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I have owned my Journey for about three years and feel like I can give a somewhat helpful review at this point. I am an intermediate paddler in my fourth year kayaking. I have tried several other boats but do not have an experts cache of experience. That being said I have really enjoyed the Journey.

I have come to realize that finding the right kayak is a completely subjective experience. The best way to go about it is to define your needs and find a boat that suits those needs. For me, I like racing and some light touring. I race my surfski and I use my Journey for everything else. It suits my needs perfectly in this way.

Personally, I would prefer a plastic boat over a glass model for touring. Their strength lends itself to crashing through oyster reefs and rocks without fear and the fact that they are less expensive helps even more. I look at kayaking as my getaway from stress, not a reason to be more stressed while worrying about dings and what not.

The short length is great for navigating freshwater creeks and tidal marshes in my region and subsequently keeps the weight down to a manageable low 50's for ease in portaging. The rounded hull offers great speed for such a small boat and really enhances play. The Journey breaks loose and can be turned on edge in any conditions. I've been on a few shore breaks and deltas and it handles nicely on a foam pile. Width is stable enough to allow some light fishing and photography without fear of capsize. Tracking is middle of the road without deploying the rudder. The hull is essentially whitewater inspired, so it's gonna be a little loose on the water. However, I will gladly take this trade off for the hull characteristics providing such good play ability. Smart track rudder is also a nice high functioning addition. I love this system and after coming from a surfski appreciate the ability to utilize at least some amount of leg drive. Without it, I would feel like I was clapping with one hand.

Seat and thigh brace are incredibly comfortable and infinitely adjustable. Solid rigging and good storage space round out the package accentuated by great customer service and beautiful and unique color options.

Downsides: I would prefer a skeg in ocean conditions, but like I previously stated, I'm usually on my ski in the open ocean and swells. Also, I know this is a personal choice. Also, I would like to maybe have a slightly narrower width. It's a little high profile which lends to weather cocking and makes it a tad more difficult to roll (width exacerbates). I would love to see the 14 come in a 24 inch width and the 13.5 in a 23.5. It's pretty fast for it's size as it is, but I think this would accentuate. Then again, I'm not an engineer so what do I know.

Pro's: Seat system, playful hull, speed (for size), smart track rudder, bombproof, price, storage (for size), customer service, colors.

Cons: Little narrower would be good, prefer a skeg.