393rl RazorLite™ Kayak

I have been using the 393 Razor Lite in Florida waters for about 3 years now. I have run over sunken metal, shoals, branches and trees, rocks and even oysters and gators. It has held up well. I did get two Dollar Store dog collars to use for carrying handles and self rescues. This thing is fast and I regularly get it up to the 6mph and sometimes faster in a current. A trick I learned with the footpegs is to remove them by undoing the rear first. The pressure from your feet push it forward, so it's easier that way.. I do recommend using 303 Protectant if in a sub tropical climate like I am in in Florida. I paddle all year long so it gets a lot of use.

I have taken this boat out on rivers and lakes, including Lake Ontario. It is a really nice boat to paddle in. I'm used to hard shell touring kayaks and although they are great, I couldn't get one as I'd then need a car rack, hydraulic lift etc. (I'm really short and not that strong). So, my compromise was this kayak. So far so good, but like other reviewers I find there are a few niggling annoyances that could easily be fixed. For example, more D rings, and most importantly-- handles on the sides in the middle to carry it solo. This is a heavy kayak and can be a bit of a beast to lift and move around- at least for those of us who are not that strong (I'm 57 year old, average level of fitness, woman). I fashioned my own carry strap by putting a strap from one D ring to the other thereby giving me a way to lift and carry the boat on my own when it's inflated. The rods for the foot rests are ridiculously difficult to get in and out. So I leave them in. Will take them out when I pack it up and store it for the winter but otherwise am leaving them in. It is not that easy to get all the water out of the end caps but honestly it's still much better than some other inflatables. All in all I really like it, and so far it's been durable and fun to paddle.

Once on the water, it paddles fast and straight....as advertised. Yes, it can be "tippy" if you're used to traditional inflatables, but easy to adjust to that and learn to be a better kayaker. The foot pegs are great, hard to get in and out, but they sure help on the water.

That being said, I think that Sea Eagle should give a little consideration to some ongoing complaints on other FB pages. Again, the footpegs would be much easier to install if they were just about 1/8" shorter and slightly rounded edges. SE sent me new ones like that when I absolutely could not get the pegs in. Shouldn't have to call and ask that. Everyone complains about the same thing. SE is very much aware of this issue and has yet to do anything about it.

I would also say that a couple of side handles in the middle of boat would be an essential item. I cannot carry the kayak alone, I'm petite and 70 yrs old. There is no spot to hold onto, due to design of the boat/sides. I either need a second person to help with handles on both ends, or I have to drag along a dolly/cart to move it even a short distance from car to water. Worst design flaw of boat, and such a cheap fix.

A strike guard on front bow and some d-rings/bungees to secure gear would also be an easy fix. I had to install both of these items. I find that ridiculous on a high end kayak.

On a $1000 kayak, these insignificant items should be standard equipment. I have 3 other mid to high end inflatables, and they all have side handles, d-rings/bungees and strike plates on front.

As pleasant as it is to paddle (once on the water), few extra $ at the time of manufacture would make this a nicer boat to launch.

This is the first inflatable I considered purchasing. It just fits in the trunk of a Mazda Miata with the accessories in the passenger area. Going to the put in with the top down! The higher pressure enables a rigid hull. It easily matches the speed of a recreational hard shell kayak. Stability is fine. I'm 6' tall and fit well with the foot pegs all the way forward. It takes some practice to get the kayak down to the original size to fit back in the bag, but doable. I substituted the seat with a preformed foam blank from Redfish Kayak, and trimmed it for a friction fit with the sides of the kayak. More comfortable. I used a shoulder strap from a camera case for a minimalist but adequate back band until I adapt a small whitewater back band. A negative is that it is more difficult to get all the water out of the inside of the kayak in the crack where the bottom meets the sides. Overall I'm happy with the kayak.

I love this kayak! I've had my Sea Eagle 393rl Razorlite for a couple of years now, and I can honestly say it's the best inflatable kayak I've ever paddled, especially in terms of speed. We have 6 inflatable kayaks, but I was looking for something narrower and faster, speed-wise and also one that had minimal pump-up time. This nice kayak fills the bill! I haven't found a faster inflatable out there. And you cannot beat the portability of it; it fits in my trunk much more compactly than any of the other inflatable kayaks we own. If you're an fairly experienced paddler and are looking for a high quality inflatable kayak to upgrade to, this one is definitely worth the money.

The best advice I can give anyone is to contact Sea Eagle's "Hawaiian Dan." He's the fellow who does the informative instructional videos. Dan can answer any question you could possibly think of about the 393RL, or any other Sea Eagle product. Then when you're ready, purchase your kayak through Dan. He will walk you through all the details, and make sure you're totally delighted with your new Razorlite 393. Just call Sea Eagle's toll-free number and ask for "Hawaiian Dan" You'll be glad you did.

The 393 RL is a very impressive inflatable kayak & I have really grown to appreciate its performance in a short matter of time. Setup is easy and usually takes 5 minutes to inflate with a little hustle. Not seeing a reason to get an electric pump as I doubt it would be any faster.

