Getting ready for a morning paddle last week, I was welcomed to my dock by this cute visitor.

By Cecil Hoge

I paddle pretty much all year round. Since I live on the water this is not very difficult to do; I just have to walk about 100 feet to the water. The other day this feller (he or she, I am not sure which) greeted me on my dock. I am fairly used to seeing seals out in one of the bays in the middle of winter, but I must admit that I was quite surprised to find this feller taking a break on my dock.

Aside from the relatively short period when the bay is frozen solid, I go paddling every day I can and that includes paddling on winter days when the tide is in, when the weather is passable. I do not like to paddle in driving snowstorms or in winds over 25 mph or in temperatures below 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

When paddling in winter, I do have one rule and that is not to paddle when there is ice. That usually occurs in January and February. Last year was a particularly cold winter and my local bays were frozen from the end of December to early March. This year has been a particularly warm winter with the bays freezing over only two or three times for no more than 3 or 4 days.

Now you might think it is kind of crazy to go paddling in the winter because even if the water is not frozen, the air temperature is often 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. I am in total agreement that is a terrible thing to be cold when you paddle, but I believe that it is very easy to be warm. I always wear a warm windproof/waterproof jacket, warm gloves and warm, lined pants. I also wear a life jacket in winter – that not only adds warmth, but it also helps prevent drowning in 40 degree water. I consider falling in not an option since exposure to 30-40 degree water for more than 10 or 20 minutes can quickly lead to death. Not a good way to start the day.

That said, I believe by dressing warmly in appropriate clothes you can be both warm and safe. Here I have to put in a plug for our Sea Eagle® boats. They are very stable, more so than most rigid kayaks, and they have their own built-in flotation, which is something most kayaks and rowing shells do not have.

This is a tree I pass on my way from Little Bay to Setauket Bay

You might ask doesn’t paddling get boring? Yes, it could if you are bored by endlessly changing scenery. The fact is that when you paddle the same conditions are never repeated even if you paddle along the same general course, day after day. This is because the tide is always different, going or coming at one level or another, the weather is always different and what you see paddling is always different.

One of the pleasures of paddling in winter are the many different birds you might see along the way.

It is quite easy to take pictures of nearby birds, especially if you have a camera with a good zoom lens. I did not go out of my way in taking these pictures. In winter my little bay, cleverly called Little Bay, is often filled with swans. Swans pay kayakers little mind – I probably should say kayaker since I am the only kayaker they ever see.  This makes them very easy to photograph. I pass literally hundreds of birds every day I paddle. Here are some more.

In the picture above, I am guessing one duck is a Mallard male and the other is his wife. You may have to look carefully to recognize the wife – she is very modest.

Crossing paths with a heron and some geese.

Herons do not like humans. I think they remember when they were giant flying dinosaurs and humans were little snacks to be picked off on a slow day of hunting. They are harder to get close to and when you do get close, first they give you the evil eye, then they squawk their ancient dinosaur squawk and fly off thoroughly disgusted.

I think winter paddling is very healthy. I think breathing the air when paddling on salt water clears out your lungs and helps ward off colds. It’s just a theory – I cannot promise that it will work for everyone, but it seems to work for me.

If you ask a serious kayaker why they like to paddle they may not be sure just what to answer. Yes, they like the exercise…yes, they like seeing different kinds of birds…yes, they like the fact that something is always different. The sun, the clouds, the tide, the wind, the weather, the time of season, the time of day…every time you go paddling the surrounding elements are different and in flux – this is both soothing and exhilarating.

But I think it is not just the changing scenery that makes paddling interesting, exhilarating and just plain fun. There is another notion I would like to suggest. It is the horizon that is visible when you are paddling – the sheer open spaces that come into view without the obstructions that are so normal to everyday views. Think of it, when you go out of your front door, there are a lot of things immediately in view…a car, a driveway, a hedge, a road, a telephone pole. But when you are paddling, often you come to places where your view is not obstructed by objects. Literally, the horizon in front of you expands and seems limitless.

Paddling out to Port Jefferson Harbor.

This may not seem exciting as a description, but I think if feeds an inner calm that most of us seek and long for. Even when you go for a jog, there is not much of a horizon visible. Usually, you are on a road with no great expanse of horizon in view…with houses and telephone poles and mail boxes. This is the great difference with paddling for there is a true horizon and it seems limitless. There is no path, there is no road, there is no set course, you may paddle where you will and along the way you come across unobstructed views. Of course, many will say it is a stupid and crazy idea to paddle in winter when your fingers might get chilled, but I will tell you, “Oh no, your fingers will be as warm as toast if your paddling in winter, because your hands are moving and exercising all the time so cold is simply not a factor.”

