TESTED
Eddyline
Equinox
The Eddyline Equinox is a 14-foot coastal day-tripper, made in Eddyline’s Carbonite 2000 material,
and aimed at the type of sea kayaker who favours a more leisurely style of coastal cruising. It’s the
smaller cousin of the Eddyline Fathom that we reviewed in issue 008, and the second of the boats
being imported into the UK by Reed Chillcheater. So, how did it fair in the hands of Ocean Paddler
reviewers? To find out, read on…
Well, to all intents and purposes the
Eddyline Equinox looks how you’d expect
a leisurely coastal cruiser to look. It’s
around 14ft long, is relatively wide at the
beam, and features a very large cockpit;
you’ll need a larger than standard spray
deck, which we didn’t have, so Reed
were kind enough to lend us one of their
neoprene/aquatherm ones to use.
The boat is Swede-formed, with a
relatively wide profile. It features a
shallow vee’d wide hull, with hard chines,
and minimal bow and stern overhang,
keeping the waterline relatively long
compared with the overall length of
the boat. The deck profile is relatively
flat, with minimal rocker throughout its
sheerline. There is minimal rocker on the
stern and bow sections of the hull.
On top of the deck, the boat has two
large hatches; one round one at the front
and an oval hatch at the rear. There is
no compass recess, but you wouldn’t
necessarily expect that on a coastal daytripper.
The Carbonite 2000 material used in the
build of this boat is, as we commented in
issue 008 when we reviewed the Eddyline
Fathom, superb, and whilst it’s a plasticbased material, the result is a harder gloss
finish than composite construction. The
combination of a coloured deck, and white
hull, also conveys the impression that this
is more than ‘just plastic’, and equally, it’s
an extremely light material, resulting in
a boat which is very lightweight; you’ll
soon notice this if you’re regularly lifting
boats on or off car roof racks. Unlike
the Fathom the deck sits on the hull like
a lid, rather than joined in a seam. Put
simply, if you haven’t seen this material
before, then you should – it’s impressive
and could/ought to be representative
of what all plastic sea kayaks should be
constructed from.
Sitting in the Equinox, two things are
immediately clear; the seat, which is
well padded, is incredibly comfortable.
The other noticeable element is that
your knees sit relatively low, giving the
impression that they ’re being pressed
down. Some of our reviewers (albeit the
slightly larger ones) found this seating
position a little uncomfortable. The
footrests are however very comfortable,
as is the thigh grip area.
The Equinox has plenty of initial stability,
as you’d expect, though maybe not as
much as, say, the Prijon T-470 we reviewed
in Issue 007. You certainly don’t feel like
you have to overcome initial stability to
get the Equinox to sit on its secondary
stability, this gives a pleasing feel to
edged turns – though these are relatively
large ‘radius turns’. Any edging done in
the Equinox is driven through the
hip/pelvis regions and you can’t really
employ the stronger knee drive as much
as you want to.
In terms of manoeuvrability, yes,
this boat is relatively short, yet the
minimal rocker does mean it’s not that
manoeuvrable. When employing sweep
strokes to turn the Equinox, you’ll notice
the lack of rocker as the bow and stern
‘dig in’. Getting it up on to its edge will
ease this to some extent, but it’s not a
boat for radical edge turns. In reality, it’s
probably a great boat in which to learn
how to edge turn a boat, before being let
loose in a high-performance kayak.
As with many shorter boats, the
Equinox has, as a result of the minimal
bow and stern overhang, a relatively
long waterlength when compared to its
overall length. This helps with tracking,
which the Equinox does well. Yes,
the boat will weathercock, however,
with the low profile deck, with its low
knee position, the effect of a beam or
quartering wind is greatly minimised.
When in a following sea, the boat tracks
well, and is actually quite good fun in
smallish following conditions, though
you do notice the lack of bow rocker at
times as it attempts to wrestle control
from you.
The Equinox that we trialled did not
feature a skeg or rudder, and to be
honest, it doesn’t rally need either.
