Which of these Kayaks should I get?

I’m from OKC, so whitewater is nearly non-existent around here. But I still want a good all-around kayak. The only two I have found used around here are a Mainstream Inspiration (12ft) for $200 and a Perception American (13.6ft) for $400. Both of them come with sprayskirts, jackets, and paddles. But I’m wondering if the Perception is really $200 better than the Mainstream. I’ll be using the kayak mostly for river trips and choppy lakes. I’ve read the reviews on both, but I haven’t found anything conclusive for either.

I haven’t paddled the Mainstream boat, but I own a Perception America – it was my first kayak. I used it on the Wisconsin River, Mississippi River, and Fox River in Wisconsin, as well as numerous lakes. It tracks well, and was more responsive to turns than a Loon 138 for me, and had a massive carrying capacity. I used it on several 3 night camping trips and had no problem carrying gear. The America was a great first boat, and we kept it (it’s still in WI with family) as it’s a great loaner boat for friends. I bought my America brand new back in 2000 or 2001. New, the boat alone was about $650.00.

From reading the reviews (links below) it sounds like both boats are suitable to a heavier person (say 250 lbs +). However, if you also have size 12 feet or larger, the Mainstream might not be the way to go. I don’t recall my brother (6’3″ having foot placement issues when he paddled my America).

With cockpits as big as the America, keep in mind the spray skirt is only going to help you with paddle drip. A choppy lake will send big splashes of water down onto the skirt and you’ll end up with a wet cockpit anyway. (Experience on the Mississippi after a large storm went through – the spray skirt collapsed under dumping waves.)

In my opinion, the problem with most inexpensive “first kayak” purchases is that people opt for super cheap instead of responsiveness and glide. That can completely turn a person off from becoming an actual avid paddler. The America did not turn me off from the sport, and I was able to keep up with some longer sleeker sea kayaks by using proper technique. About 5 years ago I progressed onto an 18′ kevlar sea kayak.

See if you can test paddle each boat. Let the boats make the choice for you.

Pursuit of the Paddle- Charlie Simmons whitewater kayaking

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