Skylark

I bought this kayak since as I age I can't lift my heavier boats. It is 32 lbs. which is great. Paddling the the Pine Barrens of NJ on one of the rivers it turned out to be a bad choice for the fast running water. It doesn't track well and tips easily. I will use it on small lakes in the future.

I bought this kayak after moving from the Southwest to the Southeast. I had a cheap Pelican in the Southwest because there was basically no water there. Now, there are rivers and coastlines to explore so I upgraded to the beautiful Eddyline Skylark. It's been a wonderful ride during the last several months. As a 62 year old woman with considerable paddling experience that goes well beyond poking about in a Pelican, it is relatively easy to slide up on my car top racks using the bath mat method. Another review posted it as 49 pounds but it is only 41 pounds. It tracks well and is responsive. I'm happy with my purchase.

That said, a few issues, especially at this price point: the hull is delicate and you can't bang about in rivers with rocks or carelessly launch from a concrete landing, etc. I mean, you have to think about the hull *all of the time". Sure, you can rub out the scratches and some will say you need to enjoy the boat and not worry about a few scars, but who wants to worry about that? I am one that likes to pay more for good toys and then I take good care of them so they last a long time.

A few additional minor complaints: no cupholder, no paddle holder.

The perfect higher end all around beginner to intermediate kayak! You can feel stable as a beginner with plenty of room to grown & develop skills. Narrow & refined enough lines to track straight with easy, but still has a nice open, easy access cockpit. The absolutely fabulous low weight of 49 lb makes this the easiest boat ever to move and load for a woman or older boater! I have owned 4 boats including a 14 foot liquid logic that is now too heavy to handle, but this has allowed my to continue enjoying my sport. Nice lines, plenty of storage & buggies for gear. This is one, wonderful boat!

We bought these boats last spring from Empire kayak in Island Park New York. We could not have made a better decision. The Skylark is an extremely stable fast boat That is easy to paddle in many different kinds of weather. Gabrielle and Mike from Empire kayak for fabulous. They let us take it out for a long paddle test as well as other boats that they had.

I am a 5'2", 66 year old female. I was looking for an all round recreational kayak that I could grow into and enjoy for years. My criteria was lightweight so i could handle it myself..good tracking...stable...comfortable seats...dry wells....and a skeg. After reviewing, sitting in and lifting many kayaks, I settled on Eddyline Skylark. I have not regretted my choice at all. Although it doesn't have a skeg, the hull shape is fabulous for tracking! I was kayaking Lake Erie...out for a pleasant day.. forcast was for water like glass for the day. I ended up in 1' to 3' swells and waves an hour later! I remember asking Jesus to calm the waters....he answered back..." learn to paddle"! I didn't have my spray skirt on because it was so calm. For 45 minutes I paddled hard. My Skylark was FABULOUS! Its tracking was excellent. I was kayak surfing. The boat handled beautifully no matter which angle I took a swell or wave. People were standing on shore to make sure I made it in safe. A 3' wave picked me up and I rode it into shore. As I landed I thought about how beautifully the boat handled and there was very little water inside! What a great paddling day and I believe a lot of it was because of the Skylark itself.

I love my Eddyline kayak! My husband has an Eddyline Equinox and every year we look forward to kayaking season. The Skylark is very stable and tracks well. We have many photos of happy times on the Cascade lakes and the Deschutes River near our Bend home.

I've had this kayak for a year now and love it! It both looks and paddles beautifully, is easy to clean, easy to car top due it's light (41 lb) weight and slices through the water with ease. The seat is comfortable for hours and the stability of the kayak is impressive.

I love my Skylark. It’s lighter at and easy for me to load. It maneuvers well on both rivers and lakes. It’s well constructed and a joy to paddle in.

I own two Eddyline kayaks and love the quality of workmanship and materials. They are both stable, easy to maneuver and easy to keep clean. The lightweight makes them easily transportable. They both track well and have been used in both lake and Salish sea excursions. The watertight hatched are perfect for packing a lunch and keeping valuables dry. The only thing I would add would be a cup holder but that is a minor detail. Overall, a great kayak that I heartily recommend.

Very pleased with our Eddyline Skylarks! Wonderful company to do business with and a top notch kayak. Looked into many other kayaks but ended up choosing the Eddyline brand and so happy we did. Not too heavy to load up and glides thru the water like a dream. We look forward to every ride and get to spend quality time with our family and friends out on the water.

