Tribute 12.0

Love the kayak. Speedy. Nimble. Quick. Light. Only thing I hate is the tracking. I was hoping someone else would have same issue as me on reviews but apparently not. I have paddled a lot of different kayaks and even have a perception sea kayak with rudder. I've tried everything and unless I overcompensate by paddling harder on my left stroke the kayak wants to hook right. I've tried everything like sitting more upright, sitting slouched, sitting to left, sitting to right, leaning but nothing seems to help. Ive even tried taking out the foam block between your feet hoping that might do something. Nope. Wish the kayak was rudder or skeg compatible because I think that would fix my problem. Any ideas? I've even sighted down bottom of kayak and there don't appear to be any visual clues (defect) as what might cause kayak to hook one direction.

Purchased new a few months and from north shore watersports, although the description says designed for women and smaller paddlers I knew this was the kayak for me, I am 75kg 5ft8 male and found this kayak a nice fit, it's only 24. Inches wide but still very stable, i have not capsized so far, mainly use on calm waters and being so narrow it glides excellent and I only need the lightest of paddle strokes and I'm away, great tracking also when I stop paddling it glides in a nice straight, seat is very comfortable and gives good lumber support that I like. If this kayak also had a front storage hatch it would be even better but I guess you cannot have everything. Very happy with my purchase.

This boat fits me extremely well and has gone just about everywhere with me. Ocean, class II whitewater (not its specialty), lots of touring, rivers, lakes, etc. it's comfortable, very fast for its size, super agile, and tracks nicely. I can stand in it although it's narrow. One thing that is really special about it is its balance while being carried - I can manage it myself and that isn't true of other boats of the same weight.

I'd add a bow bulkhead for floatation as I've sunk the bow during rescue practice. Plus, storage! I also wish it came in some of the really pretty colors.

I have the Airalite build. Light, strong. I'm a 6'1" 160 lb male. I reinstalled the seat hangers farther back as necessary. Installed a bow bulkhead with marine glue. Now I have plenty of legroom, and the high deck accommodates my knees and size 12 feet. I paddle everything from this boat to a 19 foot 20" wide surf ski. This boat moves well enough that it's not boring. I keep the seat back loose enough for a quick exit. With proper modifications, it clearly doesn't have to be pigeon-holed as a women's kayak.

This is an agile, straight tracking, light boat for a small paddler and it's nice to have a decent fit in the cockpit. I actually have pressure on the thigh braces! It's even balanced well to carry alone. The seat is comfortable and I like the static lines. I do wish it had a front bulkhead and therefore wouldn't fill with water up there (pool session taught me that this boat will sink in front when submerged!), but otherwise, it's a swift little boat that is fun to paddle in all kinds of waterways.

I purchased the Perception 12.0 ultralight. This is the perfect kayak for women, and I am a small woman of 5'1" and 140 pounds. This kayak only weighs about 40 pounds and was easy to get on and off of my SUV; it tracks beautifully and was very very responsive.
I would recommend this kayak to any woman looking for a great touring kayak.

My wife and I researched and tried out a lot of kayaks until she chose this one. It's a bit too small for me, as I'm a good bit bigger than she is, but for most women, I think this would be a real nice choice. She loves the boat, it fits her perfectly, and she likes the narrowness of it and finds it much easier to paddle than my Carolina 12. And when she decides to up the pace, I have to work to keep up with her. She's very happy with it.

I love my Tribute! It is my go-to boat for most of our creek and river paddles. It also can compete with bigger boats when we lake paddle.

As far as fit goes, yes it is marketed to a smaller person. I am 5'6" and weigh 140#. With the addition of 1 layer of thigh paddling on the inside where my thighs/knees touch the side of the boat, it is a perfect fit. With 10-15# of gear it seems to be the perfect weight for optimal boat performance. The cockpit opening is not real big. In order to not scrape my shins when getting out, I have to release the seat back although I do keep the seat as much forward as possible because that balances my weight so well.

