In the existing time the fishermen market is full of sit-on-kayaks which is manufactured to do fishing.
Perception, located in the downtown Greenville, South Carolina, has been building boats for over 40 years which can give you a proper paddling experience in any water conditions. Here, both offshore and sit-down kayaks are tailor-made for anglers in all comfort regardless of the weather conditions.
Our review on the from Perception Sound 10.5 is the topic in here. We’ll focus on this affordable kind of the model. It is also narrower than most of sit-on-top boats and they still have a lot of custom features. For newcomers and casual kayak anglers, it is one of the main choices since it has such a great balance between its functionality and price.
Things To Consider Before Buying Perception Sound 10.5 Kayak
The widespread kayak fishing type person nowadays is the sit-on-top kind. These flat bottom vessels should be that much hydropathic and capable to carry more, too. But, you enter a problem when it presents no environmental protection so you’ll run for the rain or the cold if you live in that area.
Another advantage of the sit-in boats is that a large portion of the kayak’s space is in an enclosed compartment, unlike a sit-on-top kayak, and this space around the deck offers protection from windy and rainy conditions.
Such a situation is handy as it saves you from the tedious process of having to make the adjustments, but you do end up with the issues of limited mobility and the number of custom pieces. Custom-built or made-to-order is perfect for someone who loves it a bit of rain and faces burning sun while canoeing. Vibe hydros Sea Ghost 130 is a boat with all these qualities.
Specifications
- Length: 10-feet, 6-inches
- Width: 29.5-inches
- Weight: 46 lbs
- Load Capacity: 335 lbs
- Cockpit Dimensions: 56 inches long, 24 inches wide
Material
Similarly to most fishing kayaks, the Perception Sound 10.5 is fully packed with a kind of plastic that is very strong and tough which in turn is known as polyethylene.
This rigid material feels solid on the water and can absorb almost any water collision as well as any accidental drops when you’re carrying it.
With minimal care and maintenance, you can guess your Perception Sound 10.5 to last for years without losing presentation.
Speed
The Perception Sound10.5 is not a long kayak, at about 10 and ½ feet, but almost being a sit-in kayak makes this a good option. Being seated nearer the water also enables wider boats than car-top ones. Therefore, it might be positioned lower on top of your car, making the boat narrower than its sit-on-top competitors.
This makes its maximal speed better and causes less effort to paddle compared to sit-on-tops of similar size that have to be wider to maintain stability in the water.
Whilst it will still not keeping up with the larger sit-on-top and sit-in types of kayak, this kayak is more than enough for the short day tripping and an occasional one-night stand. Into this, however, speed is not that much of an issue..
Maneuverability
Perception Sound 10.5 doesn’t come with a rudder but most kayaks, be it sea kayak or recreational, have a rudder which is attached to the stern. However, its speed and agility aren’t ruined that much and the fact that the keel is shorter is a substantial help.
Experienced paddlers, who master basic skills, will appraise the Sound as a great place to navigate between hard-to-navigate or narrow areas. There, you will experience thrill of squeezing through and enjoy the beauty of nature around you.
Comfort
No way can your cheap plastic seat as your sedentary comfort for a whole day if your kayak has that. Even the luckiest among us will appreciate the fact that Perception Sound 10.5 is here to supply a nice, comfortable cushion.
The ergonomic back provides both excellent support for kayakers of all the sizes and shapes. You can shift it right to your left, just as your paddling position even on the waters but you have to adjust it.
That’s not all. Regarding an on-the-ground kayak the cockpit will fit any size of an athlete. Hence, it is a great pick for kayakers who ranges from footy to octogenarians, also for ones whose disembarking from tight cockpit is not everybody’s cup of tea.
Last but not least the adjustable footrests make a driver’s workplace complete. Along with this, these clamps offer the ample room in your cockpit to use your body weight to your advantage as a paddling technique when you are carving your quick corners and imparting your strokes. As you do so, you are able to take the pressure off your back.
Stability & Tracking
Stability is the basis for The Perception Sound 10.5 company, which we aim to achieve by using resilient materials and techniques throughout our design process. A tri-hull design shall be an asset to beginner kayakers as well as amateurs – it will give them courage and help set out without being afraid overturning. The furnishing of this kayak allows its inherent benefit through your body weight being amidst the water and you can still stay stable with it and drive your fishing line.
Another positive attribute that the same hull design provides is the boat’s ability to tackle variables such as tracking. As the main job of the hull is to act as a counterbalance and control the unnecessary twisting or flipping, one still has a hard time maneuvering the boat because it has no rudder and small keel.
