Looking at Kayak upgrade (Sharing my research)
Already have an Ascend and it's fine but I'd like to upgrade and have another for a guest. The 2 I'm looking at are the Vibe Sea Ghost 130 and the Perception Pescador Pro 120.
First the Vibe
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/06...g?v=1476370034
Love the layout and the simplicity. It retails for $899 but comes stock with seat, rudder, and paddle. That's a great value. All reviews are good and looks to be a quality made boat. I know a certified retailer so I may be able to swing a small discount on this one if I go this route but nothing earth shattering. Haven't put my hands on one but I'm considering a drive to Hatty to do so in the near future.
Pescador Pro
http://www.laflyfish.com/tackle/icast15/icast15p092.jpg
This is my dream layout. Retails for $829 so I'd have to come out of pocket for paddle and whatnot. This is my dream layout. Incredibly simple and built like a tank. It maneuvers well enough that you could put this on a creek with some moving water and feel comfortable. The genius of this boat is it's pre fitted to mount a lowarance depth finder/chart plotter. The compartment in the console is the battery housing and right in front of it in the tank well is a scupper that is specifically for the lowrance transducer and the battery housing console has holes drilled for easy wiring. Just mount the display on top of the hatch. It's genius design.
I looked at a few more Kayaks and I'll share what I learned.
Pelican Catch 120
https://www.rapidmedia.com/media/k2/...b53cf42_XL.jpg
Pelican jumped in the decent entry level kayak game with this and the layout is nice. Looks like a solid, comfortable yak. I did some research and found out that there is already some design concerns with this boat such as terribly placed scupper holes and the overall quality being average. Being an Ascend FS 128 T owner, I'd like to warn you about the rollout model of a line. Don't get generation 1. If this looked like a boat for you, I'd come back and see what Pelican tweeks next year due to complaints. If Pelican is serious about this line of kayak, they'll make it better every year.
Field and Stream Shadow Caster 123
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/gr...nate2_v750.jpg
Love the look and the layout. This is a fine looking boat. I went up to Dick's to really push and prod on this thing and the first thing that jumps out is the flimsy plastic very similar to that of my Ascend. The next thing that jumps out is the weight at 98 pounds. You'll definitely have good stability but it will be like paddling a barge, much like the Ascend. Love the skid deck being stock. And just like the Pelican, I'd wait until generation II rolls out with this one so they can fix a few things. I'm partial to a bow tank well in in leu of the hatch but that's just my preference.
Updated 2016 Ascend 128 T
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...09f70fe460.jpg
The biggest thing I like about this yak is that Ascend listened to feedback and fixed the issues from the model that I have. The biggest issue they have is that the hatches sat on the floor and when water got in the yak, it would leak to the hull via the hatch seals. You have to seal and reseal the old model to keep it dry in the hull. It's not a huge deal more than it is a reoccuring annoyance. In the 2016 model they raise both the hatches an inch of the deck to prevent that. Genius. They also reinforced the floor where you stand to be much more study and put a non skid deck. That reinforcement led to a weight increase to 96 lbs. The plastic is still flimsy in the 2 tank wells and but they fixed where it counts the most. The hull rigidity feels exactly the same to me (which is a little soft). The 12 T also has the raised hatches and is a great value at $649. I thought I'd love the swivel seat but I really never use that capability. All in all, of the last 3, this one is the best by far. Ascend listened to their customers and fixed some issues. Of the 3 big box stores, this is the best entry level kayak in my opinion.