Now, I would like to get back to paddling with seals. It is usually out here in Port Jefferson Harbor (see the picture above) that I see seals. I guess that is appropriate because they are harbor seals. Port Jefferson Harbor is 2 bays away from my house and I usually paddle out to there on a kind of route. It is about 2 miles from my house to get to the harbor itself.

Usually, I do not see many seals and when I do, it’s generally not their whole body. What I do see is their head protruding out of the water. Sometimes, I mistake them for a small buoy or duck or a loon. It is only when I see the head disappear and then reappear that I realize what I am looking at. Generally, they keep their distance. I am told that the first thing that they do when seeing a large object on the water is try to determine if it is a predator and I suppose me in my kayak could be considered a predator.

Occasionally, seals swim within 50 or 100 feet of me and I can get an idea of their size. They can be quite large and, I suppose very heavy. They seem to be 6 to 8 feet in length when I see them out in the harbor. That was one of the reasons I was surprised to see the little feller on my dock. He or she was only about 3 feet long and had this very sweet adorable look. I wanted to go down the dock stairway and see if I could pet this cute creature, but the seal slouched off of my dock before I could get close. This was probably fortunate for both of us, he or she got to slide off into the water, its true medium, and I got to keep all the fingers on my hand. I am told that seals are quite fond of fingers.

This is currently my favorite Sea Eagle® – The RazorLite™ 393rl – I may be prejudiced, though, because I designed it. And no, I do not always paddle on cold winter days!

As you can see from the picture above, I do also paddle on warm sunny summer days. There is, however, a beauty to paddling in winter. Generally you are out there by yourself – in my case, in winter I only see an occasional clam digger. There are no mighty Mastercrafts charging back and forth with skiers in tow, there are no large yachts or small boats cruising back and forth, the waterways are pristine and empty. You feel alone, at peace, remote and all to yourself and the birds and the seals. Winter is in fact a nice time to paddle.

Wilfred Baker rides his Sea Eagle® Needlenose™ iSUP through their neighborhood during a recent flood in Summerville, SC. “A surreal experience,” says his wife, Wendy.

Marooned for 5 days by flood waters, this couple’s Sea Eagle® Needlenose ™ iSUPs (inflatable stand-up paddleboards) became their water taxis — and turned what could have been a disaster into an unusual, memorable, and downright surreal adventure.

Dear Friends at Sea Eagle,

All last year my wife and I had been considering buying a couple of paddleboards.  After doing a lot of market research, we eventually bought a pair of 12’ 6” Sea Eagle Needlenose Stand-Up Paddleboards this past summer. We took our new SUPs on vacation and had all the fun you would expect on the lake.

However, we live near the Ashley River in Summerville, SC and were dramatically impacted by the recent flooding. Though the flooding of the immediate area was severe, it was obvious that due to our home’s location there was no life-threatening danger.  So as the water rose we and a handful of neighbors stayed throughout to keep an eye on our properties.

The cool thing was that while we were marooned in the house, we had our Sea Eagle SUPs with which to get around in the high but calm waters.  We used them to survey the damage in the area, entertain the housebound kids next door, shuttle neighbors and groceries, and eventually even get out to where a car was parked so we could get to work.  Of course our boards performed wonderfully, as expected.  The real point is that we bought them for recreation, and had never expected to use them during a flood. 

Sincerely, Wilfred & Wendy Baker

“Kids are grown, time to get OUR toys!”

“Wilfred and I are in our 40s. We’ve always been very active in the outdoors — we love biking, hiking, kayaking, whitewater rafting, and swimming. Now that our children are adults, it’s time to get our toys!

We researched SUPs for a year. We wanted to get a 12-footer for each of us. But the reality of how to store and transport 12’ hard-hulled SUPs made us think inflatables made good sense. We looked at different brands and read reviews on different websites.

Wendy took neighborhood kids, Avery and Mclain, for paddleboard rides turning what could have been a disaster into a memorable and fun event.

Flood water 4 and 5 feet deep – get the Sea Eagles out!

After a full day of heavy rain, the land around our house became flooded and water rose into the yard. Neighbor kids had fun when it was ankle deep but as it rose higher and higher, nobody could get their cars out. We were suddenly stuck in our house, marooned for five days!

We watched the water rise for three days straight with no way out. It wasn’t fast or dangerous and when it got to four or five feet deep, it occurred to us we could get our
Sea Eagle® paddleboards out! The National Guard came to evacuate us but we told them we had our SUPs and could get to dry ground if we needed to.

