Sea Eagle 330 Inflatable Kayak - Review

The Sea Eagle 330 Kayak

If only my Mom had known about the Sea Eagle 330 kayak when I was a kid. If she had, she would have been able to save a bundle of money by not having to buy a new inflatable kayak every year. You see, while growing up, I lived in the water and used an inflatable kayak almost everyday. Unfortunately, the cheap Sevlor kayak I had at the time constantly developed holes and, almost like clockwork, began to rip along the seams towards the end of the season. And since rips on the seams couldn't be repaired, the kayak ended up at the inflatable graveyard - to be replaced again a year later.

The Sea Eagle 330 inflatable kayak, happily, avoid this problem. Unlike other inexpensive inflatable kayaks out there, this one is durable. And tough. There are a ton of benefits to using this kayak, which you can read about below. But I will sum things up quickly here for those who hate to read. You can also read my conclusion below, too - to skip all the reading if you are in a hurry. Read Conclusion.

Overall, if you are on a very limited budget, and are searching for a boat for 1-2 people that will be used for both lake paddling and river paddling on waters rated Class III or less - and you will not use this boat in weather that is below freezing - then you're search for a boat is over. You have found your boat in the Sea Eagle 330 kayak.

Check prices and packages available for the Sea Eagle 330 Kayak at SeaEagle.Com

Sea Eagle 330 Kayak Illustrated

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Check prices and packages available for the Sea Eagle 330 Kayak at SeaEagle.Com

Additional Info About the Sea Eagle 330 Inflatable Kayak

If you need an affordable boat to handle a wide variety of uses, the Sea Eagle 330 is an excellent kayak to have. Here's some reasons why:

Affordable - The kayak is remarkably affordable. Package prices cost less than $300 usually, and that is before whatever sale Sea Eagle happens to be running. The package price also includes everything you need - there is nothing extra to buy.

Durability - The Sea Eagle 330 kayak is a "soft sided" inflatable boat. What this means is that you can depress your finger into the boat (once it is fully inflated) by about 3/4 of an inch. In short, it is not inflated to a high air pressure like a guide quality inflatable raft is, or like the more expensive inflatable kayak that Sea Eagle has (like the 340x and the 380x).

However, this doesn't mean that the kayak is less durable. Instead, what it means is that the kayak is prone to differing types of damage than a high pressure inflatable boat is. In general, high pressure inflatable boats are most prone to getting holes/punctures due to impacts with rocks/logs/etc...By contrast, soft sided boats (like this kayak) are most prone to getting holes in them due to being dragged across sharp surfaces - generally rocks along the river shoreline. If you pick up the boat and don't drag it - I guarantee it - 90% of all potential hole problems in your boat will be gone.

Additionally, the Sea Eagle 330, due to the fabric used, is not meant to be used in sub-freezing weather. It will store just fine in below freezing temperatures. However, inflating it when it is below freezing can damage the fabric. This is one big difference between this kayak and Sea Eagle's upper end kayaks, which can be used in all weather conditions.

Portability - Sea Eagle has many types of inflatable boats available. None, however, compare to the portability of this boat. Weighing less than 25 pounds, the boat rolls up into its own small carrying case. While it still wouldn't be plesant to pack this boat deep into the mountains, for all other purposes, the boat is incredibly easy to move around and store in your car.

Quick Inflation Time - Sea Eagle is a bit "generous", in my opinion, about the time needed to inflate their boats. I've found it takes about 10-15 minutes from the time you roll out the boat to the time it is fully inflated when you use the Bellows Pump. Cut that time in half if you use the automatic air pump, though.

All-Around Versatility - One great thing about the Sea Eagle 330 kayak is that it is incredibly versatile. It is a breeze to paddle around on flat water (lakes/ponds), while at the same time it is a superb boat for general river floating. The boat is rated to handle Class III whitewater, so it can safetly handle most rivers that recreational floaters find themselves on.

Solid Fishing Platform - I've fished in inflatable kayaks more often than any other boat. In general, for fishing only, inflatable kayaks are solid boats but not spectacular in terms of being a fishing platform. For spin fishing, these boats work just as well as most other types of boats do (although it is hard to beat a Bass Boat!). For fly fishing, because you sit down rather low, it can take a while to adjust your cast due to your lower elevation above the water. Still, this adjustment is quickly made and most fly fisherman will find this kayak far easier to cast from than a float tube.

Check prices and packages available for the Sea Eagle 330 Kayak at SeaEagle.Com

Conclusion

Most likely, if you are reading this, you are probably wondering if you should get this kayak or the more expensive, and more versatile high pressure line of inflatable kayaks that Sea Eagle offers - the 340x and the 380x.

There is a significant cost differnece between the Sea Eagle 330 and their higher end kayaks. This extra cost is due to the type of fabrics used on the high pressure line of kayaks.

So that said, here's my recommendations.

If you plan on using the kayak on multi-day float trips, get the 340x or the 380x. Period. The extra durability and capacity these kayaks provides is well worth the extra cost. On a multi-day trip, the absolutely last thing you want is to have any sort of inflation problem. With the upper end of Sea Eagle Kayaks, you won't have this worry. With the 330, while you do have to work at it to destroy it, it can be done.

Likewise, you will also want to get the 340x or 380x if you plan on kayaking in weather that is below freezing or if you plan on floating rivers that have Class IV whitewater.

However, if your kayaking needs don't fall into those three above categories (Class IV whitewater, use in below freezing weather, and take the boat on multi-day float trips with lots of gear), the Sea Eagle 330 makes a great choice. It works just as well as the other kayaks on Class III rivers and when paddling on lakes - without the added cost.

In short, the Sea Eagle 330 makes for a great "day use" kayak on lakes/ponds/and rivers that don't have pounding whitewater. If your needs match up to what the Sea Eagle 330 has been designed to do, then this kayak will be an excellent boat to get.

See prices and packages available for the Sea Eagle 330 Kayak at SeaEagle.Com

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