Review: Captiva 16' by Perception

Captiva 16' kayak with rudder

The Captiva is the big brother to the Carolina.  Like the Carolina, the Captiva is extremely stable which is good for beginners.  This boat is designed to handle a bigger paddler and more gear, so at 5’7”, I wasn’t expecting much when I paddled it.  I figured it would be a bit of a barge, but I was pleasantly surprised.  I had a lot of extra room in the cockpit, but was still able to use the very comfortable thigh braces which are built right into the design.  The seat is simple but comfortable and although the kayak is a bit on the wide side (25.25”) it handled very nimbly for a 16’ boat.  Perception carried over the dual-channel hull design so the kayak tracks like it is on rails even without the standard rudder.  At 58 lbs., the Captiva is lighter than I expected too.  It cruises nicely and turns easily. 

The only thing I found wanting was a complete lack of deck lines (only bungees on deck), but this is an easy fix.  For about $25 you can install your own deck lines.  While I wouldn’t recommend it for an advanced paddler, I think the Captiva is a good all-around kayak.  It is a better fit for someone over 6ft.  This boat is no longer in production, but you can find them on the used market pretty cheap.  The plastic that they used to make these is the old-school, heavy-duty, bullet-proof plastic that Perception was known for until they started thinning it out a few years ago, so these boats will last a long time.

Hudson River Trip - Day 6

Day 6

Our original schedule had us paddling to Irvington which is only 14 miles away.  Then on day 7, we would paddle 12 more miles to the George Washington Bridge where we would take out.   

Paddling in low visibility as we approach the Tappan Zee Bridge

We are up at 3:30am.  In the dark, we launch into fog with only 1 mile of visibility.  We reach Irvington by 9am, and the GW Bridge by noon.   

Dave snapped this shot of me as we crossed into New York City.  Normally, the word "Romany" is clearly visible on the side of my kayak, but my kayak is so weighted with gear that it is sitting in the water up to the yellow tape.

We arrive feeling very satisfied.  We have completed one of New York’s great paddles.  We all paddled faster and farther (in one day) than we ever have before.  We carried a week’s worth of gear and provisions and we got to experience wonderful scenery, friendly towns and some just plain great paddling.  Next year, we start at the Canadian border!

The George Washington Bridge - Our finish line.