On the water in the Jackson Kayak Journey

Last weekend I had the chance to get out on the water with my husband Mark and our good friend Janyne.  Janyne is a non-paddler but she gets straight A's for being up for an adventure.

Mark and Janyne, packed up and ready to go!

 We grabbed our Esquif Prospecteur 17 and Jackson Kayak Journey 14 and loaded them up with all the things that make for a great weekend on the water.  The only thing we were short on was bug dope but that's a whole other story.

The weather was a mixed bag with some spectacular electrical storms on the Saturday night but the daytime was sun, sun and more sun.




We did some day tripping from our marine campsite and explored the opposite side of the lake which was home to a spectacular waterfall (sorry no photos).  This gave me ample time in the Journey 14 and a chance to play around in the current near the base of the waterfall.

Me, enjoying the Journey 14

The take home for me was that the Journey 14 is super versatile.  It's a fantastic day tripping option for a more experienced paddler like myself or if you want to head to the coast and play.  Yet it was also perfect for Janyne as a beginner paddler.  The 14' length gave it enough waterline to have some decent speed and as soon as you put it on edged it carved beautifully.  Janyne has not reached the point of edging her boat - her focus is on stability and the initial stability on the Journey was great for her.  She made the paddle back to our campsite that afternoon mostly effortlessly.

Janyne

 

The outfitting in the Journey is superior to any of the kevlar performance sea kayaks we have in our personal fleet of boats and the backband is my favourite feature by far.  My only comment is that I could use a bit of a wider seat for my hips.  I remove the hip pads for a little extra room.

The Journey is available in a 13.5 and 14 model.



If you are looking for a new boat or one to add to your personal fleet, the Jackson Kayak Journey series is definitely one to check out.