Product Reviews > Kayaks > Perception > Keowee 2

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10-29-2012
Submitted by: rivannahipsnap - Rating: 10 of 10
     Big - heavy - tank. BUT, it is a great boat for what it is.

Two plastic molded seats with cup holders (that tells you the market right there), large cockpit with easy in-and-out that can easily accommodate two grown-up people or one grown up with two small children and/or pets (I'm not equating the two there), very, very stable. Take this boat and you will be the person designated to carry the extra coolers and gear. You can also easily lay back in it to sunbath or fish from it because there is plenty of room.

The seats are connected by two metal rails on the sides plus one rail that runs down the bottom so if you plan on laying down or seating a third person, take some foam or blankets to put on that rail otherwise it will be like, you know, sitting on a hard metal rail.

When it was just the wife and me she would sit up front and I would tell her to paddle as much or as little as she wished which was waaaay better than having her get tired in a second boat. Now that kids are involved I tell them the same thing and it is great to have them in the same boat with me without feeling like the boat needs the efforts of a second paddler to keep it going.

I think this is one of the best, most functional recreational tandems out there.

12-18-2011
Submitted by: TC - Rating: 9 of 10
     We have had this kayak for at least 7 years I think. Have used it on rivers, creeks, and lakes. It is very durable, lots of room, and easy to paddle. I have had dogs (2), kids(2), and coolers in it on various trips, very stable. It is very heavy and requires 2 people I think to load/unload. Also I would recommend a dry bag as you and your stuff will most likely get a little wet.

08-20-2007
Submitted by: Roger Jones - Rating: 10 of 10
     We have had two Keowee 2s now for five years. Very stable on Class I or II water but cross waves will splash into the Kayak so skirts are needed for Class II conditions. Kids like to perch on the front end and ride the waves. These track well on smooth water and pretty well in windy conditions. Seats need padding for any trip over two hours. Just wish we had put drains in them.

08-11-2006
Submitted by: Shane P - Rating: 10 of 10
     Who is perception, my Keowee 2 has a AquaTorra on the side I thought it was made by them. this is the best self propelled water craft I have ever been in, very stable, comfortable and fun. I have enjoyed it so much I am looking for another when this one wears out.

09-27-2005
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 10 of 10
     I've had my Keowee II for a few years now, and have used it hundreds of times. It's great for my purposes--flatwater cruisin' after work, and is good to paddle alone. It's balanced and tracks well, and is surprisingly fast for its size and heft. The cons: It's very heavy, there are three steel rods in it to accommodate the seats, so it's got to be 75 lbs, that's too much for little old me to handle alone. It's not all that stable despite its width and volume. Pros: It's comfortable for one or two paddlers, and with the right seat adjustment, is just as easy to paddle as a one-man model. It's a great boat for people with kids or well-behaved dogs.

08-03-2005
Submitted by: nicks9306 - Rating: 10 of 10
     What a fun kayak! This was my first kayak, bought used. Was looking for a tandem that could be paddled solo. This is a very stable and comfortable boat, and plows along well in all sorts of water. We use it for short trips, and to just float about. Even took it in the ocean once, handled real well until the wave caught us on the way in (This boat holds a lot of water). Paddlers really need to develop a rhythm to avoid "clacking" or getting hit in the head, because you are close together. It's a bit heavy to use as a single, but manageable. By adding a spray skirt, we're able to extend the season. We're so happy to have found this kayak.

01-29-2002
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
     I am a fairly new Kayak lover. I have come from moderate motor skiffs to the Jocassee, now the K2. I love her, she is warm, safe, and glides easily along the surface of the salt waters. I river fish frequently both day and night with my K2. Originally I have a multi person boat for family and friends. Great, great fun, getting on and off the boat while swimming was simple enough scraddling the front and back ends like riding a horse. I found anyone of all ages could have fun on this boat. I find cockpit too wide and long. Makes a great romance boat. Since I am now a good paddler and paddle mostly solo, I find the 61lbs too much effort for my travels and the boat is not snug enough. I would hesitate to go into the ocean with her. Overall I am really happy to have owned a K2 and encourage anyone with a family (or Large Dog) to own one :)

