Kayaks You Blow Up

[chnlisle]

Do any of you have experience with Sea Eagle products. I'm looking for an inflatable kayak and liked what I saw here;

http://www.seaeagle.com/fasttrack.aspx
and here;
http://www.seaeagle.com/ExplorerKayaks.aspx

When we lived at the beach we had rigid Ocean Kayaks;
http://www.rei.com/product/817742/ocean-kayak-malibu-two-xl-sit-on-top-kayak

But I like the idea of an inflatable that I can stow in the camper.

 

[dsrtrat]

Jay,
I have had a lot of different inflatable rafts and kayaks over the years. Never had a Sea Eagle but have seen a bunch on the water. The new boats are better quality than past generations.

You will give up performance with a inflatable but if you are just poking around and not doing offshore crossings it won't be a problem. I have friends that have Sea Eagle boats and they seem to hold up ok for the price you pay.If you will be doing rocky landings in the surf watch out. I wouldn't take one on class 4 or anyplace where I was relying on it to be bombproof.

If you are doing whitewater or rocky rivers you might want something by Hyside, Aire, Sotar or NRS. Some outfitters sell off their rentals post season so you can sometimes pick up a good used boat pretty cheap if you know what to look for. Check out Mountainbuzz or the NRS gearswap pages,lots of used boats for sale. In any case you will want to get some decent paddles as the ones that come with the Sea Eagles are pretty lame.

Hope this helps.

Dsrtrat



Do any of you have experience with Sea Eagle products. I'm looking for an inflatable kayak and liked what I saw here;

http://www.seaeagle.com/fasttrack.aspx
and here;
http://www.seaeagle.com/ExplorerKayaks.aspx

When we lived at the beach we had rigid Ocean Kayaks;
http://www.rei.com/product/817742/ocean-kayak-malibu-two-xl-sit-on-top-kayak

But I like the idea of an inflatable that I can stow in the camper.

 

[lqhikers]

Jay,
even though nothing replaces a Hobie mirage (ours was a tandem)

we did go with a Advanced Elements brand tandem inflatable,tough as nails for the price.

i would post a link but gave up a long time ago trying pictures or links.

keep away from crap like sea eagles.(ok as a throw away!)

do get good paddles the secret to enjoy your ride!

Cost ? around 6-7 hundred,You get what you pay for.

above are just my thoughts,yours may very.

Les,lqhikers

 

[Larry Bluhm]

X2 on Advances Elements inflatable yaks. The AirFusion is about as capable as an inflatable can get with a partial inner hard frame. I owned an AirFrame for a couple of years before moving up to a skin on frame folder as my interest and ability grew. The AirFrame was well built and durable and provided many hours of enjoyment. For casual use, an inflatable is a good way to go.

 

[chnlisle]

Larry & Les,
It looks like the AE AirFrame is not self bailing will that be a problem?

 

[zoie]

I have been looking at a Zoik alter ego tandem kayak. They look to be light, self-bailing and come with a removable skeg which should help with tracking in flat water. Also do a google search on 'inflatable kayak review'. There's a lot of good info available.

 

[lqhikers]

Jay,

the advanced elements tandem we had (which is the orange/ red? color)
is self bailng,also tracking was very good,plus was very stable,was a surprise to me!
and it does go back in the travel bag!

Les,lqhikers

 

[Desert Rancher]

I have this doll...

~DR
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.
.
sorry!

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

I have been looking at a Zoik alter ego tandem kayak. They look to be light, self-bailing and come with a removable skeg which should help with tracking in flat water. Also do a google search on 'inflatable kayak review'. There's a lot of good info available.


I think zoie should get a Zoik... doesn't everybody?

 

[lqhikers]

the question asked by jay was about inflatables,not what type of kayaks
single, tandem,hard shell,etc. you prefer!

start a new thread on what ever you want a answer on and stay on subject.

just my thoughts,yours may differ.

Les,lqhikers

 

[Larry Bluhm]

Hi chnlisle. You are correct - The AE yaks, like any fully decked boat, are not self bailing. I paddled the AirFrame out past the Golden Gate Bridge to what the locals refer to as the "potato patch" (as in lumpy water) on several occasions without incident. You will want to invest in the spray skirt for such conditions.

 

[craig333]

You're correct Les. I was tempted to offer my two cents but I resisted. Wasn't relevant to the question.

 

[JHanson]

Chnlisle,

As someone mentioned, the Sea Eagle boats are okay for putzing around in harbors or lakes, but if you're used to hard-shell sea kayaks, I can bet you'd get bored with the performance pretty quickly. If you want a pure inflatable kayak that is fully capable I'd suggest the Aire Sea Tiger. I've reviewed them and was really impressed with the open-water handling. Of course, they're in a different universe of price compared to Sea Eagle - but different universe of quality too.

 

[chnlisle]

"they're in a different universe of price compared to Sea Eagle - but different universe of quality too."

Jonathan,

Different universe indeed, Wow! That is a little (read a lot) out of my comfort zone as far as price goes. There is an Advanced Elements Convertible with all the bells and whistles I'm going to look at today. I think for the use it will get and the kind of paddeling we will be doing it should suit our needs well. I do appriciate your input.

Jay

 

[Silvertip47]

We had the Sea Eagle Sport Kayak for several years of hard use with no problems. Mainly floating the Selway River in Idaho. Hit rocks, crashed, had a lot of fun but the boat never failed.

 

[zoie]

Here's a good review of inflatables if you haven't seen this review: http://www.allinflatableboats.net/inflatable-kayak-comparison-chart-1.html

 

[chnlisle]

Thank You everyone for your input and advise. I can always depend on this forum for good info. I snagged an Advaced Elements Convertible lolcally for $250 below retail. It was used once on Lake Foul and looks brand new. I can't wait to use it in Bahia Concepcion in March.

 

[highz]

Thank You everyone for your input and advise. I can always depend on this forum for good info. I snagged an Advaced Elements Convertible lolcally for $250 below retail. It was used once on Lake Foul and looks brand new. I can't wait to use it in Bahia Concepcion in March.


Congrats on your good deal!

 

[JHanson]

Great! Please let us know how it works for you.

 

[gbail]

We have three Adv Frame AE inflatables.

They are great, affordable, durable and easy to store, inflate and paddle.

They actually track pretty well too.

....bought one, used it for a summer along with a borrowed one for my wife,
loved it, wife loved the borrowed one so I had to buy her one,
then we got the double....easier to travel with just the one bag.

Have used these fun boats in the Gulf of Mexico, off of Florida and Louisana coasts,
In the swamps of Central Florida alongside of gators and snakes,
At the mouth of the wild Columbia River in the NW,
In slowing bending coastal rivers and bay waters off of Cali and Oregon,
And freezing Glacial lakes in the mountains of the PAC NW too.

Dragged them over rocky beaches and paddled over dead drowned trees and riverine boulders, without holeing them,
Kayaked among dolphins and whales at Avila Bay, mid Cal coast...just lucky enuf to have the boats in bags with us that day!

Buy one for yourself.....
Take it with you on every trip...you will greatly add to the fun of your travels.

Camped by a gently river (would not use mine on over class ll, not skilled for that)
or along the shore of a quiet mountain lake,
the blue cool waters beckon to you,
and with an AE boat in a bag,
you have a fun boat to go out in, and paddle and create new memories.

Bought ours thru Air Kayaks online, great prices and great service, knowledgeable staff, and unbelievably fast shipping and delivery.



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