I am seriously thinking about buying an Eddyline Nighthawk 16 Kayak. I would greatly appreciate any input on this boat good or bad. I have read the product reviews but am looking for any other info.
I have only been paddling a few months mostly lakes and rivers but love Kayaking and spend a great deal of time doing it. I already own a Pungo 120 but am looking for a boat that I can use in the ocean or on longer trips.
Also my local store has one new for $1899 is that a good deal? The only other store that I have checked out had one for $1999. Thanks for your help.
two time
I’m a smidge big for it but it’s perfect for a day boat,200lbs. Slippery, fast enough. I saw it in an instructors workshop and saw the owner use it in the surf. I padddled it on flat water and thought it made sense.
I like it!
I’ve had my Nighthawk for two or three years and I don’t have a single complaint. It’s become my workhorse kayak - totally dependable!
you certainly have good taste in yaks…
…maybe you could bump Charlie the Tuna out of a job, but $2000??? I’d be perusing the classifieds & looking to pay maybe $1300-$1500 for a nice gently used one. I kinda am lusting after one myself, so if you find a good deal, don’t dilly-dally around! (Snooze=lose)
Retail price
on the Buyer’s Guide to the left shows it at $1,999, so $100 off doesn’t sound like an exceptional deal since it only amounts to a 5% discount. But, ehhh, 5% is better than no discount.
Nighthawk
I got mine this summer. Love it. I’m 5’11 170lbs
Storage is a lil small for long trips but great otherwise. If U are new to kayaking you will might feel as though the intial stability is a lil “tippy”, but U will find that the secondary is great and with a lil time U won’t notice that intial stability. My dealer had them for $1999 as well but sold me his used one for $1750.
I swear I saw new ones on a website for $1650 WITH shipping. Never bookmarked it and can’t find it anymore. Good Luck
Spent quite a lot of time
in a Nighthawk, and i think it is an excellent kayak. I don’t own one, as i prefer other boats for my paddling style, but it is an excellent boat. Good in wind, big seas, tidal races etc. I think you’ll certainly like it WAY more than a Pungo!
Eddyline Nighthawk
You cannot go wrong with this wonderful kayak. The Nighthawk responds easily when you lean (edge) and when the winds are blowing, you drop the skeg and feel it trim as you lean and flow thru the water. After many practices, it is also easy to do a paddle float rescue in. I personally cannot vouch on how easy it is to roll, but I have read many reviews that state it is so. I am 5’1" and weigh 140 lbs. and I did not have to customize the cockpit. My partner owns the Merlin LT Modulus kayak. This new material makes the kayak flow with crisp and speed and it is much lighter. I wished that I had spent the extra dollars and purchased the Nighthawk made in Modulus. Check out their website, Tom & Lisa Derrer really take pride in their products and the customer service is excellent. This is my third Eddyline Kayak and the Nighthawk has been the best for me. Get a Modulus!!!
Just had my Nighthawk on a 5-day trip
It was actually a navigation and skills building class in the San Juan Islands. We carried camping gear, food and 2 gallons of water at all times. If you are careful and thoughtful, you can really pack a lot of stuff into a Nighthawk. Unless you are planning a two-week expedition, you should find it’s capacity quite adequate.
Our trip was during the full moon, and we were looking for maximum current activity. We got to paddle in all kinds of water (that I would normally no go into on purpose.) Strong currents, tide rips, wind waves and boat wakes. The Nighthawk took very good care of me. It handles really well in rough water - in fact, I prefer a little action as opposed to glassy water.
We took quite a few waves over the bow, and the hatches stayed bone-dry.
I didn’t spring the extra money for modulus, but I’m 50 years old, 5’6", 155 lb. female with arthritis and a weak back. At 48 lbs. I can still manage the carbonlite model quite easily for loading and carrying, as long as I pay attention to my body mechanics.
I find the seat to be very comfortable, and I needed no padding or custom fitting - I have good contact all around.
If I had to do it over, I’d buy it again!
Thistleback
What wild life did you see
Nice write up on the Night Hawk, and even better description of your trip. Did you see much in wild life in terms of aquatic and birds? Do you feather your paddle? With arthritis, do you take any medicine before paddling? Given Eddyline popularity out in the North West where I first admired their product, what were the other folks paddling? V/R Mark
Falcon 18
Thanks for all the replies
Thanks for all the repilies. It seems as though I picked a good boat. I am still shopping around for the best deal, but I will purchase one at some point.
I live in Massachusetts and was wondering are Kayaks at their cheapeset right about now with the end of summer and all? What is the best time of year to find the best deal on a Kayak?
