I purchased this kayak in the spring of 2013. I felt that I needed a large stable kayak because I'm a larger framed guy (6'1'' 240lbs). The Ascend seemed to fit that requirement without breaking the bank. I added a Yak Trac system and a Humminbird fish finder within the first few months. I found that the "stock" rod holder to the right of the seat was always in the way when I paddled, so I removed it. The FS128T is no speed demon, but how much speed do you really need?

My only complaint is the seat. It started out very comfortable, mainly because of the fact it can be adjusted in height and in seat back angle. I found that after using it several times, the straps continuously came loose. This caused the seat back to recline constantly. On my last trip the straps actually separated from the seat. This made for a long paddle back to my campsite. I have read about some modifications that other kayakers have made to replace this seat, I may explore those options.

All in all, I'm happy with this kayak. There are certainly nicer options, but the value here is pretty good. It's stable enough for me to stand which is great for sight fishing. This kayak has handled pretty rough waves and never once made me feel uneasy about being out in open water.

Before I even took it out the first time I resealed all the hatches with marine goop. It comes from the factory with plumbers putty, and will leak. Easy fix, just keep in mind its a must. I was debating between this and a Jackson, but at nearly half the cost, I had to give this a shot. Its very stable, and the adjustable seat height is nice. You do sit very high up though, so wind catches you very easy. A 240 paddle is the BARE minimum, I plan on trying a 260 to see if that helps. The seat is very comfortable, and even after being out on the water for 6+ hours, my back was fine.

This is definitely a slow, heavy kayak. I was out on a trip with a bunch of other yakkers, and I had to paddle noticeably harder to keep up with them.

Lots of people complain about the weight and maneuverability, but that's pretty normal for this style of yak. If those are important to you, you are looking at the wrong style of yak.

It is also missing handles in the midsection. No idea why they didn't include them from the factory. I added a set to help solo carrying/loading.

The ascend rod holder is not scotty compatible, but its also in a horrible location. If you are not moving, its fine. Otherwise you will be hitting your rod with the paddle.

Overall you get a lot of features for the price. If you are on a budget, its a great value and worthy of consideration. I would buy it again.

Very good for what was likely in mind - an in-shore fishing platform. Roomy, comfortable, lots of stowage. Biggest problem is the weight. Second, with its higher freeboard and seat height, it catches a lot of wind. Without well planned devices, it's not possible for one average sized person to handle this yak. I built a device to load myself on top of small SUV, but better suited for back of a long-bed pickup truck or trailer. Don't buy dolly that plugs into scupper holes! You'll still need another person just to get them on without flipping the yak sideways and then stressing the wheels on the up-right. The boys and girls at BPS need to come up with some solutions. Logged complaint with BPS (Ascend/Tracker) regarding leaks and missing cap (aesthetic only) on one of the screws surrounding a hatch, but so far (weeks later) only got lip service.

I took this boat out last weekend for a test run, initial impression was there were a lot of features for the relatively cheap price. The kayak is very heavy and is not super easy to paddle. You'll want a longer paddle for this kayak min of 240. The quality of this kayak reflects the price. You will not find the same fit and finish of the higher end kayaks. But if your looking for something cheap and fishable this might be your ticket.

This Kayak was purchased for me last Father's Day (2011) , however, due to back problems and work I was not able to use it until today! I noticed the current model has a personal dry storage area in the cockpit. I will be installing one of these soon. This is my first owned Kayak, I rented one a couple of years ago and loved the sport. My impressions are Kayak is relatively stable, however, the Ocean Kayak I rented was two inches narrower but felt more stable.

Kayak was fairly fast and tracked well and was able to travel in about four inches of water. I spent about three hours on the water at Prado Dam Recreation Area in Chino, CA. I plan to use the yak for fun, exercise, and some fishing. I enjoyed the speed of the Ascend FS12T by doing several long speed runs across the lake.

This yak was bought for $399 which I feel is a great value. I plan to add deck rigging with pad eyes in the indented spots up-front, and a small tackle box bungee system in the front of the cockpit area. I bought an Attwood Kayak Cart and it was easy to use by just rolling the Kayak into the water and then undoing the bungee and fold the cart down and bungee down in rear storage area.

I recommend this Kayak!"