Bought a new kayak at the Paddle Fest Scappoose Bay

Last weekend I had an opportunity to paddle a Wilderness Systems Ride 135 while fishing with other Veterans in a Heroes on the Water event on the Colombia River. The Ride 135 was one of the boats on my possibles list. Today I peddled a Hobie Revolution 13, and paddled a Dagger ROAM 11.5 and a Ride 115; all three were on my list.

I chose the Ride 135. It is located in the Next Adventure warehouse so I won't actually pick it up until later this next week, but she's mine. Here is the amazing part. I was prepared to spend a little over $1,000 for the boat, but as fortune would have it if you select a boat, that happens to be in stock you get an instant 15% discount. I paid $854.00 for my new Ride 135. In stock means you get a choice of colors as long as you want lime green. I can say from my experience if I get into trouble on the water, that color is easy to spot; it is the same color I used with HOW a week earlier. I'd hoped for yellow or red those are the best for on the water visibility, but the one I bought is just fine.

I mentioned in another post a person who had helped me a couple of years back, Andy Stafford. I carried his business card with me to the paddle fest and selected him as my sales person. He will be there tomorrow (Sunday) and will take some time off next week to get married, then in another few weeks he'll take more time off for a real honeymoon.

May I suggest when or if you visit Scappoose Bay Kayak Center, you ask for Andy. He has been very cordial, very helpful and a fine person to deal with on every occasion.

All of the demo boats are already on the water. Andy will show you where to go, provide all of the needed gear; PFD, paddle, etc and let you play around for a while. After each demo, the crew asked If I'd like to try another boat. I probably could have demoed all 30 or so kayaks sitting in the water if I had cared to.

If you have interest in a kayak, a demo is the way to go... Have fun, the weather was great!

Test driving any boat is a great way to see what suits your needs best.

Any pics of yours?

Ya know we need pics....especially ones with you in your new ride and then some with you catching fish from your new ride. opcorn:

All that fun has to wait...

I won't pick up the boat until Thursday or Friday of this next week; they have to get it from their warehouse. No photos yet.
I'm so busy, moving to a new house in the next few days. Lots of stuff to move, lots of projects. The new place has a barn, be nice to store the boats and tackle all ready to go.

Probably be a good 2-weeks before I get to splash and slime the new boat.

Oh well...

Billamicasr said:

All that fun has to wait...

I won't pick up the boat until Thursday or Friday of this next week; they have to get it from their warehouse. No photos yet.
I'm so busy, moving to a new house in the next few days. Lots of stuff to move, lots of projects. The new place has a barn, be nice to store the boats and tackle all ready to go.

Probably be a good 2-weeks before I get to splash and slime the new boat.

Oh well...

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I feel you're pain! I ordered a new toon last month. Went from a cheap Bi-Mart toon to a Colorado XT, just got to use it for the first time this week. It is sweet! I want a Yak but if I buy another water craft I may wake up in the middle of the night with Rosemary's hands wrapped firmly around my neck.

Dang, we crossed paths for sure. I also demo'd the Ride 115, but I ended up selecting the Predator MX. They pulled it from the warehouse to the PSC in Portland. Got there while I was nosing around the paddles. I'm plashing her tomorrow, probably out of Cook Park. I want to be around lots of other people on the water.

I'm planning on taking it slow, not trying to rig it for fishing yet. Just learning the paddling side.

Congrats on the new yaks guys.

pinstriper said:

out of Cook Park. I want to be around lots of other people on the water.

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How'd that work out? I'll bet the "lots of other people" thing came to fruition.

So, based on your scouting there (if you made it out), if a person had a rigid inflatable (that they don't have the title for yet, so no motor for now) that drew 1.5-2 feet at the bottom of the hull, is the river deep enough through that stretch to make it feasible, or does it get too shallow through there. Been there a buhzillion times, since I live nearby, but never boated it.

Doc, there were several places where I disn't realize the depth until my paddles hit gravel. Which is not to say there wasn't a deeper channel, but...

Pinstriper,
I had an Old Town Predator and didn't care for the handling. However I've read where the MX with it's different hull configuration is excellent for moving water, you should have a ball with that boat. I believe the Old Towns may have the thickest hull material I've ever seen in a kayak; I also think that's a part of why they are heavy; I think yours comes with a lifetime hull warranty. I could be wrong though.

You are right, we probably did cross paths at the Paddlefest. Hope they sold a bunch of kayaks. I've never seen so many red T-shirts that said STAFF at any event; no doubt we were well served. I'm pretty sure I'll go again next year to test out more boats. The Aquaglide hard bottom inflatable with the removable skeg is interesting, could be a fun boat in the right water; I should have paddled it; oh well, some other time.

Billy, if you saw a fat ol guy in a kayak, that was me.

I bought the cart what stick these, uh....sticks... up through the scupper holes. Works a treat, for sure. No problem moving her around and down the ramp to the water.

Ordered the same cart online for Mrs. Pin's kayak, which may well be a tarpon 10.

