Inflatable Kayak Blog

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.