A year ago we bought a Sea Eagle 385FT Pro (with the upgraded seats). This was all part of a plan to camp and kayak in Florida and escape several weeks of Nebraska winter 2023. We are 68 and 70, weigh a total of 285 pounds, and are in good health, but not particularly athletic types. Our past kayaking experience is limited to a few hard-sided kayak rentals. Last summer we took the Sea Eagle out on local lakes a number of times to familiarize ourselves with it, but here are some comments about using the Fast Track for a month in Florida. Although the weight of the Sea Eagle is 35 pounds, that number quickly increases when you weigh it with the seats and the paddles. The total weight of boat, bag, pump, repair kit, paddles and seats comes to about 53 pounds, too much for us to carry by hand except for a short distance. Carrying the kayak to put-in points either in its bag, or inflated, was rigorous because parking is not necessarily nearby. At one state park, we had to carry the kayak three blocks to reach the water. At a second state park, we encountered a fellow Sea Eagle owner rolling his kayak on a kayak cart. Aha! We promptly headed to Walmart and picked one up for about $54. This made all the difference so that we could inflate the Sea Eagle at our campsite, load it with the paddles and the PFDs and easily roll it to the water, which had to be at least half a mile away. The Sea Eagle balanced nicely on the cart without using any straps to tie it down. Before paddling, hubby easily removed the cart wheels and stowed them behind the rear seat, and tucked the rest of the cart (folded flat) under the rear bungee cords. The cart we bought does not roll easily through loose sand, or over roots, so we would need to strap the kayak down in those cases. We are very impressed with the quality of the Sea Eagle. We met a fellow owner whose 385FT is seven years old, and another owner who has a well-cared-for Sea Eagle ten years old. Both boats looked like brand new and both owners said they have had zero problems with theirs. We improved over time at inflating and deflating the kayak. I timed hubby without him knowing I was doing it, and he inflated it with the hand pump and punched the floor into position in 12 minutes. We gained confidence that we did NOT need to pump each chamber in gradual increments, and had success inflating the two sides completely full, and then the floor. Hubby counted the number of pump strokes needed for each of the four air chambers; the floor and the two sides were each 23-25, and the keel underneath took just one stroke. Including the disassembled paddles in the bag with the rest of the kayak made for a very cumbersome and lumpy bundle. Storing the paddles in a custom bag, stitched up from an old pair of jeans, has worked much better for us. It was easy for both of us to get in and out of the kayak. It will not tip over if one person sits on the side tube in the process. The upgraded seats were very comfortable until we had been in the boat for about two hours, and then we were quite ready to stand up and stretch. On this trip, the Sea Eagle took us safely in every kind of water we desired. We paddled the Intracoastal Waterway, and on rivers with and against the current and the tide, and sometimes against winds that had us stopped dead in our tracks despite paddling as hard as possible. We also paddled one mile between two islands in the Gulf of Mexico, and only in that one case did water splash over the bow into the cockpit from the wake of a passing motor boat. We look forward to many more happy trips with our Sea Eagle 385FT.
Hello 👋 Elizabeth! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story with your sea eagle Fastrack! I’m glad that you found the kayak cart option. That is a must if you want to load down the boat with everything and then walk it down to the water. I know what you mean, many times the parking lot is quite a distance from the water. Sea Eagle on their website sells some excellent carts as well. Best wishes to you and your husband in 2023 with many exciting fast track kayak adventures! Here is a link for the kayak cart page on the sea eagle website: EZ Carts bit.ly/3OXPhmV
@@emmber19 You're welcome! My comments here were lengthy because I wrote them as a review to post on the Sea Eagle website, only to find out the length of reviews allowed there is quite short. I will add a bit now, too. Our grandchildren, ages 14, 12, and 10 took our kayak out this week for the first time and loved it. It is so stable! They felt very secure and we had no concerns even though they were inexperienced.
Great to hear your additional comments, Elizabeth! You might want to look into these easy to inflate seats from sea eagle. They fit inside your seats and give you more of a cushion to sit on. You can adjust how much cushion by how much you inflate them or deflate them. They will also elevate you and your paddling strokes will be much more efficient and you will feel like you have more power. Its a more comfortable way to sit by placing these in the high back seats that you already have. Inflatable seat cushion - bit.ly/3Ndlrvh Have a great summer paddling!
Thanks! Very informative. My wife and I downsized to a condo recently so we no longer have much in the way of storage space. That meant we had to get rid of the canoe that had carried us for hundreds of miles over the decades. The 385FT angler looks like the perfect solution for us all our needs: tandem paddling, camping and fishing. Can't wait for delivery!
