Yesterday, I bought a new Perception Rhythm 11 kayak. It is white/blue. I will post some pictures soon.
I have not had it on the water yet, but it looks sweet. It has a large cockpit opening; a nice, padded, adjustible seat; knee padding; bungee cord deck rigging on the bow; and a deck hatch for access to a watertight stern bulkhead. Like I said, it is sweet.
I hestitated to buy it because there is not a lot of information online about it. In fact, it is not even listed on the Perception web site at this time. Apparently, it is manufactured by Confluence Inc. According to Answers.com, Confluence is the world's third largest canoe and kayak manufacturer with sales exceeding $30 million. They market their products under several brand names including Wilderness Systems®, Perception®, Dagger®, Wave Sport®, and Mad River Canoe®.
I can't wait to take it for a spin!
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Greetings!
ReplyDeleteI was searching for info on the Perception Rhythm 11 Kayak and came across your blog. There isn't much info on this kayak out on the web, and I'm thinking about getting one, so I thought I'd ask what you think of it. It sounds like you have some experience, and since this would be my first kayak I could use the opinion of someone who knows a thing or two about it! If you have a moment please post your thoughts on this kayak! Thanks! -RH in Illinois
RH, I have taken the Rhythm 11 out three times since I bought it. It is very comfortable and looks good on the water. I love the watertight bulkhead, but unfortunately it does not track well compared to my Swifty 9.5. The Swifty has two groves along the bottom of the boat which seem to help it track straight. The Rhythm has no groves and takes a lot more effort to keep it straight, especially on a windy day. If I had it to do over again, I'd buy another Swifty instead of the Rhythm. But, don't get me wrong, the Rhythm is still a lot of fun! Hope this helps. Thanks for your post! -Dan
ReplyDeleteThanks Dan! That thought occurred to me that this kayak might not track as well as some. I've read about people attaching keels to these things and perhaps that would help the Rhythm 11.
ReplyDeleteI haven't bought one yet, so I'll check out the Swifty 9.5 because I do want something that is relatively easy to paddle upstream on flat water rivers.
Thanks again for the response and enjoy!
-RH
Hi, I just bought one of these myself. I used it this weekend on a lake with some wind and found it to not track well. Today I went out alone and started out upwind so that the return trip is the easier one. But while I was out the weather changed and it was blowing the other direction and much harder when I returned. I found it *very* difficult to keep a heading either across the wind or into it. In fact, yesterday when I was searching for wildlife with a friend, I found it did not track well even in calm water.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I bought this kayak to get something more comfortable than my Equinox 126X by Future Beach (from Costco) and found that it was great in that regard! There is a lot more room for my legs and feet and the seat is excellent. I had no trouble with my back and my derriere didn't sit in a puddle as sometimes happens in the Equinox.
I also found that while it does not track well, it is easy to propel and my larger frame (210 lbs, 6'1") just seems more suited to this boat than the Equinox.
I don't know how much it weighs, but it seems lighter than the Equinox which is a foot shorter.
Rick,
ReplyDeleteThank you for leaving your comments. They more or less confirm what I experienced myself. I still plan to get some enjoyment out of my Rhythm 11. Hope you do, too. We may just have to work a little harder at it! -Dan
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI was at the lake most of the past week and using the Rhythm 11. The last day, just as a point of comparison, I used my Equinox 124 (from Costco). The Equinox is a little more of a tank, a bit harder to paddle, but much more lateral stability and it goes exactly where you point it. I did about 10 mile round trip and I can't say if it was actually harder to use or not. The Equinox takes more effort to move at the same speed, but I have to constantly fight the Rhythm to keep it going straight. In the end it may be a wash with the Equinox tracking better and the Rhythm 11 being more comfortable and quicker.
I will be looking at adding something to the stern to see if I can get the tracking a bit more stable. Then I would be a very happy camper indeed!
BTW, I'm not convinced that the ribs on the bottom are what controls the directional stability, but we'll see! - Rick in MD/VA
Rick: my wife, youngest daughter, and I went to the lake last Sunday. My wife used the Swifty; I used the Rhythm; and my daughter who will be 19 years old next month rode in an inflatable raft which I tied to the back of the Rhythm. The raft slowed me down, which was to be expected; but the surprising thing was that towing the raft eliminated the steering problem. The Rhythm went perfectly straight while I was towing the raft. Obviously, this is not a workable solution to the tracking problem, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Let me know if you come up with a more practical solution. -Dan
ReplyDeleteI purchased the rhythm 11 the other weekend and have been out on it twice and have had the same tracking problem, I have considered attaching a keel but wanted to know if anyone had done so to this kayak and if it helped.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment, Roger. I think attaching a keel would be difficult, at least the way I use my boats. Good luck, though, if you try it and let us know how it goes.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking at reviews for the rhythm. They are pretty good reviews. How good is the swifty?
ReplyDelete