11' 9"
Length
24"
Width (in)
35
Weight (lb)
$1,649
MSRP

Rio Description

The Rio is designed for the smaller-framed paddler looking for a recreational style kayak with spirited performance and nimble handling. At just under 12 feet in length and only 35 pounds, the Rio combines comfortable stability with a playful and efficient hull. While ready for the first time paddler, the Rio will soon tempt you to experiment with more advanced paddle strokes.

Rio Specs and Features

  • Structure: Rigid / Hard Shell
  • Cockpit Type: Sit Inside
  • Seating Configuration: Solo
  • Ideal Paddler Size: Smaller Adult/Child, Average Adult
  • Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
  • Ideal Paddler Size: Smaller Adult/Child, Average Adult
  • Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Where to Buy the Rio

Learn More

Eddyline Kayaks
Rio Reviews

Read reviews for the Rio by Eddyline Kayaks as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

the Eddyline Rio kayak is…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 8/30/2021

the Eddyline Rio kayak is perfect for my use on flatwater. it steers well, moves fast and a joy to paddle. i will get another. highly recommend for flat water paddling.

5

My wife has an all white Rio…

Submitted by: RicknBev on 5/6/2021

My wife has an all white Rio which she love! I have and Eddyline Equinox which is a nice kayak, but I cannot for the life of me keep up to her. It doesn't take her much effort to leave me in her wake.

5

This ride is the hotrod of…

Submitted by: imbecilia on 9/25/2020
This ride is the hotrod of kayaks. I leave the hubby in the dust (or water). Not ony does it glide thru the water with little effort, for a little old 60 year like myself, I can get it on and off the car roof by myself. It's comfortable, the cockpit is a great size and the foot pegs are in the perfect place for me. Plenty of storage with bungees up front. I love my Eddyline. I'll still use my infalatables for shallow lakes with obstructions since I want to keep my Rio as beautiful for as long as possible but I'm hooked. Can't wait for the next outing. It's great for the petite girl like myself. If you are too, get yourself one, you'll love it.
5

A new lease on life!

Submitted by: paddler780185 on 7/10/2020
A new lease on life!
5

As a smaller stature female I…

Submitted by: kbrown000 on 7/1/2020
As a smaller stature female I was having trouble getting a kayak that would fit me properly and still be light enough to carry yet fast enough to keep up with the crowd. The Eddyline Rio surpassed my expectations. It is comfortable for hours of paddling, faster than most of our group and simply a delight. I wish I could give it 10 stars as it is far above and beyond the best kayak I have paddled.
5

But let me explain in a…

Submitted by: paddler784026 on 5/27/2020
But let me explain in a little bit more detail WHY I am such a fan of the Eddyline products…..this is a disaster turned miracle story that happened almost exactly a year ago. I have been meaning to tell you about this because it is also a testament to the quality of the Eddyline kayak product, feel free to use or share any of this story. I will NEVER purchase a different brand - and when others hear my story they are amazed as well. I had purchased a brand new lime Rio from Mary last year (at the time she had not retired and was still running Silent Sports), it was also my very first Eddyline. I was taking it to Silver Springs State Park to kayak the beautiful and pristine crystal clear Silver River for it’s maiden voyage. The river run was beyond expectation and I knew I had chosen the right boat for me. At the end, the livery came for us, we loaded our boats on the trailer and the staff insisted on taking over from there to secure the boats. On the livery almost halfway back to the origin point I happened to look behind us and saw my lime green Rio dangling off the side of the livery trailer held on only by getting it’s tail tangled in the rubber trailer rigging and at the other end, it’s nose, dragging on the ground at 40 mph down the black top road for I don’t know how long. The staff had forgotten to secure it. It took me a minute to fully realize exactly what I was seeing and I yelled stop, stop my kayak fell off!! Long story short I will attach a picture that paints a thousand words, my Eddyline Rio tail was bent at 90 degrees, bent but only one crack in the hull very close to the edge/seam join of the deck and hull, and the deck at the nose shaved down to the inner core, but had just barely reached the hollow core. I sure I am not the only person to ever have a livery disaster, the livery company in question voluntarily settled and made restitution and I understand is no longer in business, but at the time I was just sick to my stomach. They strapped the wreckage back on the trailer, and at the origin we laid it on the ground. Within 5 minutes there was a loud pop, I mean LOUD. We all said what was that, but it was the Eddyline popping back into shape, straight again, with dimples and divets and very small crack but no longer at a 90 degree angle. It was nothing short of a miracle. Everyone watching was awestruck. When I got home I called Mary and explained what had happened and wondered, could my lime Rio be salvaged? I had saved so long for it and carefully chosen the color and design etc…lots of nostalgia attached to it. When I got to Silent Sports they took one look and with positivity said "lets see what we can do, we need to consult the experts at Eddyline", which they did, and you guided them through a delicate restoration process, which made it possible for me to continue using my lime Rio to this day. It’s my Franken-boat but I still love it and use it on many of my freshwater narrow winding rivers here in FL, it’s still so agile and quick. Anyway, I have since bought and sold a used Equinox (too big for me), and just today purchased one of the last new discontinued Samba’s (white), from my friends at Silent Sports Nokomis, FL. It was a tough decision choosing between the Samba and the Fathom LV they both fit my SM 5’8” 138lb size like a glove! And of course I will always always have my lime Rio, it has taken me on approx. 35 Florida freshwater river exploring trips in the past year, most of which I’ve posted on Facebook. Hope you enjoyed the story - I like to pass on good news and credit where it is due! Sincerely, Lifetime Eddyline supporter…and FL river explorer Marsha Crabtree 941-928-1776
5

