Sundance II

This Product Has Been Discontinued

Sundance II Description

The Sundance II is a kayak brought to you by Perception. Read Sundance II 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!

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Sundance II Reviews

Read reviews for the Sundance II 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

The Sundance 2 has really…

Submitted by: paddler2194895 on 7/19/2022

The Sundance 2 has really been a solid boat for us, you can fit 2 adults and a youngster in the middle and our has a rudder too, which has been crucial with a little wind or waves. There is ample storage in the bow, stern and middle which makes it the perfect boat for camping trips. We use this kayak throughout the year, and have a skirt for it the is really clutch when paddling in the winter time. We use it primarily in the ocean and have found it to be very stable and steers well, even in the wind and waves.

3

Capable and fast, but leaves…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/31/2006
Capable and fast, but leaves room for improvement. We bought ours off of ebay at a fair price. Our only point of comparison, as far as tandems go, is an Acadia II which we have used in the ocean a on a few occasions. Both boats have good initial stability and track well. The Sundance II is a noticeably faster boat and very easy to get moving. The boat responds well to the Yakima rudder and maneuvers well (considering the size) without the rudder.

As far as comfort is concerned, we had no problem with the seats or the legroom. However, the pipes that run down each side of the cockpit, to allow the front seat to be adjustable, leave almost no space to access the rudder peddles (this is a major design flaw). Also, given the ample room in the stern, I see no reason why they didn’t build in a bulkhead and a hatch.

I did notice the boat bending a bit in the middle while on the roof rack. I think this is a symptom of the material and the length of the open cockpit. What is a benefit on the water is not always a benefit out of the water.

This is a comfortable and fun recreational boat that can be used to cover a lot of water. While it feels very stable, given the large open cockpit, this is a fair-weather boat.

4

Well, where do I start? We…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/17/2004
Well, where do I start? We bought our Sundance II before I saw any reviews on it. It was a Demo model at one of the local shops. We got it for more than half off the suggested retail price. We were looking for a kayak my wife and daughter could join me in. I have a 12ft Dagger Blackwater that I enjoy solo. Anyway, when I got the tandem Kayak home, I read some of the reviews. I was then worried, having never paddled it. I read about footpegs, I read about poorly designed seats, I read about warpage during storage and/or hauling. And yes, I read about the "hefty" issue of weight. Well, the verdict is still out on the warpage issue, since I just got it, but all my worries were put to rest about the other issues. (More on the weight issue later).

This kayak was as stable as I could have ever hoped for. My wife sat up front, my 5 year old daughter sat on a cushion behind her (we had to order the kids jump seat), and I paddled from the rear seat. The rear footpegs are in an odd place. But, they are usable. I only wear a size 10 shoe, so they may be a problem for someone with a larger foot. I can't see ever needing to move the rear seat, so the fact that it's not adjustable (front and back) is not an issue. The front seat does take some "finagling" to adjust. It's not as deep of a kayak as I would have liked, but I can live with it, for what we need it for.

Now, this thing does have some weight to it. I believe it comes in at around 72lbs., depending on how it is rigged. I'm a middle aged guy in decent shape, my wife is also middle aged and in decent shape. We don't have any problems loading or unloading this boat. However, if we had to carry it much more than 50 or 60 yards to get to the water, we would have to get one of those little two wheeled "thingies". All in all, when you take into consideration the low price we payed, we are very happy with this kayak, at this time. More later...

1

Was happy to dump this in…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 2/18/2004
Was happy to dump this in less than a year. The plastic was soft and heavy, and about as rigid as overcooked pasta on a humid day. The outfitting was cheaper than cheap. Only the front seat adjusted fore-aft, and that was via plastic set screws on pipes, offering only marginal friction. I also found that I had to remove the footpegs prior to racking, or they would blow off in transit and be lost. The seatback adjustment was a tacky strap/buckle that was very difficult to operate while you were in the boat. Found it very hard to get my knees under the deck with my feet on the pegs. Just not well-designed. By contrast, the boat I replaced it with is lighter and rigid, both seats move and lock into position and the seats easily adjust three ways.
2

Basically, a cost-cutter…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/24/2003
Basically, a cost-cutter version of the tandem concept. The seats are prehistoric by the standards set by other builders of recreactional craft, notably Wilderness Systems. The only adjustment available is the angle of the seat back, which is accomplished with a balky strap & buckle, not easily accessible when under way. The seat back is not hinged to the base, but is positioned in a loose slot by an anemic bungie. Therefore, it is subject to dislocation when jarred. The design and material of the padding is unremarkable and comfort is so-so. Only the front seat will slide, being held in place by two set screws that travese guide tubes. There are adjustable foot pegs, but they are under the side decks and virtually unusable with my size 11 feet. The sides are low and do not lend themselves to a knee or thigh lock. The hull is soft and floppy, with little more than a couple molded in ridges to stiffen the thin plastic. The hull not only distorts when racked on top or bottom, but we perceive some cockpit rim distortion with racking on edge. There are foam pillars under the fore and aft decks, which interfere with storage capacity. There are no hatches, bottle holders, paddle holders or other amenities. The grab loops are adequate. The hull is pleasing to the eye and moves along fairly well. But, there is some flexing that wastes energy. It's designed for tracking and stability and completes the mission. Not a bad choice for light usage, if you can get it at a discounted price.