This turned out to be a surreal experience but a good way to get through a disaster. We checked on our neighbors. We used our SUPs to get groceries — we paddled and met friends who brought food to us at the water’s edge. We entertained neighbor children by taking them for paddleboard rides. And I even arranged to borrow a car outside the flooded area and paddled to it so I could drive to work.

Awesome! Great exercise, too

We thought we should tell you at Sea Eagle® how awesome your iSUPs are. We got interested in them when we were on vacation and watched people using them. I became intrigued with being able to stand and look around while I paddle. It’s great exercise – you use your whole body on an SUP. You use your arms to paddle and your legs for balance. And you grip with your toes. It’s really easy. And if you want to go swimming while paddling, you just jump right in!

His ‘n her Needlenose™ Paddleboards for an energetic and athletic couple. “With the kids grown, it’s time to get OUR toys,” says Wendy.

Wilfred and I decided that if we were going to do this, we wanted boards that we could paddle for long rides each time we went out. That meant long boards — 12’ seemed right. And we wanted our boards to track straight. Other brands were like surfboards with a turned up nose. The Sea Eagle® NeedleNose™ has a straight nose and three skegs for excellent tracking.

Lightweight and tight as a drum

They’re also lightweight. You’re rarely able to park right near the water and I can carry mine under my arm, inflated, for a half-mile if I need to. We knew we’d use them more if they were light and easy to carry.  Yet they feel solid when inflated, but with a little flex. You can knock on them with your knuckles and they’re tight as a drum. Performance? They’re sleek and fast, very pleasant to use.

Honestly? At first the word ‘inflatable’ didn’t inspire my confidence when it came to SUPs. But now that we’ve used them for recreation in mountain lakes and for our only means of transportation during our recent flood, we love them! We recently went paddleboarding among dolphins in Charleston harbor.

Sea Eagle’s 180-day trial period gave us confidence. My advice to anyone thinking about getting one: try it for 180 days. And if you’re wondering about stability, don’t worry about it. I balanced 10 bags of groceries fore and aft, plus my purse, with no problem. And your customer service  is excellent, specifically because it’s very personalized. So many companies have a far cooler corporate approach with customers. Good for you!

We’re incredibly happy with our Sea Eagle® iSUPs. They’re awesome watercraft, handier than a kayak, and they turned what could have been a disaster into a happy experience.”

— Wendy & Wilfred Baker, Sea Eagle SUP Owners, Summerville, SC

Craig won a fishing derby recently. Here he is with a leopard shark, sitting in his Sea Eagle® 285fpb, the boat he uses in fishing competitions and tournaments.

Craig Adkinson was stationed in Iraq as a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corp. After leaving the military, he started working as a Mechanical Assembly Lead for a major oil company. But on the weekends, he says, “I’m just a fisherman!”

But Craig’s being modest. He’s a tournament fisherman; a Pro Staff Fisherman and Pro Angler who’s sponsored by many well known fishing equipment companies. He caught the largest trout in California last year. He just won a Float Fishing Derby. Craig gives fishing seminars and his fishing experiences have been written up in California Sportsman magazine, Western Outdoors News, and on the Big Fishes of the World website.

So when Craig said, “This Sea Eagle® 285fpb is the best boat I’ve ever had,” this was one guy we had to talk to. Here’s his story.

“Fishing is my passion. I love it. The first time I went fishing, I was three years old and in diapers. I go fishing every chance I get. If I get in a boat without a fishing pole, there’s something wrong. I fish all over California — Irvine Lake, Corona Lake, up into the Sierras, all over. Anywhere I can take a boat, I go fishing.

“I used a dropper loop setup with a straight 30 single hook and stinger hook.”

Craig pimped-out his 285fpb for tournaments with a crate in the bow. He uses it for the extra gear he uses in competitions.

I recently participated in the Float Tube Derby in Dana Point Harbor in Dana Point, California. I caught the biggest fish of the day — a 53” leopard shark – and won first prize.

Fishing for lemon shark, you hope you get lucky and just hang on! I used a 20 to 30 lb. test setup and a conventional rod and reel with what you’d call a dropper loop setup. From there, I ran a straight 30 single hook with a stinger hook. For bait, I used live sardines and mackerel.

When I go up against other fishermen in competitions, I need every advantage to win. I have a couple boats but for tournaments I use my Sea Eagle® 285fpb Frameless Pontoon Fishing Boat. I chose it for the fishing advantages it gives me. It works with many different fishing techniques like drop shot, using mini jigs, bass fishing, looking for spawning fish, and more. I can stand up in my 285fpb and that’s a big advantage: I can spot fish in the water using UV sunglasses. And it also gives me the option of using it seated, as a float tube boat.

