My test paddle of the Ride was in the TN river around Knoxville, was a decent current that day but no whitewater or whitecaps, etc, just the current for the most part and I had no issues moving where I wanted to. In current you will naturally have that resistance but wind will be a bigger factor in some cases, especially in open water. I have a 115 and fish Tellico Lake with it, crossing large coves and cover some distance at times, other times I stay within sight of the launch point. The 115 carries what I want to carry (half I don't use). I remember two days in particular I had paddled quite a distance from the launch point (ramp), and on the way back, the wind picked up against me. I could still keep a decent speed, and the 115 tracked good, but if I stopped paddling, I would lose any glide/forward motion very quickly, which is not out of the ordinary. It just takes a bit longer to get home, and I was a little bit more tired, but I was very pleased with how the 115 handled the head wind. Cross winds on open water will cause some frustration and extra strokes as the wind will push you around or off course to some extent, but no different than being in a boat. With a boat, you adjust the motor, in a yak , you add a stroke or two of paddling.
Whether a 115 or 135 will depend on the size creeks you plan on hitting, narrow creeks might be more of a challenge in a 135 vs a 115 but would still be doable imo. Think of storage and how you will transport the Ride as well. My 115 weighs in at ~80 lbs (aka Fat Boy), and I carry it in the bed of my Sport Trac w/o issue. A 135 would require a bed extender on my truck (extra short bed) and I don't have the storage room for a 135 either as I hang my ride from the garage ceiling.
GO BIG ORANGE !
I meant to behave, but there were just way too many other options available at the time.