Hi Ian 👋- Thanks for watching and commenting Ian! I hope you enjoy, great choice! Safe, adventuring out there! FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack Tandem 465FT - bit.ly/3CkL8EC My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Hi Cliff, greetings from the south island of New Zealand!! enjoyed the video thanks. We got a 385FT back in 2012 and used it on lakes, calm sheltered coastal areas and also non whitewater rivers. Love how you just throw it in the back of the car and forget it. Used to have 2 hard shells and lot of work putting on the car roof etc. Anyways, about 2 years ago (the kayak was approx 8 years old) the seams started failing and we got it reglued a few times but in the end it wasn't worth trying to keep fiixng it. I emailed Sea Eagle and asked if we could buy a new one, but the hull only as the seats, paddles etc were all still fine. They came right back and agreed to sell us the hull for $550, instead of $900 for the basic package! They said the seam construction is way better now than in 2012. Another bonus is the hull design appears more streamlined. Looking forward to getting it on the water even though it's autumn here now. Regards to all and enjoy your time on the water:) Brendan BTW, would love to paddle in the US, you have so many beautiful looking lakes and rivers
Hello Dusty! That is a really interesting story! The folks at sea eagle are certainly wonderful to deal with, and I’m glad that you were able to get just the hull replaced. I wish you the best in safe adventuring in 2022!
I purchased this after much deliberation, using your videos to make an informed buying decision. This is easily one of the best purchases I have ever made in my life. The boat is outstanding quality and performs exactly as you describe. My first trip was 4 hours and having the ability to stand up and stretch out was a huge benefit. I could see other kayakers were very perplexed as to how I was doing this and also beating them in speed. My main hesitation was price but I can absolutely say that this boat is worth every cent. If anyone is having trouble committing to the purchase, just bite the bullet and get it. You will not regret it. Thanks for the awesome vids!
Hi 👋 🥓 🥨 - Thank you so much for sharing your insights! I’m glad you like the fasttrack, I think it’s awesome too! You are right, the quality of Sea Eagles products is one of the first things that I noticed when I got my first kayak. Safe adventuring out there!
Bought a 385FT a while ago and have to agree this is an excellent choice. I see other reviews recommending the 380X as the best choice for versatility but I believe the 385FT is for a variety of reasons. The 380X is a "do it all" boat but the adage "jack of all trades but master of none" rings true. It does flat water but is slow. It does class IV whitewater but is too long to do it well. The 385FT is an excellent flat water boat and an excellent class II boat. It is stable. It is comfortable. Another thing to consider for whitewater is transportation. If you are a solo kayaker and you decide to go downriver 5 miles how do you get back to your car? Do you have friends, or a team for safety? Only a fool whitewaters class IV alone. A lot of new kayakers don't think of these things and go for a class IV boat not realizing it takes experience, a team, and transportation to do river runs. Go to a lake, bay, or wide, calm location like this and you can park, paddle, and return to your car and go home safely. 385FT is the most versatile inflatable. 300X is Sea Eagle's true whitewater beast.
Hey this is my boat! I've had mine for 3-4 years now and it's holding up just fine. I didn't upgrade my seats so they are just the inflatable ones. But I really like them, you sit up a bit higher but the boat is so stable that it doesn't matter. Also the inflatable seats are removable and useable as a beach chair. I fish in my boat a lot and haven't had any punctures at all. Great product, I like Sea Eagle stuff so much I bought the Fishing SUP too.
I bought a Sea Eagle Explorer 420x last year (what a fantastic boat for multi-day river trips!). And this year I bought the FastTrack 385 for calmer water where I want some a little more sporty. Another amazing boat from Sea Eagle. Great review Cliff!
Hi 👋 Sea Monkey! I’m planning to do some snorkeling out of mine this summer. I think it’ll be the perfect type of kayak to be able to jump out of and wet entry back into! Safe adventuring out there this summer!
Just placed my order for a 385 (through your affiliate link, naturally!). Thanks for your wonderful reviews -- it made the decision quite easy! I'm upgrading from a Costco "raft", and can't wait to get out on the water with it!
Thanks for watching!!! Safe adventuring out there! FastTrack 385FT bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack Fishing Kayak 385FTA - bit.ly/4bAtqxM Explorer 420x alnk.to/4qKYnkv My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Thank you, thank you! Nice review. I was considering the Razorlite, but when I saw that you can stand up in this, and also go reasonably fast, I was sold. Occasionally I'll have a companion who might not be experienced, so the stability of the Fast Track is a plus. And you can fit a bunch of stuff into it. Also, if you look at the comparison chart, the deflated size of this kayak is much smaller than the RL double, and it weighs less. I will check out your adventure videos too.