“The 285’s a great fishing setup – best I’ve had.”

Here’s another look at Craig’s 285fpb. He’s ready to win with rod holders, swivel seat, net, California “license plate,” trolling motor, and oars “just in case.”

The Sea Eagle® 285fpb is a great fishing setup. The rod holders are easily accessible. It’s easy to use for bait fishing and lure fishing. Sometimes I do both. I put one rod for bait fishing in a rod holder, then I’ll throw out a lure on another rod. I keep an eye on my bait rod while I stand up to cast lures. In California, you need to pay for a rod stamp license for each rod you’re using.

I customized my Sea Eagle® 285fpb Frameless Pontoon Fishing Boat for tournaments. I built a deck out of plywood, covered it with AstroTurf™, and mounted an egg crate on top. I attached rod holders to the crate. I use the crate to hold my fishing backpack, tackle box, my gaff, net, and more.

“I’m out fishing while others are still waiting at the launch ramp.”

I like Sea Eagle® inflatable boats because they’re easy to transport and you don’t have to deal with the headache of a boat launch ramp. There’ll be 15 or 20 guys waiting to launch their boats off their trailers. I can just drive to the free parking lot and free launch area and pull my 285fpb out of the back of my truck. I throw my trolling motor on it and start fishing while the others are still waiting to launch. It’s a quick and easy way to get out on the water and have great day fishing.

I’ve tried a lot of boats and this is the best I’ve ever had. Quality? On a scale of one to 10, I’d give the 285fpb a 9.5. It’s quality boat at a good price. The gear that comes with the setup can’t be beat. The tube material is thick and high quality; you don’t have to worry if you bump into a rock or whatever. It holds its own. I like that you can stand up in it; I feel safer in it than in other boats. From a safety point of view, it’s 100%. I feel a lot safer in this boat than in some of the others on the market.

“Thinking about getting one? Just do it.”

Craig’s not just fooling around. Here is is with a 20.3 lb. trout he pulled from the Santa Anna River.

If you’re thinking about getting this boat, just do it. It’s less expensive than others but if you need to save up for it, do it. It’s worth the money. It’s the best fishing boat I’ve used and it’s worth it to buy the right one the first time. I have friends who have other brands. They’ve seen what I can do with this boat and now they want to sell theirs to get one like mine.”

— Craig Adkinson,Pro Angler, Sea Eagle® 285fpb owner

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Bill and Ellen Domb got ready for adventure on the docks at Garraf Harbor in Spain’s Costa Brava, the “Rugged Coast.” Bill tells us, “We went north along the cliffs”

This adventurous California couple travels and kayaks all over the world. Read Bob and Ellen Domb’s chronicle of their kayaking experiences along the Costa Brava, Spain, in their twin Sea Eagle® FastTracks™.

“My wife and I have gone kayaking in oceans and lakes for some years. We rented hard-shell kayaks while traveling in Europe, China, and South America. Renting is a VERY mixed bag proposition!

It’s hard to tell what you’re going to end up with when you rent a kayak, particularly when it comes to good back support for extended trips. Some places we’ve been had no rental capabilities. And rental costs mount up quickly if you rent by the day.

“Turbulent passages: no problem. You can paddle around these outcroppings, but it’s a lot more fun going through the surf in our Sea Eagle® FastTracks™. Some of these areas are absolutely pristine.”

We finally threw up our hands and decided to buy our own inflatable kayaks and pack them along when we travel. We began a few months of research and kept coming back to Sea Eagle® inflatable boats. My wife and I were considering Sea Eagle’s sleekest, fastest models like the RazorLite™. However, in discussions with advisers at Sea Eagle®, we decided to get two of the potentially more stable 385ft FastTrack™ for the kind of boating we do.

They ocean-tested them and decided, “We’re keeping them!”

I appreciated the 180-day trial period, so as soon as they arrived, we got them into our local lakes and then down in the Pacific for some good testing. I was really impressed at performance in the heavy surf around some sea pillars south of Corona del Mar, California, for instance. The inflatable Sea Eagle® FastTrack™ is embarrassingly better than our hard shell models. We emailed Sea Eagle® and let them know it was pretty unlikely they were going to get their boats back!

Sea kayaking in Spain

Off we went to Europe with each ‘yak’ (our slang for ‘kayak’) packed in its own suitcase. The breakdown paddles went into an elongated sports bag along with the tiny pump-up motor. This little electric pump connected just fine to the battery terminals of our rental car. We didn’t put our ‘yaks’ back into the suitcases until ready to fly home. After each use, we just opened the fill valves and let them self-deflate. Then we folded them loosely and tossed them in the trunk of our car.  No sweat.

