Sea Eagle 385FTA Reviewed – Should You Get It?

For fishing aficionados, there’s nothing like a day on the water with fishing rod in hand, the fish jumping and biting, and the special tension between serenity and activity that fishing entails. Everyone from Ted Williams to Ernest Hemingway has loved spending days out on the lake, and even when you don’t catch a thing, it’s still a great day and one deserving of a great boat in which to spend it. Fishing kayaks have been gaining in popularity among fishing enthusiasts, so if you love fishing and kayaking, now is the time to get a craft that can allow you to take part in both.

Enter the Sea Eagle 385FTA. It has won attention from that exact intersection of fishing and kayaking enthusiasts for a design that is supposed to facilitate both, so let’s take a closer look and see if it’s worth you casting a line after it.

Features of Sea Eagle 385FTA

Some of the most noteworthy features of the Sea Eagle 385FTA are:

• Measures 12’6” x 3’
• Weighs 45 pounds
• Interior space of 11’7” x 18”
• Enough room for three people
• Weight capacity of 635 pounds
• Four chambers
• Air valves
• Spray skirts
• Quadruple overlapped seams
• 1000-denier reinforced material
• NMMA-certified for Class II Rapids
• Removable high-pressure drop stitch floor

Among these features, one of the biggest things of note is just how tough this kayak is, a descriptor that you don’t often see applied to inflatable kayaks. If you have been kayaking for a long time, you probably remember a time when inflatable kayaks were thought of as little better than pool toys that might pop at the slightest poke from something sharp.

Durability and Tracking

But times have changed and inflatable kayaks have changed with them, and for the better. This kayak is a lot tougher than those older inflatable kayaks, with some describing it as “crocodile tough” and “built like a tank.” The material from which it is made is incredibly sturdy, which means that you don’t have to worry about this inflatable kayak puncturing. (From an aesthetic standpoint, the hunter green color scheme definitely adds to that whole crocodile-military-grade vibe.)

This kayak is also NMMA-certified, which means that it can take on some rapids. Granted, it isn’t cleared for whitewater rapids, so you’ll still want to steer clear of the roughest of waters, but that’s still better than you would expect from a lot of inflatable kayaks.

Storage Space

The spray skirts do a good job of keeping you dry while you paddle, and there is plenty of additional storage space there as well. This is one of the reasons why this kayak is so good for fishing. Not only does it have enough space and weight capacity for three people, but it has plenty of room to store your gear as well.

Still, you shouldn’t sell that interior space short as a defining feature, either. If you have ever been fishing with other people on a boat before, you know with their fishing actions and all that fishing gear everywhere, things can start to feel real cramped real fast, giving new meaning to the phrase “We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat!”

Well, this kayak may not be ready to take on any cinematic sharks, but it still puts on a show as far as fishing is concerned, offering you plenty of room for you and your friends to fish in comfort. Finally, the floor and foam padding for this kayak are sturdy enough to let you stand without worrying about anything giving way, which is yet another reason why this kayak is so good for fishers.

Users’ Experience

As noted above, one of the biggest points of praise from users for this kayak are its “super tough crocodile hide.” Again, one of the biggest selling points for hard-shelled kayaks has always been their durability, and this inflatable kayak taps into that.

Other users have noted that this kayak cuts through the water pretty well, even though that’s supposed to be a liability for this model. And as mentioned, fishers have loved how much space this kayak offers for moving around and storage.

Pros and Cons

Is Sea Eagle 385FTA Worth Your Money?

Our rating: 4.7 / 5

This is the kind of kayak that you purchase when you know what you want and are ready to go after it no matter what. Yes, the Sea Eagle 385FTA is built like a tank, which means that it isn’t as fast or maneuverable as other models, but hey, this also means that it’s built like a tank, and so more durable than most kayaks. If you’re looking for sheer toughness or a great fishing experience, this might be a great kayaking Catch of the Day.