Thank you for watching and commenting Lorenkelley1568! Here are links to many of my adventure videos. You can also find them at kayakcliff.com My Razorlite affiliate product links for ordering. Your support, supports my channel, Thank You!!! 393RL Razorlite Kayak - Slow rivers & flat / open water, high performance: Sea Eagle website RazorLite page - bit.ly/3Enpq1z RazorLite Amazon store page - amzn.to/44rQLOi RazorLite Tandem website page - bit.ly/3CqBUGT RazorLite Tandem Amazon store page - amzn.to/3NTQEUo My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the RazorLite: Suwannee River Paddling Three Days With My Dad th-cam.com/video/m3eifjl1NZ8/w-d-xo.html Florida Kayaking Withlacoochee River Dunnellon Florida in the Sea Eagle RazorLite 393RL th-cam.com/video/A7urz2yIQmQ/w-d-xo.html Kayak Camping 20 miles on the Brazos th-cam.com/video/yOea6TfzsHw/w-d-xo.html Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Earth Day Caddo Lake - th-cam.com/video/ceOGrVkOyzU/w-d-xo.html Weedon Island Mangrove Trails - th-cam.com/video/9lNst39pZsk/w-d-xo.html Ft Worth Nature Center - th-cam.com/video/30iakMQHkaI/w-d-xo.html Trinity River Elm Fork - th-cam.com/video/o6LbEkF7Vrc/w-d-xo.html Silver Springs Florida - th-cam.com/video/T8MZjjmxM9Y/w-d-xo.html How to fold the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/Dfbp_lm3jGY/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e -------------- FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page, this is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You! - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack 465FT Website page - bit.ly/3CkL8EC FastTrack Amazon store page - amzn.to/3JXFJbn My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the FastTrack: Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e ----------------- Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater. This is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You! Website page -bit.ly/3phWOTp Explorer Amazon Store Page - amzn.to/3PQEEpr Explorer fishing kayaks - bit.ly/3ZLXL5W Adventure videos in the Explorer: Nantahala Epic Whitewater Paddle: th-cam.com/video/4CsL96rl2zg/w-d-xo.html Texas Kayaking Brazos River: th-cam.com/video/lU3xlxh35jI/w-d-xo.html Kayak Camping 20 miles on the Brazos th-cam.com/video/yOea6TfzsHw/w-d-xo.html E-Kayaking with the Bixpy Skeg Motor th-cam.com/video/nBaSjGPYoGY/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e -------------- PaddleSki Boat / Kayak / SUP - The “Do Everything” boat! My Sea Eagle website affiliate link, your purchases off my affiliate link help to support my channel, Thx 🙏🏻 - bit.ly/33PbnFH PaddleSki Amazon Store Page - amzn.to/44pb4Me My review of the PaddleSki - th-cam.com/video/9h0BoJi8XjI/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the PaddleSki: Chassahowitzka Springs / River - th-cam.com/video/zpyIiSv8V3U/w-d-xo.html Anclote Key Florida - th-cam.com/video/LBEROBSGbA8/w-d-xo.html Weeki Wachee River - th-cam.com/video/KWqfnMJwB1U/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Cliff! Love your channel. I just ordered the 385, mainly because of your superb video. I have plans on strapping this to the back of my Goldwing and kayaking WA state lakes and tributaries.
You bet, Cliff! You sure gave me the bug. I just bought a paddleski and looking at outboard motors now. My Shelta hat, neck cover, and shirt are coming this week. Thanks for the links!
Wow, that’s awesome Wayne! I love my paddle ski! It’s unbelievable how versatile that boat is and all the things that you can do with it, especially adventuring much further out! Have fun this summer! You will love the shelter hat and other products! I’m one of those that does not really like to put on sunscreen, I would rather cover myself up to protect me from the sun. If I have to, I will put sunscreen on, but I try to avoid it whenever possible.
@@KayakCliff studies have shown that people with a lack of vitamin D have a higher rate of cancer, I too don't like to get sunburned so I cover up after enough exposure and never use sunscreen!
Thanks for watching and commenting, Rod! Yes, I really do love the weight capacity that inflatables can carry. Have a great week and safe adventuring out there! Kayaks in this video! - Best Inflatable Kayaks & Boats kayakcliff.com/favorite-inflatables
Greetings, from San Diego, CA. Thanks, for the great review. We have two FastTrack Anglers and love the way they pack and play. I've had them on a mountain lake and an open ocean bay. In both settings, they performed flawlessly. I also have the Shelta Firebird V2 sun hat... the non-floppy visor-brim works great.
@@usitl5037 Hello, I haven't taken the FastTrack out on Mission Bay, but I did go for about a 5 mile paddle across the back (south end) of San Diego Bay. We launched off of Silver Strand, by the Coronado Cays, then paddled across to the Chula Vista (east) side, south of the J Street Marina.
Great review. I got the razorlite and I'm regretting it. For just me it's great. It paddles so much nicer than I expected an inflatable kayak to paddle and it's surprisingly zippy. I will say though I've found the foot pegs to be unusable for me because i can't get them in. They made the metal rods too long. Ive been out on it 3 or 4 times now and have never been able to get both foot pegs on. Yesterday though I tried taking my 40Lb dog out with me for the first time and it's just not possible. She immediately almost tipped us over. We hadn't even moved away from shore yet so I was able to swing my leg over and put my foot down to keep us from going over. Now I'm hoping maybe I can sell it and get the fast track. I wish I could keep the razorlite for when I want to go out by myself, but I just don't have room in my camper. One question I have is, how easy/hard is it to get it folded up and back in the bag? That's one thing I struggle with with the razorlite. I hate the bag. I wish they had done a bag more like Bote's bag where it zips open all the way and you just lay it in. It looks like the bag for the FastTrack is different than the razorlite.