Once in Spain, we kayaked out of Garraf one morning then drove up to Sant Feliu de Guixols, one of the world’s beauteous places. There was a rough cove right at the base of the hotel, but the 385ft FastTrack™ did just fine with the heavy surf, surge, and rocky approach. From Garraf harbor, we went north along the cliffs.

We kayaked 18 miles up and down Spain’s beautiful Costa Brava region. There were a few challenging whitewater spots plus lots of caves, caverns, cracks and crevices. We noted a pillbox built into the cliff, a WWII remnant.

“Our little electric pump connected just fine to the battery terminals of our rental car,” said Bill. “After being out on the water, we’d just deflate our Sea Eagles®, fold them loosely, toss them in the trunk.”

Bill’s local travel & boating tips

North from Sant Feliu de Guixols to Palamos, then up the coast you’ll see some of the most untouched and remote areas of the Costa Brava. Good caves and archways. Castle ruins, too. Our Sea Eagles® negotiated numerous deep caves with no problem.

Unquestionably, this area is ‘kayak heaven’ with tons of caves to explore. Some are hundreds of feet long to the point that you’ll really want a light. We paddled another twenty-some miles up the coast from Llafranc. Originally, we tried to start from Tamariu, but couldn’t get to the beach area there.  Then had to negotiate a rat’s warren of micro streets to get out of the tiny town. Parking’s always a challenge along the Costa Brava!  Prepare to pay, but, if you scout around, can sometimes find some free zones.

We took a nice trip out to the islands off of Estartit, almost in France. You can find calm as well as more challenging areas just a mile or two offshore.

Our Sea Eagle® FastTracks™ performed with complete reliability!”

— Bill and Ellen Domb, Sea Eagle® FastTrack™ owners, Upland, CA, USA

Ki (pronounced “Kee”) is rarin’ to go on any adventure, especially when it’s in the Sea Eagle® FastTrack™ 385ft with her owner constant companion, Tim Middleton.

Love dogs? Love boating? Then consider combining the two. Dog owner, Tim Middleton, does just that with his rescue dog, Ki, and his Sea Eagle® FastTrack™ 385ft. The result? Both Tim and Ki enjoy fun, exercise, and great companionship out in nature.

Kayaking’s fabulous for dogs…and dog owners

“I love my dog, Ki, pronounced ‘Kee.’ She’s a rescue dog, just a year old. She’s very active, jumps around, runs, and has a great puppy attitude. She really enjoys playing in streams and loves water. She’s also very photogenic and, as a photographer, I enjoy taking pictures of her.

Tim takes a break from paddling California’s Mono Lake in his FastTrack™. Fun in the sun…does it get any better than this?

I have a Sea Eagle® FastTrack™ 385ft and Ki loves to go kayaking with me. You can see in the photos I got her a life vest. This kayak is fabulous for a dog. The big sidewall tubes make it comfortable. It’s not hard and slippery like a hard hull kayak, so she doesn’t skid around. She’s an outdoor dog and her toenails are sharp but that’s not an issue in the Sea Eagle®.

When I researched boats online, it was easy to see that Sea Eagle® was a top of the line company. They’d been around a long time; I watched the videos on their website.

“FastTrack™ impressed me as versatile, strong, good value.”

I looked at all Sea Eagle’s models. Some were fishing-oriented; not what I was looking for. I wanted versatility, smooth and straight travel and that led me to the FastTrack™. I considered a 1-person FastTrack™ vs. a 2-person, and ended up with the 2-person 385ft. I was really impressed with its load capacity of over 600 lbs. You could pack a lot of water, for example, on a long kayak trip. The FastTrack™ impressed me as versatile, strong, and a good value. It has an excellent warranty — that says a lot about the boat’s quality.

This boat is solid and I’m impressed every time I take it out. It has tremendous stability and durability. I’ve been in some inflatables where you worry about punctures — even worry about having keys in your pocket. But I feel 100% secure in the Sea Eagle® FastTrack™. It’s super solid.

Packs small, stores easily

And I love that this boat is inflatable, not a fixed-length, rigid hull kayak. I can deflate and pack up my Sea Eagle® and it doesn’t take up a huge amount of space when I’m not using it. I take good care of it; I wash and dry it before I put it away after each use.

I’ve done a lot of outdoor adventuring like rock climbing, ice climbing, and backpacking. But as I get older, I enjoy lower impact exercise like mountain biking and kayaking. Kayaking fits in well because it’s a great way to get outdoors and exercise, especially upper body exercise.

