Performance
When it comes to the performance of the Ascend FS10, users regularly compliment the kayak’s stability. The FS10 achieves this with a pronounced keel running down the center of the hull. Moving away from the keel the hull flattens out providing a larger surface area, then rounds up the sides of the kayak.
There are two types of stability we regularly measure in kayaks. The first, initial stability, is how stable the kayak feels sitting flat. The other, called secondary stability, is the kayak’s stability as it rolls to one side or another, or as waves roll underneath it.
The Ascend FS10 does a good job of combining these two elements of stability, by providing a hull design with a suitable amount of surface area making contact with the water at all times. This is evident through the testimony of Ascend FS10 fishing kayak reviews.
This same pronounced keel running down the center of the hull joins both a tapered wedge-shaped bow, and a skegged stern to provide the Ascend FS10 with its tracking characteristics. Tracking is the kayak’s ability to travel in a straight line instead of spinning from left to right with each stroke.
Specifically for kayak anglers, the Ascend FS10 fishing kayak has great open storage for a sit-inside kayak design. Sit-inside kayaks are often built with hatches, letting paddlers stow gear beneath the deck of the kayak. The FS10 has an interesting layout with a large open tankwell on the stern. Tankwells are the recessed, open storage areas on the deck of a kayak. This is a feature usually found on sit-on-top kayaks, and one of the reasons sit-on-top kayaks are popular with kayak anglers. The tankwell on the stern of the FS10 is huge, with enough room to store a cooler or milk crate and a five gallon bucket. Even better, this gear is accessible without going below deck. Points to Ascend for incorporating this angler-friendly feature of sit-on-tops into a sit-inside design.
Market and demographics
The Ascend FS10 kayak is a recreational sit-inside fishing kayak intended for kayak angling day trips on calmer, sheltered waterways. Recreational kayaks are a loosely defined class of boats which value stability and comfort over speed and performance in harsh water conditions. The FS10 is geared toward recreational kayaking with additional features that are advantageous for kayak fishing.
There are a couple of reasons why the Ascend FS10 sit-in is best suited for calmer and sheltered waterways. The most obvious is that there are no bulkheads within the kayak. Bulkheads are internal walls that isolate different areas inside the kayak. This compartmentalizes the hollow inside of the kayak, and keeps the entire boat from filling up with water should you capsize.
Without bulkheads, the Ascend FS10 will take on a lot of water if you capsize. You want to be sure you are not very far from a shore should you need to pull the kayak to the side and empty it. This is a reason to avoid rough or open water conditions with the FS10.
Along with kayak fishing from the Ascend FS10 , there are other sporting pursuits you can enjoy from the seat of a kayak. Duck hunters enjoy the FS10’s quiet approach to hard-to-reach places for hunting waterfowl. The tan color option of the FS10 is another reason it can make a great duck hunting kayak.