Hi there Diver Girl! Do you need to fold the RazorLite back up to fit in the back pack due to travel / RV storage / small storage space? With my foot pegs installed, I simply fold my RazorLite into thirds, then lay in the back of my vehicle and ultimately a shelf in my storage unit / garage. I totally understand the challenge with the installation of the foot pegs. It does take same hand strength to bend the black rubber receivers in the kayak back to allow the insertion of the foot peg metal pieces. Do you have someone else with a little more hand strength who can help you install these? I will tell you, after they have been installed, then taken out several times, the process becomes much easier as the black rubber receiver pieces on the kayak become more malleable. Here is a great video from Sea Eagle on how to fold the RazorLite. Now this model did not have the foot peg option, but the process is the same for today’s model once your foot pegs are removed. I hope you are able to make the boat work for you! IMO, the Sea Eagle RazorLite is the best performing kayak on the market in it’s intended class. Let me know if I can help any more!
@@KayakCliff yeah I saw another video of yours where you just folded it up and put it in the trunk without putting it in the bag. I thought "well now why didn't I think of that." 🤦♀️ I had the coolest experience in it yesterday. I was kayaking on the lake I was camped on in MT. I had gone a pretty fair distance and thought "I'll just paddle around that next point and then turn around." So I get around the next point and turn around to start heading back. I hadn't gone more than maybe 15-20ft and I heard all this crazy splashing behind me. I looked back and there was a moose standing in the water right where I had just been floating. It just stared at me for a moment and then took off swimming across the lake.
@@KayakCliff I realize this was an old conversation so I'm not sure if you'll even see this but I wanted to give an update. There was no way I could take my pup with me in the razorlite so I just picked up one of their used fasttracks over black Friday and just tried it out for the first time today. I'm spending winter in FL and paddled Silver Springs for the first time today. My pup and I did the loop 3 times. The first time around I didn't put the skeg in and it was AWFUL. Every little move my dog made made the boat change course. There were multiple times we were literally spinning in circles because of her moving around. But! We never even came close to tipping. The second time around I put the skeg in and it was a night and day difference. It's amazing what a difference that little piece of plastic makes. She was still bouncing around and I couldn't even tell. The second time around was so much nicer we went for a third. This one is going to work so much better for us I think. And it even folds up much smaller than the razorlite. Now I have to try to get that one sold. So if you know anyone in FL in the market for a used one let me know.
What a great story and update, thanks Diver Girl! Yes, the fast track is definitely a boat where you absolutely have to have the skeg in. You can get away without using one in the razor light, but definitely not the fast track. Safe adventuring out there!
You are welcome! Thank you for watching and commenting! Like I mentioned in the video. Depending on what type of paddling you’re going to be doing, the RazorLite, FastTrack and Explorer line of kayaks will fit just about any need that you have out on the water! I should have my explorer kayak review out in the next few weeks. Safe adventuring out there!
Hi April, thank you for watching and your comments! Enjoy your new fast track, it’s a great all-around kayak, while still offering good speed, maneuverability and excellent stability!
Thanks for watching and commenting Miriam! Have you seen my adventure videos in the FastTrack and RazorLite kayaks? Here they are. Safe adventuring out there! 393RL Razorlite Kayak - Slow rivers & flat / open water, high performance: Sea Eagle website RazorLite page - bit.ly/3Enpq1z My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the RazorLite: Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Earth Day Caddo Lake - th-cam.com/video/ceOGrVkOyzU/w-d-xo.html Weedon Island Mangrove Trails - th-cam.com/video/9lNst39pZsk/w-d-xo.html Ft Worth Nature Center - th-cam.com/video/30iakMQHkaI/w-d-xo.html Trinity River Elm Fork - th-cam.com/video/o6LbEkF7Vrc/w-d-xo.html Silver Springs Florida - th-cam.com/video/T8MZjjmxM9Y/w-d-xo.html How to fold the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/Dfbp_lm3jGY/w-d-xo.html FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Hi Cliff! This was a fantastic video and thanks for making it! Am in the market for an inflatable kayak and I'm focused on the 385. I am concerned about the lack of a foot rest for proper positioning. I know Sea Eagle sells a foot rest that glues permanently into place, but that will interfere with the tandem configuration. Am curious if you have figured a good way to use a "removable" foot rest with the 385? I've read you can just stuff a dry bag with "stuff" and use that for a foot rest, but that isn't the best option for me. Was even thinking of trying an Isle inflatable foot rest, but they're a bit pricey. Thanks in advance!
