February also may not be the best time to paddle a kayak or use a fishing boat, but it’s a good time to buy one. Especially if it’s a folding or inflatable kayak or boat. PortableKayaks.com is having a leap year inflatable boat sale on three brands of boats and kayaks. The discount is $29.00 off, across the board. That’s $29 because of February 29th, you get it! However the sale is in effect all month long … through February 29th.

You will need a discount coupon code, which can be redeemed within the checkout process. To get the code go to the Portable Kayaks FaceBook page, “Like” them, then click on the ‘Fan Coupons’ page to reveal the code. If you are already a ‘fan’, you already have access to the code.

The $29 discount applies to the following products …
* Innova inflatable kayaks, even the already discounted clearance models.
* Sea Eagle inflatable kayak packages, including catamaran models.
* PakBoat folding kayaks.
* Sea Eagle inflatable boat packages.
* Sea Eagle inflatable pontoon packages
* Sea Eagle stand up paddle board packages

That’s a lot of possibilities. So if you’re in the market, head over to the Portable Kayaks FaceBook page, check out the coupon code and save yourself 29 bucks. Happy leap year!

The Sea Eagle PaddleSki is designed to hold a bit more weight than other inflatable kayaks and it paddles very well when being used strictly as an inflatable kayak. The catamaran style, however allows it to be converted to other inflatable boat configurations. The PaddleSki can be a sailboat, a fishing boat or a rowing boat. Sea Eagle has accessory packages that can be purchased separately for each of these options in addition to a motor mount if you’d like to add a motor to the rig. The sail is full size. The fishing setup includes a swivel seat. And the rowing setup includes a sliding seat for more speed.

I always prefer to “see” how things are done rather than rely only on reading the manual and if you feel the same way, this video shows how to assemble, inflate and deflate the Sea Eagle PaddleSki Catamaran Kayak.

As is the case of kayaks, the solid material versions of stand up paddle boards are the most popular, however there are inflatable SUPs as well. This video shows the Sea Eagle Longboard 11 in action in Lake Tahoe. You will see that the drop stitch technology that allows the board to be inflated hard enough to support the weight of a 250 pound standing adult gives the Longboard owner the opportunity to transport the board without a cartop rack and store it at home in a small closet.

Check out this portable, convenient, yet performance oriented Sea Eagle SUP in this video. And, for an excellent deal on the Longboard 11 inflatable standup paddle board, check out PortableKayaks.com.

Over the past couple years there have been some true advances in the technological development of inflatable crafts. When I first began selling inflatable kayaks, the main problem was that they didn’t track very well compared to hard shell or even folding kayaks. Not so today. For example, the Sea Eagle Fast Track inflatable kayaks track incredibly well due to their larger skeg, firm keel and drop stitch floor. Advanced Elements introduced the Advanced Frame series that have built-in aluminum ribs to define the bow and stern as well as an optional backbone to make their kayaks stiffer.

Stiffness seems to be the main ingredient in the improved tracking, but that’s not all because of the additions I mentioned. It’s also because inflatable watercraft materials have enabled them to accept more internal inflation pressure. Higher pressure also means more stiffness, which results in a truer tracking motion through the water.

What’s next you ask? Well, that’s a difficult question to answer since manufacturers are not overly willing to share their research and development until they are fairly close to unveiling a new product. From what I’ve been able to gather from my visit to the Outdoor Retail Show last August and from talking directly with designers at Sea Eagle and Innova, my feeling is that we’re going to see more specialization. Like anything else these days, technology tends to lead us not in the direction of a “one size fits all” or “one thing does all” product. More likely, the technology behind inflatable kayaks will lead us to different style kayaks for different purposes.

The best example I can site for you now is Sea Eagle’s re-design of the 380x and 420x Explorer kayaks which will be available in the spring. They have reduced the weight, stiffened them up with drop stitch floors and they have been streamlined to function better in whitewater and ocean surf. The Fast Tracks fit more into the open water niche and the smaller sport kayaks, the 330 and 370 fill the need for the beginner, with more of an overall type of performance, but in the lower end of the price range.

Another example is the new Innova Swing inflatable kayak, also available this spring, which is similar to the Advanced Elements design that encloses the paddler like a hard shell kayak does. The difference in the Innova Swing (in photo) is that it’s much lighter and easier to set up, something that is a must in a portable kayak. One thing about the folks at Innova inflatable kayaks is their attention to detail. They probably test and analyze their products more than any other manufacturer.

So that’s what I know now about what’s on the way in 2012, but you never know when something new will burst onto the scene. I guess if there’s anything you can count on in the inflatable kayak market, it’s change. And, so far, I think the various manufacturers have done a very good job of making changes for the better. Here’s to a great 2012!

At PortableKayaks.com, Sea Eagle inflatable boats are our most popular products and in the past 5 years, the company has not had any major price increases despite rising manufacturing costs, shipping rates and all of the other reasons that have caused companies to raise prices during that same period. The cost increases have finally caught up with them and on January 1, 2012 prices on many boats will go up.

The Sea Eagle Sport Kayaks, the 330 and 370 models, which are the most popular inflatable kayak packages will increase by $50 per package. PaddleSki catamaran style kayaks will go up $200 per package. LongBoard11 inflatable stand up paddle board packages will also be $200 more. Similar increases are set for the Yacht Tender and the Sport Runabout inflatable boats. The 285fpb frameless pontoon boat will also increase by $50.

The largest increases, $300 to $400, will hit the FoldCats. The 375fc and 440fc inflatable fishing pontoons have metal framing in addition to their inflatable material and the cost of manufacturing these frames has gone up considerably.

There is some good news, though. Not all models will be increased. The 385ft and 465ft Fast Track kayak packages will remain priced as they have been. So will the smaller inflatable motormount boats, the SE-8, 9 and 124.

If you have specific questions about any of the boats, give me a call or reply to this post. In the case of larger priced items, we sometimes offer a layaway plan to buyers so they can take advantage of the current prices and take delivery later.

Even with the price increases, Sea Eagle products will remain one of the best values for the buck whether it’s an inflatable pontoon, inflatable boat, inflatable stand up paddle board or inflatable kayak package.