WS Ride 135 maiden voyage and initial review.

i finally had a chance to get the new boat out on the water.  ran down to Solo Point after work with a buddy and we paddled out to Ketron and just goofed around for a bit, trying to get a feel for the boat.

first impressions:  i need a cart.  you can carry it, but it's big and unwieldy.  it's around 70 lbs too so a cart will be the next purchase.  

so far, the only other things that i've paddled are a Necky plastic SIK and my buddies 80's vintage fiberglass flat water tourer.  compared to those, the Ride is slower and required a good bit more effort to get going and keep going. glide is better than i expected though and it turns pretty easily.  tracking was great too, having a full length chine in between the "pontoons" of the hull.  of course it was even better with the rudder deployed.  the rudder is very effective, only requiring the smallest amount of movement of the pedals to correct course for wind or tide.  i'll like it when trolling.

the layout of the boat is nearly perfect for fishing.  everything is within reach and there is plenty of room.  it's a piece of cake to crawl out to the bow hatch and get whatever you need or hop up on your knees facing backwards to get into the tankwell or rear hatch. the stability of the Ride is........just.....wow.  i tried to dump it near shore and she just doesn't want to go over!  i hung my feet over one side into the water, stood up, kneeled up and paddled a ways and this thing just doesn't flip.  you can just about break dance on the thing and it will stay upright.  

there was just the slightest amount of water in the foot wells from the scupper holes.  on calm, cool days, i'll probably plug them but on warm days, the water on the feet feels nice.

it's no speed demon but no slouch either.  my buddies yak is a smooth, flat bottom touring yak and over the course of about 3/4 of a mile, he was ~100 yards ahead of me.  this yak is definitely the tortoise in the race.  slow and steady as she goes.  it's pretty easy to maintain about 4 mph though.

she is WIDE and it shows when you paddle.  even using a 240cm paddle and being 6'2", i still scraped the sides on occasion.  then again, my paddling technique leave a lot to be desired.

the bow could use a little more upturn to it ala OK boats.  some waves will wash over the top instead of the bow riding up and over a wave. the Orbix hatches held tight though and no water got in at all.

over all, i'm extremely please with the Ride!  it'll match my needs for fishing perfectly.  i may rethink my launch points to make them a little closer to my intended fishing spots until i get the kayaking muscles in better shape than they currently are.  

it's a big change going from a toy that goes from 0-60 in 3 seconds to a toy that barely breaks 8mph with as much effort as i can muster.  i love the workout i get from paddling though.  my deltoids will thank me.  

i'm really looking forward to getting out fishing in it.  have to mount the FF first though.  that'll take place over the next week two.  i'll try to get some photos up soon too.

Bobby

Thanks for the review. I've been curious about those.
I also have a 240 cm paddle and it is just right for my 30" wide U-12. I notice from checking the specs that your Ride is 32" wide.
If I get another boat, it likely will be for the ocean. I'm thinking of going longer and narrower for speed and distance capabilities, about 28" wide by 14' to 16' long. I like the look and specs of the Tarpons, but I have never paddled one.

if that's what you're after then the Tarpon 14 Angler is just the ticket for you.  it's faster than the ride and maybe a little less stable laterally but not so much that it'll make it a deal breaker.   the Ride is a good boat if you can find launches pretty close to your fishing grounds which is the case with me.  if i had longer distances to paddle i'd go for something like the Tarpon 14 or the Trident 15.  the Ride is no slouch but it's not made for touring and cruising.  it's made to fish from and i like it because i can either get up on my knees to fight a fish or stand up and cast from it in reasonable conditions and not have to worry too much about joining the Huli Club. 

REI is having a sale this weekend for members only.  they had a Tarpon 12 at the Seattle store last time i was there and the Sportco in Fife still has a couple a Tridents for sale.  the Wholesale Sports in Federal Way had a Trident 11 on sale for $529 last sunday too.  seems like a realy good deal to me.  if you'd like to try out my Ride sometime, shoot me a PM and we can figure out a time and date to meet up.

Bobby