PaddleSki™ 435ps

As a kayak the Paddle Ski performs exceptionally well . I added a 2.5 Suzuki outboard and it worked great. My wife and i used the sail option on our recent vacation. I must say, I have never sailed before, so it took some time to learn how to harness the wind. On a good day the sail option works very well. We were able to use the sail to navigate from one end of the lake to the other, then quickly switch to paddles to explore shallow hidden coves. I was very impresses.

The Sea Eagle PaddleSki exceeded my expectations. I look forward to taking it out again. I only gave it a 9 out of 10 due to the seat straps stitching coming undone, and the sea bag zipper breaking right off the bat. Both issues are minor fixes. Great product Sea Eagle!

Pros:
Holds a fair amount of weight (I am 6'7" and 280 lbs) and is fairly fast for an inflatable. It is pretty dry unless you get crazy with the paddles, and very dry if you row. It can be used for a variety of things if you either invest in the various kits and attachments or spend some time modifying it yourself.

Cons:
Wind is an issue with this boat, as a headwind can slow you to a crawl and a side wind can make holding a course very difficult. The seats that came with it are not great, but they changed those a long time ago, so I don't know how the new ones are.

Overall I think it's a great boat, as I have had it for a long time and it has never had any leaks or punctures. Rowing is faster but, for me at least, not as fun as using the kayak paddles. Buy one with confidence, if you take care of it, it will last for a long time.

There are tradeoff with all kayaks. The key is to select the one that best meets your needs. I wanted a boat I could carry a lot of gear on and deal with shallow weed infested log filled narrow water ways and the Paddleski fills that bill.

I added a trolling motor with a DIY mounting bracket. Works great. Only problem is in Texas you have to register the boat with Texas Parks and Wildlife as a "motorcraft", get it inspected by a game warden, and from then on pay a fee to keep it legal. Not a lot of $, but it is a hassle.

Next I made a DIY 42 Sq. Ft. Latine sail with 1 1/8 inch aluminum mast and one inch aluminum spars. Total cost aprox. $39.00. Admittedly I already had the dagger boards and the rudders(first set of paddles). I also spent some time at a local thrift store acquiring the sail material and poles.
Performance: I have never felt like it was going to turn over. I couldn't be more pleased with the performance.

As I mentioned before, wind is certainly a factor with a boat sitting so far above the water. Of course it is not an issue when motoring as a Mercury 3.3 works very well on this boat. I do enjoy the boat the most as a kayak and paddling.

It is really fun out on Lake Michigan, regardless of the level of waves. But certainly high winds mean little progress will be made (but you will still have fun!).

While I used to think it needed a rudder, I no longer feel that way. Paddling solo, I can compensate for wind my offsetting the paddle 3 inches off to one side. When paddling tandem, I ask my partner to offset her paddle and that allows my correction to be effective. A rudder would just be a burden now.

My foot rest mod is working well, but I changed out the chain for quick dry rope. Looks nicer and equally effective. For me and my family, this is still a great choice. I too had to repair a pump leak, but no boat leaks in two years of steady use.

The boat handles about like the average family canoe and is about as fast (which is quite good for an infaltable). Stability is very good (better than a canoe) You'd probably fall off before you'd tip it. It feels better with two people because it's more balanced and "bites into" the water better.

The seats that come with it are OK but here's what you do. Buy some folding "bleacher seats" (look sort of like a giant wallet with a strap to support the backrest) then buy a couple of generic 3" thick boat "throw" cushions. Cut the straps on the throw cushions and use them to secure the seat and cushion together (longer dimension goes crosswise to the boat). Then get some extra nylon strap and attach that to the boat's D-rings and put the lower half of the backrest buckle on that strap.... so it is arranged like the original seats were. Now you've got some very comfortable seats for $20 each.

Another thing I did was to put some 4"x6" plywood "feet" on the ends of the aluminum thwarts so they don't dig into the pontoons so much. That was making me nervous.

We have also tried a Seylor SVX200 which is a more conventional inflatable kayak but with the high pressure floor. While the Sevy is a very nicely made boat, the 435 rides drier, is much more comfortable (with our seats) and is faster. The 435 is a great inflatable substitute for a canoe. The Sevy would be the choice for whitewater.

The concept of this boat is good and it performs very well for an inflatable. I only wish Sea Eagle would have done a better job thinking it through. It is basically well made (heavy material, good valves) and it has never leaked but the D-rings, for example, appear to be plated brass and should be stainless steel on a boat like this. Anyhow, I do recommend this boat and considering it's an inflatable I would give it a 9.5 on performance but more like a 7 on the details. I would take this boat over a lot of canoes out there. After working out the bugs I really do like this boat.