Hi 👋 Sorry for the delay in getting back to you! Honestly, when I have been paddling the FastTrack and the Explorer kayaks, I have never felt like I needed foot rests. They are not high performance boats like the RazorLite, where you do have foot rests and on the RazorLite, I appreciate having them as I use them to help with proper torso rotation. When paddling the Explorer and FastTrack, these are not high performance boats and I never feel like I need them. You can definitely order them and glue them in, OR, you could glue in some D rings opposite each other, with rope tied or carabinered between them as a foot rest. FastTrack 385FT bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack Fishing Kayak 385FTA - bit.ly/4bAtqxM Explorer 420x alnk.to/4qKYnkv My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Explorer Kayak - Website page -bit.ly/3phWOTp Explorer fishing kayak - bit.ly/3ZLXL5W Explorer 420x alnk.to/4qKYnkv My review of the Explorer - th-cam.com/video/YmOezRl8Dis/w-d-xo.htmlsi=9eLQqiGKMSGgl0Ny
What a great and informative review. You've answered many questions I had, including single vs tandem seat placement. I've already used your link to purchase the Blue Dot Outfitters cooler!
Thank you so much Mark! Enjoy that cooler, especially this memorial day weekend. Please check out my endorsed products page on my kayakcliff.com website! These are products that I LOVE and use on a regular basis. I think you’ll love them too! Here’s the link - kayakcliff.com/endorsed-products
Hi Cliff, I finally received my Sea Eagle Fasttrack 385FT the other day. I'm seeing different values for psi for the floor. On the kayak itself, it says max psi is 10, however, in the manual that Sea Eagle sent with it (and it's dated) says up to 14 psi. What do you inflate your floor to? I'm using 3.2 for the side chambers. I'm here in the DFW area also. Will be taking it to Caddo in a couple of weeks and then to Atlanta State Park.
Hi there, Reginald! Congratulations on your new Fastrak! The pontoons are definitely 3.2 psi, while the drop stitch inflatable floor is and has always been 10 psi. I’m not sure that they changed the makeup of the floor to where it now accepts 14 psi. Did you order it from Sea Eagle? As far as I know, it is still 10 psi for the floor. Hope this helps, enjoy the kayak!
Hi 👋 Bobby - Thanks for watching and commenting! The FastTrack is a really great boat and offers maximum versatility. Sea Eagle is a 52 year old company. They make an awesome product backed up by excellent customer service. You may also enjoy watching many of my adventure videos in Sea Eagle boats. More is coming on the FastTrack. I’m attaching these video links below . . . 393RL Razorlite Kayak - Slow rivers & flat / open water, high performance: Sea Eagle website RazorLite page - bit.ly/3Enpq1z My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the RazorLite: Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Earth Day Caddo Lake - th-cam.com/video/ceOGrVkOyzU/w-d-xo.html Weedon Island Mangrove Trails - th-cam.com/video/9lNst39pZsk/w-d-xo.html Ft Worth Nature Center - th-cam.com/video/30iakMQHkaI/w-d-xo.html Trinity River Elm Fork - th-cam.com/video/o6LbEkF7Vrc/w-d-xo.html Silver Springs Florida - th-cam.com/video/T8MZjjmxM9Y/w-d-xo.html How to fold the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/Dfbp_lm3jGY/w-d-xo.html FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater: bit.ly/3phWOTp Adventure videos in the Explorer: Nantahala Epic Whitewater Paddle: th-cam.com/video/4CsL96rl2zg/w-d-xo.html
hey kayak Cliff -really enjoying your videos :) Thank you for the fun and informative reviews. I am interested in several kayaks at the moment and am having trouble choosing. I'd like to have foot pegs and wonder if you have any ideas for this kayak -and things to brace your feet on that might be added?
Hi 👋 there, Val! Two weeks ago, Sea Eagle just introduced a brand new boat and I think this might be up your alley. Check out their Web link and my review on this boat. You get foot bags and a whole lot more! EZLite 10 Sea Eagle - alnk.to/60ZT3Sz My Review: Best Ultralight Kayak For Your Money Sea Eagle EZLite th-cam.com/video/FgzpJMpcu2g/w-d-xo.html I also highly recommend the razor light, which has foot pegs as well. RazorLite 393RL website page - alnk.to/gKPBreg RazorLite 473RL Tandem website page - bit.ly/3CqBUGT My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html
An excellent video presentation of the 385 FT kayak. We have two of them; the first one dates back 12 years. Superb craftsmanship. One comment: you didn't install the skeg on the stern of the boat? Was that on purpose? We achieve much better directionality with the skeg.
Thanks Romeo for your comment! You are an astute observer! When I was carrying the boat to the water, you noticed that I did not have a skeg. I quickly realized that once I started paddling and went immediately back to Shore to install the skeg. You are right, it is absolutely necessary on this boat. Safe adventuring out there!!
Hi Alex, thank you for watching and commenting! Actually, the combination of the rear, skeg, plus the inflatable keel in the bow makes for a nice tracking boat, but it does maneuver nicely. Not like a Whitewater boat where you need to turn on a dime to avoid rocks, but, it does maneuver nicely for typical paddling flat water kayak. --------- FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page, this is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You! - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack 465FT Website page - bit.ly/3CkL8EC FastTrack Amazon store page - amzn.to/3JXFJbn My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the FastTrack: Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e
Love this boat, my only concern is, where are the foot rests? The razorlites have them, but this does not. No matter who makes the kayak, almost all the inflatables of this style lack foot rests. This not only affects comfort but paddling efficiency. I'll probably stay with a hardshell kayak because ALL of them have foot rests.
