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I am a big guy. 6'2" and 220lb. Size 11 shoe. I can start by telling you, this is my favorite kayak. Sleek and long, Classic North American design with a long water line. Shallow v hull and round chines. Fish form for stability and room. Front and back dry hatches. No day hatch. The compartments are big, you can pack a lot of stuff in there for camping trips. They remain fairly dry.

The cockpit is very roomy. I have to put some padding on the sides of the seat for a snugger fit, otherwise I slide around. I can put another 30lb and probably fit me better. the seat is comfortable. I upgraded my backrest to the infinity backrest and I have no complains. I can spend a lot of time on the water. The big cockpit allows me to get in and out without a problem, specially when I have to do a wet exit. There is plenty of room inside for your legs and feet with room to spare.

The kayak is very stable. Primary and secondary stability are high . When edging, you feel safe. The kayak starts pushing back, trying to straighten itself up. It takes choppy water like a champ. It has a full longer bow which will take you on top of the wave/chop instead of cutting thru it. It does slap coming down, losing some speed but keeps you dry and safe.

The kayak is fast due to its long waterline, even when its 24.5 wide. I can keep up with slimmer boats and some people struggle to keep up with the nighthawk. It is a little harder to turn due to the longer bow since is not a symmetrical design. Does not take much to edge the boat which makes turning way easier. Very straight tracking boat with the skeg up. Put the skeg down and it feels like a laser beam. Somebody below complained that the bow is blunt and its like a barge. Yes, it is blunt but it is not designed to cut through the water nor touches the water. The water line starts below the "blunt" bow. The water starts by kissing the hull and displaces under and to the sides. Very efficient design for less wetted surface.

I have tried and owned several big guy kayaks and by far, the Nighthawk 17.5 is the best of them! It is a discontinued model and the last of the long boats Eddyline made for big/tall people. Their new model "Denali" is only a 15 footer. I am glad I was able to find and purchase one. I do give this kayak five stars because it has everything I am looking in a kayak. Its fast, its comfortable, tracks very good, can carry a load and it has rock solid stability which is very important to me. Good job Eddyline! ✌🏼

Large ample cockpit makes it easier to get in and out, good for large paddlers. Cockpit opening is bathtub shape which looks a little funky but awesome for people not to feel confined or claustrophobic (you can also get a splash skirt to minimize exposure) Very stable and fast for its size.

Awesome recreational boat for slow moving rivers and lakes, or just to hang out and getting in the water/enjoying the sun. Seat is a little uncomfortable for long trips. Could use more padding on the back rest. Adjustable foot pegs and back rest. You can edge it pretty easy and super stable. Very good primary and excellent secondary. Good for fishing and taking pics.

Great kayak for beginners or people upgrading from a 10 footer. Tracks good for its size. Dry hatch on the back with sizable storage. Perfect for introducing others to kayaking. An all around good 12 footer.

I just purchased a lime green Jura MV couple of months ago. It is my first sea kayak. I bought it because its classified as a good begginers sea kayak. The finishing and construction quality is very good to excellent. It is 16' 1" long and 22" wide. Looks are killer. It has a polished shinny line running the lenght and the rest is matte with some texture to it. It has a very good and comfortable "Connect" seating system found in other more expensive boats. The floating back band is adjusted via a ratheching system found by the thigh braces, very cool! The foot pegs are easily adjustable and features the smart track pivot pedals. They give you full support for bracing and they have a smaller pedal or foot peg build in that you can push in with the ball of your foot to control the unique "scudder" A combination of a skeg and a rudder. When in a fully deployed position, (rudder) the pegs feel super solid. They dont have the sponginess feeling of traditional rudders. Again, very cool feature! Bow is full size while the stern is slim and flat like the P&H Delphin. Designed to catch the wave and do some surfing.

I am a big paddler at 6'2" and 220 lb. I still fit good inside the boat but im pushing the weight limit of 240 lb. A high volume would be a better choice for larger paddlers. The scudder assembly is easily accessible on top of the deck for maintenance and cleaning. It paddles nicely with good speed. Turns with ease and the cockpit opening is very moderate to slide in and out. I been edging and high brace turning it. Edging is easy. When on edge, the kayak has a feel of being very nimble and sporty, there is no warning when you push it too far, its easy to capsize. It has a shallow v hull with a rounded chine, Making the kayak feel tippy at times for me. The "sweet" spot for stability is very narrow and down the middle. I have to concentrate when paddling in medium to strong currents to maintain stability. It tracks very straight without the need of the scudder. Maintains speed easily and glides thru wake and small waves very comfortably.

This kayak is designed for the begginer sea kayaking paddler but grow with them as their skills develop. Bow, stern and day hatches. Good rigging and carrying handles at the ends. Has a security bar behind the cockpit for locking and securing your boat. This kayak has a lot of features found on more expensive kayaks. The only complain I have about it, is that the stability sweet spot coulb be aa little wider. That's the reason I am giving it an 8.