Setup: The boat is easy to carry and set up, it takes about 10 mins to have it ready, with a foot pump. Carrying it is somehow hard, because it weighs 60 lbs and it's bulky. If you have storage problems, as I do, this or any other inflatable will be a solution, just roll it and store it in your car trunk or closet.

Performance: The most important part of a review, isn't it? I have to ask you, what are you planning on using it for? lakes, open sea?

The boat handles well under hard conditions, i.e. high tides with 3 ft waves in the ocean, BUT BEWARE, wind is a big obstacle to this boat's performance. because the boat is raised from the water--thus making you ride on top of the water--it performs poorly under strong wind conditions. A hard shell kayak will perform much better. I have paddled it under very strong winds, 15 mph, and struggled to go forward in a straight line, let alone advance.

Tracking: This boat is wide, (3ft) and it does not have a rudder. Instead, it has a couple of skegs, one under each pontoon. Being wide, while it provides great stability =) , will undermine tracking. That's why the kayaks made for exploration are narrow and long, and have rudders. They track faster and straighter.

Stability: A big plus!!! I have paddled this boat under rough waters in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I have never been tipped over or rolled. In fact, due to its design, it would take probably a 7 ft wave to make it roll, otherwise, it's more stable than any other kayak. You can get in and out of it easily, and it will not roll at all. That makes it perfect for scuba diving, swimming, fishing.

Storage: Capacity is a plus, but the fact that your stored items are on the outside can be a minus, since they are exposed. I have gone camping for 5 days with my wife and dog, and I have been able to put tons of items on it, with no problem. I have to attach everything so it does not fall, and also use dry bags, so nothing gets wet. But you see, capacity is great. I'm 6'0 ft 190 lbs, my wife is 5'6" and 125 lbs and my dog is 45 lbs. All of us plus the load are able to fit well in the boat.

Comfort: The seats are also inflatable, so they are not that comfortable. It takes a while to find a position where you can get more comfortable and make your paddling more efficient. Sea eagle has just released newer seats made of polyethilene, I believe, which should provide better back support.

Extras: The boat can be purchased as stand alone or with a series of add-ons: sail rig =) rowing frame, motor mount (for electrical motor, only). I purchased the whole package.

The sail rig set up is long and complicated, with many fittings that have to be assembled. It takes about 45 min to set it up. The performance of the sail is ok, although is not as good as a lido or any other of the small sailing boats there are. On person can easily steer the sail and tiller (the helm). Two persons fit well while the sail is up, although the person on the front can be a little uncomfortable, beccause on the front is where the sail rig fittings are placed.

The rowing frame did not pass my test; it was very very clumsy, mostly because the boat is wide. Rowing frames need to be narrow. I have not tested it with a motor, but I bet it will perform well.

In summary, if you value stability, cargo, versatility and ease to store, this boat's for you. If you value performance and maneuverability, you should be looking for a hard shell kayak.

The 435 is roomier than the 395, when used with the sail rig, the person on the front has a reduced moving area. The person can still sit well, though, and enjoy the ride. When you rig it, make sure you leave the boom high enough so it won't get on the front rider's head's way. Now, the perfromance is ok, it tacks well and can go up and down wind efficiently. The tiller is a little bit hard to use, since you have behind you, and not at your side, as in a regular sail dinghy.

The sail set up takes a while the first time; however, you can dismount the whole assembled sail from the boat and store it assembled, so the next time you'll need it you can mount it more easily. My guess is it would take you 15 mins to mount it back. Since I don't have much storage, I have to totally disassemble the sail, and redo the whole process every time I want to sail. And yes, it takes time.

The boat paddles efficiently under light to mid wind conditions. In fact, since the boat is riding on top of the water, you get the "gliding" feeling when going through waves, as opposed to other kayaks in which you have to "cut" across the waves. What we have found out is that the main factor for paddling efficiently is the rythm between both paddlers. Synchronicity makes it a lot easier to paddle, and that can only be achieved through practice. Something I forgot to tell you is that the seats can be placed at any position along the boat, so one person can easily paddle solo. Also, if you put more weight on the front, the wind factor gets reduced significantly.

The boat's durability is good. I have landed it on stones and gravel, and it only gets some little scratches. The material can withstand abrassion, and can be punctured only if you stab it with a knife. The aluminum yokes and loops are sea worthy. What I recommend after using it in salty water is to give it a rinse with fresh water. That will make it last longer. The foot pump; however, developed a little crack after constant use, but it was easy to fix with a patch and glue.

Hope this answer your questions. If you have more, don't hesitate in contacting me