The Boats I'm Showing Off

For this article, I'm going to be using the Perception Hangtime 11 paddle kayak and the Perception Showdown pedal kayak. Though both are in different categories, both represent their niche very well.

Where Will You Use Your Kayak?

Where you intend to use your kayak is a factor that will answer the paddle or pedal kayak question immediately. You can use a paddle kayak anywhere and for any type of kayaking (with the right kayak). On the other hand, the pedal kayak does have some serious limitations. They do not perform well in:

• Rivers with current
• Shallow waters 
• Zones with thick vegetation 
• Surf zones

These are just a few examples of places where the pedal system is a liability. In these environments, you should not use a pedal-driven kayak but instead, choose a paddle-driven kayak. 

Boat Control

A paddle kayak offers a lot more control. The paddle allows you to make small corrections, and quickly turn, stop, or reverse. You have a lot more control using a paddle kayak compared to a pedal kayak. 

That being said, some pedal kayaks are remarkably maneuverable, but it depends on the type of pedal kayak. Some pedal kayaks don’t even offer you the ability to reverse which can be very limiting. Even if you have a pedal-driven kayak, you will need to carry a paddle with you. 

Kayak Speed

A pedal-driven kayak is generally considerably faster than a paddle kayak. Although this isn’t the case for every single kayak, when you take two kayaks with comparable build, style, and size, the pedal kayak is generally faster. 

Comfort

The comfort of a kayak depends on what works best for you and your body. That being said, pedal-driven kayaks tend to be slightly more comfortable than paddle-driven kayaks. The reason for this is that the ideal position to pedal in is leaning-back and lounging. The lounging position is more comfortable for a lot of people, especially for those with tight hamstrings. It can, however, exacerbate back problems. So comfort-wise there is no clear winner and it depends more on what position is most comfortable for your body. 

Another aspect to take into consideration regarding comfort is the shoulders and knees. A lot of people have shoulder pain, in which case a pedal-driven kayak is a better choice. On the other hand, the pedal-driven kayak can aggravate bad knees, in which case a paddle-driven kayak might be a better choice. At the end of the day, it comes down to your specific body and how it works. The best way to decide which method is most comfortable and enjoyable for your body is to test out both a pedal and a paddle-driven kayak before buying one.

Pedal Kayak Advantages

The pedal kayak has a distinct advantage when it comes to kayak fishing and photography. When you drive your kayak with your feet, your hands are free to fish or hold a camera. They are not completely free because you still need to use them to steer the kayak every once in a while. 

The other caveat is that you lose some boat control with a pedal kayak, which means you will have less control over where your boat is moving or pointed to than in a paddle-driven kayak. But as a general rule, there is a real advantage to using the pedal kayak for fishing and photography. 

Price

Price is one of the biggest factors for most people. You pay a hefty premium to get a pedal kayak. You can expect to pay $1000-1500 (USD) more for a kayak with a pedal drive system. This is a lot of money. It is, however, absolutely worth it for people who want to use a pedal-driven kayak. As a general rule, people who choose to buy pedal-driven kayaks end up loving them. 

Some people argue that you save a bit of money when purchasing a pedal-driven kayak because you don’t need to spend on a paddle. However, you do need to take a paddle with you when using a pedal kayak. You might have a mechanical failure or end up in a situation where you need the paddle to maneuver the kayak. So the reality is that you do pay a hefty premium for the pedal-driven kayak. 

What is The Right Choice?

The bottom line is that there is no right or wrong choice to make. It is completely up to your personal preference and situation. The kayak location will influence your choice. In some locations, a pedal-driven kayak will simply be the wrong choice. Physical limitations are also a factor to consider, whether you have bad knees, shoulders, or other limitations. 

I am a paddler at heart and have been paddling for 35 years so personally would always choose to use a paddle-driven kayak. That being said, I can appreciate the benefits of a pedal-driven kayak, particularly when I am fishing or filming. I am glad that I don’t need to have just one kayak. If you can only have one kayak then you have a much more difficult choice to make! 

I did a post a while ago on the Showdown and the Hangtime. Check out the Perception Showdown 11.5 Kayak Review – Pedal Fishing Kayak and the Perception Hangtime 11 Review.

Kayaks: Perception Hangtime 11, Perception Showdown
PFDs/Life Jackets:  NRS Odyssey PFD (Touring and Rec)
Paddle:  Aqua Bound Manta Ray Carbon 2-piece
Shirts and Tops:  NRS Guide Short Sleeved Men’s Shirt
Paddling Shorts:  NRS Benny Board Shorts
Sunglasses: Wiley X

The post Pedal Kayaks Vs Paddle Kayaks: Which Should You Choose? appeared first on Hazeadventure.

