I have had a houseboat, a power boat and a fishing boat or two but a couple of canoe trips and reading about other people enjoying the kayak we decided to try it. Our first impressions are listed below. Feel free to add your impressions about our sanity or your experiences.
The cost of $320 with free shipping and prompt delivery of less than a week were definitely good for us. A low cost experiment with instant gratification as we were in the water for a few hours within a week.
Assembly is easy and total novices got it together in less than 20 minutes. We probably could do it in less than 10 minutes now.
Getting into a two person kayak is an experience the first time. Lucky for us we got a simple how to book and we can follow directions. The instructions that come with the kayak are limited.
The Sea Eagle is a tight fit but pretty stable for a kayak. We cruised around a protected inlet at Caballo Lake for a while and then let Sandy our minature Dachsund join for a ride. After about 3 hours we were pooped and we realized we have a lot to learn.
Getting out of a two person kayak without getting too wet (the water was cold in February) is a bit challenging also. The tried and true instrutions do work though.
Unfortunately it was too windy to try again over the weekend. Putting the rig up was doable by one and easy for two.
Our goal is to develope enough expertise this spring to do a day trip down the Rio Grande in the southern part of New Mexico. Read that lazy Rio Grande as opposed to wild Rio Grand in northern NM.
This isn't a hobby yet but it is an adventure. We will see.
Larry and Jacki
Judy said
12:35 PM Feb 20, 2007
We too just bought a Sea Eagle Motormount and have only had the chance to have it out about 3 times so far. However, we are headed for Caballo Lake in another month here back to the "Land of Enchantment" for some of the summer months. Good luck on the Rio Grande, we have done one Northern Rio Grande trip with a tour guide....looking forward to Cochiti Lake on the (Tetillia Peak side) of that lake this summer at the Corp of Engineers. southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
Cindy T said
07:06 AM Feb 21, 2007
Larry & Jacki,
Thanks for sharing that your mini-doxie took a ride in your boat. I have a toy poodle & wondered if her nails would poke holes in an inflatable, but sounds like your dog was ok.
Judy said
08:44 AM Feb 21, 2007
Cindy, we too plan on taking our dog in ours, it is made of VERY tough stuff, and a guy is using a hammer on it in the ad.....however, we do not plan on doing this. southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
blijil said
09:38 AM Feb 21, 2007
On the kayak keeping your center of gravity under control is the issue with having our grand dog Sandy riding with us. Even at only 14 pounds bouncing around won't due but she just likes to ride with her head on the side and watch so everything is fine. I just hope we don't see any wildlife too close up or she may go after them. You see she doesn't know she is small.
I think the inflatable boats are tough enough in general for dogs as long as they don't chew anything.
Just a note for Judy, stay off the lake if the wind is blowing at all. We stay pretty close to the shore but with a motor it is really tempting to get in a dangerous situation when the wind blows. You are in deep trouble quick in NM if the wind kicks up and it does come up in a hurry. Even in our fishing boat we have been in some dicey situations that I wouldn't want to repeat because we didn't minimize our distance from shore to compensate for the potential winds. Inflatables are even more vulnerable.
Be safe and have fun.
Larry and Jacki
Judy said
11:23 AM Feb 21, 2007
Thanks for the tip. living in N.M. for the past 11 yrs we are quite familer with Mr. Wind. The lake where we will be using our Sea Eagle has warning lites on the shore that blink when to get off the lake. southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
Howard said
09:49 AM Feb 22, 2007
Well of course everyone here knows we love our Sea Eagle 330 inflatable kayak!
It's actually more of a combination kayak/canoe. The boat is very stable and extremely comfortable. However, it is a fairly small boat for two people - more like a 1 1 /2 person. It works great for me at 5' 8" and Linda at 5' 4", but it wouldn't be long enough for folks much taller than us. And there is virtually no storage space for gear.
It sits low and is not the easiest to get in and out of. It's much easier when it is floating and you don't mind getting your feet wet.
It's not great in the wind, but no canoe or kayak is much fun in the wind.
It is very durable and we have had it in places most people wouldn't dream of taking an inflatable. It's lightweight and rolls up into the bag you see above - boat, seats, paddles, pump, and everything else that comes with it.