Lightweight kayak, that I can…

Submitted by: paddler781678 on 5/24/2020
Lightweight kayak, that I can easily get on top and off my car’s roof myself. Smaller size cockpit but Perfect kayak for ladies!
5

I no longer have to get…

Submitted by: paddler780185 on 5/22/2020
I no longer have to get someone to help me load my kayak - my Rio is so light I can load or unload in less than 10 minutes, by myself. It is also good looking, sleek and comfortable. Keeps up with those long boats, too!
5

I love my Eddyline! I did a…

Submitted by: paddler780195 on 5/22/2020
I love my Eddyline! I did a great deal of research before purchasing this 3 years ago to find the right kayak for me, as I am a female of small stature. I needed a kayak that not only would fit me just right but also was light enough for me to be able to load and off-load myself on the top of my SUV. I couldn't have made a better choice! It is great quality, great fit, and super easy to manage on the water. I only paddle lakes and rivers but even still I have experienced some pretty choppy waves! I feel very secure with my Eddyline! I am proud to be an owner!
5

Absolutely perfect for a…

Submitted by: kbrown000 on 5/22/2020

Absolutely perfect for a shorter woman. I am 5'2", 130 lbs. and the Rio is the perfect fit for me. It's lightweight, responds extremely well, and is FAST. Totally recommend the Rio to anyone of smaller stature. I have paddled trips of over 4 hours non stop and have loved every minute.

5

I love, love, love the Rio…

Submitted by: paddler780217 on 5/22/2020
I love, love, love the Rio kayak. I am 5’3’’ and about 120 #. It is perfect for me. Because it is narrow and has a pointed bow, it slices through the water with ease. It also is very stable so the large waves from big boats never cause instability issues. I’m 73 years old and able to get the kayak (35#) up on my car by myself (which was a huge deciding factor in my purchase. Great kayak, great price.
5

The Rio has been great! It's…

Submitted by: paddler780215 on 5/22/2020
The Rio has been great! It's not too big and not too small, it tracks great and is stable for my size (5'4", 128lbs). It has great storage and a very comfortable seat. It's size and weight make it much easier to carry and load and unload from my car. I would definitely recommend trying it!
5

Love it. I'm a small woman…

Submitted by: paddler780189 on 5/22/2020
Love it. I'm a small woman and can load this boat easily on and off our car by myself. No problem carrying it to the water. Very fast and maneuverable. Seat is comfortable even after hours long paddle.
5

The minute I got into this…

Submitted by: paddler780209 on 5/22/2020
The minute I got into this kayak I started to laugh out loud in delight. It was a perfect fit, really responsive and fun to paddle. The seat gives excellent lumbar support. I am a 123lb female and have found many kayaks too broad in the beam or too heavy to handle single-handedly. I can put the Rio on my shoulder and walk to the put-in with no problem. The thermoform hull is an appreciated midpoint between polyethylene and kevlar.
5