You can just about hear Ki asking Tim, “Hey, what’s going on down there in the water?” Standing on the FastTrack’s inflated tubes, she’s ready to spring into action.

“Why spend $1,000 on a gym membership when…”

So far, Ki and I have done day excursions on the Owens River, Twin Lakes near Mammoth Lakes, California, and other nearby lakes. But I saw Sea Eagle’s blog post about exploring the Slot Canyons in Lake Mead and I’m thinking of going there. I’m planning a kayaking trip to Mexico’s Baja California peninsula to go sea kayaking in the Sea of Cortez. I’m waiting for Ki to grow up a bit first!

Kayaking puts you out in nature, on the water. Owning a Sea Eagle® gets you outdoors and into a natural environment. I figure, why spend $1,000 on a gym membership when, for the same money, you can have a high-quality boat that gives you exercise and gets you out in nature.

“Really well thought out design.”

Quality? I’ve been extremely satisfied and impressed with my FastTrack’s quality. It’s really well thought out and designed. You can see that good thinking went into it. It’s strong and stable; you can even stand up in it. It’s smooth in the water and the skeg helps it track straight. And it’s nice that the skeg is removable. If someone’s looking for boating versatility and quality, I’d recommend Sea Eagle® inflatables.”

— Tim Middleton and his dog, Ki, love their Sea Eagle® FastTrack™ 385ft. Tim, a photographer, is working on a book, The Adventures of Ki. “Dogs send a message of being in the moment as they play. My book focuses on encouraging kids to get away from the TV, get outside and play!”

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

By Tom Schlichter
(outdoortom.com)

Feeling the need to beat the winter “blahs,” Lasse Jørgensen biked his Sea Eagle FastTrack kayak down to the beach and headed for the inner lagoons of Amager Beach Park off Copehnagen, DK. The inside passage was completely frozen, so he changed course and headed out to the open sea.

For those who depend on public transportation to get around, lugging a kayak to the water can be problematic. Lasse Jørgensen of Copenhagen, DK, has found the perfect solution in Sea Eagle’s FastTrack series of inflatable kayaks. 

“One of the best things about Copenhagen,” explains Jørgensen, “is that we have plenty of water for kayaking. The problem is that most of us depend on bicycles or public transportation to get around, which makes getting your craft to the water somewhat of a hassle .”

Indeed, the capital of Denmark sees nearly 40% of all citizens cycling to work, and more than 2 million a month use the city’s metro system. While going green with transportation is certainly a noble cause, it’s probably the biggest reason that Jørgensen often has the bays and near-shore ocean in this area all to himself.

FITS IN A BACK PACK

“Unless you have an inflatable, it’s tough to get your kayak to the water,” explains this open water fanatic. “I’m lucky because I have a Sea Eagle FastTrack and it’s perfect for my needs. I chose it because I can fully deflate it, put it in my Sea Eagle carry bag or a backpack, and bike down to the harbor with minimal effort. Even better, because it weighs only 32 pounds and is fully portable, I can launch from one place, paddle to another, deflate the kayak and return home on the metro without retracing my route.  That allows me to cover a lot more water by taking a one-way tour.”

When it comes to kayaking Jørgensen is well-versed. A long-time paddling fan, the 30-year old is also the Danish dealer for Sea Eagle boats (www.smartkajak.dk.) While he obviously has a reason to tout the many positives of owning a Sea Eagle inflatable kayak, he’s fully sold on them himself having started with a model SE370 and recently upgraded to the new 385ft FastTrack.

“I love the cold and the fog,” explained Lasse, “it makes me feel like I’m exploring a new place for the first time. Being out on the ocean with big floating chunks of ice and a slushy surface is truly surreal.”

“Sometimes, you just want to get away from all the hustle and bustle of city life,” explains Jørgensen. “That’s when my FastTrack really shines. I can take it into shallow waters that other boaters can’t traverse, slice through a light chop with surprising speed and poke around in interesting places. It tracks exceptionally well thanks to a removable rear skeg, it’s stable enough to use in the ocean, and it’s tough so you never have to worry about bumping into the dock or floating debris. For me, though, the best feature is simply that it’s ready to go anywhere at a moment’s notice.”

FASTTRACK ON THE METRO

Jørgensen purchased his first Sea Eagle primarily because he didn’t have a car and the portability of an inflatable made it easy and less expensive to access the water. It didn’t take long before he was getting out on a regular basis using it for fishing, exploring and to share time with family and friends. He even took it on a three-day adventure to Sweden, paddling down long, flowing rivers and sleeping in a streamside hammock.

