Inflatable Kayak Blog

This is the time of year when I often look past the Holidays toward the annual boat shows that usually occur when cabin fever is setting in. We journey out into the cold winter weather to look at all the neat new outdoor gear and those beautiful new fishing boats. Even though gas prices have gone back down (for awhile anyway), the current economic climate could still prohibit you from purchasing that new boat. One alternative to think about is the Sea Eagle inflatable boat with motor mount.

The reason I bring this up in advance of the boat shows is that Sea Eagle has discounted these boats to their lowest prices ever. They’re currently priced under $500 at most Sea Eagle retailers through the end of the year. These hardy, portable watercraft are a smaller version of the big expensive Zodiac style boats. They only weigh up to 56 pounds and they carry up to 1200 pounds. There are two versions, the SE-8 and SE-9 and both are easy to store and easy to transport. I know they won’t sit in your driveway and make your neighbors envious, but you and your friends can still catch some fish in them. And maybe not taking any up any driveway space isn’t so bad after all!

Early November and it is a beautiful fall afternoon. We won’t get many more nice days like this to get out in the kayak around this area so we took advantage of the beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures and put the kayak in at Buffalo Trace Park. I got a short leg workout as I did all the pumping with the kayak foot pump to inflate the kayak as we hurried to get it in the water before it got too dark. The lake was calm as glass and the reflection of the fall colors was spectacular! I had a hard time paddling, not because I was tired out from pumping, but because I was busy taking so many pictures. We barely had time to paddle around the small lake as the sun was sinking very low in the sky. I took a few more pictures and we packed up and headed home in darkness. What a great way to spend one of the last paddles of the year!

Just thought I’d summarize our paddling adventures in Michigan from a couple weeks ago. We’ve been back home for a week but very busy getting caught up. This is my first chance to blog.

We had been writing about our paddles in the Keewenaw area and looking forward to more when we headed into Michigan’s lower peninsula. The picture shows how rough Lake Superior looked when we stopped near Harvey outside of Marquette on our trip downstate. That kind of nasty weather managed to change our plans for the rest of the trip. Daytime temperatures stayed below 50 and it rained most of time, but the worst part was the wind. It was nearly constant with some strong gusts and sure didn’t make us want to go outside to do much of anything. Even if we did want to brave the elements, inflatable kayaks are not the best performers under such extremely windy conditions so we just left it rolled up in the back of the van. The two days that were OK we’re days that we celebrated a mini family reunion and the last day of the trip when we were on the road on our long trip back home. It did turn out to be nice trip overall and we did see a few spots that we’re looking forward to paddling in when we return next year.

We’ve been visiting family in the Keewenaw area in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. On Sunday evening after dinner, we decided to head out for a quick paddle. It was a little chilly, but the water was very calm and there was very little wind. A couple of family members and friends watched us pump up our Sea Eagle kayak. It was the first time they’d seen it, although they had heard about it since we first purchased it. They were surprised how easily and quickly it was ready to paddle and that it was such a lightweight inflatable kayak.

As we paddled along the shore, we noticed how the sun was lighting a stand of trees. The trees reflected in the water making it a perfect photo op of the beautiful fall colors. We stopped and my wife took some pictures while I steadied the kayak. We paddled a little farther out and back and finished our trip as the sun set over Portage Lake. Great way to top off the day!

We’re staying with my wife’s sister and husband during the portion of our trip in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It had rained quite hard overnight and we wondered if we were going to get in any paddling Saturday since there was rain in the forecast. About noon we decided that since the rain had held off, we’d brave the wind and clouds and head out. Their house is about a block and a half from a boat launch in Torch Lake, so we drove over, pumped up the inflatable kayak and started paddling. Mainly we just wanted to get in the water and get a little exercise. The water alternated between almost calm and choppy due to the wind which also varied considerably. It was a cloudy day, so the scenery wasn’t that terrific, but the paddling was fun, as usual.

