Mandatory FIX to the Perception Showdown Kayak Rudder
- Randy Reek, The Great Out There
- Jun 19
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 26
Do NOT put your Perception Showdown pedal kayak in the water before making this simple modification!
I have owned dozens of kayaks and canoes. I had been shopping for a pedal kayak for some time. The obvious resistance to making this purchase was the high cost!
It was a delight to find "pre-season" sales on several alternatives. After some comparison shopping (prop-drive versus fin-drive, primarily) I took advantage of a sale on the Perception Showdown.
After taking delivery, I finished the assembly process by installing the rudder.
(The Perception Showdown kayak has a steering rudder that is detached for shipping.) The rudder attaches to the kayak hull with a shaft and split ring. Cables are connected to a small lever to the left of the seat. These cables also need to be connected to the rudder assembly which turns the rudder left and right.
The rudder rotates on a shaft that allows you to raise and lower it. Paracord lines run through the hull and are located just below the steering lever. Pulling one line flips the rudder down. Pulling the other line rotates the rudder up into the kayak.
After attaching the rudder and the lines to the steering handle, I tested the operation with the kayak resting on saw horses in my shop. Everything worked flawlessly. There is a little slack in both the steering and elevation lines - but i can't see any advantage to adding stress by tightening either.
On to the lake! I transport the heavy Showdown in my pickup with a bed extender that I purchased from Amazon. This extender can also be used vertically for a longer sea kayak and a roof rack.
After a few hours of paddling and pedaling, I returned to the shore to reload for the trip home. As I approached the shore, just before stepping out of the kayak, I raised the rudder. I heard a clunk and was amazed to see the rudder detached, hanging in the water by the cables. The hub had disappeared into the dark water!
My next contact was Confluence Outdoors, and I was anxious to witness the Perception warranty process. After submitting the warrant claim - including photos and a copy of my purchase receipt - I was informed that the process might take a few weeks.
In the meantime, I studied the rudder to learn that the raise/lower lines are a continuous loop threaded through the blade. It was obvious that there is a pulley system that the lines run through to rotate the blade vertically.
I began to consider my options if the warranty claim was not resolved. I concluded that the simplest alternative would be to use a generic rudder, connecting the existing lines to the steering handle. If I needed to resort to this option, I would simply live without the raise/lower function.
After two weeks, I hadn't heard anything from Perception/Confluence and concluded that Plan B was necessary - so I ordered a basic rudder from Amazon. Of course, the next day I received notification that parts had been shipped and to expect the replacement Perception parts within a week!
After receiving the parts to reassemble the rudder I can now see what - this is a TERRIBLE design! The rudder rotates on a hollow two-piece plastic shaft. The two sections are inserted from the opposite sides of the rudder bracket - and are held together by a tiny screw less than 1/2 inch long!
This sheet metal screw is inserted into a hollow, thin plastic tube. No glue, no Loctite, and no metal reinforcement. Looking at the central 2-piece hub, it is obvious that this is the weak link in the rudder design. If the tiny screw is overtightened during the assembly process or simply loosens over time, it will fall out, the two sections of the shaft will separate, and the raise/lower pulley assembly will be lost.
The EASY fix - and the PROPER design - would be to replace the worthless screw with a tiny bolt. I did just this in about 15-minutes! This tiny 8-32 bolt is 1000-times more secure than a screw in soft plastic.
Note that you need to drill out the hollow tube to accept the through-bolt. I also added a washer at both ends and a nylock nut that will last forever!
I have supplied this same information to Perception/Confluence and strongly encouraged them to make this small modification. The added cost of a bolt and locknut will be about 25-cents. A small price to pay! Otherwise, the expensive pedal kayak is worthless with a defective rudder!
I hope this easy modification keeps another Perception Showdown kayak owner from being stranded miles away from their dock! This entire process reminds me of the nursey rhyme:
Perception Kayaks prides itself on being American-made. I try to Buy American whenever I can. Overall, I am very satisfied with my purchase and the performance on the water. But this is a bad example of cost-cutting in production. The function of an expensive kayak is destroyed by a penny screw! This isn't a part that anyone would examine during the final assembly process. The rudder works - that's it - until it doesn't!
Here is more info on the repair to the Showdown rudder, and before and after on-the-water footage:
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