Jackson Kayak Riviera Sit On Top Kayak

The Jackson Kayak Riviera is a sit-on-top recreational kayak built for simplicity. At 11'4", 29 inches wide, and 58 lbs, it's light enough to car-top solo and easy enough for any paddler to launch from shore. The high back molded-in seat keeps you comfortable without straps, adjustments, or moving parts to deal with.

There is very little on this boat to break, adjust, or replace. That is the whole point of it.

Specifications

• Length: 11'4"
• Width: 29"
• Total Weight: 58 lbs
• Capacity: 300 lbs
• Seat: High back molded-in seat
• Style: Sit-On-Top Recreational Kayak

Who the Riviera Is For

This is a first kayak, a guest kayak, and a fleet kayak. It works for casual paddlers who want to get on the water without a learning curve, for families who need a boat anyone can hop into, and for camps, cottages and liveries that hand boats to people who have never paddled before.

It runs on lakes, slow rivers, ponds and flatwater. Around here that means Center Hill, Percy Priest, the Caney Fork and the Harpeth.

Durability and Stability

The Riviera hull is rotomolded polyethylene. No seams, no glued panels, nothing to come apart. That matters when the boat gets dragged over gravel at the put-in, set down hard on a dock, or loaded and unloaded a hundred times a season. Scratches on the bottom are normal and cosmetic. The hull holds its shape.

The seat is molded into the hull, so there is no fabric, foam or webbing to hold water. Owners store this boat covered outside year after year without seat rot.

At 29 inches wide on an 11'4" hull, the Riviera sits flat and wide in the water. Getting in and out at a dock or off a bank is not a balancing act. You can turn around to pull a dry bag out of the rear tank well, stop paddling to eat, or shift your weight without the boat wanting to correct. First-time paddlers notice it in the first ten minutes.

Capacity is 300 lbs, so an adult plus a cooler, a dry bag and a full day of gear sits well inside what the boat is built to carry.

That combination is why camps, liveries and family fleets keep buying this hull. It gets loaned out, used hard, and comes back ready to go out again.

Comfort and Getting In and Out

The high back seat is molded into the deck. There is nothing to adjust, no straps to tighten, no clips to snap, and nothing that loosens over a long afternoon. You sit down and go.

The open sit-on-top deck is the part that matters if bending, kneeling or twisting is difficult for you. There is no cockpit rim to drop your legs into and no need to slide out of a hole to exit. You sit on top of the boat the way you would sit on a bench, and you get off the same way. Paddlers with stiff knees, sore hips or limited flexibility usually find this far easier than a sit-in kayak.

Carrying it from the truck to the water alone can be made easier with a kayak cart or a second set of hands, and that is a loading question, not a paddling one. Once it is in the water, this is one of the easiest boats to get into that we sell.

Storage

The Riviera has two places to put things, and they are set up for different jobs.

The center day hatch is small and sits within arm's reach. It is semi-dry, meaning it keeps splash and spray off your keys, phone and wallet. It is not a submersion-proof compartment. Anything you would hate to lose goes in a dry bag inside the hatch.

The rear tank well is the open cargo area behind the seat, held down by a bungee system. This is where a soft cooler, a dry bag, a towel, sandals or a small crate ride. You can reach back and grab from it while seated without unsettling the boat.

Transport and Storage at Home

58 lbs car-tops on a standard roof rack and fits in a truck bed. Two people can carry it comfortably. One person can manage it with a cart or a shoulder.

At home it stores on its side against a garage wall, on rack straps, or outside. There is no seat fabric, foam padding or drive unit to pull off and bring indoors for the winter. Rinse it and walk away.

Riviera vs a Canoe or a Sit-In Kayak

Against a canoe: the Riviera is lighter, one person can load it, and it tracks better with a double-bladed paddle. A canoe carries more people and more gear. If you are paddling solo or with one other boat, the kayak is the easier day.

Against a sit-in recreational kayak: the sit-on-top deck is easier to get into and out of, does not trap water around your legs, and does not need a spray skirt. A sit-in keeps you drier and warmer in cold weather and cuts wind better. For summer paddling in Tennessee, the sit-on-top is usually the more comfortable boat.

Against a sit-on-top fishing kayak: the Riviera is lighter and cheaper because it leaves off the gear tracks, rod holders and standing platform. If you want to fish from it occasionally, it will do that. If you want to fish from it seriously, look at the Bite or the Coosa X instead.

Accessories and Replacement Parts

The Riviera comes ready to paddle. These are the add-ons that actually get used:

• A recreational kayak paddle. Most Riviera paddlers land between 230 cm and 250 cm depending on height.
• A life jacket. Look for a thin-back or low-profile cut so it clears the high molded seat instead of pushing against it.
• Dry bags for the day hatch and the tank well. A 5L handles keys and a phone. A 10L or larger rides in the tank well.
• A kayak cart if you'll be loading and launching alone.
• Cam straps for the roof rack or truck bed.

Need a replacement bungee kit, a seat pad or any other Riviera part? Call us at (615) 696-7887 and we'll get you sorted.