The trick to getting into the front hatch is to straddle the yak, leg over each side, and hunch your way up there

Congrats on the new yak. I haven't had mine in the water since Aug 2014.

So wouldn't ya know it. Murphy's Law hit me. I got it home last night & removed it from the manufacturers plastic wrap. At the store I'd visually confirmed that everything was there (drain plug, hatch covers, cords, etc), but never thought to unfold the seat ...







Damnable rodents!! I called Perception & they're shipping me a replacement seat.

I have the 12' Pescador. The 6" round hatches in front of and behind the seat are pretty worthless from the factory as anything you put in there will slide around the full length of the hull. I bought a couple of Tarpon hatch bags from AustinKayak.com and have been pretty happy with them as I can now store tackle and snacks in them. The front one is very useful. The one behind the seat is only accessed when I have beached the kayak.

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/469/Wilderness-Systems-Tarpon-Kayak-Cat-Hatch-Bag.html

I just realized, the defective seat was your $100 discount opportunity from Academy. If you had pointed it out to them at the store, they would have been willing to give you a $100 discount to take it as is. Then you could have called Perception for your free seat replacement.

I did get them to reduce the price by $100 at the store, even without knowing about the seat. And Perception is sending the replacement seat anyways.

But yeah, that would've made negotiations much simpler, and I probably could've gotten a bigger discount. Oh well, live and learn.

That kayak is going to be so much better in open water chasing sandbass. Take a few minutes paddling it without your gear to get a feel for the stability as it is going to be different than the Talon.

I agree with PowerLizard and would invest in one of those bags for the round hatch in front the seat.

I did go out for a few hours Friday evening and was impressed with how much less effort it took to paddle across distances at the same speed.

Was originally planning to sell the talon, but may keep it for fishing creeks and the like.

Zeek: You got a lot of kayak for your money! I really like the color. The Pescador seats aren't anything to write home about. I had a foam, inflatable seat pad I used for years, then finally, removed the stock seat, and put a piece of 1-1/2" open cell foam under the seat, and screwed it back down. Big, big difference. Only problem is, if I leave it out in the rain, the open cell foam acts like a sponge. I turn the yak on it's side and let it drain and dry. The seat back is also very small. No more than you have invested in your yak, an aftermarket seat would be a good investment.

Congrats! Big improvement over your Talon.

IslandJim

That is basically the identical cockpit design as my old 08 WS Ride135, and also the Tarpon models, same seat configuration, and what I did was buy a thick closed foam seat cushion and I could use it to sit on driving to the lake and then put it into the kayak when I launched.
Very comfortable upgrade, and it reminds me about how much I miss that old kayak.
You will enjoy that kayak!

Yes, the price will take you breath away, but I have a bad back and I will say it was worth every penny! You will also gain a couple inches that won't effect stability as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Cushion-Memory-Ta...hions&psc=1

Ain't it sad when us old guys have to buy stuff from the geriatrics/orthopedics store to allow us to go kayak fishing?
Oh, well, it's better than watching reruns of The Price is Right.

IslandJim

The seat may not be up to orthopedic standards, but it's nice having a solid backrest to lean against.