Sea Paddling Perception Kayaks

Having purchased a Sundance Perception kayak from my local kayak dealer with a spray skirt thrown in about six weeks ago, I was eager to get my paddles wet and see how this kayak performed in the water.

I had previously paddled a Sundance and from first impressions was impressed but I only had a short time in it and for me anyway until you are in your own kayak you never really can tell just how suitable the boat will be for short and long distance kayak travels.

I had been itching to get back out in the water has it had been nearly six months due to the winter months and DIY commitments since my last paddle in my trusty Sevylor ranger inflatable kayak.

I was looking forward to the extra speed and tracking the rigid body kayak would have over my inflatable kayak and I was not wrong. Within a few paddle strokes of putting in the difference was noticeable. That is not to say the Sundance was the best tracking kayak in the world but at only nine and a half feet long it certainly does not do a bad job and tracks better than any inflatable kayak I have used. It feels like the spitfire of the kayaking world. Small and compact, yet fast and non claustrophobic.

I was paddling with a friend who was also in a Sundance Perception kayak. Strangely he was travelling at a faster rate than I was but then his carbon paddles were much lighter and better than mine and he does have weirdly Popeye like forearms. That together with the fact I am about two and a half stone heavier didn't help much either!

We had decided to test the perception kayaks at sea or to be precise the Walton Channel which is a tidal estuary. The tide was against us going out but we did have the wind behind us. We were both very pleased how well the perception kayaks performed as they felt fast, solid and very stable. We only had the bare essential kayak accessories with us such as life jackets, mobile phones and a flask so we were as weightless as possible.

We found the Perception kayaks handled very well and could be maneuvered with minimal effort. Although we were only paddling for a couple of hours we had no backache or discomfort due to the fully adjustable and padded kayak seats in these boats.

Soon we were at Stone Point beachhead sitting around a disused camp fire having a well earned drink before we had to head back down the Walton channel. I was filled with vigour and enjoying my first paddle out of the season in the very tidy and versatile Sundance Perception kayak and was looking forward to the paddle back.