We have arrived in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to visit family. After a long drive to get here we spent some time visiting and just before dark we decided to head out to our families cottage on Portage lake. The sun had already set but there was still enough light to get a short paddling trip in. We pumped up our inflatable kayak. It only takes about 8 to 10 minutes with our foot pump. My sister, Sue, has a hard shell kayak and she joined us on our ride. The evening was still quite warm which is surprising for an evening in the UP. The lake was as calm as I have ever seen it and the boats seemed cut through it without any effort. As we paddled along there were people sitting along the shore enjoying the evening around campfires and the setting sun cast a beautiful red reflection along the water in front of us. My sister headed back to shore ahead of us when some bats came swooping along the water. I need to mention she is deathly afraid of bats! So that ended the time out on the water for her. We weren’t ready to go back yet so we headed along the shore a little bit further. However, as we were headed back, it had gotten quite dark and I was getting concerned that we had stayed out too long. This will serve as a reminder that we need to be more aware of the time of day we set out to paddle and be more aware of what time the sun sets and when it will be dark, so we will not be out on the water after dark.

Fall is a great time to do some paddling. The changing colors make for some beautiful scenery and the cooler temperatures keep the sweating level down. We’re headed up to Michigan for a few days and we’re looking forward to a few paddling adventures, enjoying the fall weather and color in our Sea Eagle 330 Inflatable Kayak. It’s a little different than our previous trips to Florida and Tennessee in warmer weather. We’re going to have to wear our clothing in layers, since the temperature can vary with the amount of paddling activity, time of day, and if a piece of clothing gets wet (as if that’s ever happened!). If anyone has any additional ‘tips’ for fall paddling, drop us a note.

We’ll post a few blogs along the way. There’s lots of water in Michigan and we plan to enjoy some of it.

I had been out in the country with a friend, checking out a new house they were having built and we passed the Blue River. I noticed that it was up and looked like it might be fun to check it out in the kayak. This would have been a new place to kayak and we tentatively planned on going out on Sunday.

As it turned out, it was a good thing that we didn’t make it to the river. Although it wasn’t forecasted to be nearly as strong as it was, the remnants of hurricane Ike slammed in to our area with winds gusting 70 to 80 miles per hour. Trees and power lines were down everywhere and most of the area will be without power for days to come. Just thinking of being out on the river in that kind of weather is unimaginable. This will serve as a reminder to be sure to check weather conditions before leaving on a kayaking trip. It is better to change plans and be safe rather than get caught out in dangerous conditions.

My sister and her husband stopped by our house for a visit over the weekend. They had heard me talk about our new Sea Eagle inflatable kayak and they thought it might be fun to try it our while they were here. We started out mid morning while it was still cool outside.

As we started getting things ready we answered their questions about price and they were interested to learn that our SE330 package came with the boat, inflatable seats, foot pump and two kayak paddles for under $300.00. They were also impressed that it inflated so quickly and was ready to put in the water in no time at all.

My sister and I went out first for a paddle around the little lake. She thought it felt very stable. No fear of tipping over at all. She noticed that it rode higher in the water than a hard shell. She found a grip on the paddle with her thumbs on top rather than wrapped totally around the shaft of the paddle worked best for her. She has very long legs, so her only complaint was that she kept hitting her knees when she was paddling. The 330 is a fun boat but the space is a bit liming for two people to stretch out while paddling.

Over all she enjoyed our time out on the peaceful water. In fact we ended our fun morning with one final trip around the lake before packing everything up and heading home.

My brother-in-law and his wife joined my wife and I on a recent paddling outing. We drove up to a local lake to paddle a few laps and have a mini-picnic. My brother-in-law is a big man. With a weight of over 300 pounds, he was curious as to how our inflatable kayak would perform for him. We have a Sea Eagle 330 and since it’s maximum weight capacity is 500 pounds, we decided it might be best for him to use it as a solo kayak. The boat handled very well for him. His first comment after coming ashore after his paddle was that “it could turn on a dime!”

The trickiest part was finding a location for the seat, how far forward or back to sit. Although seating position is crucial for anyone in an inflatable kayak, it may be the most crucial component when a ‘heavier’ person is paddling. Luckily, the seats in the Sea Eagle 330 can be easily taken out or adjusted to any position. Since all the weight is centered in one area, there was a little ‘bend’ to the boat, but not as much as you might expect.

We came to the conclusion that heavier people can enjoy an inflatable kayak and although the slightly larger SE370 inflatable kayak might be a better fit, the 330 is still fun and functional.