Paddled a Nighthawk for several hours yesterday on the ocean (really an enclosed bay) and thought it was very quick, easy to edge, light, mediocre primary stability (which I liked) and excellent secondary stabity - all in all one of my favorites (I paddled the Avocet RM last summer and thought it was no great shakes fwiw).
So, the Nighthawk is on my short list (have also paddled the QCC 600 which was my least favorite YAK so far).
How do these two compare?
Many thanks to all…
Never paddled an eddyline but
I’d love to hear your perspective on the 600 and avocet RM.
Nighthawk is harder to roll
The seat back is too high which is an easy fix, but I remember the back deck being pretty high.
QCC 600 and Avocet RM
QCC 600 - We were in Maine doing some island hopping and I remember that it was gusting at about 5 mph. I had read a great deal about the QCC product and I felt that the fit and finish were superb. Please remember that we were using a guide’s paddles and boats so all equipment was new to us but I did not like the boat’s handling and I didn’t feel confident in my ability while trying to control her.
Avocet RM - love the dry hatches - not a fast kayak (for me) but the most fun of all. My better half loved the color - actually, we both argued about who would get to paddle this one next whenever we took a break. We both felt very confident in this yak and she used it successfully to play in some rapids and may end up purchasing one of these.
Hope this helps.
I have a Falcon 18
with the same kind of seat back. I simply removed it and installed an IR back band. Support is better and I can lay on the back deck if I need to. None-the-less before I changed the back band I could easily roll the Falcon with a straight forward C-to-C. I doubt the Nighthawk is much different.
I have a Nighthawk 16
and can make a few comments on comfort and fit - but I’ve never paddled a Romany so I can’t compare the two.
I sat in many cockpits when shopping for my boat, and found many of them to be too low in the front deck for my thighs - and I’m not THAT big - 5’6" and 155 lbs. I think average front deck height is about 12" and the Nighthawk is 13" - just enough to not press down too hard on my thighs. I find it to fit me very well with no modifications.
I haven’t learned to roll yet, but I’ve seen folks easily roll the Nighthawk 16 at demo days.
I was out about a month ago on Lake Ozette in Washington and we encounted gale force wind and 3’waves on our beam - challenging conditions for a novice. I had the adrenaline going, of course, but never felt like I was going over - nor did I have to brace. Just put the skeg down halfway and kept my paddle in the water! We had to turn downwind after about 3/4 of a mile, and I put the skeg full down and practically rode into the beach, another 1/2 mile or so. It never wanted to broach, and I actually ended up feeling like that was pretty fun! Me! Imagine that! I probably would have never gone out in those conditions on purpose just to see if I could - but since we were caught out and didn’t have a whole lot of choices, we did it - and what a confidence builder! (It was an onshore wind, and the lake is relatively warm - if we did capsize, it wouldn’t have been dangerous - we’d just blow to shore.)
After that, conditions that used to worry me seem like fun! The Nighthawk will take good care of you.
Thistleback
Thanks for the perspective on
the boats and on the depth of your experience. So many reviews lack any perspective on the paddler. I also think the avocet is designed for play rather than point to point travel.
apples and oranges isn’t it?
Interesting comparison. Eddyline=volkswagon, Romany=porche. Not even close to the same boat.
What am I missing?
You have it reversed …
is what you are missing.
Now I’m worried about you
Not to worry.
Just teasing you about your metphor. I tried the Romany 16 when I was choosing a sea kayak. I didn’t like the way it paddled compared to the Eddyline Falcon 18 that I bought. I tried a Nighthawk as well and didn’t particularly like it either but saw no great difference between it and the Romany. I know lots of people like the Romany and around these parts it is kind of a snob boat. To me it is just ordinary.
Some would go as far to say
the only difference between a volkswagon and a porche IS the snob factor after all. They both are pretty fun to drive.
$.02
from a handling standpoint the Nighthawk 16 is underthe bell curve for me,along with the Romany. I’d get the Nighthawk with the Modulus interior just from a cost standpoint.
I rolled it and I’m bad at it
I first rolled in a whitewater boat in pool class, then brought my Nighthawk 16 to a rolling clinic and it didn’t seem any harder than the whitewater boat. My stock seatback is well below deck, unless perhaps they’ve changed it in the last couple of years. The back deck is low enough that I’ve had no problem with paddlefloat re-entry. I do think the 17.5 Nighthawk would fit this description better, as it is bigger in more than just length.
Lou
I had a similar experience
Sounds like yours may have been a bit worse. I don’t know if it was me, the Nighthawk, luck, or what, but we made it okay.
Lou
My understanding is
that Modulus is Eddyline’s name for Carbonlite plastic on the outside and kevlar on the inside. Modulus does cost more than plain Carbonlite.
Lou