The Wilderness Systems Ride 115 Max Kayak Review – Is it Worth it?
The Wilderness Systems Ride 115 Max Kayak has all the features kayak fishermen have come to expect out of the Ride 115 with a long list of angling features they will love.
Coming in at just over the MSRP, this kayak is a good value for money and is gaining lots of praise from anglers all over the world.
This kayak is very versatile, with the options to adjust seating and side rails plus there is enough room to customize your kayak in certain places.
Wilderness have been great at getting feedback on previous models and we feel that they have stepped up their game when developing their latest product.
What to Consider when Buying a Fishing Kayak
Making the right choice when you invest in a kayak is imperative. You will be spending a pretty decent amount of money regardless of the brand, so you want to be sure that your money is well spent.
There are several main ideas that you should keep in mind when considering which kayak to buy, including these considerations:
- Skill level
- Sit-on-top vs. Sit-in kayaks
- Type of construction
- Stability vs. Speed
- Intended use
- Outfitting
- Sponsons
- Cost
The Wilderness Systems Ride 115X is one of the best fishing kayaks on the market and we hope that this review will give you an insight into its capabilities and restrictions.
Read on to see if the Wilderness kayak is the right choice for you and your next angling expedition.
The Wilderness Systems Ride 115 Max Kayak Review
Specifications
| Length | 11’6 |
| Width | 33 |
| Weight | 81lbs |
| Type | Sit on top |
| Capacity | 500lbs |
| Rigged for fishing | Yes |
| Propulsion | Paddle |
Pros
- Great ability to maneuver and hit high speeds, due to its 11’6” length.
- Ability to stay steady, despite the length, due to 33-inch width.
- The seat is very comfortable and has an adjustable foot brace, which many kayaks do not have.
- Superior cockpit features, including paddle keepers to keep the paddle in place when you are very active in the kayak.
- A good place to store your equipment where it will stay dry. There is room to keep the bow and also a day hatch and tank well.
- Comes with or without a rudder.
Cons
- This may not be as stable as some larger kayakers would like, especially when standing up.
- Weighing 79 pounds means this is one heavy kayak and one person may not be able to lift it alone.
- Limited standing room due to hatch positioning.
- No anchor trolly.
- We are still questioning the price.
The kayak looks like it is built to last, with visibly strong materials going the kayak an overall feel of being good quality, without it being look over performance.
Even with a quick glance, you will be impressed by its features, a closer look reveals that this is not only a good looking kayak but one that offers great features.
With handy places for you to store all of your belongings, including any electronics that you have, the size of the kayak is very reasonable. With good levels of tracking and the use of durable materials, this kayak is a good all rounder and ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to fishing kayaks.
Size and Weight
The Wilderness kayak has an overall capacity of 500 pounds and is great for anglers who are tall or who are carrying more weight.
The designers have been really clever in developing a longer length kayak that comes in at 11 feet and 6 inches but does not lose anything in the way of stability.
The balance between stability and maneuverability is spot on in our opinion.
Coming in at 81 lbs it is relatively heavy compared to some other fishing kayaks and those who are not very strong may struggle to manage the kayak easily. We would say that you are likely to need to help to move the kayak any significant distance or when tying to your roof.
Design
Whilst the design of this kayak is not out of this world, it does have some nifty features and, overall, it is easy on the eye. The kayak enjoys one of the best hull designs we have ever come across, with the outfitting of the cockpit well thought out too.
The “AirPro Freedom Elite” technology allows anglers to fish for long periods without becoming uncomfortable or risking getting a bad back. We have to say the back support was far superior to that we have seen on some models within this price range.
When purchasing a Wilderness Ride new, there are a number of options when it comes to seat size and function. All three seats are designed specifically for the Ride but have different functions and pricing.
All of the seats the seat slide front and back, giving you the ability to use your weight as you see fit.
You can move the seat back when paddling through rough seas, or move it forward when the water is much calmer. The seat can change quite easily and, as we say, it is a feature that we really like on this kayak.
This kayak is not all about what it looks and feels like, it has many innovative features, such as foot braces that you can adjust and adjustable seating. These features may seem trivial but when you think of the varying sizes of anglers, you can think about how a few inches of extra room can be beneficial.
Larger anglers often go for Wilderness kayaks out to this extra room and it is one of the main reasons people choose this model.
One aspect of the Wilderness kayak that we really like is the Orbix day hatch that can be found in front of the seat and gives anglers a good amount of storage space to keep your essentials dry. One aspect of the kayak that we are not a fan of is the molding of the footwell.
The console between the wells and the day hatch leave little room to move about and there is not enough room to move once you stand up in the kayak. We are a little disappointed by this as a few simple design tweaks could have alleviated this problem.
Features
Despite our dislike of the positioning of the forward console, it is a good place to safely put any angling electronics and it features a SlideTrax rail that allows this.
There is also a SlideTrax rail already mounted on the gunwales and on the aft of the seat. This makes it easy for you to place your rods in a holder on the rail and provides a safe place for you to install camera mounts and any other vital equipment.
The Ride’s stability is due to the pontoon-type hull design, which is becoming popular in the new generation of stand-up kayaks. The Ride is definitely not flimsy!
Scupper tubes are a welcome addition for when you stand so you have confidence that you have enough support and comfort. It is the little touches that make a good kayak transform into a great kayak.
To add to the design, there is a molded paddle keeper to the side of the kayak to keep your paddle in a fixed place whilst you get on with your fishing. There is plenty of dry storage space, as we mentioned earlier and there will be no problem finding room for your cool box.
We realize that there are many more expensive kayaks on the market, but most of them stand out from the crowd and we are not sure if this kayak does enough to elevate it from.
We know that there are plenty of people out there who have different views than us, with a man seeing it as a steal at the price it is at, so it really does come down to individual preferences.
Summary
The price tag does make us think twice about this kayak, as there are other fishing kayaks on the market that offer better features at a lower price. That said, the kayak has gained good reviews from many reviewers and we are definitely not saying that we do not like this kayaks, we are just saying that it is one you need think about given the price tag.
Of course, all people are different and what one person likes the next person will hate. We guess that this is this case with this Wilderness kayak, great to some but average to others. Overall, this is a very attractive kayak that does the job in hand and celebrates a good level of durability.
Despite some of our minor qualms, we are sure that after reading this review you will have seen the many benefits of this kayak and it will allow you to enjoy many happy fishing days.
