Wilderness Systems Commander 120
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:46 am
Required Disclaimer-I am a member of the Wilderness Systems Kayak Fishing Pro Staff. I did not purchase this boat as it was given to me as part of the Pro Staff program.
The Commander is Wilderness Systems first entry into the canoe/kayak "hybrid" type boats. Not sure why they are called hybrids at all as, at least in my opinion, they are canoes you paddle with a kayak paddle. The only big difference I see is the seat which is similar to the seat Wildreness Systems puts in their kayaks.
Here are the specifications from the WS website-
Length: 12' / 366 cm
Width: 30.25" / 77 cm
Max Capacity: 400 lbs / 181 kg
Deck Height: 13.5" / 34 cm
Weight: 68 lbs / 31 kg
Cockpit Length: 55" / 138 cm
Cockpit Width: 20.5" / 52 cm
The boat comes with WS Freedon Elite seating. The seating arrangement allows for leg lift and you can lean the back forward or back to your liking. Overall I found it very comfortable and never had a complaint all day as I changed the adjustments several times to try different configurations. The seat will slide fore and aft within the boat. Sliding the seat all the way forward would allow a child to ride with you behind the seat while perched on the "Captains Seat". The seat can also be removed entirely to be used as a beach chair. It is easily removed and re-installed. The seat will also slide under the Captains Seat to allow a higher seating style in the kayak. I found this to be a great feature while anchored and fishing. A pad for that area will be installed there in the future. I paddled from this position but the boat rode a tad bow heavy with more weight toward the aft of the boat.
Fishing from the Captains Seat.
I ordered an angler model which includes a rod holder for WS slidetrax system, an anchor trolley for the slidetrax system, two rear fluch mount rod holders, an anchor and a rudder. The rudder was a simple install with a few screws and an allen wrench (included in the kit), took about five minutes. I did not install the anchor trolley as I like to fish out of boats first before installing anything I might find unnecessary. After fishing in the winds on Saturday I will be installing the anchor trolley. It will make using an anchor and a drift sock much easier as then you could use them off the stern of the kayak. The rod holder and the anchor trolley are both easy install using the WS slidetrax system. There is no need to drill any holes in the boat to install either of these items. There are many different options available on the slidetrax system, from simple rod holders to a full dashboard. The slidetrax system is installed on the top rails within the cockpit and the outisde edge for the anchor trolley and to connect bungee holdres. More info can be found here-
http://www.wildernesssystems.com/pages/ ... ccessories" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The bottom of the Commander is a tunnel hull configuration. This configuration makes this kayak very, very stable. I was able to stand in any conditions with ease. Never once did I feel the boat was going to tip or I was going to fall out. I experimented in shallow water and was able to put all my weight on one side of the kayak. The tunnel hull does show within the cocpit and I originally thought standing would be uncomfortable with that style but I never found a standing position I did not like. I could stand with feet on either side of the tunnels or on top, either way it was easy and comfortable. I used a 10' Wang Anchor as a pushpole and the boat poled with ease.
There are several accessories available for the Commander such as a bow and stern skirt. I will be purchasing both. The bow skirt has a gear bag which would be a nice addition.
Overall I was very impressed with the boat. It paddles with ease and tracks dead straight, even in the windy conditions I was in this past Saturday. I have paddled a Tarpon 160 for four years so I was very used to the speed of a 160. For sure this boat is a tad slower due to design but overall I was very impressed with paddling this boat. The ability to stand with ease is a huge plus, I could get really used to that.
A few negatives. The boat needs a drain plug. Even using a hand pump I was unable to get all the water out of the boat. After washing the inside out it took a long while to sponge the last bit of water and sand out of the boat. I checked and it seems to tbe an easy fix, will update my post when I do that. The rod holder on the sides of the boat are out of position, at least for me. To have the rod holder in a position I could reach I could not paddle correctly as the forward stroke of the paddle would hit the rod holder. A dashboard slidetrak system might correct fix that but, personally, I do not like a lot of "stuff" in front of me when I am fishing. That will be a work in progress.
I can see myself using this boat a lot. It will surely take some getting used to, going from a pure kayak to a canoe style boat is a change that will get better with a few more trips. It is a very different platform to fish from as I am not used to fishing from this style of boat.