Hi 👋 there! Actually, Sea Eagle sells the foot peg kits that can be installed in both the fast track and the explorer models. Works great and is inexpensive and easy to install yourself! Flexbrace Kit - Foot pegs for RazorLite / FastTrack / Explorer bit.ly/3KRcuFq
The seat is designed in a way that it wraps around your hips and gives you good grounding. You also rest your thighs and knees on the pontoons which gives you even more contact with the boat. I thought it would be an issue too but its very comfortable and gives you lots of control. You can jerry-rig a DIY solution using the D rings and paracord if it's really a concern.
I have not missed the Foot pegs in the Fastrak at all. I do like them in the razor light, and feel that I need them there. In the Explorer and the Fasttrack, I’m fine without them. The black wraparound seats give me wonderful support. After about an hour and a half I’m in need of standing, but I’m not way in any kayak. it’s a big plus to be able to stand up in the explorer and the fast track boats.
Hello Alex - Both boats will be fine for ocean paddling, however the FastTrack will give you better performance. What are the individual heights and weights of each paddler? I’m getting ready to paddle the florida keys for a week next January with my 83 year old Dad. For that trip, I will be using the FastTrack 465FT because both him and I are 6’ tall and 190 / 210 lbs. If both of you are lighter and smaller framed, you could use the 385FT, but there will be less storage if you want to take extra things along. The FastTrack will paddle much faster than the wider and bulkier Explorer. The Explorer will work fine, just know that it will be slower to paddle if that is something you are concerned about. FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page, this is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You! - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack Tandem 465FT - bit.ly/3CkL8EC My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the FastTrack: Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater. This is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You! bit.ly/3phWOTp Explorer fishing kayaks - bit.ly/3ZLXL5W Adventure videos in the Explorer: Nantahala Epic Whitewater Paddle: th-cam.com/video/4CsL96rl2zg/w-d-xo.html Texas Kayaking Brazos River: th-cam.com/video/lU3xlxh35jI/w-d-xo.html Kayak Camping 20 miles on the Brazos th-cam.com/video/yOea6TfzsHw/w-d-xo.html E-Kayaking with the Bixpy Skeg Motor th-cam.com/video/nBaSjGPYoGY/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e
Thanks much ! Whole bunch of info. I didn’t know the made a 465, will check it out. The 385 fast track a little to short for tandem. I’m just getting into this kayak stuff. I will call sea eagle for prices. I was thinking to install a portable / retractable 3 inch by two foot long front keel similar to the fast track to make it point better, ( I’m an old sailer I can do stuff like this) not sure if it will hurt the turning /steering, what do you think? Thanks a lot. When is the best time to buy from Sea Eagle? How about used market? Good luck on your adventure in Florida with Your Dad…
Sea Eagle has some excellent customer service, they also sell used boats as well with the same warranty, so check that out as well. On the FastTrack with the inflatable skeg in the bow (front) of the boat and the rigid plastic skeg in the stern (back) of the boat, you will have all the tracking apparatus you will need to tracked efficiently and effectively. Yes, you should check out that 465 FastTrack. Safe adventuring out there!
Thank you for the great review. A few questions for you: I paddle in rocky river conditions. With a 190 pound paddler, do have a sense of how much water it draws? As well, how does it handle without the skeg? I've heard some people have tried reversing the direction of the boat without the skeg with some success. Thanks again.
Hi Jonathan! This FastTrack kayak should draw the same amount of water in the bow as it does in the stern. Both the bow inflatable keel and the stern keel draw about the same amount of water. If it is a very shallow, rocky river that you frequent, you might want to look at the Explorer line of kayaks since they will not have the front keel constantly dragging on the bottom. Again, I’m not sure how shallow you are talking. If you have a foot of clearance, the Fastrack will glide over just fine. If you know you will be rubbing quite a bit, I would check out the Explorer! Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater: bit.ly/3phWOTp Hope this helps!