That's funny...
I'm not so skinny myself. I've lost over 40 pounds this past year so I may be skinnier than you by a little; or not. So, I'll put that right back at you. If you saw an old guy wallering (is that a word) on the dock as the Staff successfully helped me get into kayaks, without falling into the water, that may have been me; I need the new boat to work out. I hate going to the gym.
Any yes, I saw several people overweight, old and out of shape. I was thankful I wasn't the only one... I've got to mention; I don't mind, but I've not been called Billy for almost 60 years, that too is funny.

The stated capacity on the Ride 135 is 550 pounds on your MX it's max stated capacity is "just 400 pounds". With my Tank, I've got room to grow (God forbid). We should watch our diets, lest we have to get a big raft.

Pinstriper, are you by chance a military Veteran?

Billamicasr said:

The stated capacity on the Ride 135 is 550 pounds on your MX it's max stated capacity is "just 400 pounds". With my Tank, I've got room to grow (God forbid). We should watch our diets, lest we have to get a big raft.

Pinstriper, are you by chance a military Veteran?

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Not a veteran, but I was civilian DoD for a while. Did I develop a tell, or something ?

I have close to a buck and a half margin of equipment and error with the MX, and I was pleased that she still rides high in the water.

Got a good workout paddling upstream yesterday. Gonna head out there this weekend with a proper fishing pole and see what's what. I also gotta jump over to the kayak forum and study up on use of an anchor.

Edit: Gonna try to embed the links to the cross-posted photos. Here goes nothin'....

pictures posted up perfect, nice looking boat...

rogerdodger said:

pictures posted up perfect, nice looking boat...

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Thanks, Roger. I may actually accelerate the agenda to include a little fishing on the Tualatin, Willy, Yamhill, and Hagg this summer, yet. Don't look for me in the salt water any time soon !

I big thing I've got to learn is, what's "fast" current, in the sense of too much work to paddle against. I suppose there's an approach using the kayak to drift downstream and ferry back to the put in, instead of paddling home, but...there might also be a point where I hang a trolling motor on it.

Did you get the boat yet ?

Let me know if you plan on splahing this weekend maybe tag along.

What a great offer, I would very much like to splash her this weekend... However I cannot pick up the kayak until probably Tuesday (they are closed Monday) of next week. I'm in the process of moving to a much larger house with a huge amount of projects to do. There is not only the regular boxes of stuff, furniture, and of course a giant amount of fishing tackle, but also setting up a new alarm company, got a new router/modem and new Internet service just a couple of hours ago. I used to like these kinds of projects, and will love the new house when it is all done, but it is a pile of work. I've had to remake the To-Do list several times... oh well.

I will likely be in Scappoose early on Tuesday with an offer to tour the "wetlands" area which is a section that has lots of flooded trees, and as I understand it a bunch of Bass; I'm excited. Your location is South West Portland, are you far from Scappoose? Maybe we could do the Wetlands area and wet a line at the same time. If interested, please PM me and maybe we can get together. I should ask. Do you fish?

Bill

Frack ! Or, Fatabinga !

I somehow got the impression you were up here in the Portland area.

I got work on Tuesday, so I'm out on that party.

I'm almost exactly half-way between Hillsboro and Newberg. I only now see you are down south of me. We might want to hook up in the Dayton area on the Yamhill, which is one of my targets.

I fish. Terribly. But I'm new at it, and enthusiastic.

Frack ! Or, Fatabinga !
OMG... I cannot respond because I'm not sure what that means- or should I just say That's too funny!

Fishing is not about catching for me any longer. I have fished since I was 6 or 7, that's about 60 years ago. I was just telling someone today I may fish quite a bit, but that doesn't mean I catch a lot. In my opinion it is the act of fishing that counts, not the catching. If it were simply to catch fish I'd have to justify my fishing in dollars. For me, it won't work. For every $100.00 spent I probably catch and keep $10.00 worth of fish, it is not an economically sound investment.
I'd rather fish with an enthusiastic fisher person than one who has to catch fish to make it worthwhile... that sounds like a job... LOL! Hat's off to you Pinstriper, glad to see another enthusiastic fisherman. Glad to see you've got a job, but sorry to hear you cannot go on Tuesday.

Another day, another time. I do hope to pick up the new kayak on Tuesday, and if all goes well I should be finished with my move by the end of the month; then I'm going fishing. I've got all this new stuff that is begging to be used. I feel bad that new stuff is collecting dust.

I want to do sturgeon, you up for that one of these weekends? Not that I want to catch and keep, I just want to **** one off and have him tow the kayak around for a while.

I am totally up for sturgeon. Above the falls, you have the option to retain. Which would be cool, but not required for the trip to be successful. I am told there are some good sturgeon holes around Newberg, if you can find them.

I just came home with a Hummingbird 110 clamp-on fish finder for use with the kayak. Now I gotta put something on a mounting plate to clamp to. Find the deep holes, and whatnot.

I only want to catch a fish to know I'm doing it right. I've happily released fish without regret. I've happily kept fish without regret. Both are OK with me.

Let's connect after you get the boat. I am pitifully new at this, and looking to build time on the water, fishing or not. Baby steps.

July 3 will be a good opportunity.