Sea Eagle Inflatable Kayak

We bought this kayak last year before we headed to Europe. Sea Eagle Inflatable Kayak

I spent a longtime checking reviews and spec etc till I settled on this kayak. A huge factor was finding a kayak that could accommodate my 120kg, mrs moomat's 60kg and about 10kg of gear. She's nearly 6ft and I'm 6'4 so space was a factor too. We could both fit in and be pretty comfortable. The Sea Eagle 370 is listed as taking 295kg and I'd believe it too.
We got the package listed above which included:

• foldable paddles- These are really good quality and ideal for a novice user. I was expecting something gimmicky but they are realy robust. They break down into 4 parts each and take little space
  

• 2 deluxe seats- These seats offer great support, much more than I imagine the ordinary ones would. They need to be inflated and have straps for support. It takes a little bit of adjusting to get them right and personally I found about 70% inflated suited me best. They are not fixed to the kayak but held very firmly wherever you put them between the 2 ribs. Depending on weight distribution you will need to make some adjustments.
  

• A foot pump- Again I was expecting something gimmicky but i can't fault it. It takes a remarkable small amount of pumps to get the boat and the seats inflated. Very robust and folds away nice and flat.
  

• Repair kit- Didnt need it but seems to have everything required for small repairs
  

• Carry Bag- You can easily fit all the parts except the paddles in the bag. It's not overly heavy but a little awkward to carry. I wouldn't fancy carrying it for more than a few hundred metres. The material is very strong.
  

Inflating the boat is really simple. Roll it out flat, the valves will have been opened fully last time you deflated it so screw them back in. See [url=

]here[/url] for a detailed video. Start with the floor chamber, then the 2 sides and finally the skirts at either end. You get a small transparent plastic gauge with the kayak to measure the level of inflation. Once the lines on the gauge match the lines marked on the kayak you're at the right level of inflation. Be careful not to lose this little gauge!
Now inflate your seats and wedge them into your desired position. This will take a little messing around to get the optimum position depending on your size and weight.
The paddles clip into each other pretty easily. Make sure the slot has the little tab popped up and the middle section should be have 3 holes in it.
Stick on your life jacket and you're ready to go. We bought our life jackets in France much cheaper than we could get them in Ireland. We got them in Decathlon for about €15 each; there's a huge Decathlon just outside Cherbourg. With a bit of practice you'll have it set up and on the water in less than 10 mins.

On the water it handles very well. The integrated skegs help to track straight and it feels very stable. We went out in pretty windy conditions and felt perfectly safe. Something to be aware of though is that if the wind hits you head on the kayak has a tendency to lift a little at the front rather than cutting through the water. This is not dangerous but does make getting some momentum going pretty difficult. In saying that I'm talking about a very very strong wind that was howling down a gorge so for normal use it would be fine. My recommendation is that when you are heading somewhere head into the wind/current first so you can hopefully ride back with them rather than finding you've got somewhere and can't get back.

Once you're finished just open the valves fully and its deflated in seconds. Before you do this give it a good wipe down or even better let it dry in the sun. The material does stain if packed away wet.

All in all if you're a total novice like me and looking for something to mess around on that won't explode on the 1st rock it hits then it's ideal. It's far from a toy no matter what hardened kayakers tell you! Everything folds up nicely to about 80cmx40cmx20cm except the paddles.

I'll never head off without it and Mrs Moomat and myself will welcome any challengers for a race!

Feel free to ask any questions!

I have a Zpro similar inflatable kayak .
I find the solid paddle better, the sectional type are harder to use and come loose at the joints

I never used a solid paddle but I was really surprised at the stick that these sectional paddles took. They're rock solid once clicked in properly. We have a swb transit and they are ideal when space is at a premium.

Hi All,

I’m looking at getting an inflatable kayak and was wondering if there was any further reviews or comments including where to get life vests.

Thanks David

CH Marine in Cork for all canoe/ kayak and safety gear, online shop too.

Buoyancy aids are for kayaks/sailboards etc and lifejackets are for yachts / boats etc

Galway Maritime. 091566568

I’d say there is two going cheap over in Galway. Only one all-nighter in them

Not a big fan of the modern lie flat collar type jackets. While they are very tidy and don't restrict movement you have to get them serviced every year and even then there's no guarantee that the gas canister hasn't leaked in the meantime. I prefer the older type, like a waistcoat, with all the buoyancy foam in the front and around the collar. Impossible to lie on your front or face down in the water and nothing to go wrong. I only recently got rid of one that I bought in 1971 for £25. The reason I retired it was because the outer material and some of the stitching was becoming frayed and suspect. Give me low tech every time.

The reviews seem pretty good Jason.
For an extra few euro there is one listed with a better floor, double stitched I think they called it.
But that price seems pretty reasonable for what it is.

Would this one be used for carrying stuff like tents etc, as against a day messing about on the water