Nice starter boat. I took my three year old out on it into windy waters. Even with his leaning this way and that, it was easily kept stable. Fast for a tandam and pretty steerable.Like has been said MANY times, too heavy for one person to get on and off a car top easily. Other than that, it's a great first family boat.
Overall, this is a great boat. I researched tandems for about a year, and the Acadia offered the best options (for me) for the money. My wife, one-year-old daughter, and I use this craft for easy day trips.
Pluses include the more than ample carrying capacity and cockpit space. It also tracks well, is extremely stable and has decent speed, especially for a large tandem.
It is a fairly hefty boat, at 80-lbs, but with Yakima Hully-rollers on the top of the car and a good carrier, I have no problem loading, unloading and launching the kayak by myself. A good carrier will also help prevent damage to the keel that other reviewers have referred to.
My one concern is not regarding the boat itself, but the company that makes it. I tried looking into purchasing a rudder kit, but could never get a hold of any representatives at Perception/Watermark due to a corporate 'changeover.' This is disconcerting because in the event I need any serious assistance, I'm not sure how much support I am going to receive. These circumstances would also dissuade me from purchasing another Perception kayak.
Bottom line: a great, versatile boat, but it would seem once you buy it, you’re on your own.
Don't get me wrong - I have really loved this boat for its intended purposes - BUT I am pretty irritated at realizing that what I thought was my leaky bulkhead storage, was actually a hole in the keel. A tube of silicone caulk seems to have taken care of the problem for now, but what does that say about the overall thickness of the polyethylene elsewhere? I love being able to take my family as well as guests out in this boat, but I paid way too much for it to be a disposable item.
Hey Perception, or Watermark, or whatever your name is these days, make the keel less protruding, and THICKER!!