Sea Eagle SE370 Inflatable Kayak 1-3 Person-Portable Stowable & Lightweight-with Seat(s), Paddle(s), Foot Pump and Bag

Overall, this is great. It's so cheap that if something happened to it, I wouldn't be that upset about it, but it's tough enough that I don't expect to have any issues with it.Comparing to sit-on-top tandem hard kayaks also sold on Amazon:Sea Eagle 370 inflatable kayak is $250, 12.5' long, holds 650 pounds, weighs 32 pounds, has two skegs, can move a seat to the middle for one person, and comes with two paddles (about a $70 value).Perception Rambler hard kayak is $700, 13.5' long, holds 550 pounds, weighs 78 pounds, doesn't have any skegs, the seats don't move, and doesn't come with paddles.Ocean Kayak Malibu hard kayak is $663, 12' long, holds 375 pounds, weighs 57 pounds, doesn't have any skegs, the seats don't move, and doesn't come with paddles.So looking at the basic metrics, this kayak is superior.If you want to say that this kayak is not as tough as the hard kayaks, then you can look at Sea Eagle's whitewater kayaks. Remember, all professional whitewater tours use inflatable rafts, so just because it's inflatable doesn't mean it's not tough.The Sea Eagle 380x inflatable kayak is $950, 12.5' long, holds 750 pounds, weighs 40 pounds, and comes with two paddles. So more expensive, but still much lighter and can hold more.So let's review this Sea Eagle 370 kayak in depth.1. Portability: Throwing this in the back of your vehicle is way easier than hoisting it on top. In addition, you don't have to have roof racks, either permanently installed or strapped pads. You don't have to worry about getting a hit on your MPG because it's on top, you don't have to worry about it getting stolen because you left it on top of your vehicle in the hotel parking lot, you don't have to worry about it not being strapped down properly and coming off, and you don't have to worry about damaging it pulling into a garage because you forgot it was up there. If you do want to inflate it at home and transport it on top, you can still transport it on top.2. Inflating: Super quick and easy. You're talking about a couple of pounds of pressure, unlike your bicycle tires. The foot pump works great, and you can also get a pump that plugs into a wall outlet or your vehicle's 12V outlet. I'm not talking about a pump for your vehicle's tires; I'm talking about something that pumps up pool toys, with a pump hose about an inch wide or so.3. Storage: Take a towel and wipe it down, deflate it, and put it in the provided storage bag. The bag is big enough so it's not difficult to use, and comes with a shoulder strap to carry it around. The kayak is bulky enough so it's not really easy to carry it around, but it's not a big deal.4. Tracking: the longer the kayak, and if it has a skeg/fin underneath, the better it stays in a straight line. This 370 has two skegs, and tracks pretty well. The skegs are not removable (unlike Sea Eagle's Class IV kayaks). They seem pretty sturdy, however, so I wouldn't worry about them in whitewater. The instructions talk about how to heat them and bend them straight if they get bent. I was surprised how quick and straight this kayak was, maybe because my expectations were so low.5. Seats. Yeah, I'm not crazy about the seats, which Sea Eagle calls "deluxe". I let out some of the air in the seats, and that seemed to help. If you want different seats, like the ones that hook onto D rings, there are no D rings on this kayak. Which also means that if you flip this kayak, there's a chance that the seats will come out. The back isn't very high, which means the back of my life jacket is always wanting to ride over the top of the seats.6. Width. This is a thin kayak, 15" wide, with high sides. This is good for keeping water out and balance, but if you have a life jacket that has pads all the way around your waist, you may want to get a life jacket that just has the inflatable stuff in the front and back, as the sides of the kayak were pushing on the sides of my life jacket.7. Foot wells. There are no foot wells, like with a hard kayak. I don't think that's an issue, as I'm used to getting all gnarly in a canoe, and that doesn't have foot wells. And whitewater rafts don't have foot wells. My hard kayak is short, and my knees get in the way of my paddle using the foot wells, so I don't think of this as a big loss.8. Looks. I'm not crazy about how it looks, as it looks wimpier than it is. Maybe if it was another color or something. The rope dressings at the ends are nice for carrying it.9. Length. It may be 12.5' long, but the interior is only 10'8" long. Two people are tight, especially if you're storing stuff. If I was ever going to upgrade to their Class IV kayaks, I'd get the 420x, which is 14' long.10. Paddles. I think they work well. 3.0 pounds each, and lighter carbon fiber ones are 2.5 pounds. I've never used carbon fiber before.11. Handles. Can use the ropes up front, but there are no handles on the side. Would have made carrying it easier. Meh.I paid $285 in early August, and as of early September, it's gone down to $250, so I guess I should have waited for the season to end. Make sure you think you'll like it, because you can't return it, unless it's torn or something. The picture shows a yellow 8.3' kayak underneath it.