It's one of the top five investments we have made for our lifestyle. We would not be without it!
Interested? Call or write our friends Tim & Crystal Ryerson at InflatableBoats4Less.com for the best prices and best service on all Sea Eagle inflatable boats. Be sure to tell them "Howard at RV-Dreams.com sent me!"
Judy said
10:06 AM Feb 22, 2007
Of Course we told them Howard "sent Us"when they asked "how did we hear of the Sea Eagle". southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
blijil said
08:24 AM Feb 27, 2007
Of Course we told them Howard "sent Us"when they asked "how did we hear of the Sea Eagle".
We agree on the size limitations as we are a bit larger than Howard and Linda but we still just fit tight.
We are beginners so we are practicing the basics. We have done some guided rafting and some canoeing with a couple of guided kayak pleasure trips but we consider even a lazy river quite an adventure.
After a year or so maybe we can pool everyone's experience and document places we have used the Sea Eagle and what we have learned. We always enjoy the RV Dreams blog especially the kayak, and canoe issues. Amazingly there are few how to mixed with experience books out there that are fun to read as well as educational.
Well we are still getting our feet wet.
Larry and Jacki
wmalefyt said
12:16 PM Feb 27, 2007
I think a Sea Eagle kayak will be on our "must have" list when we start full-timing. Neither of us have ever been in a kayak or a canoe so it will be a real learning experience! Hopefully we will fit as I'm 6', but Linda is a petite 5' and neither of us is overweight (not much anyway)
Darrell and Judy said
01:23 AM Mar 1, 2007
We got our Sea Eagle 330 in February of 2004 and have had great fun with it. Judy doesn't swim a stroke so we use it on the lawn. It is real easy to get in and out of that way and you hardly get wet at all. Of course, I'm just kidding. But Judy really doesn't swim and is a little nervous in canoes but has done just fine in the Sea Eagle. It tends to draw a little more water than a canoe which makes it very stable. We are 5'7" and 5'5" and I am overweight and find the kayak comfortable but a little tight. We did upgrade the kayak paddles with some regular canoe paddles, we found them a little awkward due to the tubular design of the kayak - you had to rock back and forth as you reached out to use them.
blijil said
08:33 AM Mar 3, 2007
We have found the 8 foot kayak paddles to work the best for us. It takes a while to learn to paddle with your torso muscles instead of your arm muscles and to stop the stroke when you reach your waist when in tandem but you sure can make that thing move when you get to working together. We have found a couple of books on inflatable kayaking to add to a couple on regular kayaking and canoeing. Hopefully we will get some ideas on how to improve our skills but we are having a lot of fun right now. Now if the wind would stop blowing and it would warm up a bit more. Larry and Jacki
blijil said
07:54 AM Apr 2, 2007
Finally things have warmed up enough in Southern NM to get on the river. We did a 3-4 mile trial yesterday just to get the feel of the Rio Grand with early water on it. New challenges in moving water were fun to learn about and we had our first experience patching a small thorn hole but over all we had a great time floating and steering the kayah down the river. The trip was only about an hour but loads of fun. Maybe we will get up to the 18 mile trip we have been planning.
Larry and Jacki
jjhoyle said
03:12 PM Apr 2, 2007
We also have the Sea Eagle 330 Kayak. Have used it a few times on lakes in Oregon, and one or two small slow rivers. You need to avoide sharp thorns, but the skin is durable. Just make sure to seal the plugs well we had one side leak slowly one time. When we realized it was a fast unsteady trip back. You can not blow them up while in the water.
New to the forum , but long time lurker. Jeanie and John Hoyle
Happy Traveler said
09:05 PM Feb 26, 2010
I would like to ask if anyone has the PaddleSki (what size?) as I am tossed between the smaller Kayak 330 or even the 370 and the PaddleSki 395. We want to use it on the larger rivers (almost lake like) here in Nashville TN area. Some quiet areas, some of the smaller creek, rivers but this will also be used later on ( a yr or 2) as we travel Full time so size is a little consideration. I'm almost thinking like Howard, I'd like to have the little 370 Kayak and then the smaller Paddle Ski 395. (Howard has the FoldCat) Let me know your experience or thoughts on this. Ken
-- Edited by Happy Traveler on Friday 26th of February 2010 09:09:22 PM
Paula H said
10:49 AM Apr 4, 2010
We just started looking into the Sea Eagles this week-end and found the web site you recommended seems to be actually the best for price and choices. We started out deciding to get the 330 but now we are thinking about getting both a 330 and 370. Noticed on your more recent posts Linda is in a 370. Anyone have any thoughts on this? We are really excited about getting started in this realm of adventure!!
