There’s a shop in Irvine, CA, that’s selling a plastic Eclipse 17 by Perception for $725. The hull is a little scratched from being used in kayaking classes. The seat, deck rigging, seat, hatches, handles, etc. are all pretty clean and the kayak is overall in pretty dang good condition.
I’ve been looking for a kayak that I can use on the ocean, extended touring on the lower Colorado River, and for a planned trip to the San Juan Islands next year. I’m after a plastic boat instead of a fiberglass boat because they can take some abuse on rocks.
I don’t come across too many kayaks for a good price. All the closest deals on craigslist and real kayak shops are a minimum 3 hour drive for me to get to.
AS I’m always on a budget my question is- Is $725 (plus the sales tax) a good price for a used kayak of this model?
Which plastic?
Seems like a good price to me. Be aware that Perception had two versions of the Eclipse in different types of plastic. Most are rotomolded polyethylene, some are ABS plastic which Perception called Airalite.
The former looks more like the plastic from kids toys like a Turtle Pool for the backyard. That stuff is probably better for taking a hit on the rocks.
The latter looks super glossy, kinda like fiberglass with gelcoat, but it’s more flexible and it’s impact resistance isn’t as good.
I bought an ABS plastic version as my first boat, lightly scratched, for $1200 Canadian many years ago.
Its a rotomold…
Its a rotomold. I wouldn’t even consider airalite.
Yes
I sold my old eclipse for $900 a few years ago and I thought I was giving it away, so your $725 price seems very fair.
not bad
The eclipse is a great kayak for the uses you described.
They made that boat for many years with various permutations of outfitting, seats, hatch covers. I have one that is at least 10 years old and going strong. The price is not bad if it’s in as good a condition as you described.
Have you checked the neoprene hatch seals? They can wear out and they’re difficult to find replacements for nowadays.
Perception seakayaks
as with other Confluence brands (Dagger for instance) use a long stiffener that runs from the front edge of the seat far into the cockpit beyond the pegs. It's designed to carry strength thru the length of a plastic boat.
Ask yourself why Prijon doesn't need to do this in their plastic seakayaks.
As you inspect this kayak, be sure the stiffener is in VERY good condition and well fastened. You are going to to depend on it as one big factor in keeping the kayak seaworthy.
Get the kayak out on the water and see how much it flexes. Sit on the back deck and check the flex. Some Perceptions have thinner plastic than others. Rotomoulding will do that. Flex in itself is not a bad thing. Too much flex is. It's a fine line, can't be evaluated from afar, you need to feel it for yourself.
Be aware that Confluence positions the Perception line as its budget line... not in itself a bad thing.( it was printed in a corporate statement a few years back, not on their consumer website) Just be aware as you want a rugged plastic boat you can put thru its paces in varied conditions.
For $725 they'd better throw in a skirt. Or a cockpit cover. Something. You know they didn't pay anywhere near retail for the kayak when it was new. Probably at least 40% off MSRP. And being a rental/class kayak it got well used by ppl who didn't care about it as it wasn't theirs.
For $800 you could likely get a used Prijon Seayak or Touryak. Jus' sayin'. I realize your options and budget are limited. If that's the only plastic seakayak in your area on your budget then you will probably buy it and it won't be a catastrophe.
Old Faiththful !
I have one that I bought new in 1999.
I paid $1165.
Even though I now mostly paddle a QCC-700, I won’t part with the Eclipse.
I use it a few times a year on down river races where I am liable to bump rocks.
I raced it in a race with a class III rapid one time and posted a picture here of me coming through it. They said afterward that it was the first sea kayak to enter and win the race.
I have had the boat in very rough seas on many occasions. It has been all over Alaska and up and down the whole east coast.
Other then being faded, mine is just as strong as it was when it was new.
Don’t listen to the nay sayers.
It is a good rugged kayak
Jack L
Good price
Replace the hard seat back with a backband. Don’t transport it hull down with closely spaced saddles as it’ll get hogbacked.
Thanks for the help.
I’m hoping to use it in the California 100 race this May as well as the aforementioned trips. It will be going through some class II+ rapids on the Sacramento River during the race. The boat I use now (acadia 13) just doesn’t cut it for the waters I want to paddle.
stiffener
Yeah, I have one with the aluminum stiffening rod down the hull. In later models they changed the hull shape to a shallow V and ditched the rod. That saved a few pounds right there.