Hi 👋 teamtls - Thanks for watching. Here are some of my other Sea Eagle reviews, PLUS links to adventure videos using their awesome inflatable kayaks! Stay safe out on the water!!! 393RL Razorlite Kayak - Slow rivers & flat / open water, high performance: Sea Eagle website RazorLite page - bit.ly/3Enpq1z My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the RazorLite: Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Earth Day Caddo Lake - th-cam.com/video/ceOGrVkOyzU/w-d-xo.html Weedon Island Mangrove Trails - th-cam.com/video/9lNst39pZsk/w-d-xo.html Ft Worth Nature Center - th-cam.com/video/30iakMQHkaI/w-d-xo.html Trinity River Elm Fork - th-cam.com/video/o6LbEkF7Vrc/w-d-xo.html Silver Springs Florida - th-cam.com/video/T8MZjjmxM9Y/w-d-xo.html How to fold the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/Dfbp_lm3jGY/w-d-xo.html FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater: bit.ly/3phWOTp Adventure videos in the Explorer: Nantahala Epic Whitewater Paddle: th-cam.com/video/4CsL96rl2zg/w-d-xo.html Texas Kayaking Brazos River: th-cam.com/video/lU3xlxh35jI/w-d-xo.html PaddleSki Boat / Kayak / SUP - The “Do Everything” boat! Sea Eagle website PaddleSki page - bit.ly/33PbnFH My review of the PaddleSki - th-cam.com/video/9h0BoJi8XjI/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the PaddleSki: Chassahowitzka Springs / River - th-cam.com/video/zpyIiSv8V3U/w-d-xo.html Anclote Key Florida - th-cam.com/video/LBEROBSGbA8/w-d-xo.html Needlenose iSUP Inflatable Paddleboard: Sea Eagle web page for the Needlenose iSUP: bit.ly/3LL9taW All Paddleboards: bit.ly/35b6VBV My review of the Sea Eagle Needlenose: th-cam.com/video/9bU0UdohbyY/w-d-xo.html
Ahoy from south Australia, nice review! Just regarding the material, which I know is highly resistant to uv etc. Would you recommend using 303 marine protectant as well as or not required ?
Hi there! Thanks for watching and commenting! Absolutely, I use formula 303 on it all the time. Sea Eagle even sells it on their site and recommends it as well. I like 303, because it protects from UV radiation, plus it makes it easier to clean the boat later as it does not pick up as much dirt and stains. Safe adventuring for you out there!
Hi there Larry, The fast track has two drain plugs back near the stern of the boat. They are not self bailing holes, they just drain when you open the drain plugs and let the water out. I have found that sometimes it’s easier to just pick up the boat and tilt it back-and-forth and let the water drain that way as well. Two options! If you are looking for self bailing drain plugs, the explorer line has those. That is my next boat to review here shortly, while trying out those self bailing plugs.
Cliff, I have the 385 and love it. My only issue is getting it to fold properly once the folding gets near the keel. I just can’t seem to get it to fold properly there. Will or can you do a “how-to” on folding the 385? I’ve watched the SE video and still struggle.
Hi there Jackie, I actually had my fast track out over the weekend and was having a little bit of difficulty folding it up, because of the inflatable keel. I will play around with it some and figure out the best way to do it. That’s a great idea about making a video. Stay tuned…
Hi there Gabe, this is the first kayak I have ever paddled without foot pegs. I thought it was going to be an issue, however I was pleasantly surprised that it was very comfortable and I did not feel like I needed them. I hope this information helps! You can actually order the flex brace kit from Sea Eagle. They can actually be installed on the FastTrack and Explorer line of kayaks. Here's the link - Flexbrace Kit - Foot pegs for RazorLite / FastTrack / Explorer bit.ly/3KRcuFq
The problem with the available kit is determining the best placement for its adjustment range. i.e. loaded with camping gear (with or without 60 lb dog), with the dog, or just paddling without all that stuff. A good alternative is a piece of 4" pvc pipe and an adjustable loop of nylon strap attached to a pair of the D-rings.
You would only want to install it for the single paddler position. So, just install your single paddler seat in its proper location, then measure out where you would like the foot braces to be located based on your height and the height of other people that will most likely be paddling the boat. There is a sweet spot to find and it will not be hard once you get the boat inflated.
Great video Cliff, as always! I was feeling quite set on purchasing a RazorLite but now you've got me second guessing! You sound rather smitten with the FastTrack models. I'm having a hard time getting a feel for the extent of the tradeoff between performance (speed & tracking) vs stability based on other people's reviews when compared to the RazorLite. I feel like I would really miss having the foot FlexBrace, which doesn't come in the FastTrack it seems. Apparently you can add it, but only in 1 position (not sure which one).
Hi there Dylan, The razor light is definitely my go to for when I want to cover large distances and get the maximum amount of speed, maneuverability and tracking. The fast track will be my go to for when I’m going to want to be able to stand up and when I might wanna swim / fish out of a kayak. Also, if I’m doing a multi day trip and I need to carry a lot of weight, the fast track is perfect for that as well.
@@tagheuer001 haha, oh man, every time I think I've made up my mind and I'm ready to pull the trigger, some one pulls the rug out. So you're a big fan of FastTrack it sounds like? I got cold feet reading reviews on Amazon - a bunch of people seemed to have problems with seams on the FastTrack after a couple of years of use? Very frustrating that there's nowhere to try them around here in Vancouver to compare the stability vs speed/tracking tradeoff.
It is my understanding when the fast track test came out probably 10 to 15 years ago, there were problems with seams. That has since been resolved and I have not heard of any problems from anyone on any of my social media groups. Bottom line, sea eagle is highly responsible and their customer service is top-notch. If you ever have a problem outside of the three-year warranty, they will definitely work with you!
I've never kayaked before but I lived near the Sacramento River right here in Sacramento. Would this be a good purchase? I'd take any advice I can get. Thanks! edit: Should I consider a different model?