The carrying bag that is comes with could be a little bigger though, its difficult to repack & the seat doesn't fit inside (my biggest complaint). I use carabiners and attach all gear to the outside of the bag to it easier to transport. Could use a few more D-rings which can be purchased from Sea Eagle at a reasonable price (I picked up two more). The included tall back seat is very comfortable & provides great support. I will sometimes use a towel under the seat to give a little more support though. Towel also comes in handy at the end of the day to wipe everything down.

The included paddle that comes with the kayak is really too long (260 cm) and quite heavy. I bought a Werner Camano paddle (220 cm) which is far superior. Too bad you can't order the 393 RL without the paddle & save a very dollars.

The 393 RL tracks very well, almost too well. I trimmed 3" off the skeg for better clearance in shallow water & it still tracks straight & true. Its easier to turn now as well, another nice improvement.

Speed & glide of the kayak is very similar to a hard shell kayak with its molded bow & stern. The double stitch material allows for an impressive 10 psi making for a very ridged frame. I recently upgraded from another inflatable kayak & its a night & day difference in performance. My average cruising speed has been around 4 mph, which is well over a MPH faster than my previous inflatable. I can hit 5 MPH for short stretches of time but can not sustain that for very long. A 4 mph cruise speed is easy with calm water.

The 393 RL does a great job with wind & isn't tossed around & weathercock like my old inflatable did. The 393 RL is definitely more tippy than my previous inflatable but that should be expected with its narrow 25" width at its waterline. Its still very stable & can take rough water without problem.

I've had many compliments on the lake already and most people are surprised its even an inflatable! One person even asked "how did you get the kayak inside your Mustang?" After seeing people struggle to get their hardshell kayak on the roof of their SUV the 393 RL just keeps putting a smile on my face.

It is an open kayak so can carry me (heavy) my border collie and a bag of overnight gear easily. The RazorLite is essentially rigid and fast, on the water it tracks very well whether sea or river, waves or current. It is made of tough fabric and when you take it off the water packs up easily and because it doesn't have a fabric cover it doesn't weigh that much more than when you lifted it out of the boot of your car, so is easily backpacked out. I love this and the 473 but shop around for price.

Build quality is as good as you'd expect for an IK costing over $1,000. It's well made.
The manual pump is impressive. Inflating all three chambers to 10 psi takes me only about 5 mins.--around 75 strokes per chamber. At 28 lbs., the boat is easy to carry.

When I got in for the first time, I was surprised at how tippy it felt. This is not your typical IK barge with round pontoon hulls, and I would be hesitant to lend it to a beginner. Under way, with my weight centered, the RazorLite feels quite stable. It has a flat bottom, but the bottom just isn't very wide, and it tapers towards bow and stern. If I shift my weight to one side past a certain point, the boat will lean suddenly and get my attention very quickly. I haven't yet tested the limits of its secondary stability to see how readily it will roll over.

I prefer to paddle with my knees raised. The seat is OK at first, but after about an hour it feels hard. I had to grasp the gunwales and lift my butt off the seat to restore circulation. In view of the tippiness, I'm reluctant to raise my center of gravity with much extra padding.

Sea Eagle provides a strap and a PVC pipe as a footrest, but I found it supports only my heels. I built myself a small wooden footrest to replace the pipe.

Sea Eagle promotes the boat as fast, capable of 5 mph. Paddling fairly hard but not all-out, I saw about 4 mph on my GPS. I was more comfortable cruising at around 3.5 mph. However, breeze and current made it hard to gauge speed through the water accurately, and I'm not yet sure how much faster the RazorLite is than my FastTrack.

One thing I'm sure about: tracking is outstanding, with very little yaw. The sharp bow and stern, together with the rear skeg, keep the boat gliding straight. It tracks much better than my other IKs or my Inuit hardshell, yet it's at least as maneuverable as they are. It turns easily with paddle strokes. I don't yet know whether it will hold an edge or allow leaned turns - which would be remarkable in an IK - or whether it will just capsize. (Hey, I'm on the water in February, in the Rockies, without a drysuit!)

The drop-stitch sidewalls of the hull are relatively narrow, and the boat collects more water off paddle blades than my FastTrack does. Also, this is not an easy boat to dry after a trip. On the FastTrack, the drop-stitch floor pulls out when deflated, and you can get a sponge or towel to all the crevices. On the RazorLite, each side of the drop-stitch floor is tape-welded permanently to the hull's side walls. I'm sure the designers had good reason to do that, but it means you can't get underneath the floor chamber with a towel. The two drain holes just forward of the skeg are specifically for clean-out, not for self-bailing, so they need to remain closed when on the water. They help when draining the boat after a trip, but water collects in the stern, under the dark blue aft deck.

The RazorLite has a hard-plastic bow and stern, inside of which is a grid of plastic dividers. They provide rigidity, but they create a series of deep pockets that retain water (and would collect sand and mud, too, I imagine). It's a little awkward to reach in there and clean them out. Flipping the boat drains much of the water but not all. I've used a sponge and towel. A ShopVac might help, too.

Pros:
well-built; tracks amazingly well; maneuvers well; feels pretty fast; feels stable unless leaned; inflates quickly; weighs only 28 lbs.

Cons:
tippy when leaned; difficult to clean and dry the inside; uncomfortable seat after an hour.