Does anyone have an opinion on the Ascend™ FS12T Sit On Top Angler Kayak? I’m new to kayaking and am looking for something affordable I can fish with in the local rivers, lakes, as well as possibly take to the beach (reason for sit on versus sit in). I’m 6’ 4" and around 200 pounds. Does anyone have any suggestions or issues with the Ascend FS12T? The price looks right 
Any help and words of wisdom would be great!
Charlie
At 200 lbs
you might want to at least thing about a 13 or 14 footer. I personally like the Native Watercraft boats for fishing and the Manta Ray 14 would fit your well.
The Tarpon 140 is also an option, but for me it was too wet and just tracked too hard.
There are some 13 foot SOTs also like the Prowler and I think Hurricane might make one.
jim
Eh.
I’m about 255# and have used 10’ boats and even an 8’ creek boat with no problem.
On the other hand, for the kind of paddling he said he’s going to do, the 13’ and 14’ boats would be good.
I was there
I was at bass pro at Myrtle beach and saw them on display. They looked alright the only thing I had against them was the forward hatch covers looked like they might give some trouble sealing water out but the rest seemed to be OK. To each his own!
soft plastic
I’ve read on several forums that the plastic is extremely soft and flexible on the bottom which has resulted in a lot of warped hulls.
Don’t all rec yaks do that?
I mean, oil canning is practically a right of passage with a plastic recreational kayak. I’ve read some of those reviews too and thought, “Well, yeah.” I wonder if those reviews are as much a matter of unmet expectations of continued perfection from inexperienced kayak owners as it is a manufacturing fault. It’s kind of like parking in tight parking spaces all the time and then getting stressed over door dings.
Now, I have read of some real manufacturing defects too, which were corrected with prompt replacement.
- Big D
No link ?
That link was posted on B & B…
…no archive as you’re aware.
Soft Plastic, like Butter
No not all Rec boats have problems with flexing hulls. There are lots of quality built plastic kayaks available but this boat isn’t in that group. If you see any bad reviews pay attention to what people are saying because very few kayak owners are willing to say anything bad about a new boat. If owners complain it’s because there is real trouble.
I’ve seen pictures of hulls flexing with light hand pressure on this kayak. There’s a reason they are so cheap.