It’s not always about charging the biggest water or going for a multi-day ocean tour.  Sometimes you just want to get out, paddle around, soak up some sun and relax on the water.  That’s why we’ve come up with our choice for The Best Kayak for Recreational Use.

In order to make it into our consideration these boats needed to have a specific set of features and capabilities.  They needed to be lightweight, reasonably priced, and versatile for different kinds of paddling.  Below we’ll look at our choice and why it made the top spot.

Best Kayak for Recreational Use

Perception Kayaks – Impulse 10

Perception Impulse 10

The Impulse from Perception is a great all around kayak for those looking to get out and do some easy paddling around their favorite piece of water.  Awesome for lakes, ponds, streams and slow moving rivers the Impulse is designed to carry you and your gear wherever the good times are.

The name of the game in recreational kayaks is convenience and comfort and Perception has done a good job with this boat of checking both of those boxes.  A Zone DLX seat, Zone knee braces and Keepers foot brace system mean you’ll have tons of comfort for your next paddling adventure.  A molded-in tray located inside the cockpit allows for easy access and keeps your essentials right at hand.  All these features in a kayak that goes for $489?!  Yeah, we can get behind that.

Find out more and buy now on Amazon.com

Built Around You

The Impulse has got comfort on it’s mind.  Perception’s patented DLX Seating System has multiple adjustment options that gives the touring paddler a great ergonomic fit and has easily tuned elements like flexible wings on the side of the seat, backrest, and leg supports that let you dial in your fit.

The Keepers Foot Braces allow you to set your optimal foot rest position and find that perfect fit.  By engaging it with your hand and sliding the foot brace to the desired location you can really get yourself comfortable and increase paddling efficiency.

Comfort Driven Features

Perception has recreational kayaking figured out.  The Impulse has tons of options for holding your paddling necessities, it keeps them safe and right where you need them.  In the back, the tankwell on the Impulse is self-draining with two scupper holes and a bungee secures all of your gear safely to the boat.

Our favorite feature is the dashboard that’s molded inside of the cockpit.  This might be a small addition in size but it’s huge in what it can do for you while you’re on the water.  The cockpit dashboard is the perfect place for anything you want to use frequently and don’t want to hassle with turning around and looking through your tankwell.  Sunglasses, camera, lip balm, sunscreen, fishing lures or whatever else you want to keep handy all fit inside the cockpit tray.

When you’re talking the best kayak for recreational use you need to be thinking about convenience and this boat has got it in spades.

Get more details and buy on Amazon.com

Features and Specifications

Features

• A Zone DLX Seat gives you all-day comfort for your next adventure
• Zone Knee/Thigh Pads make sure that you’re not banging your legs on the side of the Impulse as you paddle
• Keepers Foot Brace System lets you dial in the comfort for a customized fit
• Bungee deck rigging holds all your gear securely to the deck
• Molded-in bow and stern handles make transporting a breeze
• Molded-In dashboard with a bungee holds all of your “need-it-now” gear right at your fingertips
• A tankwell with self-bailing scupper holes lets you bring everything you need for paddling (or for that island BBQ party you’re attending… lucky)

Specifications

• Length:  10 Feet
• Width:  29.5 Inches
• Boat Weight:  44 Lbs
• Deck Height:  16.5 Inches
• Cockpit Length:  54.25 Inches
• Cockpit Width:  23.25 Inches
• Max Capacity:  275 Lbs

Customer Reviews

While there’s no review on Amazon the Impulse has been getting great scores from around the web.  People loved the way it tracked and how agile it was in the water.  “Great for beginners”, “…5 hours without any discomfort!”, “…the dashboard up front is super handy!” and others like these keep coming up.

Buy Now on Amazon.com

With impressive features, a reasonable price tag and a great reception from boaters the Perception Impulse 10 is our winner for The Best Kayak for Recreational Use contest.