We didn’t really test the Equinox in any
real rough conditions, it’s just not that
type of boat; however Chris Reed did
inform us that people have commented
that it is good fun in smallish surf, so we
felt obliged to put it through its paces.
Actually, it is quite good fun. The wide
hull gives good stability, and it tracks
nicely along the wave. The Equinox can
actually be manoeuvred on the wave
face, though you’re not going to achieve
huge cutbacks in it. When caught side on,
the stability of the kayak helps, and it is
quite easy to hold upright.
As with the Eddyline Fathom reviewed
last issue, you get the feeling that the
hard chined hull on this boat is there to
impart strength and rigidity into the hull,
rather than for performance reasons.
The Equinox’s carrying capability is
more than adequate, however it does
lack a day hatch; important for those
small items you want close to you, yet
don’t want to risk opening a main hatch
for.
The Eddyline Equinox is actually very
reminiscent of some of the traditional
skin-on-frame boats that I have had the
opportunity to paddle in the past, so
whilst not being a ‘traditional’ sea kayak
in the British sense, it does appear to
have its roots deeply embedded in the
traditions of kayaking.
So, in conclusion, if you’re not looking
for a full-on sea kayak, for example
you’re new to the activity or simply you
don’t need a full-onocean going kayak and
a more touring influenced kayak would
work better for you, then you might want
to seriously consider having a good look
at the Equinox.
Specification
Length: 14ft
Width: 25”
Depth: 13”
Weight: 45lbs
Cockpit: 35”x 18.5” KEYHOLE
Volume:
Bow Hatch: 2.3 cubic feet
Stern Hatch: 2.7 cubic feet
Price: £950.00
For more information see www.chillcheater.com or www.eddyline.com
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TESTED
Manufacturer’s Response
Thanks to Ocean Paddler for a detailed,
thoughtful review. In each of our designs
great consideration goes into what the
prospective paddler will desire from the
hull. The Equinox is primarily intended
for the more casual paddler who is not
interested in or ready to take on a full
performance Sea Kayak, or may want
a ‘transitional’ design to move from
something strictly recreational into
something much more fun. Therefore,
we strive for a careful balance between
maneuverability and tracking. We
always put a large emphasis on keeping
in-water drag to a bare minimum so that
paddling is as effortless as possible for a
given hull configuration. This helps to
give even shorter kayaks a nice decent
cruising speed.
What Eddyline say
‘As the name suggests, this kayak strikes
a perfect balance between two worlds.
The Equinox brings together the comfort
and stability of recreational kayaks and
the performance of a true sea kayak. The
efficient V hull and hard chines provide
stability and glide in one package. The
kayak tracks well and performs leaned
turns with ease. The ample cockpit is
equipped with thigh braces that give
excellent control even to the smaller sized
paddler. The Equinox comes fully rigged
with elegant styling, front deck bungees,
rear deck re-entry lines, recessed deck
fittings and Eddyline’s retractable carrying
handles and security loops. For comfort
and fit we provide hip pads, thigh pads,
and our three-way adjustable backrest
fitted to a comfortable padded seat.
The Equinox will delight you with its
performance in the water and shines
bright under the sun and moon.
About Eddyline and How the kayaks
are made
Eddyline, a US based manufacturer have
been designing and producing quality
kayaks for 33 years. Lightness, strength
and stability in design are the hallmarks
of their products with outstanding build,
fit and finish.
What makes Eddyline products so
outstanding?
Eddyline products are constructed of
Carbonite 2000, a unique, tough material
that is used in the aircraft industry. It
looks and performs like fibreglass, but
is infact, a thermoformed trilaminate of
ABS plastics and acrylic. Carbonite 2000’s
superior characteristics give dimensional
stability and increased stiffness. It is of
lighter weight, UV resistant and has
a hard, glossy finish with excellent
abrasion and impact resistance. It is
easily repairable and 100% recyclable.
Established 2003
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