01-07-2002
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
     The Keowee II was the first boat I paddled 2.5 years ago. I loved the stability and paddled quite a bit solo. Much too unwieldy and heavy (62 LB.) to cartop alone, as I am 5'3". In the end I bought a sierra, then traded that for an america, to paddle solo. however my husband and i rented a keowee II on kaua'i last spring and paddled 3 or 4 rivers with it. we are both 250# people and had no trouble banging paddles against each other once we got our rhythm. we were in chop and rain and the boat is very stable, and turns pretty quickly for something we nicknamed "the couch". since we like to show friends good kayaking places and since the friends are usually beginners we bought a used "couch" of our own and love it. the cockpit is huge and open and i wouldn't take it in surf, but we saw a couple who did---- though they had wetsuits and a spray deck---- it was amazing that the beamy thing really perked up on the 3---6 foot waves. (of course maybe this couple were experienced surf kayakers, we didn't know). for what it is, it's a great ride.

10-30-2001
Submitted by: Morrey Thomas - Rating: 6 of 10
     Keowee II was my first kayak and I purchased it to duck hunt from. It is a dream as far a stability goes but is rather heavy to handle especially alone. As my kayak skills improved, I upgraded to a fiberglass Chesapeke Pro by Wilderness Systems in a camo pattern. This is a serious boat for skilled kayak hunters.

08-24-2001
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 5 of 10
     I owned a Keowee 2 for four years. Very quickly, I found out the basic boat really needed some upgrading. I added a surf rudder, bungee cord deck rigging fore and aft, a deck compass by Suunto, and last a spray skirt. What I liked best: the ease of getting in and out, stability, and load capacity. For such a small duo, unless your telepathic with your partner, you need a surf rudder ($250.00 from Feathercraft). Otherwise you'll be slapping paddles non-stop! Another bonus with the surf rudder is that you need not fear surf or big waves. I got rid of the boat in the end because I ended up paddling the thing most of the time by myself. The K2 was slow too and waves coming straight at you would soak you big time. I also tried to create a touring kayak out of a recreational one! I now own a Wilderness Systems Cape Horn 15' touring kayak in plastic. If I want company on the water, I can rent a double seater, or another single, but if you plan to go solo most of the time go with something else.

01-05-2001
Submitted by: Jim - Rating: 9 of 10
     My wife and I rented a Keowee II in the keys last year. We took a three hour group tour through and around the mangrove trees and flats. After the guide gave us a quick bit of instruction on how to paddle we all took off. He suddenly stood up in his own keoweeII and started to tell everyone in the group that our view might be improved from a standing position. I found his actions amazing because he was a beefy man about 6'4" and weighed about 275 lbs! I stood up and found the bought more stable than the floating dock we had just left behind. After that experience I went back to GA and sold all of my guns to raise the money for two boats with rudders. I strongly recommend that you get the rudder with the kayak. My 8 yr old, 5 yr old, wife, and large dog all love the fun we have using these kayaks to fish, paddle out to an island on a reservoir to picnic, watch the wild life or dump over in shallow water and just get silly. This boat is incredibly stable. I often fly fish out of mine from a standing position. My kids run back and forth in the cock pit with ease. I bet you could easily duck hunt out of it. But then again I sold the guns, remember? This is a fun boat. Not terribly fast or sexy. But for exploring and sneaking up on things this is the family/fishing boat to get. The thought of taking it out into the ocean makes me need a little tequila, though. Not my idea of a very safe thing to do. Although anything is possible. The factory rep told me that this boat is designed so that if you tip it over you better be able to either wade or swim to shore. We spent several sunny weekends intentionally dumping it over (hard to do) and trying a variety of ways to get back in the boat and make it function again. We really couldn't get it to function again. And this was under warm water conditions with no current. About all we ever could do was put the kids back into the boat and push it toward shore. Would I buy the same boat again!? Yes! Its a great family boat/fishing boat for your average thirty-something weekend warrior who wants a bit of an easy get away.