I am a 61 year old woman who…

Submitted by: paddler780333 on 5/22/2020
I am a 61 year old woman who kayaks 3 or more times a week. I absolutely love this kayak because it is very lightweight which makes it very easy to launch anywhere. I have kayaked all over RI in lakes, the bay and the ocean with this kayak. It is very easy to maneuver and to get it and out of.
5

Lightweight

Submitted by: paddler780264 on 5/22/2020
Lightweight
4

Very easy to paddle and…

Submitted by: paddler770243 on 5/3/2020
Very easy to paddle and stable through mild rapids. Enjoy the narrow fit and being able to feel as one with the kayak. The only downfall to the kayak, and I am 5'5" with an average inseam of 29", size 10N shoe, 140 lbs, is the fact my leg comes all the way to the front of the kayak with almost no wiggle room for my legs and feet. I purchased this kayak because of a review from a male 5'10" 160 #,(I think) and his review said he had more than ample room. ??? Was he delusional on his size? I wonder. Boy, if I had another 2 inches for leg length I would be over the top for this kayak.
5

Wow! What a great kayak for…

Submitted by: BarbaraWinckler on 6/25/2018

Wow! What a great kayak for the smaller paddler. Touring kayak feel in a smaller more manageable size. (11'9"). 1st off, it's BEAUTIFUL!! 2. It is agile and the bow/stern rocker allows for more maneuverability, so it is a great boat to take on rivers, too. 3. Very stable. Fabulous secondary stability! 4. LOTS of storage for a boat this size. 5. comfortable seat back - padded band-style. 6. Easy to adjust foot pegs, while out on the water. (No need to crawl inside your boat to adjust- hand levers make it easy). 7. Perfect for the smaller paddler, the 24" beam allows for better paddle placement. (no need to reach over so far to place the paddle in the water. 8. The Thermoform ABS construction means that is is light enough to carry (35lbs.) 9. Can carry up to 270 lbs. so a 120 lb. paddler can carry about 150 lbs worth of gear, (if you had to! ;-)

I am 5'3, 125lb and most boats are too wide to fit me. This is the perfect fit. I LOVE it!

5

Love the Rio.

Submitted by: valsdad on 10/19/2017

Most of my paddling is on small rivers and creeks filled with obstructions that were tearing up my composite boat (CD Vision 130), so I began looking for a lightweight thermoformed boat. The Rio is perfect for my needs. It is lightweight (35 lbs., according to Eddyline), nimble, quick and tracks beautifully. I’m 5’10” and 160 lbs. with a 29-inch inseam, and the boat fits me perfectly. If you’re much larger — definitely, if you have a longer inseam — this might not be the boat for you. Like all Eddyline boats I’ve seen, the finish and fit of the Rio are beautiful.

5

I just tried the Rio kayak…

Submitted by: davidmichael on 10/6/2016
I just tried the Rio kayak from Eddyline this week. Wow! This is a beauty and fast. Very fast, light and maneuverable from a company known for their high quality kayak construction and innovative building techniques using a Carbonlite 2000 Thermoform Composite.

Here's what I especially like about the RIO. it weighs 35 pounds. Yep! Only three pounds above our Sky 10 kayaks that we currently own. That's a nearly 12 foot boat vs. a 10 footer (SKY). It's a bit narrow and built for smaller and lighter kayakers such as my wife who is 5'4" and weighs 125 pounds. It moves with incredible ease and speed. So, for us, a no-brainer. We are selling a SKY 10 and buying the Rio for my wife. It's a bit pricey, but I was able to buy it on the Fall sale at our local kayak shop. We are approaching our 80's now, so weight is a factor. Yet, we didn't want to lose out on performance. So, the RIO fits the bill for lakes, rivers and small bays. Plus, it's small and light enough to fit in our apartment in the off season.

We plan to spend the winter on Conception Bay in the Sea of Cortez (Baja California). So along with a RAM Promaster Van that we are converting into a camper, we should be all set for the next five years of kayaking. My own preferred kayak is a 13 foot Necky Manitou which weighs around 45 pounds. I am keeping my Sky 10 for local trips because it's very light and will fit inside our new van.