Swiftwater 10.5

This Product Has Been Discontinued

Swiftwater 10.5 Description

The Swiftwater 10.5 is a kayak brought to you by Perception. Read Swiftwater 10.5 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
Swiftwater 10.5 Reviews

Read reviews for the Swiftwater 10.5 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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1

First time out the seat…

Submitted by: paddler820577 on 7/13/2020
First time out the seat cushion broke loose. The second time the strap holding the back of the seat came loose. The bottom “oil cans”. I weigh 225 and it’s rated to 275 but it rides very low in the water. And not very stable. Very poor workmanship!
2

I bought this kayak to…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 8/12/2019

I bought this kayak to paddle local rivers and lakes. What I bought was a cheaply built poor handling piece of plastic. cheap materials poor tracking and very unstable. not for the beginner.

4

I just bought my Perception…

Submitted by: paddler458373 on 7/30/2018

I just bought my Perception this past winter and have been on the river quite a bit this summer. It has been a great boat so far. It handles well in slower and faster waters. I am able to maneuver easily when I need to turn or get through a rapid. The seat is comfortable. The only thing that it didn't come with that I will have to add is a drain plug and potentially some tracks for attachments. I can't wait to keep trying out new waters.

3

I bought the Swift water at…

Submitted by: paddler450372 on 7/16/2018

I bought the Swift water at the end of last season and, did not have a lot of time in it. Original thoughts were it's very slippery, had a tracking problem and never felt tucked in the seat.
WELL. I was withholding judgment til this year. Took it out in moderate chop and wakes the other day. Tracking definitly an issue and very susceptible to the wind. Had I known this at the end of last season, I probably would have returned it I've paddled for years in Corsica's mostly. On the New and Gauley Rivers I just can't get comfortable in this boat. I though it might be a little more suited for open water. As long as your moving forward it's manageable, but that's not what I'm looking for when I paddle. I think it's time to dig the old boat outta mothballs.

4

Absoulutely love this…

Submitted by: RexCarlson on 3/14/2018

Absoulutely love this kayak..was kind of leary at first when I read the reviews about the seating but that wasnt my problem at all..this kayak tracks well and is really enjoyable. 4 stars!!

4

Great first kayak

Submitted by: paddler377772 on 8/3/2017

Overall is a pretty good boat, great boat for flat water and not too bad on whitewater, I ran some class 4s in it on wolf river section 4. Not as responsive as a whitewater boat though, takes some serious practice.

4

After reading a few of the…

Submitted by: WaterTraveler on 8/27/2016
After reading a few of the reviews I was second guessing the purchase of the Swiftwater, having bought it for my daughters. They are not beginners but don’t paddle regularly so I had concerns about the reports of trouble with wind, even "the slightest breeze." I must say I didn’t have any problems and didn’t find it difficult to paddle at all.

It's a fast boat that tracks rather well. Stability is good once you’re in. Getting in and out requires a little balance. According to one review, the Swiftwater was originally a Dagger Blackwater and was designed with a retractable skeg. Having the skeg would make the boat better but for the price it’s a good recreational kayak and at 44 lbs. its light too. I had no issues with the hatch which has ample storage for overnight or weekend trips. One miner con was the absence of a drainage port. Don’t know why they didn’t put one in so you’ll need a sponge, kayak bilge pump, or you can add one yourself.

Overall the Swiftwater performed well and the pros defiantly outweigh the cons.

4

I just purchased this kayak…

Submitted by: toad1661 on 4/25/2016
I just purchased this kayak after reviewing for about 2 years. I was gonna but the Perception Rhythm 11' kayak, but saw the Swiftwater, with its deck layout and paddle park and bought it instead! I had it out on the Cheat River with moderate choppy water, and it tracked alright. I think this kayak does better in choppy water; in calm water it does catch the wind and turn on ya.

This kayak isn't for the beginner, and does take some skills to paddle, but I LOVE THIS KAYAK, was in it for 9 hours,and had NO PROBLEMS, except for the seat got a little uncomfortable, but ya sit in something long enough, ANY KAYAK, will make your butt ache! I totally enjoy this kayak, and the smaller cockpit kept water out, the bulkhead stayed DRY, but I think this kayak will please the more advanced paddler!

4

Quick and responsive. A good…

Submitted by: schwarkie on 7/8/2015
Quick and responsive. A good looking kayak but not for beginners if there is any wind. I purchased it and tried it for three trips, things went fine until the slightest breeze would turn me to the left or completely around.I could not stop paddling or I would be quickly turned around. I had to paddle 5 strokes on my left side to one on the right to try and keep her pointed in the right direction. It wasn't the kayak for me. I returned it.
3

This is my first kayak…

Submitted by: volklgirl on 4/7/2014
This is my first kayak purchase, but I have paddled some other similar boats. This kayak is great fun, very stable, and super maneuverable on class I and II rivers but it's very susceptible to weather helm from even the slightest breeze, and paddling it in open water on even a short jaunt takes some serious skill to keeping it going straight (although I was told that towing a full water bottle would help, and it did, but who wants to do that all the time?).

The cockpit, though fairly small for a rec boat, is very comfortable, the thigh pads are acceptable, and the seat back is quite nice. We added a foam stadium seat pad under the stock seat on ours to raise the seat height just a touch and add cushion and better drainage. The placement of the deck bungees are perfect, but the rear bulkhead and Tupperware hatch are NOT watertight on either of ours. In addition, there's no drainage port, so in the case of a flip, there will always be some water in the bottom of the boat as it gets caught in the deck and under the cockpit combing.

The Swiftwater 10.5 was originally a Dagger Blackwater and was designed with a retractable skeg. Judging by it's current handling characteristics, I'd guess that it was a fairly competent and fun hybrid boat in that configuration, but by retooling it without the skeg, Confluence has turned it into little more than a fun little beginner's toy boat.

After just one summer in the Swiftwater, I already want to upgrade to something either in a similar length with a skeg, or something in the 12-13' range for better tracking on open water.

4

My wife and daughter love it.…

Submitted by: meyerdaler on 4/25/2012
My wife and daughter love it. Tracks straight and paddles easy. It has enough dry storage and bungees on top for a days trip. Great in shallow water rivers too. Floats in only 6 in. of water.
5

Perception Sport does not…

Submitted by: countrygirl49 on 7/21/2011
Perception Sport does not have a website, so for me, I couldn't find enough information before I decided to buy this kayak from Sportsman's Warehouse. Previously, I had a Dagger Cypress and loved how it tracked and handled on slow rivers and on calmer oceans. We wanted kayaks that would be great on flat water lakes as well as moving water.

I was initially worried about the length being shorter as far as tracking, cargo capacity, etc, but I was sure wrong. My fiancé and I love this kayak! It handles small waves nicely, is easy to maneuver, is pretty stable for being so narrow and tracks well. The weight is definitely manageable for one person, and easy with two. Cargo space seems okay — we figured we could fit enough gear between the two of us for an overnight camping trip if we budgeted weight well.

We have only taken them out a couple times on a large lake (calm one day, and wavy the next), and as soon as we take them on faster water, I will update this review. Recommended!

Swiftwater 10.5