Earlier this year I took this boat on a 5 mile WW trip that consisted of 100-300 yard standing waves that were class II-III. Some of the waves were about 4 feet tall and when I went thru them the breaking waves knocked me in the face and chest. The boat handled superbly and I did not swim. It will handle equally well in lake waves. I feel very confident and comfortable in this boat. Another big plus is that I can easily pick it up, sling it on my shoulder and carry it over uneven terrain.

I would not recommend this boat to anyone much bigger than I am.

While I understood that this boat is designed for women and smaller paddlers, I (5'10"/210 man) bought it because I like light, low-volume boats, and it costs a half or a third of long boats meeting that description. Though ~50% larger than the target demographic, I nevertheless find it roomy, and the freeboard more than ample. I have at least three more inches of adjustment margin on the foot rests, and it is the only kayak I've ever paddled where my legs don't "fall asleep".

It doesn't track like a 16 footer, of course, and it's hull-speed limited (take a few quick power strokes and you'll start climbing the bow wave), but that's just physics. I agree with those who'd prefer a bow bulkhead to minimize swamping; on the plus side, the stern bulkhead and hatch, punching through surf that broke over my head (and capsized me several times) never leaked a drop.

The biggest drawback for me is the big plastic seatback that prevents proper use of a skirt (the front seals well and keeps waves out of my lap, but anything from the beam or stern pours right in).

I'm a male, 49, 5'11", 145#, size 10 shoe, 30" waist. This kayak was made for me. The seat adjusts for the paddler to make this boat "fit" you. I have had several other kayaks over the years and this one really works well for me. Light to carry, easy to paddle/turn/tracks straight. The bottom rear of the kayak is straight - almost like a molded in skeg. If you have a bigger foot or want to physically move the seat toward the rear because of the thigh pads then you have about 4 1/2" of space to move the seat back. You will have to drill new holes but it can be done. By the way, this kayak might have been designed for women but my p***s hasn't fallen off.

This review is for all the slimmer guys that ask "will I fit in this boat?". Yes , like a foot in a comfortable shoe if you like a snugger fit. Not tight, just snug (responsive). I would rate this a 10 if there was a front hatch... not for storage but for buoyancy if the boat should ever roll. I might add a forward bulkhead only for this reason.

Best kayak ever! Granted, I haven't paddled every kayak there is out there but for a plastic kayak, this one is perfect! Lightweight, perfect fit for me (5'5, 130lbs), very very stable, turns easily and tracks very well. I average 3.7 mph on this little boat. I've never gotten swamped by waves no matter how much those pesky seadooers try.

This thing loves waves and will ride right over them. Too much fun! I'll only trade up for the aerolite version. Wish it had a bow bulkhead but that's the only drawback.
Love it, love it, love it!

I was fully prepared to love this kayak, based on the reviews. I am a small framed woman, 115 lbs, 5' 4" so I thought it would be perfect. However, the kayak did not work for me because I was unable to get my knees far enough apart in the cockpit to provide a comfortable fit. My knees had to be straight out from my body, whereas I think the ideal position for legs in a kayak is like at the 10:00 and 2:00 position so that the legs are at an angle to the body to provide stability and maneuverability. I wish I had been able to make this kayak work because I liked everything else about it but the fit. Tracked well, lightweight, easy to handle.

My girlfriend and I both loved this kayak when we tried it at a demo day. She's a complete newbie, but tried several kayaks that day. She raved about the Tribute so much that I had to try it, not knowing at the time that it's marketed primarily to women. Now, I think "Who Cares?". The Tribute tracked and glided far better than other similar sit-in's we tried, coming close to the 14 and 16-foot tourers. It felt racy - I couldn't paddle hard enough to make it "plow" water, and turning was very easy. If you're on the small side like us (5'7" 150lb and 5'1" 115), you owe it to yourself to try this kayak.

I think I've found the perfect kayak. I'm a woman 5'10", 140# and have room to wiggle when I'm sitting. The Tribute is stable on water, but not so much that it's tedious. I move fast and straight on slow rivers and yet can enjoy whitewater. This kayak feels really graceful. Storage area offers space enough for a backpack. I have no complaints, I'm more than satisfied.