Equinox

I have been research kayaks for a long time now. It was finally time to pull the trigger. By a stroke of luck, my local paddle shop had a used Equin0x for sale. I couldn't be happier with my decision. Oh, and this is my first kayak. After an hour in the water, I knew this was the boat for me. I am on the larger side (5'10", 235lbs), and the cockpit fits great. It tracks great and slips through the water effortlessly. I am now looking forward to taking a class or two and start using it to it's fullest capacity. The perfect cross between a rec kayak and a touring kayak. Love it so much, I just purchased a used Skylark for the kids. Full disclosure, this is a 13 year old used boat. The previous owner stored it inside and treated it well. No issues, no fading. Eddyline makes a heck of a durable boat that lasts.

My husband and I have had our Eddyline Equinox kayaks for 6 years and still love them. They are lightweight, stable, very maneuverable and have very comfortable seats. They also have a nice amount of storage space, which is great for all-day outings or kayak camping trips. Eddyline makes a great product.

I was a new paddler when my husband first started to talk me into buying an Eddyline. I wasn't convinced they were worth the $$$, but after a few years in 10' plastic boats, I realized I was ready for something faster and higher quality. 4 years later, I am thrilled we went for it. We paddle all over the west, searching out lakes, reservoirs and wide rivers to explore. Even in high winds I know I can handle the boat and make it to wherever I need to go - they're fast, sleek, stable and have a low profile that just glides through waves and wakes. I'm 63 years old, slightly overweight and try to paddle almost every weekend during the summer. I have back issues and this comfortable boat allows me to still be active when other things I used to do are no longer options. The construction is impeccable, the boat is stable, the seats are super comfortable, the foot pegs are easy to adjust and the boats are so lightweight for their length. They are worth every penny, and I encourage paddlers that are ready to step up to the best to just go for it. I have never looked back, and enjoy every minute of paddling since we got our Eddylines.

We love our 14 Equinox. We paddle all over SW Florida and have taken groups of friends through various paddle areas. These boats are very versatile and can handle open water as well as backwater. It took us eight boats to get to these. We tell everyone, buy this boat. Love Eddyline.

As my first kayak, my Eddyline Equinox kayak changed my life. After reading many reviews and deciding to opt for stability and lightness, this boat was my perfect solution. I can easily lift it, so I am able to go out whenever I like. From the first moment I stepped into the cockpit of my Equinox, I felt at once excited and reassured. My boat glides easily and quickly through the water and every time I go out, I find something new to love about it.

I have paddled my Equinox for 10 years. It tracks well and is comfortable to paddle. I use it mainly on the Chesapeake Bay and I handles rough seas very well. I also have paddled rivers, creeks and marshes and it is easy to maneuver in tight areas. The only problem I have is that after 10 years the seat is falling apart.

I LOVE it! I especially love the adjustable/sliding seat with a comfy back. The weight is perfect and I can load by myself. I never get tired of paddling in this boat - it is really comfortable.

I'm 6'4" and 182 lbx, with size 14 shoes. Was looking for a faster, lighter boat than our poly/roto Jackson Journey 14'. I love the fit and finish of the Equinox--it is a seriously beautiful boat. Love the lighter weight also (about 14 lbs lighter than the Journey). The Equinox's deeper-V keel makes it track like a dream, whereas the Journey's flat bottom (OK, if we stretch, we can call it a "U") means you are constantly fighting crosswinds and other tendencies to veer off course. I'm not sure if the Equinox is any faster than the Journey, but maybe a tad. The Equinox definitely is more efficient than the Journey (especially our older Journey with its scratched-up hull)--doesn't require as much work to go the same speed. And with its super-smooth, nearly-rigid hull, the Equinox glides like an eagle! I stopped paddling on still water with no wind, and measured 85 yards glided, and was still going but so slowly that I got bored and stopped the experiment early. I bet our Journey wouldn't glide half as far. And yet the very best thing about the Equinox is its fantastic stability. Wow! You can almost dip your shoulder sideways into the water and still not tip the boat over. That is some serious secondary stability. I think you get that superb stability through the greater width of the boat (although, even with all that width, my feet only barely bit when on the footrests--the heels touch together), which costs you speed. Overall, I'm very happy. Might turn this boat over to my spouse, if I get a Eddyline Sitka XT. Or we might buy another Equinox. Not the fastest kayak on the water, but in every other way it is outstanding, for the lower cost. No reason to buy fiberglass, when you can get this boat for half the cost.

I have owned an Eddyline Denali for several years now, and it is my go-to kayak for overnight trips. I recently added an Eddyline Equinox to the fleet because I wanted a second kayak to keep on the deck of my sailboat to use for day-tripping. The Equinox is significantly lighter and shorter than the Denali, which makes it better for launching and retrieving from the mother ship.

I am 6'3", and would not advise this boat for larger paddlers. I fit into it with the pegs all the way forward and the seat all the way back, and the thigh pads don't give me any wiggle room. (Unlike the Denali, where I have room to spare and set it up with the seat somewhat forward.)