Terrific kayak in terms of handling, with enough agility for good flow rivers, class 2 rapids, and touring. LightWeight makes for ease. Comfort in cockpit.

Before I purchased an Eddyline Skylark, I checked online to find out what kayaking "experts" had to say. The Skylark was going to be my first hard-shell kayak. The "experts" said that the Skylark had excellent maneuverability and tracking for a boat of its relatively small length (12') . One would have to purchase a kayak of substantially greater length and price to find comparable features. Once I owned the kayak, I agreed entirely! My Skylark was an "original" model, weighing in at only 38 lbs. Basically, I, as a woman, can practically carry the boat with one hand. What I did see with my own eyes on the day of purchase was an upturned (Greenland) bow and a shaped bottom keel. The bow plows through waves on a lake and sends the spray flinging to the side like water-wings. The bottom keel is what makes for great tracking without a rudder or skeg found on longer craft. Hard chines provide stability. It's true, no single kayak performs all outdoor-functions: the Skylark is a lake-oriented craft. That being said, the Skylark can provide hours and days of enjoyment on a lake or a Class I river. The newer model (since about 2010) has a closed front bulkhead with a small storage compartment.

Owed two years As my first kayak it has been an excellent starting point to build confidence and technique towards my goal of getting out into the ocean with a more appropriate sized yak. Now that I’ve had the time to try others designs I understand the similarities to its larger and more capable versions. Although it is recreational sized it has the potential for more advanced play and is quick to respond due to its lighter weight. It’s a forever boat that I’ll enjoy paddling with the less than adventurous and only leave it at home if the conditions (ocean) dictate. Graceful lines, light weight, shiny and just plain fun.

Extremely stable ans fast. At only 41 lbs the Carbonite hull is easy to move both in and out of the water. Hatches and bulkheads in both the bow and stern provide for safety and storage. Great Kayak for all around use.

My wife and I bought a couple Eddylines (me a Skylark, her a Rio) last year as we wanted kayaks that were stable, lightweight and would glide through the lakes we paddle in Central Oregon. We have also used them on the calmer streams and love the ride. The Skylark turned out to be an excellent choice for me and the sleeker and lighter Rio was the perfect fit for her! We love the storage hatches which hold all our gear, food, clothes, camera & more that we need for our daily adventures. We look forward to our first overnight camping paddle trip! I would recommend either of these for someone who wants to step up to a better flat water kayak.

Wonderful option for flat water kayak. Great ride, handling and stability. Best of all, light weight. Just over 40 lbs lets me load on roof rack with ease.

For our Central Oregon lakes and small rivers this is THE boat. We own several Eddylines and this is the "go-to" boat to introduce newbes to kayaking, or for us to just explore or day-trip. It's light, stable, comfortable, straight tracking but maneuverable, and confidence-inspiring (I think the word "seaworthy" is appropriate). Large enough to store a few clothes and food, small enough to carry on a compact car and fit in any garage. The thermoformed material is durable and construction quality is second to none. I'll give it a rating of 10 even though it doesn't have a dedicated cupholder (whine, whine).

In 2013 I retired at the age of 70, and was given a gift of an Eddyline Skylark 12 to commemorate my new freedom to go kayaking whenever I wanted!!

This kayak is a dream to paddle, excellent tracking and stability, it cuts through the water like butter, and at 41 lbs. is so lightweight to carry and to load. The cockpit is roomy (I don't travel light, love my gear), and the padded foam seat and back very comfy. I paddled for about 5 hrs with only one walk around stop and could still walk at my takeout with minimal back/ rear fatigue. The Red Pearl deck finish and white hull are beautiful, and tough -

I inadvertently tested the strength of the hull by paddling up onto a submerged piece of giant old concrete pipe, with such force that after working the boat off, I immediately headed to shore with tears, to see what surely would be a hole somewhere in the hull. To my amazement it was only barely scraped, and the Carbonite ABS had lived up to as advertised!!

Love love love this kayak !!

I have not kayaked in 35 yrs and am a novice. I rented the Eddyline Skylark and was amazed by the ease of handling and tracking even though I was in a shorter kayak. Great kayak.