I bought the SE370 with upgraded seats a few months ago and have used it multiple times in multiple bodies of water since then. I have always loved kayaking and being on the water but never thought I could own one because I am in college and couldn't store it anywhere. I got the idea of an inflatable kayak when I saw a cheap single person one at Walmart. After doing extensive research I found out that Sea Eagle was the best company to buy an inflatable kayak from for under $400!This kayak is great and although it isn’t perfect, it is a good product that deserves 5 stars! The major upsides are comfort, portability, relaxation, and durability. The major downsides are bad paddles, bad tracking with only one person, hard to carry with only one person, and bad carry bag design.What isn’t included:This kayak includes everything you need except a PFD, having these nice seats, I bought a high end NRS cVest PFD which is built for kayaking and has pockets for your gear on the front. I also bought an 8Lb. mushroom anchor for hanging out in one spot without moving, and I have attached bungie cord as tie downs on the bow and the stern. I also added 550 paracord on either side so I can pick it up easier. I also use a rechargeable coleman air bed pump to get the bulk of the pumping done in 3 minutes and then finish it off with the foot pump. Finally I use a large duffle bag to cary everything except the paddle poles, anchor, and boat.This Model:So I decided to get the 370 model instead of the 330 because I could fit 2-3 people very comfortably or two people with some gear. This kayak will be great for kayak camping depending on the body of water you are in. Also I got the upgraded seats because I wanted good back support, you can play with the inflation and side straps to get the perfect fit. Also these seats have a fabric cover that lets you sit around your camp site without damaging them.The Quality and Material:The material this kayak is built from isn’t like your blow up beach balls, it is thick and can take some scrapes but wouldn’t do well with impact from a knife. The boat includes a patch kit which I tucked in the pocket on the back of my seat but this is only good for quick repairs, I also included a few feet of gorilla tape which is the best solution for quick emergency repairs. I wouldn’t worry about fishing in this boat although I haven’t done it. Overall this boat is very well built and will stand up to many years of enjoyment if taken care of.Pros:Although this kayak is rated for class 3 white water, I use mine on flat water with lots of boats motoring by which means up to 3' waves that it handles like a champ! I think this is the most comfortable kayak for the price range that it is in. It is also extremely stable and is more forgiving when entering and exiting because it is full of air and the floor bounces. Tracking is only good if you have weight in the front of the boat. The only time this thing steers completely straight is when toting a non paddling passenger up front. This would make it great for a couple with the guy in the back or for a parent with kids up front. Also this kayak is very roomy for storage space! You can put your gear in front or behind you and because you can get out of your seat without flipping over, you can reach it all. I love this thing and have been very happy with my purchase!Cons:This kayak is very good over all but definitely has some issues. First off the bag only has one strap, very nice material but horrible design. This means that when carrying more than just the kayak's 30 lb. your back will hurt. My solution was to get a duffle bag. I put all 4 paddle fins in the bottom, both seats and my PFD in the center, the included pump on one side, and my electric air bed pump on the other. It fits beautifully after buying/using this other bag and now I have to carry 2 bags when going kayaking. Also the paddles are very entry level and don't have great build quality. They are completely collapsible but they aren't designed for fast paddling. They are a little too long for me and very heavy although they won't break on you. I recommend buying one nice paddle that fits you and then keeping these for a 2nd person. Tracking and paddling on this kayak are very confusing without a hundred or so pounds of weight in the front. The paddles only do well when not raised above your head which means slower paddling and the tracking only does well when all the weight isn't in the back. The wind alone can blow the kayak sideways and then some wake reaches you only to mess up everything.Tips:You will have a period of trial and error to find the best way to enjoy your kayak. Such as not going out when boats will be out or not going out in open water on windy days. Also make sure to completely inflate both side pontoons or you will be tilted sideways in the water, the solution is letting out some air out of the other side without letting too much out. The boat comes with an inflation meter but I don’t use it for fear of loosing it. The foot pump can’t over inflate the kayak so don’t worry about it. Also if you paddle carefully on calm water then you can stay dry. When I started paddling I would let one side go over my head and water would drip on me or at least my boat but then I learned to be calm and you won’t get wet. Either way I always keep a towel on the boat to dry it off with after I am done. I also leave the patch kit in the bag built into my seats along with a few feet of gorilla tape for quick emergency repairs. Finally take care of your boat. I dry off mine by hand after every use; the inside is always damp so one good body towel can get it dry enough to stow away.