I'm happy to report that the Equinox doesn't seem to need a skeg, and tracks better than any boat I've ever seen. There is sufficient buoyancy in the bow when paddled empty, but I haven't loaded it with camping gear and doubt that it would perform as well with a load as the Denali does. Where the Denali tends to hobbyhorse a bit when paddled light, the Equinox is in its sweet spot in those conditions. Although I would rather surf the Denali because it's less likely to bury the bow, the Equinox performs well in following seas, and has never shown a tendency to broach.

My wife and I currently own five kayaks, four of which are Eddylines. She paddles a Merlin LT and a Samba, the Merlin being the boat she keeps on our sailboat to accompany my Equinox. Our only non-Eddyline boat is our tandem, a 22" Current Designs Libra XT, which has a large hatch between the two cockpits. A shame Eddyline doesn't offer a large touring tandem such as this. (Hint!)

Thank you Eddyline!! My husband and I started out in 11 ft entry level kayaks, less than 2 years later we upgraded to the Eddyline 14 ft Equinox. We love these boats!

The Carbonlite 2000 material is light enough for me to load & unload by myself and very easy to handle. New Hampshire can have unpredictable weather, when the wind kicks up we have no problem hauling through the swells. Sleek, easy to turn & comfortable the only thing missing is a spot for my camera! I would love if Eddyline came up with something to integrate into the cockpit for this purpose.

My wife and I, both relative novices, tested many kayaks this spring, and we each concluded that we preferred the Equinox (14') to a variety of more expensive kayaks. I suspect that they are the lightest and most versatile kayaks for under $2,000, and from our perspective handle as well as kayaks costing much more. We were recently on a large pond at Martha's Vineyard and got caught in a sudden and unexpected squall - from dead calm to wind and rain and whitecaps - and my wife, after some serious initial concern, concluded that she was in fact completely safe and stable as we paddled through it. And they look beautiful.

I have owned many kayaks over the past 15 years, but now, having arrived at a 'certain age' with 2 hip replacements, I needed a kayak that was both stable and easier to enter and exit than my absolutely wonderful, fast, beautiful Samba with the keyhole cockpit, which had been my latest acquisition. I sold Eddyline Samba to a nimble gal that loves her and polishes her with a diaper.

On to my new yak... Equinox.
White, gorgeous, big enough (but not TOO big) cockpit, very responsive (rudder, only used in windy, open waters), at 14' is perfect for waters around our area - Homosassa, Florida, (scooting up rivers and narrow feeder creeks). I love this kayak and this will likely be my last purchase because she feels like my Best On-the-Water Friend. Reliable. Steady. True-blue.

Having paddled my Eddyline Equinox for a little over a year now, I through that it was time to report some my opinions. First a little about me. I am 6'3" about 220 lbs. and pushing hard on 60 years old. I have canoed for 5 decades and owned kayaks for about 15 years but have mainly used an old beat up Old Town Loon 138 as a platform for fly fishing for stripers from our place in Maine and to run over to Biddeford Pool for beer and lobster. I have put in a couple of hundred hours paddling the Equinox and for the first time have given some serious through to developing my techniques.

First impression: My objectives were to get a high quality boat that was light enough for me to wrestle atop my car solo that would allow me to do modestly challenging flat water in the windy Midwest. The Equinox meets these qualifications. It is a thermoform boat so it is very tough while having a weight that approaches a composite. As with every Eddyline boat I have seen the build quality is excellent. It is a 14 ft boat with sealed compartments fore and aft with a weight of 45 lbs making it easy to flip on top of my Camry. The boat is very rigid and highly resistant to the dings and bangs of launching and landing on rocky shorelines. The cockpit opening is large (18.5 x 35 in.) making entrance and egress easy but mandating a spray skirt to keep water out during even modest edging. The boat easily handles my size. The standard footbrace just fits my 34” inseam and my size 11 feet fit as long as I don’t try to wear Tevas.

Second impressions: Eddyline designed the Equinox as a transitional boat with the high primary and secondary stability of a recreational kayak but length and hatches of a touring boat. They have succeeded in these objectives. With its 25 in. width, shallow V bottom, and hard chine constructions the boat has very high initial stability. Even complete novices are very comfortable. The boat makes a good platform for fishing, photography, and even putting your knees up and eating lunch. It also provides solid secondary stability needed to learn to rely on edges and leans. The seat is comfortable for me for 3 or 4 hours. There is plenty of room to stash a few days of camping supplies in the hatches.

Third impressions: While most of my paddling has been solo, I have put in enough miles with others to know that the Equinox is very easy to keep straight even in strong quartering winds and 2-3 foot waves. The boat does not have a rudder or skeg and does not need one. I have also learned that while the boat edges great it does not turn terribly quickly. One paddler, who is an instructor, did not believe me until he tried it. Sweeps and leans have to be greatly exaggerated to have the desired effect. I have tried it once on a small muddy Midwestern river and the limited agility made it less than an ideal boat. While the boat is not a dog, you have to work harder than your fellow travelers to keep up with equally skilled paddlers in true sea kayaks.

