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Because of a knee issue, I use a SOT kayak for day paddling and multi-day trips. I have owned a Necky Vector 13 for three years, and wanted a longer but lighter weight SOT kayak. After much looking I decided on the Eddyline Caribbean 14. One foot longer and 10 pounds lighter than the Vector 13. I purchased through a west coast dealer and had it shipped to Salt Lake City Utah. The kayak arrived in perfect condition. I purchased in the fall of 2016, so I got a 2017 model and decided on the red top/silver bottom color combination. Very sharp looking boat. I got the standard model, but added a rudder. Since purchase, I have also added the non-slip decking to the cockpit area, and two Rail Blaza deck mounts just behind the seat for Go Pro and other accessories. I did not care for the stock seat that came with the kayak, so I got an aftermarket seat with a lower back from ACK.

The weight difference is very noticeable when I move my kayaks around at home. I can carry the Eddyline further, with less stopping than the Vector 13. I just completed my first 5 day trip with the Eddyline, and I must say I was very happy with it. I liked my Vector 13 a lot, and was hoping that I'd love the Eddyline as well. I kept the Vector 13 as a loaner kayak.

Handling - Tracks very well. Excellent initial and secondary stability. The rudder was handy in windy conditions. My Vector 13 has a rather flat bottom, so it spins little easier than the Eddyline with it's pronounced keel. The Vector was a pretty fast kayak as far as SOTs go, and the Eddyline is as fast or faster.

Fit & Finish - Very sleek kayak with lots of nice details. The seat area is slightly more raised than my Vector, and was very comfy for all day paddling. The seat drain thing works great and I had a dry butt all day. I love the position of the scuppers, just under the thigh area. If I got water in the cockpit from getting in & out of the kayak, it was easy to reach down and pop the scupper plug to drain the water. The kayak did to come with scupper plugs, so I bought some universal plugs from ACK that fit perfectly. That cockpit/leg area is generous, and this was an easy boat to enter & exit with a bad knee. The tank well is a good size and held a Watershed Yukon gear bag nicely. I love the rear cargo strap on my Vector and the overlapping bungies on the Eddyline work ok, but I'm working on a cargo net idea to secure gear better in the tank well. I was super happy with the interior room in this kayak for multi-day trip gear. I had no problem fitting everything, including all my water for 5 days. I even had room to bring my ukulele. The front, center, and rear hatches gave easy access to the interior of the kayak. I do think the hatch cover on my Vector 13 is a bit more waterproof than the hatch cover on the Eddyline, but we shall see how it goes in bigger water conditions. The Eddyline hatch doesn't seem as snug.

Durability - Too early to tell, but it handled 5 days on a southern Utah river with minimal scratches to the hull. The rudder functions well so far.