Sea Eagle and Sevylor definitely aren't in the same category as Aire, Innova or Advanced Elements. It's like comparing a Mercedes to a Kia. Yes, they all have 4 wheels and an engine BUT....
Just as all hard shell kayaks are vastly different so are inflatables so shop carefully. I looked at the Sea Eagle and it barely even resembles a kayak. One thing I liked about the Advanced Elements is that it is definitely a kayak and it's a great rec kayak that happens to be inflatable.
I could've replaced it long ago but I kept it because it paddles so well. It doesn't do circles (unless I want it to) and tracks as straight as any 10' kayak does, maybe better! But it maneuvers and handles wonderfully as well. I prefer my 16' sea kayak on "bigger water" but that's to be expected.
If you do get the AE inflatable make sure you get the optional "backbone" as it stiffens up the boat and helps with tracking.
I still stand my my recommendation of a trailer and am glad to see many agree with me. That's the way to go because then you aren't limited to just one size and type of kayak and it's MUCH easier to live with provided you have a place to park it.
in the Spring get on the wvwa message board. We'll have us a nice float. My wife likes floatin the upper new. She don't kayak, just duckies and rafts.
I'll get Wess to bring his Sea Eagle, Bob his Saturn ducky, Rodney his Thrillseeker, and I'll bring my Riken cherokee, Seyvlor sk ds1oo, and Aire Tomcat. Tom and Bridget can bring whatever kind of fancy ducks that got. We'll call Brad at Ace and get him to let you try a commercal grade duck. We'll have you quackin' before you're off the water. Who would a thought Sevylor would finally make a more durable, value oriented, higher performance boat than Aire? Yet I tell you it is true. Next thing ya know madriver will be makin' polyethylene canoes, and perception will be sellin' flatwater boats. My, oh my, how things change.
I'm also a small female and have been sea kayaking the last 10 years, using a trailer for transportation. The only time I use a roof rack is when another person (husband) is going also AND there would be difficulties associated with trailering--a rare occasion. He, too, hates rooftopping.
The trailer's advantages:
1. You can load and unload ANY single kayak by yourself. The price difference between plastic and glass in the same model is enough to buy the trailer. The glass kayak might be 3 or 4 lbs lighter than equivalent plastic model...that's not going to make much difference if you're struggling to rooftop. But the same money spent for a trailer really does make a huge improvement in ease of loading and unloading. If you later buy a composite sea kayak, you can still use the same trailer. It doesn't limit your choices of material at all.
2. You can switch vehicles without having to buy new roofrack equipment. The same trailer can be towed by any vehicle that uses the same trailer ball size as the trailer's coupler. And trailer balls can be unbolted from an existing drawbar or bumper and swapped out for a different size quite cheaply.
3. Gas mileage is likely to be better trailering than rooftopping.
4. You don't risk dropping the boat on your vehicle, and there's less chance of injuring yourself or harming the boat.
5. Depending on the specific trailer, you can carry other gear on it.
6. You don't drip salt water on your vehicle, just on the trailer.
7. You won't smash your kayaks by driving under a low-clearance roof.
Disadvantages:
1. You need space to store the trailer.
2. Parking can be a problem in some locations.
3. Ferry fares will be high for the extra length of a trailer. (On the other hand, the extra height of rooftopped kayaks might also incur a surcharge.)
4. Toll roads that charge extra for more axles will slam you. (On the other hand, they also slam for the extra height of rooftopped items.)
5. You have to be aware of the extra length, turning space needed, jackknifing clearance, and avoid places where you might drive into a situation that requires backing out a long way.
6. In some states you will have to register the trailer for an additional fee. This fee varies a lot. Our annual fee was only $15 to $18 before the state I used to live in got greedy, last year. Then it jumped to more than $50 a year. Now that I've moved, the fee is low again.
There are probably other pros and cons but I think I've covered the common ones. If you hear that a trailer is too hard-riding for glass kayaks, then either change the springs or get another type of trailer! Any kayak-specific trailer will have very soft springs. And make sure the wheels and tires are rated for highway driving--not all trailers have those.
There are small kayaks that some of the women in our club paddle that weigh 30 to 40 lbs and are suitable for lake and river use. And loading in the bed of a truck can be almost as easy as loading on a trailer.
There are also wheel carts if the distance from the parking area down to the lake is a problem. There is a pretty big performance difference between a duckie and a plastic boat, so unless you’ve demoed an IK and like it, think about sticking with a kayak that is the right size for you.
