Prodigy II 14.5

This Product Has Been Discontinued

Prodigy II 14.5 Description

The Prodigy II 14.5 is a kayak brought to you by Perception. Read Prodigy II 14.5 reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you!

Perception
Prodigy II 14.5 Reviews

Read reviews for the Prodigy II 14.5 by Perception as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

Love this tandem! So, fair…

Submitted by: Mark_B_in_CT on 9/9/2020
Love this tandem! So, fair disclosure, I'm a novice kayaker but not an idiot and very athletic. Daughter got a Scimitar recently and gave me the bug to finally get into the sport. A tandem was a must because I wanted something my wife and I could do as a couple. First boat I bought was a used Old Town Loon 138t. BIG MISTAKE! I'm 6'0" with a 34" inseam. Wife is 5'9". It was so cramped for us both I can't even describe it. The Loon 138 as a tandem is an afterthought at best, and a poor one at that. Rear seat position has no foot pegs. Rear paddler has to wrap their feet around the back of the front seat. Front seat position locks into place with nylon thumb screws on smooth support shafts? SERIOUSLY? Front paddler can barely get into their seat. Cockpit only 17" wide. Tracking was just so-so. What a joke! Thankfully bought it for only $300. Sold it after only 5 times out for $525. That plus another $100 got me a a used Sunburst Prodigy II 14.5 with a pair of matching 230cm Carlisle Magic Plus paddles. The difference is so huge I just had to leave this review. To say it's roomy enough is an understatement. To say it's intelligently designed is also an understatement. To say it paddles like a dream, there are no words to describe. If you're looking for a tandem, I can't recommend this model enough. Worth every penny. Even new. ;-)
4

I have paddled the Perception…

Submitted by: paddler237151 on 9/26/2016
I have paddled the Perception 11 14.5 . It is a very stable kayak , great tracking, glides through the water with ease. It also has ample storage. All in all a great kayak. The aero dynamic design makes it very fast on the water. No lagging behind your kayaking friends. You'll be the envy of all your kayaking friends in this stylish kayak. You will also be able to maneuver the perception in small spaces such as mangroves. The Perception is also light weight and will be easier to load and unload. No breaking your back with this one. I felt very safe on the water with this kayak. Great for beginners and experienced kayakers.You can buy this kayak with confidence. It is a great kayak.
4

been out on a small lake…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 9/8/2014
been out on a small lake twice - once solo, once tandem. Wind was 10+ mph both times. Tandem if in windy/choppy conditions it seemed more tippy but did not capsize or swamp so I'm not sure if that's a problem or just the people in boat.

The Perception tracks fairly strait in the wind but I find the rudder to bee a big help. I'm not sure if experience will render the rudder unnecessary or not. The seats are extremely adjustable fairly comfortable I'm still playing with them to find the sweet spot.

2

I was very excited to…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 8/26/2014
I was very excited to purchase a new Perception Prodigy II 14.5 tandem kayak. I was immediately drawn to this boat both because of its positive reviews and the 3rd child seat that is included. While I am not a big fan of tandem boats, we wanted something that we could use to get our young children comfortable and on the water.

My experience was pretty much a complete nightmare with this model boat. It's hard to say if it was the boat itself, or the quality control with Perception Kayaks (though I have owned a different Perception boat in the past without issue).

My first Prodigy II 14.5 Tandem had the holes for holding the seats in place, drilled improperly and installed incorrectly (maybe for a different model). The seats were only connected to the boat in two places instead of 4. How this boat passed inspection is unbelievable. The seats were NOT attached to the boat.

I thought I lucked out and was able to exchange the above mentioned boat for the exact same model. Before leaving the store, I was careful to check to see that the seats were in fact attached to the boat. All looked positive. Several friends used the boat without issue. However, when my wife went to paddle the boat, she was not able to lock one of the foot pegs in place. The foot peg worked fine for a tall paddler; the peg locking without issue. But the same peg would not line up properly to fit in the closest/shortest 3 holes. Anyone shorter paddler could only use one foot peg from the back seat.

At this point, I am finished with Perception. I exchanged the Prodigy II for a Wilderness Pamlico 13.5 Tandem. While the seating and foot peg system are the same in both boats, all parts worked perfectly.