We have Skylark, Eddyline Kayaks and we love them. They are compact enough to sit on top of our truck and still pull our trailer. We take them everywhere. They do not have a rudder but they handle beautifully on the water and track beautifully. They have two water tight compartments with plenty of room for extra gear. We absolutely love them. We have used them in rivers, lakes, the ocean and sound, only recreational purposes and calm water. On the ocean we used our spray skirts. They handle like a dream.

I've had my Skylark a little over a month now and it is a pleasure to paddle. I have longer touring kayaks and a shorter sit-on-top, but I was looking for a short, lively kayak for day trips on local rivers and spring runs. After looking at and demoing several different models in the 10-13 foot range, I knew that in the Skylark I had found an almost perfect design for that purpose.

The cockpit is just a bit longer than many models which makes it easy enter and exit both on shore and in the water for a little swimming or snorkeling. It's wide enough to be stable yet trim enough to paddle efficiently. While only 12 feet in length, it tracks extremely well plus the hull design has a bit of chine which makes it very maneuverable on edge.

All in all, this is a great boat for a beginning paddler but one that will also enable them to practice more advanced skills when ready. And it's a great boat for intermediate to advanced paddlers looking for a little boat in which to relax. At 41 lbs it is easy to load, store, carry, and launch.

I got my Skylark without thigh braces so I could enter and exit more easily on the water, but I have no trouble jamming my knees & thighs up under the nicely padded hull in front of the seat for carving turns.

Based solely on performance and on providing a nicely designed boat for the day paddler who wants a lot more than a floating barge, I would give this boat a 10. However, I have to mark it down because the seat is fixed and therefore is not adjustable (or replaceable) and many will find the hard plastic seat uncomfortable for more than an hour of paddling. While you can always add a little bit of cushioning to the seat, the fact that you cannot adjust the seat bottom at all for trim is disappointing and should be considered before purchase. I also sliced my thumb open the first time I picked it up to carry on my shoulder due to a sharp edge on the cockpit coaming that should have been smoothed out before shipping. The Sandpiper is a great boat that bridges the gap between "recreational" and "touring" classifications, but a little more attention to finish and an adjustable seat are needed to get a 10.

I sold my 17' Tempest and bought the Skylark. Bought it new and it is just perfect! I just went out in a one hour paddle and my legs didn't fall asleep. Feels very stable, turns well, tracks well, looks awesome and is light!!!

Demo this one and prepare to buy it. I'm 6'0 200 and it fits me like a glove. One of my complaints with the Tempest was that the cockpit was too small. I couldn't get in and out of that sucker! No worries with the Skylark!

This was a big purchase for me, but after one of my recent rides into the choppy water... she just wanted to ride the waves. I felt safe and that the boat handled extremely well. I am mostly a marsh, coastal paddler (actually ONLY those) so Evangeline (yes, that's her name) is perfect for Cape Cod. Maybe there are better boats, but I have bonded with this one quite nicely. Thanks, Eddyline.

I am a day user that kayaks mainly inland lakes which connect to Lake Superior. Bought my Skylark this last spring - own a rotomolded Current Designs Kestrel and planned on getting the TCS version until I demoed the Eddyline Skylark after checking them out online and the DVD they sent. The Skylark handled three foot waves beautifully and tracks great. I am very pleased with it and highly recommend anyone purchase this kayak.

I'm a new sea kayaker and wanted a light but durable kayak. I love the skylark. It is so much fun to paddle. We've had one serious winter storm in which my boat was bashed around and hung by a cable. It didn't have a scratch. For exploring little inlets and shelves it's hard to beat and the decking and rear bulkhead and carbonlite finish make it look and feel like a real sea kayak. I've had more than one person comment on its looks.

However I do want to do some real sea kayaking expeditions in the southern gulf islands, and was advised that this boat should not be taken there as it will be too difficult to control in big seas, and to do self rescue in. I'm definitely eyeing one of the skylarks bigger siblings for next year. But I think I'll keep it because it is just too much fun.

Unbelieveable, what a complete package. Perfect for flat water, ie very stable, excellent for the great Lakes because of the small cockpit, and very lightweight, great for transpoting some distance to your favorite put-in by yourself. I paddled this new Kayak in Lake Michigan before the weather turned. Handles well, great value.