Eddyline Skylark Kayak & Aqua-Bound Whiskey Paddle Test Paddle, Overview & Review

[@HeadwatersKayak]

No drip rings, I like it.

[@rpoliakin]

I am 5'7 1/2 and 148. I will use a kayak on a flatwater lake. I usually paddle 3- 4 miles a day. Mostly for exercise. Should I get the RIO/ SKYLARK OR SANDPIPER

[@HappyPaddlin]

Rio if you are slender and small in the thighs/hips and like a tight fit. Skylark will be roomier, easier in and out and will also give you great performance. Also will do better with 20-30 lbs of extra gear should you want to haul the picnic.

[@brucenovotny5924]

Great stuff. Awesome fun. Thanks. 🙂👍🇨🇦

[@Meatpopsicle2050]

Looking at jumping into carbon and strongly considering a whiskey. I wanted a Werner but can’t find one with a wide blade between 230 and 240cm. How do you like the whiskey and is there any others you would recommend over it?

[@HappyPaddlin]

Love the Whiskey and use a slightly shorter one than I normally use for touring bc it is more of a high angle paddle. I use the Whiskey and Tango the most.

[@johnbeccaccio9341]

torn between the skylark and the Daggar axis 12 flat river some class 1-2 water

[@HappyPaddlin]

I think you have to really define your class 1-2 and how often you are in “wear a helmet” conditions vs moving water w some riffles. And, if any lakes or open water are involved.

[@johnbeccaccio9341]

@@HappyPaddlin we have mostly moving water with some riffles but I'd like to take some trips that have more consistent class 1-3 water. I have a sit on top peddle propeller Jackson slayer 10 that I use in lakes and open water.

[@sheldons1501]

whiskey 205 for 6 foot 2 inch height? Why so small? Thx for the vid

[@HappyPaddlin]

The Whiskey is a more vertical stroke type paddle and that’s a common length for many using this style of paddle from AB or others. Shops stock this that short often but 210s, 215s common too. A 220cm tango is what we both use in that model but 205 for Whiskeys. It feels “right” is probably Nick’s answer!

[@sheldons1501]

@@HappyPaddlin Thx for the reply!

[@lisamarie1280]

Thanks! Great video. Got a question for you. I just went to a demo a few days ago, and they did not have Skylark available to try. I did try Sandpiper 12 and Sandpiper 13, both of which I was super comfortable in, but the cockpit almost seems too gigantic. Then I sat in the Equinox and did not even leave shore because I wasn't comfortable with the smaller cockpit (trapped/claustrophobic). How does the Skylark compare cockpit-wise with Equinox? I liked being able to see that at your height, you were able to sit with your knees up and out, which is my preferred sitting position in a kayak. I'm 5'6" and an experienced recreational paddler who usually rents but ready to buy my own! I'm in Florida, so will be doing slow moving rivers, inland coastal waters, maybe 5 to 15 mile day trips.

[@HappyPaddlin]

The Skylark and Equinox cockpit are actually the same size but the Equinox has the added thigh braces (the small added wings that stick out within the cockpit). Because of that, the Skylark is a little easier to enter and exit. At your size, entrapment is not an issue with either but keeping your knees up in the equinox is more difficult bc of the thigh “wings”. Cockpits certainly get a lot smaller in touring models and you still fall right out of the boat if you were to flip over. Because the Skylark is an inch wider than the equinox, once in the cockpit you’ll have a little bit more room under the deck as well.

[@lisamarie1280]

@@HappyPaddlin thanks so much! most helpful.

[@dawncrossland3028]

Did You Purchase an Eddyline? & if so Which one? I am Trying to Decide w/out a Dealer,bcuz there aren’t any where I am.

[@lisamarie1280]

@dawn Crossland I DID purchase the Sandpiper 130 because that is what the dealer had at the time and I wanted a boat immediately. I really enjoyed it, handled very well, easy to maneuver, and super comfy. But the cockpit was just super enormous, and at 13 feet and 48 pounds was just a bit difficult to load on car top. I was able too do it though. However, when another nearby dealer got a shipment of Skylarks, I went ahead and bought one. It is a foot shorter, slightly less wide, and about 8 pounds lighter which makes it easier to load on car. Handles beautifully, not as comfortable as the Sandpiper to sit in, but comfortable enough with large enough cockpit for easy in and out.