With his new FastTack, he’s now covering even more ground.

“I like that it is stable and fast, and I’m using it more and more,” says Jørgensen. “I use it to get away from everything. I live just 2K (1.25 miles) from a beach park, so I just head down whenever I want. It’s winter here and it has been really cold for a long time but the other day I just wanted to get out and paddle on the ocean, so I packed it up, got on my bike and headed for the water. Easy as that.”

“All alone on the water,” said Lasse, “I stopped in front of a place called Helgoland to enjoy some cool mint tea. There’s a great winter swimming club here that I often visit.”

CODFISH FROM A KAYAK?

One of Jørgensen’s favorite kayak activities is fishing – and you might be surprised at what he hauls up.

“Mostly, I fish for cod here in the ocean,” he states nonchalantly. “In this area, we need only paddle 1.5K (1 mile) to reach them. The FastTrack has plenty of room for all of my equipment, fishing rods and food, plus it’s very stable – which is very important because we have over 300 cruise ships and large freighters that call our waters home port.  The cod we catch generally run 7 to 10 pounds and they are no match for my ‘yak. I catch them on metal spoons and jigs.”

Exploring is another favorite kayak pastime for this FastTrack paddler. “I love to discover new things and tour new places,” he notes. “I like to see wildlife and you can get close in a kayak. If I go beyond the cod, there are islands between Sweden and Copenhagen where I can see seals and do a little bird watching. It’s a real treat.”

PLENTY OF PLANS

Looking ahead, Jørgensen has no intention of slowing down when it comes to getting out with his kayak. He wants to pack it into northern Norway where towering mountains surround crystal clear fiords that offer great fishing, and he wants to take it back to Sweden to follow the rivers as far as they go while taking time to relax along the bank of a stream.

“I really like visiting beautiful and interesting places to get away from it all and be close to Nature. When I’m out on my Sea Eagle, I can just relax and enjoy the peace. That, I think, is what I really like the most.”

Here are Ken and Teri Johns in their Sea Eagle 370 in Monterey Bay, California. “Oh, how we love our Sea Eagles,” says Teri. “We own two Sea Eagle Adventure Kayaks; a 330 and a 370. We use our 370 the most; our 330 gets to come out to play when we take friends kayaking — friends who don’t own a Sea Eagle……yet!”

“We always tell people that kayaking is great for our marriage,” says Teri Johns, of Hilmar, California. “To kayak together, you have to work as team, and when in the boat, it’s you, your spouse, and quality time surrounded by the beauty of the environment you have chosen to enjoy on that particular day.”

Teri tells us, “My husband and I take pride in going kayaking together. Our Sea Eagle inflatable kayaks have provided us a reason to go to so many beautiful places and share all of it together. We can plan a trip or just go at a moment’s notice. We consider our kayaking adventures a perfect date.”

Sea Eagle kayaking aka “beautiful marriage counseling” must be working because, at this writing, Teri and her husband, Ken, are celebrating their 26th anniversary. Today they own two Sea Eagle Sport Kayaks, their original 330 and a larger 370. Why’d they get a second Sea Eagle? “We liked that fact that the 370 is a bit larger than the 330, and LOVED that we would then have a second boat to offer company. Each kayak is stored in its own rolling suitcase.  One or both fit in the trunk of the car or gets easily tossed into the back of the pickup truck.”

Still boating, still loving it. 

Teri tells her story. “We love our Sea Eagles. Kayaking first entered our lives as we were fast approaching having an empty nest. We decided that kayaking would be an exciting addition to our marriage —  20 years at the time.” The Johns play together and work together, too. “Kenny is a plumbing contractor and works with my Dad,” says Teri. “I do the billing for the business, but often joke that I am a retired stay-at-home Mom, and enjoying it.”

This “flock” of Sea Eagles belongs to the Johns and their kayaking friends. The Johns have four sets of friends who own Sea Eagles. The day this photo was taken, their friends, the Bouchers, “test drove” the Johns’ Sea Eagle. Soon after, the Bouchers became proud Sea Eagle owners, too.

Ken and Teri describe themselves as ‘recreational’ kayakers. “We try to avoid rough and turbulent waters…usually. We have found our 370, and our 330 for that matter, to be very stable and responsive through the rapids that we have encountered over the years. Our 370 gracefully maneuvers the gentle flows of our local California lakes and meets head-on the challenge of a rapid or two in the rivers we have had the pleasure of ‘putting in.’”

And they do get around. Some of the Johns’ favorite lakes are Pinecrest, Bass, McSwain, and Don Pedro Lakes. Top reservoirs? Modesto and Melones. Best rivers? Merced, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne.

