I bought SE370 Pro Inflatable Kayak that has the upgraded seat from a competitor. Took it to the local lake during a camping trip. Easy to put together. Kids loved it as well as me! I solo'd it to do some fishing. Kids teamed up to paddle around the lake. OF course, we all used life jackets at all times! It tracked beautifully and was easy to maneuver. It was easy , as well, to deflate. Be sure to wipe it dry before storing it away. The included storage bag held everything, pump, kayak and paddles. It is quite sturdy and has a nice carrying strap. Buy it and enjoy !!! Sea Eagle SE370 Inflatable Kayak with Pro Package
I recently got into kayaking by way of some friends. They had two boats so the three of us would rotate so we could all have some fun. It was fun, but when you'd like everyone out on the water at the same time, you will obviously need a third boat. Being an apartment dweller I couldn't really keep a hard shell kayak anywhere. Nor did I want to haul one up and down three flight of stairs every time I felt like hitting the water.
After a lot of research I decided on the Sea Eagle SE370. And I'm pretty dang happy.
1. Storage, set up, moving: It easy to set up. The first couple of times might take you a bit longer than advertised, but after that, it's a smooth process. Moving it to the water has one real issue: The carry bag should have two straps instead of one. The single strap will dig into your shoulder on longer walks to the water. I've since started inflating it right out of the car instead of hauling the bag to the launch site. Still, while that eliminates the pain of the single shoulder strap it is awkward to carry for a quarter mile. Storage is pretty easy. The boat in its bag will easily fit in a closet while it patiently waits for its next use. Major drawback, you cannot fit the paddles in the carry bag with the SE370. It might be possible with the smaller SE330, but it just won't happen with the 370. The boat, seats, and pump take up all of the space. If you're really determined, maybe you can cram the paddles in, but not wanting to break anything I haven't tried to force it. Outside of the single shoulder strap on the carry bag, this thing is great.
2. On the water: Talk about stable. Between my efforts to tip it, and my friends more extreme attempts, I feel safe saying it will not tip. It's more likely to toss you out before it tips over. Since I'm not a strong swimmer that makes me feel very comfortable in it. Performance, you're not getting anywhere very fast. You won't get anywhere in a terribly straight line either. Sitting slightly aft of the middle of the boat as the directions suggest works, but you will be zig-zagging across the water. And probably fighting against a current that's out to make you spin in place. Alternate approach if you're going out solo on flat water, sit all the way in the back. It helps quite a bit with keeping a straight line, but wind will be a bigger issue. You can handle wind a little better if you're towards the middle of the boat, but currents are less of an issue in the back. It can't be called a major drawback though because it seems to be the nature of all inflatable kayaks from what I've learned. Maybe the more expensive ones are better at that, but for the price this little thing is pretty good as long as speed isn't a concern.
3. Construction: Solid. Seriously. It's been put through a fair bit since I bought it and it doesn't even have a scratch on it. There are a couple mud stains, but nothing else. No complaints here at all.
In short, I'm glad I bought this thing and am looking forward to spending as much of the summer on it as I can.
I must admit that I have wanted a Sea Eagle inflatable since I was a kid (30 yrs ago). I actually ordered (1) 370 and (1) 330 but they sent me (2) 370 models. I guess it was my lucky day. The boats arrived about 5 days after I placed the order in good condition. Do not use a knife to open the shipping boxes or you run the risk of cutting the boat. I ordered (1) Pro Package and (1) Deluxe Package because my teenage son is using one boat and we just use one Pro seat in each boat for solo trips. The deluxe seats are horrible for back support in the middle of the boat, but work well at the rear because the spray skirt helps with back support. The hardest part of assembly is getting the valve cap keepers on the valve openings. They require some stretching to get them on and some of them won't stay on well. This doesn't affect the seal of the valve caps but it does keep them from getting lost or misplaced. Pumping the three main chambers requires about 100 pumps for each with the included foot pump and two to three for each spray skirt. The seats require about three pumps for the two seperate chambers.I see an electric air pump in my future! I pumped both boats up and pressure tested them for two days and all of the valves held pressure. I did read on another website that it is a good idea to go back and give each valve another twist to prevent any slow leaks while operating the boat. The 370 models have thicker material than the 330's (38mil vs 33mil, so in theory they should be more puncture resistant. The paddles are of a four piece collapsible design. They look to be of reasonable quality and since I will be paddling solo most of the time I have a spare paddle in case something does break (each boat comes with two paddles). The boat also ships with an inflation gauge to ensure proper air pressure and a patch kit.