Perception Hangtime 11 Specifications

Price: $950 (USD)
Length: 10’ 10”
Width: 33”
Weight: 68 LBS (31 KG)
Capacity: 350 LBS (160 KG)
Best Use: Recreation

The kayak features, above all else, a padded stern seating area. It also has a reclining seat, six cup holders, a paddle park, a padded deck area, molded footrests or footwells, and bow storage with a bungee.

The great thing about paddling is that there really is a type of paddling for everyone. For some people, it's about going out and really pushing their boundaries. For other people, it is more about just getting out on the water and having a relaxing experience outdoors with friends and family. And that of course, is what the Perception Hangtime 11 is all about.

Portability

This is about an 11’ long kayak which is relatively short for a kayak making it easier to move around. It is also 68 LBS, which is about what you would expect for a kayak made this way. So it is not light or particularly heavy, making it a fairly portable recreational kayak.

Comfort While Paddling

Comfort is what the Perception Hangout 11 is designed for. So let's, first of all, talk about the comfort of paddling this kayak. The Hangout 11 comes with a really nice seat, something that Perception is really known for. It is not a fully framed seat. It has an adjustable frame at the backrest so you can choose to set it up for active paddling or chilling out. But it is sitting, with a nice thick pad, on the floor. That means it doesn’t contour as much to your butt as a full-framed or suspended seat, and there is the potential to get a soggy butt.

The other feature the seat has are straps on the side that allow you to lift the front of the seat in order to support your thighs. This provides your upper legs with great support so your legs don’t just flop down.

On the downside, there are the footwells. I am never a fan of footwells for two main reasons. Inevitably there is not a perfectly comfortable sitting option as footwells give you fewer options for leg length. The other problem is that you get a lot of support on your heel, but not enough on your foot's ball. So I usually prefer foot pegs and foot braces. But this complaint is by no means a deal breaker.

Comfort While Lounging

With the adjustable seat that you can crank right back, you can lounge very comfortably in the seat itself. Alternatively, the lounge seat is surprisingly comfortable. It is nice, big, and contoured, and the headrest can be adjusted to whatever position makes you feel most comfortable. It was really nice for resting on and off the water. You basically have a beach chair just built into the kayak.

Stability

The Perception Hangtime 11 is absolutely stable. It is a 33” wide kayak so it is designed to be stable as opposed to fast-moving. The pontoon-style hull of the Hangtime 11 lends itself to stability. You can stand up in it and in all honesty you would be hard-pressed to flip the Hangtime 11.

Performance

The Perception Hangtime 11 is designed for chilling out and not for paddling long distances or winning any races. That said I was surprised by how well this kayak tracked when paddling forwards. It has the pontoon hull, but also a nicely shaped bow that really helped cut through the water better than I was expecting. It is obviously not fast due to its dimensions, but it did a good job at tracking.

Features

The main feature is the lounge seat in the back, and that does a great job doing exactly what it is designed for – being a chill-out kayak!

Otherwise, you have the storage space with the bungees which is a handy feature if you want to bring a dry bag or other things with you on a paddle. There is also a paddle park which I used when just floating around. Behind the seat, there is a lot of storage, and even some extra bungees to put a tackle box or another gear bag.

There are not a tonne of features, but every feature on the Perception Hangtime 11 works and makes a lot of sense with the design of the kayak.

Value

Let's talk about the overall value of the Perception Hangtime 11. This kayak costs $950 (USD) which falls into the sub $1000 (USD) kayak. There are many kayaks in this price range and this is one that, if relaxing and chill-out floating sessions are your style, is pretty good value. Yes, there are definitely things I’d like to see in it such as foot braces. Yes, you will get a little wet using the seat which is not suspended, or sitting on the lounge seat. But overall it's great value for what it is.

This kayak is largely designed for chilling out in warm conditions and just going for a chill paddle with friends and family. So this is a great recreational kayak. You don’t see many innovations in kayaks and sometimes they can be gimmicky. But for me, the addition of a built-in lounge chair is awesome for the right person, making this the ultimate chill-out kayak. I tested the Perception Hangtime 11 on the Flint River.

PFDs/Life Jackets:  NRS Odyssey PFD (Touring and Rec)
Kayaks: Perception Hangtime 11
Paddle:  Aqua Bound Manta Ray Carbon 2-piece
Shirts and Tops:  NRS Guide Short Sleeved Men’s Shirt
Paddling Shorts:  NRS Benny Board Shorts
Sunglasses: Wiley X

The post Perception Hangtime 11 Review appeared first on Hazeadventure.

When I realized this year’s road trip would take me through the area once again, I reached out to Dan Truit, the host of the Southern Paddler YouTube channel. Dan led me down the Paint Rock last year. He is always game for a river trip and knows the rivers of Northern Alabama.

Finding the Flint River

Part of the Tennessee River Line, the Flint River flows south on the outskirts of Huntsville, Alabama. Its proximity to the city and the fact that it has enough water to paddle year-round makes it one of the most popular rivers in Northern Alabama. 

