Journey

I purchased my Eddyline Journey in 2014 at Frisky Otter Tours in Inlet, NY. Connie Perry, owner, was extremely helpful in helping me pick out a kayak to fit me. Right from the test paddle this was the perfect kayak for me. The length, width, seat, roll, etc. all were just right. I have used this kayak ever since. The carbonite material is strong with a weight that is not too light but not heavy or cumbersome. I have recommended to others to try out an Eddyline and especially to go to Frisky Otter Tours to purchase as the customer service is top shelf.

Bought this as my first kayak. Very stable. Goes almost anywhere. Ocean, Bay, Rivers, Lakes and Ponds. It is big and it does take some strength to get on to the car. A great all around kayak.

I have been paddling my Eddyline Journey for just over a year and would like to share a few observations about this boat. The Journey is one of three kayaks that I own, which include a 14' Dagger Alchemy and a WS Tempest 170.

First I must say the Eddyline Journey is a very elegant craft. Overall the fit-and-finish of the kayak is flawless. Absolutely the finest build quality that I've seen. The thermoplastic material has a fantastic finish, is relatively light weight and bulletproof. I get many compliments on the beauty of this boat.

I'm surprised that a boat of this fine quality has a couple of major flaws. First of all the seating system is uncomfortable. It slides forward and backward a few inches and the backrest or backband can be cinched but there is no adjustment to raise the seat pan. I also feel a little lost in the relatively wide cockpit because the thigh braces are a insufficient. My Dagger Alchemy and the Tempest 170 both have superior seating compared to the Journey. My girlfriend has also remarked about the less than comfortable seat. The thigh braces are not adjustable but the sliding seat does allow you to get locked in. The foot braces are excellent quality.

The other item that disappoints me is the deck rigging. Directly behind the seat there are bungees but no perimeter decklines. This lack of non-stretchy decklines makes a paddlefloat re-entry very difficult if not impossible.

In spite of these issues, which could be remedied, the boat is a joy to paddle. It has excellent glide and tracks nicely even without the skeg. By the way, the skeg system is excellent and far superior to the skeg systems in my other boats. The craft has a decent amount of rocker, is very maneuverable and responds wonderfully to paddle input and edging.

I hope this info is useful to anyone considering the purchase of this boat. She is a beautiful craft and I do enjoy paddling her but I'd probably recommend one of my other two boats to a potential buyer.

I've owned the Journey for several years and found it to be a decent all-round boat, but master at none. There's a lot to like about the Journey.

Construction: The Carbonlite 2000 hull is relatively light and doesn't "oil can" like roto-molded plastic. The hatches seal easier than many, and stay dry. The skeg is cable operated, conveniently located, and works reliably. The 15.5 foot hull is long enough to take in the ocean or for touring, yet short enough to take on small lakes and rivers. The 24" beam makes it a little sluggish compared to narrower kayaks, but it feels stable. The seat is a weak point. In theory, it's a good design. The seat is adjustable forward and back, and the back has a height adjustment as well as tilt. The problem is that the components are made of plastic that is prone to breakage. (I've had to replace broken parts) I also find it uncomfortable after an hour or so.

The cockpit has ample room, and is relatively easy to enter and exit. The knee braces are in the way during entry, but correctly located once you're inside.

Handling: The Journey feels stable, probably due to the 24" beam. I have mixed feelings about the tracking. This kayak has quite a bit of "rocker" which makes it easy to maneuver in tight places, especially considering it's length. The downside is tracking. Without the skeg, the tracking is poor. As soon as you stop paddling, even in calm water, the boat will immediately veer to one side or the other. If left uncorrected, it will just rotate on the rocker. The skeg corrects this 100%. So the boat is highly maneuverable without the skeg, and tracks well with it. There is a sweet spot with the skeg half down.

The hull design creates more wake than I'd like to see. My wife's 15 ft Venture slices through the water with almost no wake. The Journey wants to push the water aside. In the ocean and rough water, it does a lot of slapping and splashing which makes for a wet ride.

Overall, I find myself thinking that I'm paddling more boat than I need when in small lakes, and less than I want in the ocean. Still, if you want one kayak that will work in many situations, the Journey isn't a bad choice.

If you want to purchase only one kayak that could do almost anything well, this is the one. I've had a Journey for several years now and have used it for everything from day trip pond paddling to multi-day open water (well, the lower Columbia River when it's blowing like stink). Its manners are impeccable and inspire confidence. As an example, last summer I went with a couple of guys on a three-day trip on the lower Columbia. It was windy (20knots+ at times) with swells of several feet (oh, during salmon season with powerboats racing to get to the best fishing holes and and freighters going up and downriver too). I started out in another kayak the same size but less stable and became overwhelmed (read-inexperienced) with the conditions. I traded kayaks with a more experienced kayaker who had borrowed my Journey for the trip, and all of a sudden the trip became enjoyable - riding over waves instead of through them, and feeling the stability as we crossed the river through the swells. It was like having an old friend again.

Everything that the previous reviewers said I agree with, so I won't go into those details. Eddylines are made in the good ol' USA and are top quality. I haven't seen anything near the price that compares. In summary: try it, you'll like it. It's a kayak that you don't outgrow.

The Journey is a beautiful boat in terms of its overall hull shape, deck architecture, colors, pearly finish, and logos. It has many outstanding qualities and a couple of drawbacks. I wouldn't really call it a "transitional" kayak because it performs better than any kayak I know of in the transitional (13'–15') class. It should be thought of as a capable short sea kayak that can do anything.

This is a very stable kayak (both primary and secondary) that can be handled by beginners but will satisfy experienced paddlers. It is wide (24"), but fast for that length, with excellent glide. Due to its shorter length it is more manageable than longer sea kayaks both in and out of the water, but it can go anywhere—ponds, lakes, sea—in just about any conditions. It is fully seaworthy. It leans well. It tracks well in calm water but is slightly skeg dependent in wind—but the skeg works well.

The cockpit will accommodate larger people in its length and width, but the area over the knees is a bit too low and confining, especially as the thigh braces angle down and have a sharp edge. I removed the braces and gained quite a bit of comfort.

My women's size 9.5 feet (= men's 8) fit nicely under the deck, but with not much room to spare, reflecting the low ends of the kayak. The seat did not work for me and I replaced it. The seat slides back unexpectedly if you push too hard on the foot pedals, and yet you can't adjust it fore and aft while sitting in the boat.

The hatch capacity appears limited due to the low ends, but in fact I was easily able to fit gear for a 3-day trip, and I'm pretty sure you could do a 7-day trip with lightweight backpacking-type equipment and careful planning of your food.

In spite of the above problems with the Journey, I am ultimately pretty happy with it. It is a big step above all the thermoformed competition under 16'— Delta, Hurricane, Swift — and worth the extra money. It's only real thermoformed competition is the 16' Delta. Eddyline remains first in thermoform, as they claim.
Raising the thigh/knee area by 1" and a new seat would make the Journey a perfect 10.