Perception plastic problem? What perception plastic problem? Do you really mean a problem specific to Perception, or do you mean a general problem with using plastic as a boat material, regardless of manufacturer? If it's the later, do you really mean "problem", or just the specific characteristics and proper handling methods, as opposed to fiberglass, S&G, Strip, SOF, etc? Regardless, I have a plastic Perception boat. While I'm certainly not an expert on plastic kayaks, I'll chime in with my experience (it was hard not to say "with my perception of the issue). My boat was bought in February of 2000. I store it outside, on a homemade rack. Contact with the rack is 2 pressure treated 2x4s (no padding of any sort), spaced about a third of the boat length from each end. It's also covered with a tarp with a little breathing room. The tarp is mostly for sap and bird dookey. I wipe it down with a UV inhibitor twice yearly. Temps have gotten as low as the teens (rare, but it's gotten that low for a few days) normal winter temps in the mid thirties (or thereabouts), high temps at 100 with high humidity. Been snowed on, iced on, rained on, occassionally gets pelted with hail, falling twigs, pine cones, and I think a wiffleball at least once, but the kids are denying it - hell of a pop fly, though!!! So far, 100% of my paddling has been in salt water. Don't know the exact salinity, but after a few hours on the water with light wind and low waves (ie - the deck not being continually "washed"), the water droplets evaporate and I can actually wipe my hand across the plastic and come up with lots of gritty salt crystals. So, with that in mind, I have had absolutely no problems with the plastic of my boat. I've had no discoloration - at least none to my "perception" (had to throw that in, sorry) - and no problems with warping, oil canning, or anything of the sort. The hull is scraped up pretty good, but whose isn't? That's my 2 cents. If there is a "dreaded Perception Plastic Problem", I'm not experiencing it, or am blind to it if I am experiencing it. But, now that I've said that, I'll pick it up to load it on my truck this weekend, and it will crumble in my hands. Rick - Poquoson, VA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Sep 16 2002 - 06:13:27 PDT
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