I have had a houseboat, a power boat and a fishing boat or two but a couple of canoe trips and reading about other people enjoying the kayak we decided to try it. Our first impressions are listed below. Feel free to add your impressions about our sanity or your experiences.
The cost of $320 with free shipping and prompt delivery of less than a week were definitely good for us. A low cost experiment with instant gratification as we were in the water for a few hours within a week.
Assembly is easy and total novices got it together in less than 20 minutes. We probably could do it in less than 10 minutes now.
Getting into a two person kayak is an experience the first time. Lucky for us we got a simple how to book and we can follow directions. The instructions that come with the kayak are limited.
The Sea Eagle is a tight fit but pretty stable for a kayak. We cruised around a protected inlet at Caballo Lake for a while and then let Sandy our minature Dachsund join for a ride. After about 3 hours we were pooped and we realized we have a lot to learn.
Getting out of a two person kayak without getting too wet (the water was cold in February) is a bit challenging also. The tried and true instrutions do work though.
Unfortunately it was too windy to try again over the weekend. Putting the rig up was doable by one and easy for two.
Our goal is to develope enough expertise this spring to do a day trip down the Rio Grande in the southern part of New Mexico. Read that lazy Rio Grande as opposed to wild Rio Grand in northern NM.
This isn't a hobby yet but it is an adventure.
We will see.
Larry and Jacki
southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
I think the inflatable boats are tough enough in general for dogs as long as they don't chew anything.
Just a note for Judy, stay off the lake if the wind is blowing at all. We stay pretty close to the shore but with a motor it is really tempting to get in a dangerous situation when the wind blows. You are in deep trouble quick in NM if the wind kicks up and it does come up in a hurry. Even in our fishing boat we have been in some dicey situations that I wouldn't want to repeat because we didn't minimize our distance from shore to compensate for the potential winds. Inflatables are even more vulnerable.
Be safe and have fun.
Larry and Jacki
southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
Well of course everyone here knows we love our Sea Eagle 330 inflatable kayak!
It's actually more of a combination kayak/canoe. The boat is very stable and extremely comfortable. However, it is a fairly small boat for two people - more like a 1 1 /2 person. It works great for me at 5' 8" and Linda at 5' 4", but it wouldn't be long enough for folks much taller than us. And there is virtually no storage space for gear.
It sits low and is not the easiest to get in and out of. It's much easier when it is floating and you don't mind getting your feet wet.
It's not great in the wind, but no canoe or kayak is much fun in the wind.
It is very durable and we have had it in places most people wouldn't dream of taking an inflatable. It's lightweight and rolls up into the bag you see above - boat, seats, paddles, pump, and everything else that comes with it.
It's one of the top five investments we have made for our lifestyle. We would not be without it!
Interested? Call or write our friends Tim & Crystal Ryerson at InflatableBoats4Less.com for the best prices and best service on all Sea Eagle inflatable boats. Be sure to tell them "Howard at RV-Dreams.com sent me!"
Of Course we told them Howard "sent Us"when they asked "how did we hear of the Sea Eagle".
southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
We agree on the size limitations as we are a bit larger than Howard and Linda but we still just fit tight.
We are beginners so we are practicing the basics. We have done some guided rafting and some canoeing with a couple of guided kayak pleasure trips but we consider even a lazy river quite an adventure.
After a year or so maybe we can pool everyone's experience and document places we have used the Sea Eagle and what we have learned. We always enjoy the RV Dreams blog especially the kayak, and canoe issues. Amazingly there are few how to mixed with experience books out there that are fun to read as well as educational.
Well we are still getting our feet wet.
Larry and Jacki
Larry and Jacki
Larry and Jacki
New to the forum , but long time lurker.
Jeanie and John Hoyle
-- Edited by Happy Traveler on Friday 26th of February 2010 09:09:22 PM