Perception Eclipse 17.0 Airalite Kayak w/ Rudder - 2006 BCS

I took this out for the weekend and my first impression of it was Fast. It cut through the waves with no trouble and seemed fairly stable. Not being a kayak person i felt secure and stable. My only complaint came when i tried to hose the sand out of the hull. The way it is shaped makes it impossible to get a good wash.

I own a Perception Senoma 13.5 aralite, great mid size boat for the river, and it has held up extremely well for a couple of seasons. Wanting to venture out onto the bay I needed something a bit more capable. I paddled numerous boats in the 17' $2K to $3K range. At the end of the day the nod went to the Eclipse. All comparable were about $1K more with no proportional increase in efficiency.

I test paddled about fifteen different kayaks over a two day period, systematically eliminating the ones I didn't feel great about, based on comfort, speed, feel, stability, looks, affordability, etc. The one I was left with was the Eclipse airalite. It inspired confidence in choppy, windy conditions, felt spririted, turned easily and was very fast. I loved this boat so much I bought one.

Great boat, I love the Perception features.

The invention of the Airalite hull material was truly revolutionary. Rather than having to choose between the light and stiff yet incredibly pricy and fragile fiberglass, or the incredibly durable but heavier than my mom rotomolded plastic, Airalite is lightweight, yet durable and scratch resistant. This boat is the ultimate touring rig for those who don’t have three grand to spend on a kayak. It tracks incredibly well, and yet is still highly maneuverable.