Thread: Ride 115 vs 135? Moving water

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.

There is at least 2 generations of the Ride 135 (maybe 3) with different hulls. The older ones were pretty okay for a river boat, other than their length. They float shallower than the 115 (displacement is larger and the older ones have less keel sticking down). For a 13 ft boat they were not "fast" but still way faster than the 115. Newer ones, I don't know about. But if it is the one on Decatur CL, I believe that is a new one.

IMO, I would look at Jackson Cruise for a dual use kayak. Appomattox has a demo (and $69 shipping): Jackson - Jackson Cruise 12' Kayak - 2013 Dominion RiverRock Used Demo

I've had 2 Ride 135's and my 2013 Ride is everything I could ask for in a kayak. While shopping, I looked at the same dealership at the Jackson and it was a
coin toss for me. The Ride won. As for 115 vs 135, I would comment this way...........under 200 lbs of kayak paddling muscle, go with the 115. If over
200 lbs. of go power like me, I like the 135 better. The easiest thing to do in a kayak is haul too many items you don't really need. It's the hardest part
of going to a kayak for fishing. Keeping it simple is a real struggle.

Well I definitely meet the 200+ pounds of power but I fish a lot of smaller creeks and not a lot of bays. My biggest paddles ever are 2 miles and most of that is poking along the shoreline. I really wish there was a place for me to demo both but even the closest dealer does not offer demos of their rides. And I don't know of anyone that has one locally.

Since you don't live just around the corner, my suggestion is go for the Ride 135 and don't look back. I paddle a mile from my place to the lake down the
creek and fish it along the way (when the lake is up and water is in the creek) and I have no issues with the creek being narrow and shallow in places.
At 70, I'm still able to stand up in my 135 and fly fish when the mood strikes. I'm @ 220 most of the time and feel secure in the knowledge my kayak will
last the rest of my fishing days and even if I decided to mount a trolling motor mount, it would handle the extra weight without issues. A WS Ride 115 would
be a little iffy for me to feel comfy with. I'd let you paddle mine if you'd just move closer in my direction, or just around the corner. LOL

If anyone lives close to Big Cedar Creek outdoor center in GA, they have a sale on the 135's for 699. That is a steal on a new boat with either the high or low seat option.

That price on a WS Ride 135 is a steal of a deal. I paid $1100.00 for mine just a few months ago. WOW!