Anybody had any experience or seen/touch/heard anything about this new material from perception ?
Any feedback is really appreciated very much
thanks
Thermal form boats
This new material and process is called thermal form molding. I spoke with the rep from Hurricane Aquasports They were the first to make boats with this material. Several years ago Perception was called Perception/Aquaterra . Aquaterra made the thermal formed boats for Perception. Aquaterra stop making boats for Perception and changed their name to Hurricane. Perception them hired Hurricane to teach them how to make thermal formed boats for themselves.
I was told there is only one manufacture of the raw material. Each kayak company calls it something different (i.e. Airlite, Trylon, or Carbonlite its all the same stuff).
The material it self seems to be very strong and scratch resistant. The Hurricane rep said it could be repaired with (are you ready for this) super glue. I have talked to several outfitters who have them in their rental fleet and they all have said that at the end of the season the thermal form boats look better than the roto molted boats.
I just got a Hurricane “Tracer” 16.6. It cost about $100 less that the Perception Sanoma 13.5 and weights about the same. The Tracer is really a handful after paddling a Carolina for several years. I think I will have to work on my technique a lot.
You might want to check out the Hurricane products (see the reviews on this site). I think you will find the cheaper in price and lighter in weight, and the quality seems to be great.
Current Designs own airalite
– Last Updated: May-05-04 12:05 AM EST –
At first i was kind of weary of purchasing anything airalite, thinking it is solely a perception/dagger trend that is going away in few years. However a rep in the industry told me that this newtechnique is spreading and they expect to see more of this material/technique in the future.
Can you explain more of the superglue thing ??
Edit: this answers my own question then..
http://www.eddyline.com/care.cfm
Example, Current Designs already have such a boat.
http://www.cdkayak.com/kayaks/comps/kestrel.asp
"Available in rotomolded polyethylene using Current Designs unique SCL™ plastic technology, or thermoformed, using Current Designs newly developed Thermoformed Composite System, TCS™."
product testing
the thermoplastic eclipse has a slightly different hull shape than the glass and rm Eclipse,it’s got a fuller waterline shape to the ends and feels more slippery/efficient but higher volume on the water,the stern doesn’t swing around pivoting from the bow as distinctly as the rm Eclipse but it feels very underloaded with 200lbs compared to the rm eclipse,it’s not appreciablly lighter. I’d be curious about it’s durability if you actually load the eclipse up with the weight the hull is designed for and take it to shore in surf. It’s one thing to make a Sonoma13 and another to put 300lbs into a bigger boat and use it like a sea kayak.
They still use the damn skin scalloping rudder deployment line guides (electrical wire clips). The hatch covers pop out of position easily which may or may not be an issue during rescues.