I will steer clear of Swim Outlets final sale. Will look at REI, and Scheels for trying on in person.
Have you purchased any inflatable kayaks before?
I am still excited to try out this inflatable, but it will take a bit of work with the hand pump, then drying it out as needed. Then folding it up, etc. all in all it will be good to get the blood pumping, and get me out of the house more.
That is one amazing photo! Looks very secured.
Give it a name?
I have seen photos of people taking cats in canoes and kayaks but never in an inflatable. Usually people put a pad of some kind on the deck (like a piece of yoga mat or an ensolite camping sleeping pad ā you can get ensolite at Army surplus stores). I have had pet cats all my life and would be concerned about their sharp claw causing punctures in an inflatable since they use them for stability when climbing. If your cat is mellow enough you can trim their claws, but even then they tend to have some sharp edges. There is also the option to glue plastic sleeves over the claws but I have never looked into that. Might be best to see if your cats are actually OK with going on the water with you. Maybe rent a hard shell at some local waters with a rental outfit and see how the cat does with being in a boat before you worry about whether being in your inflatable is even going to be possible.
Let us take it one at a time.
The first sentence is wise. The second sentence needs some observation. You are putting the cart before the hoss. My advice would be, before you go galavanting around with no certain outcome, play the cards you have in your hand first, especially because there is absolutely no risk. Take a good hard look at those two Stohlquist Trekkers on Amazon (and there may be others, maybe different colors), do your research and make your best judgement as to size. Order it and then check it out for fit, quality, design, appearance and all your needs may be answered. If the fit isnāt right, send it back and get the right size. If you flat donāt like it, send it back and start galavanting around. Amazon makes this real easy. I wouldnāt say this if this was not such a high quality PFD and this is part of some kind of closeout, these things can cost $160, I do not know how long they are going to be there, you can not play around.
I would need your permission to be honest to answer the second part of your post.
@FroggyGotSpunk, being an Academic, you flunked the quiz.
What is the very first thing you do after buying a new Kayak?
Start looking for the next Kayakā¦
Evan, Iām probaby not going to be of much help.
I have a NRS Big Water Guide PFD
Used to be my Go To until I bought my Astral PFD
the Astral Ringo
became my Go To and the NRS became my backup, as the Ringo Just fitted me better and allowed for better range of motion.
UNTILā¦
I bought the Astral AirBelt
this has become my Go to for calm water, Lakes and lazy rivers and of course when I race as it gets in my way the least.
If I go into the Ocean or out on larger water then I generally opt for my Ringo or NRS one lives in my Tsunami 175 and the other lives in my Tempest 180 pro. and I schelp the air belt between boats and decide which PFD to use depending on conditions.
Same goes for the Paddle leash (NRS) if itās rough its on, otherwise itās stored.
But pretty much in my opinion, either with the Astral or NRS you canāt go wrong.
Thank you for the insight on the PFDs you use. I was actually looking at the air belt this morning. When I volunteered with the forest service everyone used an air belt, as it is a freeing experience. However, the standard PFD seems more reliable, and safer. The inflatable PFD may be a good option if I paddle close to shore in a lake, or creek. Seems like it would be a good fit for my needs. I do like the idea of not wearing a standard PFD. Does most of the paddling community support the inflatable PFDs? Or are they frowned upon? My stated doesnāt require me to wear one, so it could be an option for me. Thanks Evan
Permission granted!
This is good advice! I told the Sea Eagle rep that cats like to stand on the side walls. Just like you said how they use their claws when they climb. A cat will stand up to view outside the kayak, and with this cat only having one front leg, then he will have more weight pushing down onto the kayak with that one paw. Lol. I think the hardshell kayak rental idea is a great place to start. Perhaps I can meet up with my local kayak Facebook group. Then ask someone if they would swap boats with me, while I take my cat out on their hardshell. A metropolis of 500k is close to me, and they have one large kayak group. So I should definitely look into that for social interaction, and advice.
The yoga mat or sleeping bag are items to explore. Sea Eagle rep said it shouldnāt be an issue. They didnāt report any claw punctures, and he told me he drove a vehicle over it the boat. But cat claws are on another level of sharpness that most people probably donāt realize. Iād hate to have my cat ruin a $999 kayak. I also think a PFD for my cat would kind of immobilize him, and maybe I can put him in a woven basket or something like that. So he is contained. He is my only cat who likes walking on the leash, and running on the leash with me. Iām excited for the both of us. Cats deserve to have fun like dogs. At least I think so.
