New To Kayaks- Advice

Looking to purchase my first kayak. Will be fishing the Folly River and surrounding creeks most of the time. Kayak’s purpose will be primarily fishing. Am looking at the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 and Ride 115. Any info on these two models and which is better for what I am looking for? Would the longer length Tarpon or Ride 135 make any difference? Any other kayaks out there you would strongly recommend over these two? Also I am a beginner kayaker so take that into account. Thanks for any help.

The Ride 115 is a good small water boat. It’s super stable, but it’s also the SLOWEST boat in our fishing fleet. I like speed and longer hulls = faster boats. I paddle the Tarpon 160, Commander 140, and Ride 135.

Each one has subtle differences. A lof of folks are scared of the T160 and think it’s tippy. Spend some time getting to know the longer boat and developing your paddling skills and you never want to sit in a small boat again.

Go see Dave at Time Out and talk about the different models. I’m a Wildy guy, so I’ll answer any of your questions about our boats and leave the other manufacturers to the other guys.

Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com

So Ride 135 over the Ride 115. How would the Ride 135 compare to the Tarpon 120 for the Folly River. Which one of those two would you prefer? Since I am a beginner I thing the Tarpon 160 etc. would be too much boat for me.

I test-paddled a 115 and a 135. Went into it wanting the 115 but after paddling both, went with the 135. The 135 took less effort to paddle and tracked far better than the 115. The 135 is super stable and has a lot of room. The Tarpon is faster but a little less stable and has a smaller weight capacity. The Ride also has an option for a higher seat which I have not tried out but looks appealing.

“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.

The Tarpon 120 and Ride 135 are similar speed. The Ride 135 is a lot wider than the Tarpon and it shares a lot of hull design features with the Commander series, so it is SUPER STABLE. It is also very wide, so it takes a wide paddling grip to keep from banging your knuckles if you’re a high angle paddler.

The Tarpon is a single hull design and a good bit narrower than the Ride. There’s more in common among the lengths of the Tarpon boats, so a 120 isn’t very different behaving than a T140 or T160. THe longer boats take more effort to turn.

Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com

I owned a Ride 135, great boat. I also paddled a Ride 115 and liked it too. Not much slower but easier to turn in tight spots. It is also lighter, which makes for easier loading and unloading. You should be happy with either. I paddled a Tarpon 120. It was noticeably more maneuverable and easier to get up to speed. I could stand in it in calm water but not nearly as stable as the Ride. I have been standing and casting in Charleston harbor in the Ride over boat wakes. It is rock solid. The Hobie Pro Angler is the only kayak I have been that is more solid, but it is also 3x the price. The Ride is a great boat if distance is not a concern. I took mine out for trips 5-10 miles often with no issues.

Chris

Hobie Adventure Island "Rogue Wave"

I tell all our customers to be sure to Paddle a # of kayaks before you make your decision

We do on the water demos all the time

If you want a stable kayak + ability to stand up and fish come and paddle one of our Malibu Stealth Kayaks lots of advantages

Let?s go FISHING

Capt Dave
Fishing Kayaks SC
843-860-3127
www.facebook.com/FishingKayaksSC
fishingkayakssc@homesc.com
SC Malibu Kayak Dealer & Kayak Fishing Charters

I agree with Capt Dave…Demo Demo Demo…There might be something out there that will fit you better. Just saying that kayak that might fit your style of paddling might not be a Wilderness; it could be a different brand.

Go see Dolphin Dave at Time Out Sports in Mt. Pleasant…he can give you pointers about the different brands and maybe get you into a good kayak that is in your budget! Good luck…

quote:
Originally posted by jdem989353

Looking to purchase my first kayak. Will be fishing the Folly River and surrounding creeks most of the time. Kayak’s purpose will be primarily fishing. Am looking at the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 and Ride 115. Any info on these two models and which is better for what I am looking for? Would the longer length Tarpon or Ride 135 make any difference? Any other kayaks out there you would strongly recommend over these two? Also I am a beginner kayaker so take that into account. Thanks for any help.


Please be aware that there are real estate attorneys that own the mash of Folly Beach. :clown_face: There are posts on this web site that outline how the police will intervene on behalf or these property owners. Arrest and lawsuit! Do you understand? Arrest by police! :smiley:

:smiley:

:smiley:

:smiley:

Don’t know how much you want to spend but Dick’s has a nice selection in the $500 or below price range. I was thinking about getting one as well. Heard from a few guys that the Ride was a great boat, not as familiar with the Tarpon. I plan on doing some shopping in the next couple months.

I went to Time Out and rented a couple different kayaks to test out with a full day fishing. I tested the Ride 135 and Jackson Cuda 14. Time Out would take the rental cost off the purchase price if you bought one from them. Not sure if they still do that but it’s worth asking Dave. I ended up buying a Cuda because it worked for me. But, everyone is different so it’s important to spend some time on the water and find out what works for you. The people at Time Out are great. I would definitely stop by and check them out.

I plan on stopping by Time Out before I make a purchse. There are a few others places along Folly Road I have been to as well. Thanks for the reply’s!

I just saw this on CL and it prompted me to come to the forum after a long hiatus and here there’s folks looking for just this thing…

http://charleston.craigslist.org/boa/4243700812.html

Looks like a good deal to me but I’ve already got 5 kayaks.

i have found the guys at time out sports to be great guys.i have the ride 135 high rise seat yak and love it

quote:
Originally posted by TyOneOn
quote:
Originally posted by jdem989353

Looking to purchase my first kayak. Will be fishing the Folly River and surrounding creeks most of the time. Kayak’s purpose will be primarily fishing. Am looking at the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 and Ride 115. Any info on these two models and which is better for what I am looking for? Would the longer length Tarpon or Ride 135 make any difference? Any other kayaks out there you would strongly recommend over these two? Also I am a beginner kayaker so take that into account. Thanks for any help.


Please be aware that there are real estate attorneys that own the mash of Folly Beach. :clown_face: There are posts on this web site that outline how the police will intervene on behalf or these property owners. Arrest and lawsuit! Do you understand? Arrest by police! :smiley:

:smiley:

:smiley:

:smiley:


That whole owning the marsh post, was caused by the OP of this threas tyoneon.. awkward..

14’ Skiff-“Redfish Reaper”

That $400 kayak on CR looks like a nice deal. Haven’t decided what direction I will go but I might go take a look at it.

Wish that CL post was a month from now… Will be looking for a 135 begging of next year. J.P. how much does it cost to rent a yak at time out? Think I might try a few models out

All fishermen are liers except me and you and I’m not sure about you.

Time Out will rent boats for $45 a day, which will be refunded if you purchase a boat!

That Ride on CL looks like a great deal, someone should snatch that up!

DD

Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!

I also bought mine from Time Out. The guys there are really great at getting you exactly what you need.

Chris

Hobie Adventure Island "Rogue Wave"