Overall: This boat is exactly what it is supposed to be. It is an extremely well designed extremely well built introductory kayak for someone that wants a high performance recreational boat or a low performance touring boat. It tracks well and probably for most paddlers will be more boat than they ever need. It has also convinced me of the quality of Eddyline products and of their thermoform plastics. I suspect that some folks will feel they want a higher performance boat in a year or so. I tried an Eddyline Fathom for an hour the other day and covet it mightily for its increased speed and nimbleness.

Sweet boat. Best boat I've owned by far. Good initial and excellent secondary stability. Good speed for a 14' boat, but I wouldn't call it a speedster. It will give you a taste of riding smaller swells and wind driven lake waves, but the rides will be rather short. You'll have to work hard for longer rides.

Tracks straight and true on windless days. Can be pushed around a bit by stronger winds, but correctable. Excellent fit and finish. A pride to own. My rating of 10 is relative to other boats of similar length.

This is an informational posting related to the backrest problem already mentioned by another reviewer. Eddyline offers a Backfloat which serves the purpose of backrest inflatable cushion, and paddle float which is already partially inflated. Please disregard the 10. I just used the default value.

Wow, a kayak that actually performs exactly as claimed by the manufacturer and as set out in the reviews! I am a newbie, with several inherent handicaps to developing skills in a sport I am starting to love: I am 210 pounds with broad shoulders and short legs (28" inseam.) The result is a build that makes tipping over all too-easy to do -- unintentionally. I am also 58 years old with limited agility courtesy of Uncle Sugar circa 1969.

My first outing in a kayak which was supposed to be "very stable" resulted in rolling over at the launch. I switched to something said to be suitable for a beginner with "great primary stability and good secondary." I rolled that one over the first time I tried to apply a little force doing a draw stroke. Looking around a bit more, I decided that the hull design of a Tsunami 165 with its shallow V and distinct chines (easy for a newbie to feel and hold the secondary stability) would work for me. It did, but the tradeoff was a rather heavy boat at 65+ pounds, one a bit hard to turn, a tad ponderous to move out, but great once you got it going. So I wanted something smaller and lighter, and more "agile" but with the same type of chined hull and stabilty.

I did my research looking for another hull design with a shallow V and chines, and ended up speaking to Joe at Eddyline. Joe went into detail about their design objectives and, after describing my size and build, said go with their Equinox. He hooked me up with a local dealer (Great Lakes Kayak in Lake Bluff Illinois) who had a demo and several new boats in stock. The demo was the next day.

I spent a minute looking at the hull design with its distinct chines, we put it in the water, and I said, "Gee, it feels a bit twitchy." No, that turned out to be just quicker response on a lighter boat than the one I was used to (the 45 pound claim Eddyline lists is correct.) The Equinox is also superbly balanced, providing faster and more precise reactions than I was used to from my heavier, and longer Tsunami. The first paddle was all it took to feel what is indeed very good initial stability and then a quick lean and --- YES, THERE IT IS-- very distinct and wonderful secondary stability. This little puppy has simply marvelous secondary stability. If you want to tip over, you have to work at it. I bought the new one right on the spot.

I took it out for three hours late yesterday on Lake Michigan after a storm, conditions mostly flat with gentle 2 to 3 foot swells. It handled them comfortably. You paddle, it moves out fast. Tracks dead on, and turns on a dime. I started to have a lot of fun and managed to lean over and start to 'carve' without feeling the least bit nerous or needing to.

After wringing it out and trying out all I had been taught, This kayak is a great sports car. A responsive hull that feels like it is one with its paddler and responds like my son's Mini Cooper, you give it the input, and it leaps to respond! Speed is no doubt less than longer, narrower boats, but seems plenty fast for it length/beam. Again, if there is any trade off in this design it is would only be 'top end' speed, which I am quite willing to give up for its sports car handling and agility.

Comfort? The cockpit is a perfect fit for me, despite my large size and the boat's relatively short length. The footbraces are a snap to adjust, and the tigh and hip braces fit me fine, even with my large upper body build. The seat looks hard, but after three hours without a break, it proved to be very comfortable. I did see the other review which has some reservation about the seatback comfort, but even with a wired-together and fragile back, I was fine once I picked one of the three easily-adjustable seat back heights. (Adjustment is a ten second, one screw process, with no need for tools.)

The build quality and detailing is outstanding. I would recommend this boat for anyone like myself, new to the sport and with any issues at all about stability. I can also see that it would be a great boat for those who need something lighter than a full-on touring kayak or want a boat to go out and just have fun for a day.

I plan on keeping the Equinox for a long time, since even if I can get to a level where I am a 'pro' I cannot imagine getting rid of something this responsive and this much fun.

The Equinox is a gem of a boat for us large frame guys.I have been at this sport for four years and this is my third boat. I had it out on the lake with 1 to 2 foot waves and it handled the wind and waves without any problem. It is very stable. You can lean it until water starts coming in the cockpit without fear of tipping. The Eddyline workmanship is outstanding. I looked a long time to find my next boat.

I still have the poly HV Kestral for the creeks. So you long legged large folks give it a try and you will be delighted that they finally built a kayak for us that has room yet is fast and stable.