Perception Tribe 11.5 | Sit on Top Kayak | Recreational Kayak | 11' 5"

This is my second Tribe 11.5 and sixth Perception sit-on-top kayak. The 11.5-foot version of the Tribe is an excellent kayak for cruising medium-sized lakes. The slim beam width makes the boat to glide quickly through water. The upswept bow (rocker) makes the boat ride over waves, boat wake and chop. The moderately high deck height prevent waves and power boat wake from entering the kayak from the sides (beam). This makes the boat perfect for afternoon cruises when the wind increases.I am a kayaking instructor and have several kayaks, both sit-inside and sit-on-top. The Tribe 11.5 is my favorite kayak. It responds quickly to different paddle strokes, turns easily, and tracks straight if you paddle properly. The length is perfect for paddlers weighing 200 to 250 lbs. The boat is not excessively heavy. The sealed hull makes for a safe journey on the water.This one arrived slightly damaged in shipping with a V-shaped gauge in the starboard forward section. I've had kayaks from Amazon delivered in perfect condition, but you are always taking a chance with freight forwarders. This damage is not enough to return the boat, and kayaks get scraped when used, so it is not a deal breaker.All kayakers eventually capsize their boat accidentally. Make sure you learn kayak self rescues from a certified instructor and practice them frequently. If you capsize the Tribe 11.5 in deep water, re-enter the boat by grabbing the two carrying handles in the middle and then scramble back on board. This boat is difficult to re-enter from the bow and stern due to the pronounced rocker.You don't have to pay a lot for a great sit-on-top kayak, and the Tribe 11.5 is the best I've found for fun, safe lake cruising. For paddlers under 200 lbs, the Tribe 9.5 is an excellent choice that weighs less and is easy to transport. Amazon sells those, too.

Tribe 11.5 is the perfect boat for a larger paddler! I'm 5'11 and large in the seat. This boat is so comfortable!!! I can fully stretch out in the boat and not have my legs get cramped up. The seat is framed and very comfortable on the back. It's wide enough for me not to feel cramped. It moves really nice in the water - really nice. This is my first kayak and I'm thrilled at how stable it feels and how easy it is to move through the water. I haven't had it on rough water yet - but so far I'm very pleased.

Just received my kayak today. I LOVE it. I’m super excited to get it out on the water and put it through the paces. I’ll be giving an update after I’ve had time to test it out. Update: I recently got the chance to take it out for the first time to the floatilla event on Caddo Lake. It glided through the water and was easy to maneuver in a mild current. The seat was very comfortable and I had plenty of leg room. There’s a ton of top side storage with a small dry well and cup holder. I can’t wait to take it out on the water again.

I ordered 3 and I got a call last week stating they wanted to deliver my order early on 4/10/20, my son was so excited but today only 1 kayak came, not his, mine came and it came damaged in the front and has no paddle and there are 6 holes in the bottom that I think need plugs for? I don't know as there is no instruction manual for it either, I'm a beginner so i was hoping for some type of instruction manual and it would have what it needs to put in the water and use???!!!

Love this kayak! Plenty of room & a very comfortable seat. Glides along easily and tracks well. Very stable...I purposely leaned first to one side then the other as a test of stability. The kayak very quickly leveled out. I felt secure even when getting on & off. Highly recommend. Amazon's shipping was also great; we have zero complaints.

Got these 2 kayaks for our family for Christmas. Won’t be able to use till it warms up. They look beautiful. Love the little dry sack and great storage areas. My only complaint right now is one of them had this ugly white sticker it’s going to be a bitch to remove. Same sticker in the bag on the 2nd kayak. I had to go back and order oars, lifejackets, plugs for bottom holes, a trolly and hoists to hang from garage ceiling. At least I have a trailer already.

We did a lot of research before making this purchase. We live on a wide and fast moving salt water river that connects to the Gulf of Mexico. There is a lot of boat traffic and sometimes it's like kayaking in a washing machine. We also have to deal with a lot of wind and strong tides. We have two 11 1/2 ft Tribes. They track well and feel very stable in the water.

I have to admit I was a bit nervous ordering these from Amazon as they were sold out everywhere else, but they came with a manufacturer certificate of authenticity and were definitely the 2020 models. The colors are absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I only marked it four stars because there was a slight nick in the boat, but nothing super noticeable. For what it's worth the "2019" deja vu color my boyfriend ordered has 2020 pictures on amazon and actually arrived as the 2020 model, which we were thrilled about. I have experience with previous years of the tribe series and they are very good kayaks--I'm particularly excited about the comfier seat re-design.