It is a little heavy but built rock solid and durable. The seat is comfortable and adjustable. You could do a lot with some epoxy and customizing the roomy cockpit area with holders, boxes, mesh bags etc......