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The Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable Kayak is an ideal boat for both fly fishing and recreational floating. The combination of ease of setup, durability, affordability and versatility makes this an ideal boat for a solo angler who needs one boat to meet a wide variety of recreational activities. This page includes our review of the Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable Kayak as well as detailed technical information about it. Click Here to See a Larger Image of the Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable Kayak (requires Flash) Technical Information about the Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable Kayak
Review of the Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable KayakThe Sea Eagle 340 Explorer inflatable kayak is one of the finest inflatable kayaks on the market today - and is happily priced about half of what other similar quality inflatable kayaks cost. This particular kayak will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys recreational floating on both lakes and rivers (up to and including Class IV whitewater) and who also needs a very capable fly fishing platform. Paddling & Stability CharacteristicsPaddling the Sea Eagle 340 inflatable kayak could not be easier. As with all kayaks, the paddler has a left and right paddle (called blades) that are then joined together in the center (which make up the whole paddle). Paddling is simple : just dip one blade into the water and pull - then tilt the paddle and dip the other blade and pull. Because the kayak has a 'V' shaped bow, a paddler can achieve a pretty decent rate of speed paddling one of these kayaks on the water. Moreover, a directional stabilizer is also available. The directional stabilizer allows the kayak to track almost virtually straight when paddling across lakes. The stability of the Sea Eagle 340 is unmatched by any other canoe or kayak. Unlike traditional canoes and hard shell kayaks that have a 'V' or 'U' bottom, the Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable kayak has a flat bottom. While this does increase drag just a bit, it greatly enhances stability. While you can tip this boat over, you really, really have to work at it. Click here to see a graphic that highlights the stability of a Sea Eagle Kayak In comparision to other boats, and in particular canoes, paddling the Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable Kayak is both significantly easier, more stable and more enjoyable. Whitewater CharacteristicsThe Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable Kayak is home not only on lakes but also on rivers, including in whitewater rated up to Class IV. For those not familiar with Class IV whitewater, it is defined as having numerous large waves, holes, rocks and drops of up to 5 feet. In short, Class IV whitewater is the type of whitewater where you would only really consider taking either a kayak or specialized raft since any other boat would crash, fall apart or just simply tip over. Since the Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable kayak is a rigid inflatable (it is inflated to a high pressure), the kayak slices through waves and holes just as capably as a hard shell kayak or whitewater canoe does. Additionally, the kayak is self-bailing, which means that whatever water enters the boat while on the river will automatically and quickly drain away. This is immensely important in river running, since hitting a wave wrong can lead to a pile of water entering the boat, potentially swamping it. The self-bailing valve can also be closed when paddling on slower water and lakes, keeping all water out of the boat. Capacity and StorageThe Sea Eagle 340 is designed for 2 people and has a rating of 600 lbs. As such, it is an ideal boat for 2 people out on a day trip or for one person on an extended river running trip and who needs to haul lots of gear. Numerous D rings provide ample tie down points for dry bags and other gear. Additionally, specially designed bow and stern storage bags can also be placed on the kayak, keeping your gear organized. DurabilityThe Sea Eagle 340 inflatable kayak is made of incredibly tough and durable fabric. It can withstand mean encounters with rocks, logs and just about anything else that can be thrown at it. The fabric may be used at any temperature (it won't get brittle and crack in sub-freezing weather) and also will not break down under the UV rays of the sun. All seams are specially fused together. Together, this makes the Sea Eagle 340 an incredibly tough, durable and virtually maintenance free boat for fishing and recreational floating. Uses of the Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable KayakThe Sea Eagle 340 has a wide variety of uses. First, it can be used for recreational floating in Class IV or less whitewater. Secondly, it is an excellent boat for paddling around on lakes or other slack water. For the solo paddler, the Sea Eagle 340 inflatable kayak is much simpler to paddle than a canoe is when on lakes. Third, in conjunction with the fishermans high seat, this kayak makes an ideal fly fishing platform. Unlike a float tube, when fly fishing from this boat the angler sits fairly high out of the water. And the ease of maneuverability makes it easy to turn the boat around and to sneak into difficult to reach places. ConclusionThe Sea Eagle 340 Inflatable Kayak, just like it's slightly larger companion the Sea Eagle 380, makes for an ideal fly fishing boat that solo anglers should give serious consideration too. These boats are tough, durable, versatile and very affordable. In short, if an angler can only own one boat - and wants that boat to be as versatile and portable as possible - an inflatable kayak is a tough choice to beat. Buy
the Sea Eagle 340x Explorer Inflatable Kayak direct from Sea
Eagle
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