My first Yak

Finally gonna purchase my first kayak.Im looking at the ascend FST12.....anyone have any thoughts on this boat as a first time purchase.Price is important to me at this time...Im 6 foot 235 pounds....any suggestions?

To answer your question from the "Merrimack River", you can launch at the public ramp next to Crescent Yacht Club in Bradford.

I bought FST12 from bass pro a few years ago, it works well I am a big guy and it is comfortable and moves well in the water. Only problem that I have had is the hull does have a little warp in it from putting it on the roof racks of my car and ratcheting it down, which did not affect anything. Other than that it has been great,

Finally gonna purchase my first kayak.Im looking at the ascend FST12.....anyone have any thoughts on this boat as a first time purchase.Price is important to me at this time...Im 6 foot 235 pounds....any suggestions?

Congrats! You'll have to join some of our Kayak Tourneys once you get one.

For the money, I've heard good things about the Pescador:

http://www.amazon.com/Perception-Sport-Pescador-Kayak-Red/dp/B00776W878/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362580355&sr=8-1&keywords=pescador

If you want to spend a little more you could consider something like a Wilderness Systems Ride 115. If you buy online you can keep the price down.

Good luck.

The Ascend looks very similar to my first kayak, the Perception Caster 12.5 (which is almost identical to the Pescador jjbagoose mentioned). I also have the Wilderness Systems Ride 115 - I'm in Needham if you ever want to make the trip down from Methuen to try either of them out.

The Ascend looks like a decent kayak to start with - will allow you to have plenty of storage and stability and should track fairly well. I'm sure you want to pull the trigger quickly, but if you can test a few out (if you haven't already) and see what you like and don't like, you won't feel the need to upgrade in the next few years!

I own an Ascend D10 and am very happy with it as a small water SINK. The quality is fine given the price point and I use it more frequently than my Hobie because it draws less water. There are better yaks out there but you don't want to blow a lot on your first one. Use your first yak to learn about your needs and then trade up.

Having said all that I think you owe it to yourself to look at the Perception Pescador 12. It's the same mold as the old WS Tarpon 120 but at a fraction of the price. And you might be able to pick one up for about the same as the Ascend. Reviews on paddling.net are excellent.

http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=2463

thanks for all the info...I definately wanna tourney fish as soon as i get the hang of this thing

thanks for all the info...I definately wanna tourney fish as soon as i get the hang of this thing

Thanks for the invite....i just may well take you up on that

Finally gonna purchase my first kayak.Im looking at the ascend FST12.....anyone have any thoughts on this boat as a first time purchase.Price is important to me at this time...Im 6 foot 235 pounds....any suggestions?

You should also join the site NewEnglandKayakFishing.com since it is dedicated to kayak fishing. There is a ton of useful information over there. There is a lot of discussion of salt water fishing but don't be fooled, most of those guys do fresh water too.

I own an Ascend D10 and am very happy with it as a small water SINK. The quality is fine given the price point and I use it more frequently than my Hobie because it draws less water. There are better yaks out there but you don't want to blow a lot on your first one. Use your first yak to learn about your needs and then trade up.

Having said all that I think you owe it to yourself to look at the Perception Pescador 12. It's the same mold as the old WS Tarpon 120 but at a fraction of the price. And you might be able to pick one up for about the same as the Ascend. Reviews on paddling.net are excellent.

http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=2463

I think im going to go with the pescador 10 ft....the 12 foot yaks seem quite heavy and i think loading on my little suv might be more pain than its worth....I cant seem to find the 10 footer locally though....I went to dick's and they had the 12 footer....I never thought to ask if they can order it...better make the call

I own an Ascend D10 and am very happy with it as a small water SINK. The quality is fine given the price point and I use it more frequently than my Hobie because it draws less water. There are better yaks out there but you don't want to blow a lot on your first one. Use your first yak to learn about your needs and then trade up.

Having said all that I think you owe it to yourself to look at the Perception Pescador 12. It's the same mold as the old WS Tarpon 120 but at a fraction of the price. And you might be able to pick one up for about the same as the Ascend. Reviews on paddling.net are excellent.

http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=2463

I think im going to go with the pescador 10 ft....the 12 foot yaks seem quite heavy and i think loading on my little suv might be more pain than its worth....I cant seem to find the 10 footer locally though....I went to dick's and they had the 12 footer....I never thought to ask if they can order it...better make the call

Found this online
http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Perception-Sport-Pescador-10-0-Kayak-Package-Red/Yellow&i=727560&r=view&aID=606A3&cvsfa=2587&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=373237353630&cID=SHOPPING_727560

Great price for the boat. The PFD is a throwaway, you will need a paddling vest. I can't tell if the paddle is fiberglas. It so, it further sweetens the deal. Didn't calculate shipping charges.

Thx...that is a great price.....shipping charges are running about 160 for A yak...thats why i been looking for it local...also i would have too add the rod holders...but thats not difficult...thx for sending me that

Maybe you can get somebody local to price match or at least reduce their price accordingly.

If you want to be able to stay on the water in complete comfort with no back pain and completely dry for 6-8-10 hours you should consider a Wavewalk.

The price is substantially more than the regular kayaks you are considering but, "you get what you .......".