Reviews for Journey 14 Kayak by Jackson Kayak

• Within the first 45 days of taking delivery of my JK Journey 14, I was paddling in winds up to 35 or 40 mph; 5 to 8 foot seas (with an occasional 10 foot swell) in the Pacific Ocean; playing around in the surf zone. Seal launches have been 100% successful. Packed it full of camping gear and still had room to spare. As a result of the adventures, the water conditions have to be very very nasty for me not to launch. The Jackson Kayak Journey has always been smooth, comfortable and stable, not to mention eye-catching. Loving how the Journey edges and maneuvers, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
• Knowing how I was going to use the Journey; purchasing the Journey without a rudder system was not an option. When the winds are that high, all I have to do is point my Journey in the direction I want to go and it does the rest. To change direction, all I do is flex my toe. Turns out the Smart Track Rudder System performs to my expectations. Even when the rudder is out of the water, the JK Journey holds its line very well. The foot braces are solid and easy to adjust.
• Couldn't have had a better day for a final shakedown (aka Sea Trial). Winds were from the northwest at 25 mph, gusting to 35 mph or more. The waves were larger than normal and hitting me from all directions. Despite having to do massive power strokes going into the wind, my JK Journey was cutting through the waves and riding over the top with little to no effort. The experience was very comfortable. I'm ready for more!!
• I love the reflective material in the deck lines, as they are a great safety feature. The entire deck line system can be seen with a little bit of light. The deck lines also come in handy for self-rescues and assisting others into their kayaks. Assisted swimmers during the triathlon. The swimmers had something solid to hold on to while relieving their cramps.
• My concern for available cargo space quickly dwindled. There is ample cargo space in the forward compartment, rear compartment, day hatch, the area forward of the Foot Braces and the area behind the seat. Wish I would've planned a 5-day trip!
• It's nice to have the bungee cord system on the deck. Didn't need additional lines to carry the oversize gear with me. Still love the available space. Just when I think I have too much, there is always room for more gear.
• Bought my second JK Journey! The newer JK Journey's have an improved seat configuration. The "Sweet Cheeks" provide a lot of additional comfort, especially during extended paddles. After an extended paddle my rear end was feeling great. The Sweet Cheeks provided a perfect mold and the comfort was out of this world. I never had to readjust my sitting position.
• Woke up, packed up, and paddled out through a maze of trees that would normally be submerged. The Journey's rudder system worked very well. The Journey maneuvered through the thickets of trees, at a reasonable speed, with ease. The Journey maintained a straight line when the wind speed picked up on the open water and glided across the waves, as expected. I was astounded to see how stable the Journey was on video. The extra weight (of the camping gear) gave the Journey a lot of additional stability. It was a very smooth ride!
• The new JK Journeys come with a GoPro mount; easily within reaching distance of the cockpit.

I demo'd a Journey with a SmartTrak rudder and although the fixed, gas pedal style thing sounds like a good idea, I found it a little awkward to use (another reason I decided to forgo it initially). Compared to the WS Tsnunami140 (fiberglass) that I also have, I find the Journey to be a much more lively boat, stable but easy to tack and spin in rough water. I love the way it responds to turning by leaning. It's really fun!

I am only an intermediate paddler but I am really looking forward to all the new skills I can learn because this boat responds. If your only stroke repertoire is a straight on forward stroke you may not be happy with this boat. It asks for more but gives back with proper paddle technique. The WS by comparison is a bit doggy. Yes, it goes straight but gets stuck going straight too. Yes, you can sweep and pry but I will say it again, it is sluggish by comparison. I also once demo'd a plastic Tsunami 140 and it felt like a barge. I literally couldn't wait to get out of it.

I also prefer the athletic, whitewater style backband to the upright rigid seat of the WS Phase 3 outfitting. The Jackson seat is much more conducive to good roll technique and plenty comfortable enough. I sometimes have difficulty getting in the WS at difficult put-ins, snagging the top of the seat with my behind and having it fold down on me. The Jackson seating will allow a larger range of roll techniques.

I am a big guy… 6'3", 240lbs, 34" inseam and size 13 shoes. I have the Journey 14 prototype and find it to be an excellent roughwater playboat that responds extremely well to edging and advanced paddle technique. The boat spins very quickly when leaned and is a joy to paddle. The Tsunami 145 stalls badly, for me, when edging and I find it hinders advanced skill development. Jackson's Journey 14 is fairly quick for its beam but won't win any races… but that is not what touring boats are built for.

The Journey 14 is surprisingly stable. No seriously… I was actually surprised. I have paddled hundreds of different boats (not an exaggeration). The degree to which this boat supports you as you lean it hard over actually caught me off guard. I can easily stand up and paddle the boat around. At a recent pool session, one of my buddies was standing on the back deck of the Journey and kept trying to jump and land standing on the front deck. He couldn't quite stick the landing, though he came close several times. He thinking he had a shot at doing this trick speaks volumes about the confidence the Journey inspires.

The Journey14 prototype that I have does not have the final deck rigging but the placement of its fittings offers great flexibility for customization. I do lots of rough water paddling / fishing from my kayaks and have modified my decklines significantly. I am very happy with the utility and number of options this arrangement offers. The prototype is only a couple months old but it has seen significant rescue practice and none of the fittings have failed yet.

The Smart Track rudder system is the best I've seen. There are no sharp edges to scratch yourself on during rescues and the system provides for rock solid footpegs with gas pedal style steering. That said, at my weight (I can't speak for someone who only weighs 140lbs) the boat requires no rudder. Even in extreme conditions, the Journey handles very neutrally. I see rudders as a potential liability, and extra weight. I have removed the rudder system from the prototype and when I get my first production boat it will not have a rudder.

I frequently paddle roughwater here in New England and elsewhere, I tend to like rugged, high volume, responsive boats. I have had several NDK, Valley and Nigel Foster boats over the years. They were all faster… but none of them were tougher, more comfortable or more fun to paddle. I have only owned one boat that was as much fun to paddle in ocean rough water as the Journey 14. That boat was a P&H Orca 14 (now made by Venture Kayak). It is still a great boat… but its deck rigging leaves a lot to be desires and it is a light touring boat with only one bulkhead, which makes rescues more challenging. Due to its superior utility and safety, the Journey 14 has displaced the Orca 14 as my roughwater boat of choice.