I will be looking at this boat on Monday the guy wants 500. I was looking for something more hi tech than my 15 sit on top Ocean Trident. I may buy something next year new but this could tide me over and give me some experience this year without dumping 3500 or more. If I sold it in the spring for 300 I would not care. If I like it I would keep it. Seems like Perception generally have drop keels. Any drastic changes in kayaks in the last 5 years? My friend said it is fiberglass construction? This guy bought this bought new 5-6 years ago he said and it has been sitting in his garage. If their is no seat I guess I cn find one to fit fairly easy? Thanks

Sounds like it might be worth a look. A glass boat for $500 sounds very interesting, but be sure you taka a real good look at every bit of it--inside and out. Look for soft spots and crazing in the gellcoat. Are the bulkheads intact? Are the hatches tight etc. Check very carefully around any through hull and deck fittings. Even if it is damaged a bit, it can be repaired and made just as good as new, but do you want to mess with it?

Thanks for the tips! I owned raced offshore race boats so I am comfortable looking at the glass but do appreciate your refresher! Rented two Soltice's again today with the GF. It was real windy and hard for her to turn in a few spots but she got a feel for the glide and handling of the CD boat. If she got a sit in composite I guess 15' may be better for her? I still want to go into the rough with one. Later in Sept. There is a safety course I will be taking with her. I am sure it will be worth it if I get in trouble one day my decision process will be faster and better.

After renting today and yesterday for 4 hours in the Soltice it will be fun to get back in my poly trident Ocean, Hope I don't hate it now.

Monday 9 am I will see the boat and hopefully it fits me and I get it for 500 or less. I think it is good shape from what I was told by a friend who knows the owners son. I am excited!

I'd look closely at a 5 yr old Perception Aquaterra (AKA SeaLion). I'd put the age at least 10 yrs and maybe more. The price is OK but the "bought new 5 yrs ago" makes me uncomfortable. Perception is a fine brand, but you may want to broaden your search. You don't want to buy a boat that ran away from home. If any owner claims he bought it new, ask for the purchase receipt. Most people keep their documentation. Good luck!

He is said to have all the receipts for the boat showing what he paid and when he bought it. Getting the info from my friend who works with the owners son so who knows how the story warps. He has all the receipts on everything hr bought with and for the boat. If it is in good shape I'll grab it. Thanks for the tips.

http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=82

Good reviews on the boat . Looks like it may have stopped being made more than 5 years ago like you suspected.

thanks john

Well I went to see it and it was poly he said 5-6 years old. I did ask my friend if it was glass and he said yes. I was in good shpe and hung properly in a garage with 4 hangers. I told him I woud think about it. It would be fun to have but I think I would rather get glass unless I really stole the poly boat from him at 350.

Any idea what you guys think it is worth? New poly Current Design is less than 1500. Is this worth getting to have a better idea of a real sea kayak vs the sit on Ocean Prowler I have now? I really want a new Solstice or something on that line. My construction business is dead and NY is broke so I doubt I will be seeing much action soon. Not even much to bid. Not sure how firm he is on the price for the used one.

If you are referring to the 17' Perception and if it is in nice shape, it probably is worth the $500 (maybe even more) the fellow wants for it. However, it never hurts to make an offer.

Yes, the boat would definitely give you some idea of what a sea kayak is like. Keep in mind that not all sea kayaks feel alike, nor perform alike.

There are at least a couple of things that I would look at very carefully on any used (especially poly) kayak. Turn the boat upside down and sight down the keel. Is the boat straight from end to end. The keel (bottom) will naturally have some curve (rocker) to it as opposed to being flat, but if a string were stretched from one end to the other, are both ends and the center lined up straight. This is not always easy to determine, because of the complex shape of sea kayak bottoms, but if you have a keen eye and study it for a while, you should be able to tell.

The other thing I would look at is how rigid the boat is. Put the kayak on the ground, or floor; go to the stern and slowly lift the stern with the toggle, or handle amd watch to see how much the boat bends as you lift. Most of the flex, if it has much, will be in the area behind the cockpit. If the boat flexes very much, I would be skeptical of it. It would be great if it doesn't flex at all, but a lot of poly boats flex a little. You could go to a dealer and try this on a few boats to get some idea of what might be normal. If possible, check a Valley Aquanaut Club; they flex a lot.

Thanks for the tips and help!

Magooch is right on. Y0u may want to bring an experienced friend to lend a more critical eye. Bear in mind that the seller has misrepresented both the age and construction of the boat. If a poly boat has lain in the sun outcdoors for 10-15 years without protection from the sun, the petroleum products in the poly hull have degraded making the material brittle and subject to breakage. While you're at it, check the bulkheads and the hatches. Really old hatches may leak like like sieves and even pop off under stress. Sea kayaks go to sea and that's no place to discover defects. Let this buyer beware. I would look for a newer boat with a clearer history and a seller operating in good faith. $500 should get you a decent and safe poly boat. Good luck,

Dog, if you're anywhere near NJ, take a look at the Classified section at www.goldcar.com/cgi-bin/jsska/YaBB.pl The JSSKA Message Board often lists excellent used boats for sale.

Thanks for the tips. I use poly wheel barrows and I know they dry up after 6-7 years and then crack when tapped with a hammer. I may offer 400 and go look at it again or price a new CD poly which list for about 1549 or I really should wait and buy a composite one. Impatient but may not want to drop 4 grand with the taxes on composite construction business is grim at best.. I'll check out the used ones you gave a link to. Thanks all!

edit tried to register at the NJ site but there was no verification code to type in.

In order to post on the JSSKA Message Board, you'll have to join. Costs a big ten bucks (See "Join JSSKA"), but it'll put you in touch with hundreds of Jersey-area paddlers, and then there's the huge launch-site list.

OK thanks I'll look again and go for the 10