The maiden voyage of these boats was made on a local lake in a protected cove with winds about 5 MPH. As with any canoe or kayak, getting into it for the first time causes a little anxiety. The initial stability of these boats is not as good as some rented kayaks I have used but the secondary stability is very good. I was expecting bad yaw characteristics which is usually a trademark of inflatable boats but I was pleasantly suprised. The key is to start out with slow and light paddle strokes until up to speed and then the boat can be paddled with more power. When paddling solo the boat performs best if the paddler is seated around the middle. The pro seats are comfortable but they do slide around a little toward the back when entering the boat and getting seated. I will probably get some small caribiners and run some rope to the seats from the spray skirts to keep them from moving back. The wind did affect the boat some and corrective paddle strokes were needed to stay on the intended heading, but that is the case with most other inflatables. I was concerned about the sun heating up the boat and over pressurizing the chambers but the material is a light gray color and the boat stayed relatively cool on this 95 degree day.
This is what I would call a fun boat. It doesn't have foot rests or thigh braces which help transfer power to your paddle, so you aren't going to win any races in it. It will require more energy to move it around. For what it is, it gets the job done. The boats are rated for Class 3 whitewater but I can't see using them for anything but lakes and slow moving and relatively deep rivers. You may be able to use them for deep Class 1 through 3 rivers but most of the whitewater rivers in North Carolina are two feet or less in depth and have a lot of craggy rocks. Dedicated inflatable whitewater boats have a thick rubber coating or heavy fabric outerlayer to prevent cuts and abrasions. The Sea Eagle Sport kayaks are just very thick PVC material which is durable but not enough for my comfort in these conditions. Who wants to have a flat 10 miles upstream in the middle of nowhere? If you are that adventurous, make sure you have your patch kit and foot pump with you.
I wasn't in the financial position to get two hard shell kayaks, paddles, and a roof top carrier. I would have spent $1000.00 minimum to get entry level boats. In my case it was buy the Sea Eagles with paddles and air pumps for less than $500.00 or sit on the shore and watch others have fun.
Being able to pack away a 12 foot long boat with all of the accessories in a duffle bag is very convenient but it is not without some disadvantages. You have to make sure the boat is completely dry before you put it away to prevent mold and mildew. This means either leaving the boat inflated until dry or wiping it down with a towel at the end of the day. The spray skirts are attached with ropes so the boat is going to have to air dry for some amount of time before packing it away to allow the ropes to dry out. Drying the boat is a minor annoyance but just be aware that you aren't going to be able to just pull it out of the water, deflate it, and stuff it in a bag. I had to practice a couple of times folding up the boat so it fits in the bag. I found the best way is to roll it up like a sleeping bag instead of folding it in sections. With the boat and accessories in the bag the whole package is very heavy. The bag only has one shoulder strap so all of the weight is on one side of your body during transport. Two straps would make it a lot easier. I can't see anyone carrying these bags more than 50 yards before taking a break or switching shoulders. It is much easier to carry the inflated boat and paddle if possible.
Overall Sea Eagle makes a good product that peforms well if you recognize its limitations. These boats are are leap up from inflatable pool toys and should hold up well under normal circumstances. The material is probably three times thicker than the cheap boats. I can't think of a better or less expensive way to get out on the water and just have a little fun. - Inflatable Kayaks - Kayak - Inflatable Kayak'
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