09-18-2000
Submitted by: AR - Rating: 7 of 10
     Compared to my Formula Diamante "sila" the Keeowee 2 is a barge...a divorce boat...bow and stern paddler sit to close together to paddle properly..poly hull deforms.. an aluminum keelson is not firmly attached to the hull. Regardless.. I can paddle one faster than an electric motor on a 13 ft jon boat with one passanger can push. Shape is water repellent--small and medium (>4 ft) waves break away from the cockpit while travelling +- 45 degrees to the angle of incidence to the wave's direction vector at 1-6 kph (as fast as a very shapely human can paddle one of these). It is great for picnics, watching a fall full moon on a calm lake.

08-12-2000
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
     I bought my Keowee 2 at least 5 or 6 years ago to serve as a solo expedition craft for class 2 & 3 rivers. I've only gotten to use it for that a few times (I'm really a canoeist)and it did very well. I've had it in the Atlantic off NC barrier islands (once beyond the breakers it did well, but I swam several times coming back to shore)but it's not really made for that.I've had several novice friends use it on rivers, and they usually liked it well enough. It's spent many hours on Lake Fontana serving as a swimming platform for my kids. It's not fancy, fast or nimble, but it's a pretty good boat.

07-06-2000
Submitted by: CHW - Rating: 7 of 10
     I have had a Keowee2 for four years using it in the lower waters of the Housatonic River in Connecticut. It is indeed a very stable boat and well suits for fishing, even flyfishing. No problem taking it into the open water of the Long Island Sound But a great tracker it is not, When the wind and tide are whipping on theriver there are days when it's impossible to keep it from going in circles. Time to give up and go home.

06-10-2000
Submitted by: EFS - Rating: 7 of 10
     This boat is ok for beginners but not pros.

07-12-1999
Submitted by: Debbie Lockey - Rating: 8 of 10
     My Keowee 2 was my 1st kayak, and is stable, roomy, but not the easiest to track. It is great for taking a friend along on a Nature photo shoot, or picnic because it has lots of room for storage, and photographing is tough in a single (I have a Swifty). It is a great boat for beginners...just buy good paddles!

06-27-1999
Submitted by: Chuck - Rating: 10 of 10
     What a GREAT boat! I'm new to kayaking but have been paddling canoes for 40 years. The Keowee 2 is exactly what I wanted in a kayak. VERY stable, cruises nicely, converts to and paddles as a solo with EASE, the perfect boat for exploring ponds, lakes and gentle rivers on beautiful sunset evenings! Its also very nice looking, and the 61 lbs. weight makes it doable to handle as a solo. Piece of cake for two! My only compalint is that the plastic bottom doesn't seem to be stiff enough, and my car rack (Yakima Hully rollers) routinely dents the bottom, though it restores to its original shape within a day. Perception should also pay more attention to their published specs. No drain plug or "molded flotation" for '99. These minor beefs aside, the Keowee 2 is definitely a PLEASURE and a keeper for two!

UPDATE 9/6/99: My son and I took our Keowee2 toi Newfoundland for camping and paddling for two weeks, and she performed BEAUTIFULLY! We did all sorts of paddling on gentle rivers, lakes and fjords and she didn't miss a beat. She tracked beautifully and proved top be relatively fast and graceful. We did some long paddles up glacial lakes into fjords and the miles went by without any complaints from either of us regarding the effort required. I do have one complaint: the unadjustable seat back is somewhat of a pain on long paddles since its difficult to vary seating position andcomfort, and I found the angle of the seat back much to laid-back so that on long paddles, I was constantly battling slipping forward off the seat. But this was only apparent on very long paddles. Otherwise, she was a BLAST and made this trip for us. She handled all sorts of water with ease! BTW, DON'T MISS WESTERN NEWFOUNDLAND (but don't let the secret out!!!!!)

04-12-1999
Submitted by: Rickey Brown - Rating: 9 of 10
     Have utilized my Keowee 2 in the marshes of Louisiana, slow moving streams of Mississippi, slow moving Buffalo River in Arkansas, and the Gulf of Mexico. The Keowee 2 tracks real well in calm waters, but does not easily turn in faster moving water. Do not recommend using in Gulf! Overall, I have been extremely pleased with this purchase.

01-28-1999
Submitted by: Alan Hancox - Rating: 8 of 10
     Good size family boat, very stable and can carry a smmall child as well as two adults.

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