KL Industries Sun Dolphin Journey SS kayak is an extremely efficient, versatile and economical kayak that has a lot to offer avid anglers and people curious to try finishing from a kayak alike. KL Industries has a solid reputation for providing well-rounded, versatile kayaks at great prices. Its angling series is one of their best efforts at giving the kayak and fishing community a great way to get on the water and set their hooks.
A good fishing kayak must provide a steady base that gives anglers the ability to shift their weight, within reason, while remaining suspended on the water. In order to cast their lines and reach equipment the fishing kayaker must move about far more than a kayaker touring a body of water or even an adventure kayaker looking for the thrill of a waterfall or rapids. The Sun Dolphin is an excellent performer in all aspects of kayak fishing. It provides plenty of room in the cockpit area and lots of built-in features that anglers will love.
Features of the Sun Dolphin Journey SS
Kayakers can add this sturdy little boat to their collection for a very reasonable price. KL Industries offers the Journey SS as an entry level fishing kayak but still gives it many extras that are important to an angler. The Sun Dolphin has 3 built-in rod holders. Two are the standard flush mounted rod holders located behind the seat as in most fishing kayaks. They allow fishermen to carry several rods easily and even have more than one line in the water at a time. The third rod holder is an extra offering that is very handy. It is located in front of the kayaker, between the knees and is a swivel base holder perfect for setting the line wherever you need it to be.
The Journey SS is a sturdy, well-built kayak created to take the bumps of creek bottoms and pounding of waves, yet is still lightweight and easy enough for a single kayaker to handle. At less than 50 pounds, it is easy to lift up and set on a roof rack for transportation and portage over footpaths when needed. The slim, short design allows it to be perfectly at home in a small stream where tight turns are often necessary and equally at home in a large lake.
KL Industries stands behind the Sun Dolphin Journey SS kayak like it does all of their products. It has a solid 5 year warranty on rigging and individual parts, and a 2 year warranty on the hull. The company is easy to get in touch with and provides good customer service to answer questions you may have regarding your kayak. They also have a very well developed FAQs page on their website that answers many questions and saves users time.
Overall length of the Journey SS is 120 inches, or 10 feet, and it weighs 41 pounds. The interior of the cockpit has foot braces, thigh pads, a paddle holder and storage compartment. These are all very standard fishing kayak elements, but all hallmarks of a fine quality, well thought out design. That’s not all, though. The KL Industries Sun Dolphin Journey SS 12 has a few little surprises included in the package that will delight most anglers.
Along with the standard features, the Journey SS comes with a portable accessory carrier and a tow behind accessory storage compartment that can also be turned into a backpack. These are additional features that aren’t often found, even on high priced kayaks.
The Advantages of the KL Industries Sun Dolphin Journey SS Fishing Kayak
• Plenty of room to move about with a stable base to avoid flipping
• Shock cord deck rigging
• Lots of storage
• Removable back pack/float behind extra storage
• Large accessory compartment
• Adjustable foot braces
• Great maneuverability in shallow or tight rivers and streams
• Strong construction
• Lightweight and easy to carry
• Comfortable seating with a padded back rest
• Retractable carrying handles on bow and stern
• Easy entry sit on top design
Disadvantages of the KL Industries Sun Dolphin Journey SS Fishing Kayak
The only real drawback to the Sun Dolphin is the 250 pound weight limit. That is a standard weight limit for most kayaks, and touring or sporting kayakers aren’t too concerned with extra baggage weight. However, anglers often carry a great deal of equipment, some of it heavy items. The 250 pound limit can get over taxed easily when adding GPS/fishfinders, batteries, heavy tackle boxes, extra rods, nets and other paraphernalia common on a fishing kayak. Even at 250 pounds, the Sun Dolphin is a great entry level fishing kayak with enough perks to allow an angler to grow into the hobby and enjoy their time on the water in the elusive chase for that hidden monster.
Conclusion
If you are looking for an affordable way to experience the thrill of kayak fishing, the KL Industries Sun Dolphin Journey SS is hard to beat. It offers many features of a much higher priced boat at a very low, affordable price.
