Where does one go to rent a Kayak? I have not made any purchases and the research is ongoing. Thanks for bringing up the gear I hadn't even thought to add the weight my gear. Glad I asked and yall chimed in. Much appreciated

Last year we took one of the first generation FS12T kayaks and dissected it.

The first 3 images show the inside of the scupper holes. In the first picture, you can see the little "ridge" or "lip" on the inside of the scupper, and you can feel it when you put your finger in there. This has led many people to believe that there are two pieces, but you can clearly see that opposite of the ridge, there is not a seam.

Again, the Ascend Kayaks are fully rotomolded (always have been). The ridge is there intentionally for drag purposes.

The 4th image shows the thickness of the plastic. I took several measurements, and the minimum thickness is 1/4 of an inch. In the corners and nooks, the plastic will build up thicker during the rotation process (and this is a good thing, as it adds structural support). The thickest areas are half an inch thick.

That said, these kayaks are fairly thick. They should be able to withstand a great deal of dragging and abuse before a complete erosion occurs.