I’d call the Sound 10.5 like a vessel for a road less travelled most protected waters where the effect of wind, tide or wave is not very strong. Stay away from open water and big crossings where you, as person, have not enough experience and danger may come from weather or changes in water conditions.
Durability
I hold the same standard to care for my kayaks as it doesn’t matter what it is made of. I think I like them too, but any time I get a chance to abuse one of those other canvas ones, I usually do.
Assuming that the PE shell and its parts are made well, one should not need to be concerned with minor wear of the parts and the engine of the vessel continuing to work. But still, there’s a chance to dent the hull if I land right on a waiting rock, so I’d be a little bit more careful as it comes to bucks at the rocks and triple surfs.
The principle of easy carrying of boats across the water also applies to you during this process. To avoid skidding on its hull, the boat needs to be dragged rather than wheeled. It does so maybe temporarily, but soon enough the hull will get its first swirlings and starts chipping and peeling which will gradually speed up the process and make the boat less effective.
For storage, any covered area should do fine. If possible, store it out of straight sunlight when not in use as prolonged exposure to UV rays can warp or weaken the hull over time.
Portability
To make things more interesting, the Perception Sound 10.5 has just 46 pounds, making it a lighter fishing boat than most. Some people may do that, especially those preferring not to be crowded with their partners or friends. They would be able to single-handedly carry it for a while. As for transportation, it should not be difficult to load on top of the car, and even if it’s too bulky for the racks or the bag of a pick-up truck the load will at least be light enough to place on the floor of the vehicle.
Using the same technique as the tandem carries, the kayak is molded with plastic handles on the bow and the stern for portaging. This gives the handler one convenient method for carrying the kayak. For me, I find it quite comfortable having a solid and settled grip like the gel molded T-handles of some boats do, but with a boat this delicate, it doesn’t make much of difference.
Features & Accessories
First of all, the kayak that this price range belongs to is quite fundamental. However, there are hardly any extra quality features that come with your purchase. Amongst the extras meant for beginners is a pack with the paddle included in the inexpensive inflatable versions.
However, there are two rules, the first one is no grab holders, there are molded dashboard in front of the seat which is a recess, a piece of bungee cord drawn through this small space on the deck. In the event that it is necessary you can use the paddle to adjust the space under the shelf just to be sure you have enough when you want to use it.
Fishing Ease
It is a lot more difficult cram a larger selection of long rod collars into a sit-in kayak due to how the the vessel is designed. Limited the deck space and the hassle of moving around with legs or lower torso beneath the deck isn’t so easy as well since they make it difficult to reach your items.
However frail it is, perception Sound 10.5 is inquisitive one. I also added some details like a dashboard for these items and also mounts on either side for additional pieces. From the ship you can choose to modify your vehicle to what you prefer.
The process of personalizing of any item you consider necessary like installation of a GPS or GoPro, can be done only with the use of special tools, big usually, and not a drill otherwise.
They are located at the back of our seats and designed to do that. Learning to operate the kayak in different angles and directions can be at times challenging but the same time participants can easily gear up for the fish hunt while on the waters.
Being a lighter and smaller vessel it’s not so strange that storage space of the boat is much less than that of most bigger and bulkier ones. The only thing I have especially at the stern of the boat is a big dedicated area. We created an underdeck drain and ocean water catch tank made of a partially hidden open one-well design with bungee cords placed to avoid anything washing away.
Cockpit is my only other locked compartment, except for this one. I guess the seat space is OK because it’s huge in size compared to sidecar seats so you can store some items between your legs or forward to the seats. However, in case of having more legs, the cubic footage you can keep inside the car will obviously go up.
Value
The Sound 10.5 model from Perception Sound 10.5 is among of few sit-in kayaks so it attracts anglers who are in need of an extra cover from the weather.
You’ll overcome limited customization that is often a hallmark of sit-on-top kayak by cleverly locating custom dashboards and rod holders at strategic spots.
The great thing about this boat is that it can do all this and still be a relatively inexpensive one, a boat which I’m confident will appeal to either newcomers to the sport or someone just looking to “romp around on the water” on a sunny day.
Not to mention, if you are an ecstatic kayak fisherman looking to do more far ranges with more compact load out, there are other places for you. However, among macho users, who can shoot to kill, the ergonomics, “pick-up and go,” aspect will be quite attractive. accessibility of the lightweight design with just enough custom features to whet your appetite.