The Calypso is 12’ long and 38 lbs and good for over 200 lbs of paddler and gear. One of the ladies in our club paddles one of these on the lake and Class I whitewater and it is a fast boat for her.
I think someone mentioned dolly wheels to help carry the boat between the vehicle and the water. Also, arranging your rack to that you can put just one end of the boat up, then slide the other end up, cuts the lifting to a small fraction of what it is right now.
How much does your boat weigh? As others have said, there are plenty of very light boats out there, though they are not as cheap as the plastic ones. Let's say your current boat weighs 50 pounds, since plenty of medium-sized plastic kayaks suitable for smaller people weigh no more than that. Put dolly wheels on one end and you only have to lift about 20 pounds (it will be less than half the full weight on account of where the wheels are mounted) while rolling it to and from the car. To get one end of the boat onto the rack you'll have to lift a little more than half the weight (since it's not practical to grip it by the tip while doing so), but you do NOT have to lift overhead in most cases, or if you do it usually won't be by much. Then, lifting the end that's still on the ground is easier still. You'll be lifting less than half the total weight, and as you slide the boat onto the rack, the weight you lift becomes progressively less so that by the time your arms need to reach above your head you are hardly pushing up against any weight at all.
If your truck has a cap, you can mount one crossbar at the very rear, making this loading method easy. Otherwise, side-loading bars, which either extend out from one crossbar or run lengthwise between the two area easy for using the slide-up method too. I've always loaded heavy canoes and small motorboats onto the roofs of trucks and even full-size vans this way, and these boats are far too heavy for me to load in the same manner that I see used by nearly everyone loading kayaks. I use the same method with boats of moderate weight because I see no reason to do it the hard way. There's no reason the same can't be done with a kayak. You might think about equipping yourself with a useful rack before switching to an inflatable, especially since inflatables require a lot of time to inflate and deflate, and also to dry and store properly after use. You'll probably spend less money modifying your rack or getting a better one than you would spend on a good inflatable.
You can also invest in one of those racks that lets you load the boat at waist level, then swing the whole mechanical contraption up onto the roof with spring-loaded assist. Even THAT would most likely be cheaper than a new boat.
Oh, after reading your post again it looks like you are putting the boat IN the truck. In that case, putting some carpet on the tailgate will allow you to slide it in, in which case you only need to be able to lift half the boat's weight, mostly likely not even as high as your waist. Don't lift the whole boat - just lift one end at a time, and employ attachable wheels if necessary.
Loading your boat. I bought a Sea Eagle SE370 inflatable and used it for most of the paddling season. It was OK for the price but as I said to my friend, it was a “gateway drug” Near the end of the season, I bought a used boat that is much better. The inflatable was slow and didn’t track well. The new boat, a sit-on-top, is much better and I can keep up with my friends.
I don’t use that method, I have a folding ladder that I fully extend and lean on the back of my truck cap. I then simply push the boat up the ladder onto the roof rack. I then make the ladder into an inverted V and use it to adjust and tie down the boat.
Regarding that loading video… Most likely it would work better to load from the rear of the car instead of the front, and take advantage of the rollers on the rear rack which are there just for loading/unloading. What most people would do using the setup shown in the video, is place a rubber-backed bath carpet on the rear window of the car, and slide the kayak on that carpet up to the rollers on the rear crossbar. There’s no boat-alignment problems when sliding it on carpet, and a rubber-backed carpet won’t slip. That’s much simpler than the method shown in the video and does not require such precise boat alignment when sliding it up or down.
Bit the bullet and bought the Sea Eagle I am so appreciative for all the comments, suggestions, and advice. After several months of researching, I bit the bullet and got the Sea Eagle. It inflates super easy and quick ( less than 10 minutes) and is very stable getting in and out. I think it tracks well and it definitely holds a lot of weight. My husband and I paddled a local lake for a couple of hours comfortably. I am anxious to try it out on a river and hope to put in on the Ohio soon. I think for now this boat serves my needs well!
sea eagle seats- high back style congrats dgrizz. I noticed that sea eagle has upgraded their seats and I’m definately jealous. None of my duckies provide much back support. I’ve been thinking about buying one of their inflateable seats, let me know what you think about them and whether you can lean back and get some support from them.
Near the end of the season, I bought a used boat that is much better. The inflatable was slow and didn’t track well. The new boat, a sit-on-top, is much better and I can keep up with my friends. 