I live on the water in St Petersburg, if anyone would like to take the Commander for a test drive send me a PM and we can arrange a time for you to try it out.
The Commander is Wilderness Systems first entry into the canoe/kayak "hybrid" type boats. Not sure why they are called hybrids at all as, at least in my opinion, they are canoes you paddle with a kayak paddle. The only big difference I see is the seat which is similar to the seat Wildreness Systems puts in their kayaks.
Here are the specifications from the WS website-
Length: 12' / 366 cm
Width: 30.25" / 77 cm
Max Capacity: 400 lbs / 181 kg
Deck Height: 13.5" / 34 cm
Weight: 68 lbs / 31 kg
Cockpit Length: 55" / 138 cm
Cockpit Width: 20.5" / 52 cm
The boat comes with WS Freedon Elite seating. The seating arrangement allows for leg lift and you can lean the back forward or back to your liking. Overall I found it very comfortable and never had a complaint all day as I changed the adjustments several times to try different configurations. The seat will slide fore and aft within the boat. Sliding the seat all the way forward would allow a child to ride with you behind the seat while perched on the "Captains Seat". The seat can also be removed entirely to be used as a beach chair. It is easily removed and re-installed. The seat will also slide under the Captains Seat to allow a higher seating style in the kayak. I found this to be a great feature while anchored and fishing. A pad for that area will be installed there in the future. I paddled from this position but the boat rode a tad bow heavy with more weight toward the aft of the boat.
Fishing from the Captains Seat.
I ordered an angler model which includes a rod holder for WS slidetrax system, an anchor trolley for the slidetrax system, two rear fluch mount rod holders, an anchor and a rudder. The rudder was a simple install with a few screws and an allen wrench (included in the kit), took about five minutes. I did not install the anchor trolley as I like to fish out of boats first before installing anything I might find unnecessary. After fishing in the winds on Saturday I will be installing the anchor trolley. It will make using an anchor and a drift sock much easier as then you could use them off the stern of the kayak. The rod holder and the anchor trolley are both easy install using the WS slidetrax system. There is no need to drill any holes in the boat to install either of these items. There are many different options available on the slidetrax system, from simple rod holders to a full dashboard. The slidetrax system is installed on the top rails within the cockpit and the outisde edge for the anchor trolley and to connect bungee holdres. More info can be found here-
http://www.wildernesssystems.com/pages/ ... ccessories" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The bottom of the Commander is a tunnel hull configuration. This configuration makes this kayak very, very stable. I was able to stand in any conditions with ease. Never once did I feel the boat was going to tip or I was going to fall out. I experimented in shallow water and was able to put all my weight on one side of the kayak. The tunnel hull does show within the cocpit and I originally thought standing would be uncomfortable with that style but I never found a standing position I did not like. I could stand with feet on either side of the tunnels or on top, either way it was easy and comfortable. I used a 10' Wang Anchor as a pushpole and the boat poled with ease.
There are several accessories available for the Commander such as a bow and stern skirt. I will be purchasing both. The bow skirt has a gear bag which would be a nice addition.
Overall I was very impressed with the boat. It paddles with ease and tracks dead straight, even in the windy conditions I was in this past Saturday. I have paddled a Tarpon 160 for four years so I was very used to the speed of a 160. For sure this boat is a tad slower due to design but overall I was very impressed with paddling this boat. The ability to stand with ease is a huge plus, I could get really used to that.
A few negatives. The boat needs a drain plug. Even using a hand pump I was unable to get all the water out of the boat. After washing the inside out it took a long while to sponge the last bit of water and sand out of the boat. I checked and it seems to tbe an easy fix, will update my post when I do that. The rod holder on the sides of the boat are out of position, at least for me. To have the rod holder in a position I could reach I could not paddle correctly as the forward stroke of the paddle would hit the rod holder. A dashboard slidetrak system might correct fix that but, personally, I do not like a lot of "stuff" in front of me when I am fishing. That will be a work in progress.
I can see myself using this boat a lot. It will surely take some getting used to, going from a pure kayak to a canoe style boat is a change that will get better with a few more trips. It is a very different platform to fish from as I am not used to fishing from this style of boat.
I live on the water in St Petersburg, if anyone would like to take the Commander for a test drive send me a PM and we can arrange a time for you to try it out.