10-foot waves — 5-star rating

Though they prefer flatwater, Teri tells of a recent ocean adventure. “We gave our Sea Eagle a 5-Star Rating when we found ourselves in heavy seas along the California coast in Santa Cruz.  The waves swelled to 10 feet high and we were barely clearing the crest of each wave before it would curl.”

There was no water beneath us

“It was quite the sensation when we would be at the top of a wave; we would continue the motion to paddle, but there would be no water beside us to push the paddle through.  Then, suddenly came the sensation of dropping down the backside of the swell, similar to the feeling of being in an elevator, only to stare down the next wall of water rising higher and higher in front of us.”

“‘Trust the boat, trust the boat’ was our mantra as we counted the waves, waiting for just the right time to head for the harbor. The 370 is a champ! Her stability – unWAVEring!”

Enthusiastically, Teri and Ken Johns

Do YOU have a Sea Eagle story and photos to share? Email us today!

Wendy Graves loves kayaking! She’s out in String Lake in her Sea Eagle FastTrack™ 385 while her brother-in-law, Mike, gets one of her Sea Eagle 370 kayaks ready to go. Husband, Patrick, takes the pictures.

When is owning one Sea Eagle inflatable kayak not enough? Wendy Graves of Utah tells us when you’re paddling the crystal-clear waters of String Lake in Grand Teton National Park with the whole family, one Sea Eagle won’t do. They needed two…then three…and hope to add a fourth one soon! Here’s Wendy’s story.

“The first time my husband, Patrick, and I went to String Lake in Grand Teton National Park, I saw people boating and I knew I wanted one. When we got home we purchased a traditional canoe. But because loading and unloading it on top of the car was such a hassle, we never took it back to the Park. Then we found Sea Eagle!

Wendy, seated, and her niece, Kenedy, 13, ply the waters in Wendy’s FastTrack™ 385ft. Kenedy and her brother, Connor, 16, frequently accompany Wendy and Patrick Graves on vacation. Looks like a good time!

We take our niece and nephew vacationing with us, so we first purchased two Sea Eagle 370’s. We all had so much fun! It was so easy to take them with us and get them to the water. We spent the whole day playing around and even had some squirt gun water fights. Of all the things we do together, the days we’re boating are everyone’s favorite days.

We loved our two Sea Eagle kayaks but as our niece and nephew have gotten older and bigger, we needed another boat. This year we purchased the new 385ft FastTrack™ kayak. I did not know I could love it more than our 370 kayaks!

Wendy’s husband, Patrick, took this photo of Wendy a couple years ago when they owned just two Sea Eagles — two 370’s. When niece, Kenedy, and nephew, Connor, got older and bigger, the Graves added a third boat; a Sea Eagle FastTrack™. At this point, Wendy says, “I’m hooked” and has her eye on a Sea Eagle SUP – Stand Up Paddleboard. 

We recently returned to Grand Teton National Park for our annual vacation with niece, Kenedy, 13; nephew, Connor, 16; and all three kayaks. The whole family had fun paddling the lake, fishing, and swimming. While boating, we’ve seen elk, bear, deer — I even saw a pine marten.

She fell in love all over again

Then I discovered a new love when I tried the FastTrack™ as a stand-up paddleboard. It took me a few tries to get my balance but it was a whole new world to be able to stand up and maneuver around the lake.  It’s incredibly stable and easy to learn on. By the end of the day I could paddle anywhere. We had so much fun we are planning a second trip this year to spend on the water.

“My favorite place in the world”

I’ve always loved the water. But my favorite place in the world is String Lake in The Grand Tetons. We’re ‘casual paddlers’ and boating with our family is a great way for all of us to connect and have very relaxing fun together.

Easy ‘Pack & Take’ boats

Patrick did a lot of research and found Sea Eagle had a lot of good reviews. Because they’re inflatable, they’re so easy to travel with. We ‘pack and take’ them with us even if we don’t have specific boating plans. We recently drove through a part of Utah we’d never explored. We stopped at a lake — Smith Morehouse Lake — and went Sea Eagle boating even though we hadn’t planned to.

My birthday’s coming up and I’ve asked for a Sea Eagle Stand Up Paddleboards. The boats are AMAZING! And every time we’ve gotten a new Sea Eagle it just keeps getting better.

My advice? Give boating a try. Sea Eagle’s a great way to go because you can take them anywhere easily. It’s an easy way to have fun. And they’re affordable, especially the 370. Once we tried it, we were hooked!”

— Wendy Graves, Utah

Do YOU have Sea Eagle stories and photos to share? Email us today!