Choosing the Right Boat / Kayak / Canoe

Choosing the right boat

Perception offers the broadest selection of kayaks meeting the most diverse needs of discerning paddlers. Every kayak offers exceptional performance, stability and comfort.

That’s why paddlers of every level choose Perception kayaks.

To help you quickly find the kayaks of most interest to you our range is broken down into areas that help identify their intended use.

What does kayaking mean to you?

River trips? Lake excursions? Catching a wave? Sea kayaking? Family days out? Weekend adventures? Winding down after work? To us it is all of these things and much, much more.
That is the reason we offer the broadest selection of kayaks to meet the most diverse needs of discerning paddlers.

Choosing the right boat

Paddlers of all levels choose Perception kayaks for their uncompromising quality, legendary performance, exceptional stability and superior comfort.

White water? Recreation? Touring? Sit on? What appeals to you?

Perception white water kayaks offer a comprehensive array of models that cover the myriad of kayaking experiences. Newcomers and intermediates appreciate the user friendly and fun performance of our Classic Line. For experienced boaters and progressive paddlers our Proline includes renowned freeriders, creekers and river runners.

Perception recreation kayaks are a great way to explore inland waterways on both your first time out and many years later. They offer you stability, accessibility and versatility, ensuring that your time afloat is easy, safe and most of all fun. Our recreation kayaks are compact in size so easy to handle on and off the water.

Perception touring kayaks take you further. With a wide range of performance characteristics, effortless paddling is assured from inland navigations to coastal waters. All bear Perception’s hallmark stability and reliability. You’ll be forever spotting sections of water to tempt you into your boat to explore to your heart’s content.

Hop on a Perception sit on top. You’ll immediately feel the confidence inspiring, safe, open styling. Easy handling and dependable durability make these kayaks ideal for fun seekers of all ages and abilities. They are especially well suited to family fun at the beach or lake.

Our boat descriptions should help you differentiate between the various models. We’ve tried to keep these as jargon free as possible. However understanding what effect the main design specifications have on your kayak is important. Through our entire range stability, manoeuvrability and predictable handling are key features. You can relax knowing that our aim is to keep you upright.

Perception touring, recreation and sit-on kayaks have excellent directional tracking and enhanced stability courtesy of our “Tracking Hull”. This design, pioneered by Perception, guides the flow of water along the hull for true tracking and speed and minimises the drop off in performance of a shorter kayak. It also ensures rigidity and shape retention for long lasting performance.

Length and width are important factors to bear in mind because they affect handling on and off the water. The most stable and easy to handle kayaks in calm conditions are those which are short and wide. They are therefore well suited to beginners and recreational paddlers. Transport and storage of a short kayak is also easier. A longer kayak is more directionally stable and quicker. The further your excursion, the greater the benefits of a longer kayak.

Also take into account the maximum load. Most of our kayaks have a large loading capacity to allow for a wide variety of paddlers’ sizes and equipment. Performance and control of a heavily loaded kayak will be reduced.

Our kayaks are packed with outfitting features to reflect their intended use and help you make the most of your time afloat. Comfort and control are key design features of a Perception kayak. Our goal is to offer you the best possible control in the maximum comfort.

Whichever Perception kayak you choose, you can be confident that it has been manufactured to the exacting standards that have earned us an exceptional reputation for consistent high quality.