Bobby Weber’s been kayaking on the Delaware River for years. He recently took a boating trip with 3 friends, in 3 Sea Eagle® Sport Kayaks.

Just 10 years old on his first boating adventure, Bobby Weber fell in love with boating on the Delaware River — the waterway that defines the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. An avid boater, Bobby says boating is his escape from the city. “I’m happiest when I’m in my Sea Eagle, watching fog lifting off the river and hearing nothing but songbirds.”

Bobby told us recently about a memorable trip he took this past summer — two nights, two days, four friends, and three Sea Eagle® Sport Kayaks on the Delaware; one of 19 “Great Waters” as recognized by America’s Great Waters Coalition. 

“Looking back, I’d say this trip down the Delaware River began over seventeen years ago. Around age ten, my family took me on my first Delaware River trip and the memories of that trip have stuck with me ever since. I loved floating down the river, fishing, enjoying the day with my family, and waking up to a fog-covered river.  In the past seventeen years I have been back to the river many times but craved getting back to the type of trips I used to go on with my family.  Last September, I really wanted to get back on to the river but did not have the money or space to buy and store a hard hull canoe or kayak.

He started searching for used boats under $500 but then…

I began doing research and somehow I came across Sea Eagle® Inflatable Boats. At first I dismissed the idea of an inflatable canoe/kayak and began calling people about used kayaks under $500. But as I continued my research, I went back to Sea Eagle® and watched their videos and read their reviews.  I was blown away by the positive experiences people had had with Sea Eagle® boats and how durable they were. I was especially interested in the Sport Kayak models.

Misty, moody mornings on the Delaware draw Bobby back to the river again and again. Here’s Bobby in his Sea Eagle® SE330.

The Sport Kayak model combined an amazingly affordable price point and the ability to store the whole package in my car trunk. I pulled the trigger, or rather, clicked the button and bought my Sea Eagle SE370 Pro Package.

12 river trips a year

It’s a year later and I have been on nearly a dozen boating trips and have gotten my brother and friend to also purchase their own: an SE330 for my friend and an SE370 for my brother. My brother purchased the SE370 refurbished and used it for the first time on this trip.

Pouring rain

Our trip began on a rainy Saturday morning, September 13th, and it was not an easy start. With heavy rain that looked like it wouldn’t end, my brother and I packed our kayaks and headed out on the Delaware River.

We took some breaks to get off the river and out of the heavy rain so we could eat lunch and drain the rainwater out of our Sea Eagles®.  We found the Sea Eagle’s® drain valve is a very handy feature!

We had set out for a specific campsite but were surprised to find that it was already taken. The occupants were gracious and said we could share but we had two more people coming and we wanted to be alone and enjoy our privacy. We paddled a couple hundred yards more to find another site for the night.

I realized on past trips that you can use the Sea Eagle’s® inflatable seats to sit on around your campsite. And you can use the pump as a fire bellows. You can even use the whole kayak to sit in around camp. It truly is an extremely versatile package!

Our friends landed just before midnight

Our boating trip companions got a late start — a very late start — and were not on the river until 10 pm!  I was slightly worried for them as I knew they would have a very packed kayak and one of our friends had never been kayaking before. Thankfully they arrived at our site around 11:45 pm, guided to the shore by my very bright flashlight. They told us it was not an easy ride in the dark and fog but they made it and had no issues thanks in part to the great stability of their Sea Eagle® SE370.

Day 2 was beautiful

The rain had ended around 6 pm and when we awoke the next morning it was a beautiful day! The sun was out and the river was calling us. We packed up our boats, distributed all our gear as best we could, and headed out for our next spot on our two night trip. We made some stops along the way and took our time getting to our next spot; a larger and much more scenic campsite was awaiting us.

Bobby and his loyal canine boating buddy, Dexter, share a trip down the mighty Delaware in Bobby’s Sea Eagle.

As we neared the new campsite, I pushed ahead to get to the camping spot first because I was getting worried someone would take the spot I had in mind as someone had done the previous day. Coming around a bend in the river where the next row of sites came into view I saw only one other kayaker camping. I was very happy to see my site empty and ready for us.

We set up camp and made a very nice fire.  One aspect about the Sea Eagle® kayaks that proved their value to me is their ability to store a huge amount of gear. I had been doing one-night trips with a friend and was able to store all our gear, but this two-night trip called for even more gear. We found that having three Sea Eagles® for four people made storage a non-issue. We carried all our camp essentials — everything from tents to food and water and everything in between. You can carry it all in the Sea Eagle®.

Ready for his next Sea Eagle® adventure any time

Leaving my campsite is always the sad part of the trip; I always wish I had more time on the river. But the best part of having a Sea Eagle® is knowing that I can set off on a river trip at any time at all. I carry my deflated and packed Sea Eagle® in my trunk so I’m always ready. So as much as I hate ending a trip I know another trip is around the corner.

Thank you, Sea Eagle®, for making these great inflatable boats and being a top- notch company when it comes to customer service and quality of your products!”

— Bobby Weber, Sea Eagle® SE330 Owner, New Jersey