Thank you Evan
Iāll tell you what, to get myself off of the hook, read the last three sentences of @curtismerrow ās post at #23.
I thought so. The photos werenāt the best. Definitely a great price!
Do not encourage what exactly?
I responded to his post. Are you saying I missed something?
Verbosityā¦
Edit: We are always joking, he can go ā War and Peaceā on you.
Just reread the last three sentences over snd over, especially the last one, it just about sums it up.
Was it this part?
Iāve paddled my Sea Eagle Explorer off and on for 5 years in up to class III rivers and Iām happy with itās performance. Which model are you looking at? Although I prefer my hard shell for better maneuverability and playing in rapids.
for White Water, no I would not recommend an Airbelt or any other inflatable PFD, For Surf Also no, calm water can you swim? then in an oops situation you ought to have enough time to pull the rip-cord if itās not a self inflating one (self inflates when it gets immersed.)
But for lake and lazy river, why notā¦
when I race I use one and Iām on the lower Susquehanna itās a bit over a mile shore to shore. Iāve also used it on the lower Elk River, itās a bit bigger.
It really depends on my use case. Iām probably not using it if decked out with the Skirt on, but no skirt and good conditions 20-30" swells no worries.
Look, you just got a new boat, I do not want to spoil that. In your judgement it serves your needs, all the way around, that is all that matters.
A small puncture will never āruinā an inflatable. I have used folding kayaks with inflatable sponsons (long blow up tubes along the inside of the kayak to provide flotation and tighten the fabric hull skin) for nearly 25 years. I also use flotation bags, which are inflatables that fit inside the open bow and stern of my sit inside folding kayaks to keep them from filling with water in a capsize. And my outdoor club has long had a fleet of inflatable rafts that we use for white water trips. I have patched ALL those inflatable boats and parts multiple times.
Patching small punctures or even tears is not a big deal with inflatables. Your Sea Eagle should come with a patch kit with vinyl glue and patches to match the material the hull is made of. You can also buy kits like that from most outdoor gear shops. I carry a repair kit every time I take out a boat with inflatable components, just in case. In all my years of paddling them I have only had to do a patch on a trip 3 times and it was never a big deal. In each case it was a slow leak from a small hole and I would notice that part of the boat was getting flabby. Pulling to the shore, all I had to do was get out of the boat and then push it under the water and squeeze the section that was losing air until I could see bubbles coming out of the hole. Then Iād open the inflation valve to let about half the pressure out of it, dry that area with the hole and follow the kit directions to put glue on the patch and apply it over the tear or hole. The glue sets up fast so in a few minutes I could reinflate the section, double check it in the water to make sure that no bubbles were coming out anywhere and then be on my way.
Our whitewater rafts over many years had so many patches on them that they looked like granny quilts and they still worked fine ā of course they were used on rocky creeks in rapids so they got way more abuse and collisions than you will run into on lakes and rivers.
You donāt really need to baby inflatables. They bounce off most things that they run into and are rarely punctured. And I think your Sea Eagle has several different inflation compartments, so even if one leaks, the whole boat is not going to deflate and sink.
One thing you DO need to be mindful of with inflatables is to never leave them inflated out of the water on hot days or even in the sun on cooler days. The air in them will expand and could rupture the seams in the boat ā I had that happen with one of my folding kayak sponsons when I forgot to release air pressure from it on one summer outing the first year I owned it. Patching a seam rip is more problematic than just a hole or small tear. Just always make it a habit if you stop on the shore for lunch and pull the boat out of the water to open the valve and let enough air out that the boat feels soft instead of firm. Thatās another reason to make sure you bring the hand pump along to re-inflate it once you continue paddling. Also, if you are paddling in cooler water, the air in the boat will shrink in volume and you may find that you have to add a little after you have paddled for a short distance and you notice the boat is getting soft again.
Thank you. Sea Eagle sent me 2 large boxes with the kayak and seat boxed separately. It has become a new bed for my cats to sleep on. Cats love sleeping on cardboard. Canāt wait to open it once the weather warms up.