Paddling the two boats was very different. The Perception boat was much flimsier than the Wilderness. This may be because the Wilderness is a foot shorter but only a pound less (thicker plastic). My wife and I both found the Wilderness much easier to maneuver. This is a great boat for bringing young kids along as it is easily paddled by one person.

All in all, I would definitely recommend the Wilderness Pamlico 13.5 Tandem over the Perception Prodigy II 14.5 Tandem. Far superior quality control and performance for $100+ less.

4

I bought this tandem to take…

Submitted by: dougcornelius on 7/17/2014
I bought this tandem to take my kids paddling on the Charles River. My 9-year old sat in front and my 5-year old sat in the jumper seat between us. The jumper seat is just a foam chair, like a Crazy Creek chair, and does not fasten to the kayak.

The boat is heavy and a tough carry for one person. I ended up getting a Paddleboy trailer for the portages.
The seats are comfortable. The front seat slides forward and back on rails to make room.
The bulkhead on the back is just big enough to hold some supplies.
The boat is wide, so it's stable. That's a good trait when you have two kids on board.

With any kayak this big, wide and heavy, maneuverability is not one of its strengths. It lumbers, but not as poorly as I thought. I spent most of the time paddling in the back with little effort from my crew upfront. That worked just fine paddling down the slow moving Charles River.

4

I own this beast of a tandem…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/13/2014
I own this beast of a tandem after doing tons of research. Nicknamed "the dude" for it's slow, relaxed feel, this kayak is great for lakes. It's heavy, but it's also over 14 feet. Plenty of room for 2, sometimes 3 people, if those people are kids. The 3rd seat that came with it is useless for anyone over 50 lbs.

This guy stays straight and true due to the length, but isn't a fast boat. That being said, it's perfect for a family. It's nearly impossible to flip. I tried to so I can practice a wet exit to no avail. Perfect for taking friends out. Also, works fine as a single with the seat moved to the middle.

No complaints, a great all around kayak, as long as you have a place for it and friends to move it.

5

Wanted to try kayaking but…

Submitted by: paddler235197 on 7/27/2013
Wanted to try kayaking but was concerned as I was @320lbs. Found this site and checked out reviews of tandems available to rent. So my nine year old daughter and I climbed into a 14.5 Prodigy II and began to paddle.

Wow...heck of a lot easier than a canoe! My seat was comfortable and the cockpit more than wide enough for my 6'2" frame. At this leg space was ample between mine and the front seat. First time kayakers....we soon fell into a nice rhythm.

The yak is lower to the than a canoe and at no time did we take water over the side or rock too far side to side in the wakes of the tour boats (no wake area on Chicago River). Stability was great and tracked nicely once we got in sync with our paddling stroke. Eventually my nine year old got tired and we stowed her paddle.

I solo paddled the 1.5 miles back to the launch in this tandem...and enjoyed doing it the whole way. The extra length of the boat and weight up front and this continued to track better than the solos I was seeing waddle around in the river.

I recommend this yak to anyone with a family...especially small kids that may not paddle for the whole outing. As for my size...not squeezing into something that was too small for me was way cool. I've lost 40 lbs since that first outing last year and tried other yaks. I won't hesitate to buy this model when the right price comes along.

5

my friend rented on of these…

Submitted by: kelly33 on 7/25/2013
my friend rented on of these and it was easier to paddle than my Pungo. It tracked well and easily carried two people and all the "stuff". If I thought I could always find someone to go with me I would buy one...
5

I wanted a Rec boat that was…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 9/20/2012
I wanted a Rec boat that was not a sit on top. After doing the research I chose this one. I got it with the rudder from ACK for a good deal. Love it.

It has nice lines and color. I chose the one that was a double fade Red to Mango and it came Triple Fade Red to Yellow to Mango, nice. The seats looked so very comfortable and they are... large, well padded and there is even a behind-the-thigh support adjustment. The system for sliding the front seat back and for moving the rudder foot control forward for a single paddler is awesome and easy to use. The boat is so much faster than a SOT which is what I was looking for. It can carry a ton of gear for camping trips. It tracks well without the rudder. The rear compartment is large and stays dry. Its not too long or heavy. It has a sacrificial drag block at the end of the keel which is a great idea and saves the boat lots of damage and me lots of stress.

It's a 10 out of 10 for a plastic tandem 14.5' boat.

Prodigy II 14.5