[@drohanp]

If you got in trouble in on of these and had to roll...could you without a traditional thigh brace? There is no picture on the Eddyline WWW site of the thigh pad you mention.

[@HappyPaddlin]

Yes, I could roll this and there is padding under the deck to lock in my thighs for that type of move which is beyond the design intent of this kayak but certainly possible. I’ve seen our Sandpiper and Whisper rolled too! A very small paddler might have a harder time reaching and we sometimes build a custom option (rare, see vid line below). That person should probably look at a Rio instead. Please see this video to get a better idea of the cockpit inside of the standard version. While this is a sky 10 in the vid, the coaming and thigh pads are the same. Eddyline will add more pics soon on their site to further clarify. Thanks for watching and your interest in Eddyline: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imKQm5djp5qhp9E

[@Joe-xq1nt]

Did I miss it, how much do you weigh? I’m at 200 lbs and thinking I’d be at its max or more based on its specs. Suppose I need to look at the equinox?

[@HappyPaddlin]

Depends on your skills and where you carry your weight. And if you will be carrying gear often. Height? Nick is about 180 lbs here I believe. 6’2”. You could make it work at 200 but you may benefit from the EQ for not only capacity but glide and the ability for the hull to still be loose enough to maneuver more easily. Sinking a shorter model significantly takes away a lot of that ability to quickly draw the stern for course correction and faster turning around obstructions.

[@Joe-xq1nt]

Pretty much what I thought, thank you

[@mackjenkins7721]

Hello sir this was a nice video you did. I really like how you talked about the gear that you was bringing with you on the water. I also like to kayak that you was in. I have a question about the kayak? I am interested in buying a sit inside kayak! I was wondering what size is your foot? The reason why I'm asking is i have big very very wide feet sz15 6 EEEEEE with very fat wide toe that are equally straight across making my foot very very wide. I saw that your feet had some space down in the foot area. I really appreciate you showing that part because my very first kayak that I was looking at was they sit inside and my foot got stuck inside the kayak in front of the salesman. It was very embarrassing. One of the salesman called the fire department for them to come so they can cut my foot out of the kayak. The salesman add me how big and how wide was my foot! I took my flip-flops off so I was barefooted 👣 inside the kayak and another salesman ask me are these your flip-flops here. My flip flops had a clearly nice worn very wide footprint on the foot bed! It was so embarrassing that I had to tell him yes my feet are extremely very very wide it 6 inches wide from my big toe to my little toe with very fat wide toe. I'm wondering do you think this kayak would have enough foot space for a foot that is a sz15 6 EEEEEE wide with very fat wide toe that is equally straight across? Thank you for sharing the video it was very good.

[@HappyPaddlin]

I’d look for a sit on top. Check out Feel Free Moken and 3 waters Kayaks

[@gobigorange99]

Is my understanding is right about this? The sealed bulkheads help to prevent sinking if the cockpit gets swamped?

[@HappyPaddlin]

That is correct! More important than the storage aspect imo.

[@gobigorange99]

@@HappyPaddlin thank you for the info. I think sending the extra money for the skylark will be worth it

[@peterbedford2610]

Im 5'11, 165 lbs and in good physical condition. Could I average 4 mph for a few hours without collapsing?

[@HappyPaddlin]

Check this out: www.omnicalculator.com/sports/hull-speed You will be pushing yourself and the hull pretty hard. Most important is the conditions and depth of waterway also factors in. Play around with different waterline lengths in the calculator to see the effects of length (assuming your engine can drive it).

[@cardochav8697]

Rivers near me are known to eat up boats, I guess shallow and sharp rocks, should I go with a beefier boat or will the eddylines prob be fine?

[@HappyPaddlin]

We have lava rock on the Deschutes in Bend OR which is about as gnarly as it gets when impacted. Our local shop rents Eddylines all the time here for that and we have many many owners here paddling these same conditions. Any scratch is easily repaired (see our channel). You don’t want to smash every rock you can and if you wear a helmet when you paddle then perhaps an old ww kayak would be a nice second boat in the fleet for shallow bumpy rivers.

[@ellenkroon8444]

Could you do those rapids in a sky 10?

[@HappyPaddlin]

Yes. There is good flow and a few strokes has you missing the lava rocks. Of course, some bad strokes has you slam into lava rocks and that isn't good for any kayak!