The Wilderness Systems “Ride 115X” 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. The Ride 115X has a removable center console allowing you to mount all your electronics easily, rigid carry handles, 8” Slide Trax’s, Phase 3 Air Pro seat and more. The original Ride 115 just got better.
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After seeing the Wilderness Systems “Ride 115x” on the showroom floor of the Salt Palace Convention Center at OR (Outdoor Retailer) 2013, I knew I wanted to get my hands on one. With some help from Wilderness Systems and Hook1, I had a slightly used Ride 115x dropped off at my campsite at last year’s Columbus Day Boondoggle.
Wilderness Systems Ride 115x was designed with the input from the Wildy Pro Staff, and it shows. The kayak incorporates cool one-of-a-kind features and some well-thought-out details.
TRACKING - The Ride 115x tracks surprisingly well for an 11’ boat. I always seem to find myself paddling into the wind to and from the launch (not sure why it works out that way) and the kayak handled well. I didn’t feel like I was zig-zagging across the water with every stroke.
STABILITY - The kayak’s slight tunnel hull and 33” wide stance make it a rock-solid platform. Once standing (we’ll get to this later), I am able to stand comfortably and fish. The Ride 115x’s deck is flat and makes for an extremely comfortable standing platform.
ACCESSORY MOUNTING - One of the most notable features of the Ride 115x is the electronics console. The console allows you to mount your fishfinder, store your battery, and install the transducer so it is in the water and protected by the hull from damage. I found it extremely easy to remove and re-attach the console. The entire unit slides into place and is locked down with a RAM ball, turning a typical thumb screw into a dual purpose mounting point. The kayak has rails on each side of the tankwell and cockpit, which allowed me to easily attach rod holders, camera mounts, and safety flags. Typical rod mounting areas have also been flattened, allowing easy fastening of two flush-mount rod holders.
BUCKET SEATING - The seat was more comfortable than I expected. My Ride 115x came with the Phase3 Freedom Elite AirPro seat. The seat adjusts forward and aft, and was comfortable during long days on the water. The addition of the adjustable thigh braces really helped to minimize leg and butt numbness.
GOOD GRIP - The Ride 115x comes with solid handles. This made carrying and dragging the kayak much easier.
FIT AND FINISH - The Ride 115x has a ton of tiny details that at first glance you might overlook, but quickly become assets while on the water. There are small accessory trays, or cut outs, on the sides of the cockpit. The side rails, accessory trays, and lip around the front hatch all have drainage channels. The tankwell has four large attachment points that allow you to securely strap gear in. All the hatches in the boat are watertight, and open and close easily. All the surfaces are smooth, snag points are recessed where. You can tell Wilderness Systems took all the input from their Pro Staff to heart - it shows in the final product.
As with any kayak, the Ride 115x isn’t perfect…
WEIGHT - The Ride 115x is a beast. The first time I picked it up I wasn’t expecting it to be so heavy. It’s quoted to weigh 76lbs, but it felt more like 85-90lbs at the launch. My guess is that after rigging and all the extra plastic added to strengthen the deck, molding the pass-through for the electronics console, the weight quickly added up. This takes me to my next dislike…
ELECTRONICS CONSOLE - I know it was one of my likes from earlier, but the electronics console is also one of my dislikes. I think the concept of the electronics console is cool. It gives the owner the ability to quickly remove electronics to secure them for travel, or to transfer to another kayak. The issue with this solution is you can only move it to a kayak that has the same electronics console - and right now that only the Ride 115x. Most people don’t own two of the exact same model kayaks, so this just doesn’t seem like a good solution. Personally, I’d rather use the YakAttack “CellBlok” so I can use my fishfinder on any kayak with a rail system.
LOW RIDER - I said we’d come back to it, and we finally have: the seat. I called the Phase3 Freedom Elite AirPro seat a bucket seat, because it is. This makes sitting in the kayak comfortable, but it makes it a little more challenging to stand up from the seated position. To be fair, Wilderness Systems added a stand assist strap to help you up, but the angle of the seat makes you feel like you are trying to get out of a tipped-back recliner.
To sum things up, the Wilderness Systems Ride 115x has a ton of great features for kayak fishermen, with a quality fit and finish. The Ride 115x has earned its place in my fleet of kayaks, and I have no qualms about recommending this kayak to our readers.
I've had lower dollar box store kayaks in the past, but decided to upgrade to the Ride 115X a few years back, and I'm glad I did. I test paddled a regular 115, but fell in love with the fisherman-friendly upgrades to the 115X. This boat is extremely stable, which is expected of the Ride series boats. The extra scuppers and stiffer deck of the X model make a difference in the "standability" of a already stable boat. Throw in the rear slidetrax, a removable electronics console, and ample flat spaces for mounting accessories, and you have a great fishing rig. The only real complaint I have with the boat is the speed, it's not going to win you any races (which is expected with a sub-12ft boat at 33" wide). All in all, a great little boat that could last a lifetime and help make a memories that last just as long.
The Ride 115x has made some great improvements from the original 115. My 115x came with the Advantage High Seat which makes standing much easier than the low seat. the Airpro seat still keeps up with the comfort of some of the new framed seats that have been the trend in fishing kayaks these days. Having paddled a Ride 135 for over a year prior to getting the 115x I was very impressed with how well the 115x paddled compared to the 135. While there is a speed difference the 115x paddles very well for an under 12ft kayak that is 33 inches wide.
Little Changes make a big difference. Wilderness Systems made some very subtle changes to the 115x that make The rear 8in tracks give space for a Pan fish, Visi Carbon Pro or Rod Holders. The access point for the front tracks has been switched from the front to the back which makes removing or adjusting accessories while on the kayak very easy. The new metal carrying handles are great but I wish Wilderness had sprung to add EVA to the handles. The new console is cool and the ram ball that holds it in can be used to add more rigging options or swapped out for a 1.5in ram ball and a Zooka Tube can be put there instead. The best parts of the console are that the electronics can be quickly removed for security and storage of the electronics and that the fish finder transponder is in the water which will give the most accurate reading. The down side is that the console cannot be used on other Wilderness Kayaks at this time.
All in all this is a great kayak that is outstanding for freshwater and some salt water fishing applications. I always recommend demoing when possible prior to buying but this kayak should be on everyone's list of kayaks to demo when looking for a new kayak that can get from a to b to c and not have you feeling like you have been paddling a barge.
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