I tried out the 330 deluxe for the first time today and was impressed. I went to a local lake and set up on the beach. No one had a clue as I walked up with this bag what I was up to, as they were swimming. 7 or 8 minutes later, a kayak magically appears! That was fun in itself. It was easy to set up with the foot pump. It took 35 to 40 pumps to fill each of the 3 chambers, and no air escapes from the one way valves AT ALL. Then it's just a couple of pumps each for the spray shields, and 4 to 5 pumps for each of the 2 seat chambers, also with one way valves, and your ready to fish. I test drove in the shallows for 3 or 4 minutes to get a feel for the kayak, which was the first time for me in any kayak, and I was off to the nearest patch of lilly pads, and within 10 minutes caught my first pickerel, and then bass out of my new sea eagle. Sure beats car topping a canoe. Then after 2 hrs., back to the beach, unscrew the valves, roll it up like a sleeping bag, put it in the duffle, and back in the pick-up. The deluxe seats are extremely confortable, very firm and support your back better than most office chairs, let alone canoe seats.
This is a great way to fish any where you please,just on a whim. With no planning. Thats the only way to fish.
Sincerely, Mark S Sea Eagle 330 Inflatable Kayak with Deluxe Package
I cannot say enough good things about this kayak. I have owned mine since 2000 when I purchased it while living in Atlanta, GA. Inflation is simple, the bag properly stores everything you need, and the fit and finish of the boat are superb. In its time I have taken my Sea Eagle on calm lakes and rivers in the south numerous times without incident, but I have also tested it a fair amount. We have run it on Section III of the Chattooga in SC including Bull Sluice and also on the Nantahala including the Falls. While this is not the most demanding whitewater out there it is class II and III and I want to back up the mfr. claims that this boat can handle this water. We have also had it in the Atlantic Ocean numerous times and it's a ton of fun to ride waves and crash if you're not careful. We now live in Indianapolis and take it on the White River during the warm months and it is holding up just fine. I can recommend that if you are interested in this boat to look into alternative paddles, as my personal kayak paddle does a much better job for me than the included paddles. We also installed the skeg on the underside of the boat and have found that this improves the yaw of the boat considerably, although it is not a make or break addition. I hope this review helps anyone considering investing in one of these boats. Enjoy the water!
Got one of these and tried it down Stanislaus River (Calif) with my son. The raft actually did pretty well in a Class 1-2 river. The built-in skegs (2 of them) helps to stabilize the boat. I have 2 complaints about the supplied inflatable seats. First of all, they have the pool toy inflation valves (not one way Boston valves) so it's a real struggle to inflate them . Secondly, the seats can hardly provide any back support. Another thing about this kayak is that it can barely fit 2 people--in my case, me (5'7") and my 10 year old son and we already feel pretty crammed.There is no way to fit 2 adults weighing 500 lbs.
1. The boat is much heavier than advertised. Amazon says 29 lbs shipping weight. Sea Eagle officially says 26 lbs. I put it on a scale with all parts (boat, paddles, pump) inside the duffle bag and it's 38 lbs. This makes it very difficult to backpack or hike in to locations not accessible via car (which was my purpose in purchasing).
2. The boat is perfect for certain purposes: floating in calm lakes, streams, etc. Our test run was on the choppy Chesapeake bay in 1 ft waves and 20 mph winds. It handled adequately. In such conditions, the boat is difficult to point, but it's really not meant for this.
2. It fits 2 people and gear for an outing comfortably.
3. The seats require full inflation and good posture. The seat backs are fairly useless.
4. Inflation and deflation is very easy. It takes appx. 10 minutes to put together and take apart.
5. The material is quite strong. You don't really have to worry about rips and tears unless you're running serious rapids -- which you shouldn't be doing anyways in this boat.
6. Comes with a patch kit.
Overall, a solid little boat for relaxed, fun purposes. If you want to do any serious whitewater, you should look elsewhere.
This is our first inflatable kayak. It is quick to inflate, takes less than 10 minutes, & quicker to pack up. Seats & spray guards are a little tricky because of the valves though, you have to pinch it at the base & plug it quickly, but otherwise it's a cinch! We fit fine going tandem, my husband's 6' & I'm 5'5", he likes it better without the rear seat. We've taken the kayak out 8 x so far, mostly to Huntington Harbor & Anaheim Bay. We've gotten good at our synchronicity & can go pretty fast when we want to! We're in Southern California so no rivers nearby but are looking forward to catching some waves in the summer. Feels very durable, but make sure you screw the Boston valves on tightly. The 2nd time we took it out, we didn't realize it right away but the right side was deflating, we were about a 1/2 mile out when paddling & keeping it straight had seemed to get harder & harder, I thought we were in a current or something until I noticed the fold on the right side. We turned around to head back but it was very hard to paddle fighting with the strong pull to the right, but we made it & we're alive to laugh about it now! My fault, I didn't tighten it well enough. Lesson learned. Have fun!
6/4/10 Update, took my 50 lb Aussie Shepherd, unclipped claws & all, on a 2 hour tour in the harbor. Just laid a towel on a board, which she didn't stay on. She was all over the place, she's pretty excitable & not a water dog. Not a single mark or scratch on the kayak though!
10/01/10 Got another SE 330, they changed the pinch valves to Boston valves. Excellent improvement!
8/11 Took these to Kern River for whitewater, extreme thrills! Up to class 3 rapids from upper Powerhouse to Lake Isabella. Wear good life jackets & tie down your seats. Ocean kayaking is great, relaxing once you get past the waves. You can get pretty close to dolphins. Catching waves is fun but I always seem to end up sideways. I still take my dog kayaking in the harbor, she absolutely loves it & can't wait to hop in! I don't bother putting anything on the floor anymore. Overall I've probably had over 100 uses by now & had 2 small repairs, definitely got my monies worth!'
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