The joy of the Flint River is that it has mild current as it winds its way through the beautiful countryside. It’s a river that paddlers of all skill levels can enjoy. It has easy put-in and take-out access, and a few outfitters who provide canoe and kayak rental and shuttle services. 

Testing the Perception Hangtime 11

Always looking for opportunities to test new kayaks on my paddling adventures, the Flint River seemed like the perfect opportunity to test the Perception Hangtime 11 recreational kayak. What makes the Hangtime unique is that unlike most sit-on-top kayaks that use the back deck for storage (called a tank well), the back deck of the Hangtime was designed as a full-on lounge chair, for hanging out on or off the water. 

Testing a kayak that specializes in lounging while floating down a beautiful, spring-fed river is a tough job. I was up for the challenge!  

PFDs/Life Jackets:  NRS Odyssey PFD (Touring and Rec)
Kayaks: Perception Hangtime 11
Paddle:  Aqua Bound Manta Ray Carbon 2-piece
Shirts and Tops:  NRS Guide Short Sleeved Men's Shirt
Paddling Shorts:  NRS Benny Board Shorts
Sunglasses: Wiley X

The post Paddling the Flint River appeared first on Hazeadventure.

So where do you start? Well, I've got two entry-level kayaks I want to tell you about today. The Pelican Boost 100 generally retails for a little under $300 (USD), but places like Walmart have it for even cheaper, while the Perception Pescador 10.0 is just under $700.

Let's go through the differences between a bare-bones model, and something that is over double the price (but still within reason for a gateway kayak). Do you need to spend the extra money, or can you have a good paddling experience without breaking the bank? Here's what I can tell you.

Pelican Boost 100 Kayak

Beginner Kayaks don't get much simpler than the Pelican Boost 100. It's a sit-on-top kayak, with a back support, some rear deck bungees, and…that's it for notable features. Instead of adjustable foot pegs, the Boost uses generic steps cut into the body of the kayak. These lack the specific fit needed for comfort and added paddling performance.

Also, the back band works well enough, but it is attached to the kayak with screws, which will inevitably fail over time (especially if you're a bigger person and/or are using this boat a lot).

And finally, even though the Boost 100 is relatively light, the grab handles on the side are impossible to actually grip, and so two people are needed to carry this thing around. Now, with all that said, for less than $300 (USD), some obvious concessions have to be made. If this is what your budget allows for, then the Pelican Boost 100 is good enough to get you out on the water and introduce you to the world of paddling.

How much does a Pelican 100 kayak weigh?

The Pelican Boost 100 kayak weighs 50 pounds, or 22.68 kilograms. This is a reasonable weight for a hardshell kayak, but because the side handles are tough to grip, plan on having a buddy around to help carry this boat to and from the water.

Perception Pecador 10.0 Kayak

The Perception Pescador 10.0 is a great beginner kayak. For starters, it is a rotomold boat, rather than a blow-mold like the Pelican Boost 100. This allows for much better design versatility.

The Pescador has solid grab handles on both sides and ends. There is a lockable front hatch that provides access to the entire interior (which opens the door to overnight trips). The Pescador has adjustable foot pegs (which, in my opinion, are mandatory for comfort). For your beverage of choice, there is a cup holder.

A cool feature is the integrated gear tracks for added accessories like rod holders (for all you anglers out there). There is a rear tank well with deck bungees for extra storage. There is a replaceable skid-plate so that you can drag this boat without worrying it will be warn down without a solution.

The seat pad makes a big difference (versus just sitting on the hard deck). The back support is a bit hardier than the Pelican 100. For the price ($679 USD), the Pescador 10.0 provides excellent value for newer paddlers.

How wide is the Perception Pescador 10?

The Pescador 10.0 kayak is 32-inches-wide, or 81 centimeters.

How much does the Perception Pescador weigh?

The Perception Pescador 10.0 weighs 57 pounds, or 26 kilograms. Even though this is heavier than the Pelican Boost 100, because of the high-quality grab-handles, it's much easier to carry by oneself.

Pelican vs Perception kayaks

If you're on a tight-budget and are just looking to get a taste for paddling, then the Pelican Boost 100 will perform its basic duties. If you're able to upgrade to the Perception Pescador 10.0, then you'll be rewarded with a slew of extra features and an all-around better kayak. 

I hope this breakdown helped you get a feel for the beginner kayak market. If you want something comfortable that can perform well to let you advance as a kayaker, then I would encourage you to keep saving up for more of a mid-range kayak (i.e. $900-$1,000 USD).

Other options for beginner kayaks, check out this article on: inflatable and portable kayaks. Check out these tips if you're just getting into the sport: common kayaking mistakes to avoid. Please subscribe to our newsletter to get kayaking news right in your inbox.

The post Beginner Kayak Tips and Considerations appeared first on Hazeadventure.