I just bought two!
Haven’t gotten them yet but chomping at the bit. According to Eddyline, the Modulus and Carbonlite weigh the same. This is what they wrote me:
“The weights for Carbonlite and Modulus are the same. The advantage of Modulus over Carbonlite is extreme durability in hard use instances. Modulus is essentially a high strength composite of Vectran, Carbon fiber and fiberglass with a Carbonlite skin. The boat will also hold up better over time.”
Good luck.
Go for “fair” deal
Many in this industry are just hanging on. Eddyline is to be commended for sticking with the specialty dealers and really supporting the little guy. Certainly you don’t want to throw money away, but keep in mind that an Eddyline dealer will be a full service shop that will support the sale down the road. A little extra margin for them keeps the specialty shop concept alive a little longer…Your not just purchasing a kayak.
Used Nighthawk
at New England Small Craft up in Rowley. I think it’s going for slightly under $1500. Good shape with the usual scratches on the hull bottom. The Nighthawk is a nice boat and you’ll probably love it. Still I am a big believer in the first boat being a “used” one, in case (and you will) fall in love with another later on.
sing
Wildlife, etc.
We were hoping to see orcas, but alas, we were on the wrong side or Orcas Island. They like to hang out in Haro Strait where the water is deeper.
We saw lots of bald eagles, great blue herons, belted kingfishers, some rhinoceros auklets, and what we believe to be Cassin’s auklets although we are not positive.
In camp we saw the ubiquitous racoons, (and a great racoon fight in the middle of the night) lots of deer and rabbits, and on Jones Island, a mink (the kind with gorgeous fur, not a minke whale.)
The deer on Jones island were very bold, and one of them climbed right out on some large rocks at the shore and were grazing on seaweed growing there.
Lots of seals on the inslands that were protected.
About paddling with arthritis - yes, I feather my paddle, but not like you probably think. A standard feather angle (60 degrees) really bothers my wrist - but I LOVE a 15 degree angle. It doesn’t do much to eliminate your exposure to the wind, but it makes the entry ever so slightly better. My paddle has the adjustable ferrule in 15 degree increments. I also got the crankshaft model with the small diameter in carbon. So light . . . so nice!
I have been having stomach trouble with taking medication for the arthritis, but if I had a choice, I’d opt for 800mg of Ibuprofen three times a day. If you do that the day before and the day of the paddle, it really helps. If I don’t take any anti-inflammatory, then I end up taking vicodin for the throbbing joint pain that would keep me awake at night.
Someone else recently mentioned on this forum the combo of Ibuprofen and Vicodin. It really does work - and it’s cheap.
Of the five people present on this trip, all were women, including our instructor, and only one was a youngster, age 28. The rest were 48, (our instructor) 50, 53 and 59. Two of us had Eddyline Nighthawk 16’s and the other three had Mariner Coasters. Both are very popular out here on the Olympic Peninsula.
Paula
I like
Tried a friend’s a few times. The only real downside I have heard is that they don’t paddle backwards very well due to the shape and cockpit position.
ok
I have heard the same about my Mariner Express,but I paddler forward most of the time so it’s not much of a problem,and the times I really need to back paddle it’s not for more than 50’ which isn’t hard to do. It’s no liability in surf,actually an asset with regards to getting the bow to the beach.
Eddyline
I bought a Nighthawk 17.5 modulus for my first boat last month. What a dream. I’m a big guy and it fits me so well. I paddle in fairly benign rivers and bays on the Washington coast and find it to be so stable and comfortable.
I dunked off the dock twice the first week and had to self-rescue. It was ugly, but I was able to get back in the boat just fine thanks to the training I got from the dealer.
I shopped hard and even though I’m about a 120 miles from where Eddyline is manufactured I was not able to get much lopped off the MSRP which is OK considering the service I have gotten from the dealer and the quality of the craft.
I don’t think you can go wrong with this brand. I tried out several others and am certain I got what I paid for.
Hey Willapa!
I hear that your area is a pretty dangerous place to paddle (my brother lives there). Any idea why? If you see a couple of Eddyline Nighthawk 16’s out there this fall it might be us.
Night hawk for sale
There is a night hawk for sale in south central PA. Check the Classifieds here on paddling.net. It is going for $1500. That is how much most used ones cost. I have been eyeing them too but I already have too many boats (according to my wife). I am probably too big for a 16 and need a 17.5.
Also have some for sale at Mountainman in Inlet, NY and Oak Orchard in Rochester, NY. I would ask for $1800 at most for the new boat being torwards the end of the season.
Good luck and happy paddling,
Mickalous