Sea eagle kayak4/15/2023 But because the air tubes taper at the ends of the boat, I would recommend that only smaller couples, or parent-child duos use this as a tandem kayak. It is billboarded as a one or two person kayak, with the upgraded package providing an extra seat and paddle. The Sea Eagle 330 is 11-feet, 2-inches long. If the SE-330 had a bit more space, and equally as importantly, some foot support, then this would be an even comfier, better-performing kayak. Although, the ever-present option to take a break and kick my legs up over the sides did help to alleviate this discomfort. By the end of my hour paddle test, my ankles were starting to get a bit sore. This, in turn, caused my feet to compress together and then point to compensate. The one con worth noting is that the angle at which the lateral air tubes taper really reduces the usable space in the bow. There are more advanced seats available, that’s for sure, but for a low-cost, inflatable kayak, this was a good one. It not only had a plush base for the tush, but the back support also felt great. And I must say, I was impressed with the seat. The sit-on-top design also gave me lots of room to lounge around. The softness of the Sea Eagle 330 does slow it down a bit, compared to if it was made with drop-stitch construction and inflated to a higher PSI, or particularly compared to hard-shell kayaks, but it also provides a cushy ride. Sea Eagle 330 comfortĪnother common trade off with kayaks is between performance and comfort. This kayak also stays on course reasonably well (thanks to the integrated skegs and I-beam floor), and is highly maneuverable when using sweep strokes. It doesn’t feel overly laborious, like a “floating dock” (as I like to call some kayaks) would. But that smidge of stability that the SE-330 sacrifices really makes a difference when it comes to covering distance. Typically, an 11-foot-long inflatable kayak, that uses PVC rather than drop-stitch construction, doesn’t move all that well on the water. This kayak exceeded my expectations in terms of paddling performance. I would give this kayak an 8 out of 10 in terms of stability, but that last 20% leaves the door open for better paddling efficiency (which we’ll talk about next). There are some inflatable kayaks out there that offer even more stability, but as I always point out, there are trade-offs between performance and stability. It isn’t entirely flip-proof, but it would take an impressive effort to do so. The Sea Eagle 330 is so stable that anyone could hop in this kayak and feel comfortable. So high marks for the inflation procedure and overall portability. This would also be a good place to mention that upon deflation, the kayak and the pump easily fit into a drawstring carry case. In case you run into any issues, the SE-330 has a scannable QR code on it, which as long as you have cell service, will take you to an instructional video.Īfter the first run-through, I could tell this kayak would be a breeze to set up going forward. So this is a simple, and thoughtful bonus. In many cases, unless you own an high-end pump that has a built-in pressure gauge, it can be a guessing game as to whether or not you’ve reached the boat’s recommended firmness. Sea Eagle also includes a small pressure chart that when applied to the appropriate spot on the kayak, gives a helpful reading based on the stretch of the exterior. But in the case of the Sea Eagle 330, the provided foot pump was all I needed for an easy inflation. It usually saves a lot of time and energy. I often recommend that anyone with an inflatable kayak invest in an electric pump. It also has a 3-year manufacturer defect warranty. The SE-330 has 5, one-way valves, a sun & salt-water-resistant PVC material, an I-beam construction floor, two integrated skegs, a drain valve, a combination of seats and paddles (depending on the package that you go with), a carry bag, a repair kit, and a foot pump. Price: $250 – $450 USD (Depending on the package) Let’s unpack the Sea Eagle 330 inflatable kayak, which is one of the best-selling gateway kayaks on the market, and talk about how it fared during my latest paddle test. getting more people to enjoy the outdoors). This is my main mission with today’s review, and ties into one of my primary missions with PaddleTV and In4Adventure (i.e. So the key is to identify which starter boats are going to lead to happy converts. On the other hand, if someone’s first foray into the sport ends up being a lousy experience, then this may turn them off for life. On the one hand, they can be accessible and affordable boats that get new people excited about paddling. “Gateway” kayaks are a double-edged sword.
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