Hi, sorry for taking so long to get back to you. So I can direct you in the right direction. Let me ask you a few questions? What is your height and weight? Do you want to do extended paddling where you paddle for longer distances? Will you be in extremely shallow river water, or larger, deeper open bay / lake areas? Are you going to want to take lots of things with you in terms of weight? Will you ever do white water rivers? If you can answer these for me, I can definitely tell you the right direction to go. Thanks!
Hey Bob, here is a link from Sea Eagles website on the dimensions. It is 18 inches wide inside from tube tube. Have a great weekend! www.seaeagle.com/FastTrackKayaks/385ft
Hi! Cliff! Thanks for this review! I will be purchasing this soon. I'm planning to upgrade the paddle to all carbon. What would your recommend the paddle sizing. I'm 5'6" so do you think 245cm would be a correct size? Thank you!
I think you are right on with 245 cm, you might even want to go 250 cm. The fast track is a wider boat at 36 inches, you need the added length to adequately get the paddles in the water. 245cm is probably best for you at 5'6". For me at 6 foot I would get the 250cm. Take care, let me know how it works for you. You can always email me or text me at my contact information located at kayakcliff.com. I'm putting my affiliate link below, if you click on that when you order, it will not cost you a dime extra, it just gets me a little bit back for my channel to pay for the videos that I do. Thanks, and have a great week! FastTrack 385FT bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack Fishing Kayak 385FTA - bit.ly/4bAtqxM Explorer 420x alnk.to/4qKYnkv My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
@@KayakCliffDid you have to pump the Keel? If so, what's the PSI? I know the side tube is 3.2 psi and floor is 10psi. Also, do you remove the floor first to clean the inside of the kayak? Thank you!
@saturninopizarro3532 Yes, you do have to pump up the keel, but it only takes seconds as it is small and get’s to 10 psi REAL quick. When you are finished using the FastTrack, you should remove the floor to dry out underneath. I only do this if storing for longer periods. If it is during the paddling season and I’m going to be paddling again a week later, I leave the floor in. My practice is to go kayaking, then when I get back to my truck, I deflate the kayak and quickly roll it up wet. When I get home I re-inflate with my battery powered Mega pump (highly recommend) and let it sit out in the sun for a couple hours. This get’s it dry enough. Like I said, at the end of the season, I remove everything and dry it completely out, then apply some formula 303. Hope this helps!
Hello, I'm planning to purchase the 465ft fasttrack soon thanks to your reviews! Just a quick question, what is your recommendation for an affordable e-pump? I know it's probably best to get the most expensive ones from sea eagle but the kayak itself is already pricey. Thanks!
Hi 👋 there LTKGaming! - Sea Eagle only recommends their powered pumps be used to inflate their boats. Now, these pumps are made by Bravo air pumps, but you need to make sure the right end detail is on another pumps hose to match up with the inflation valve of the FastTrack. For this reason, if you want a battery operated pump, it’s best to go with the Sea Eagle model, because they hose will mate up with the valve by having the right end detail on it. A lot less hassles and headaches. I know they are pricey, but BOY do they make your life easier. It will work on all other Sea Eagle products too, if you should get any more in the future! Air Inflation Pumps: bit.ly/3MjKN9z FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page, this is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You! - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack 465FT Website page - bit.ly/3CkL8EC FastTrack Amazon store page - amzn.to/3JXFJbn My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the FastTrack: Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e
@@KayakCliff thank you for your quick response! I’d love to use your affiliate link. However, I will need to modify the package a bit so not sure if I can do that on the website. I have reached out to sea eagle and they asked me to call them directly instead. Would mentioning your name/channel during my call with them work? Also, please do more video on the fast track (especially the longer version so people can tell how roomy it is) since I believe it deserves a bit more attention. Thanks! :)
Oh, absolutely, I think if you mention to the great customer service up at sea eagle that Kayak Cliff guided you and you want him to get the affiliate support, they would accommodate you no problem. Thank you so much for watching the video and commenting and let me know if there are any other questions that you have.
I have used your link to place an order for the longer version of this kayak. Hope this helps! Also, I think it would be great if you could show more of the leg room for each kayak (mainly tandem) for one person or even two people on coming reviews.
Thank you so much for the support!!! Also, thanks for the suggestion! I plan on doing another comparison video (this time in the water) between the RazorLite, FastTrack, and Explorer. I will make sure I cover legroom as well! Stay safe out there!
Hey, thank you for watching and commenting! Yes, this boat would be great in saltwater! I have had all of my Sea Eagle boats and kayaks out in salt water quite a bit. The hardware holds up perfectly, no rust no damage from the salt environment. They are pretty much “bulletproof.”
looking at the fast track boats i was thinking a tent and double sleeping bag wont fit until i saw the 465 take out the middle seat and plenty of space
Hi 👋 Jason - I’m 6’0’’ and 185 lbs. I think the FastTrack has plenty of room for me and 50-70lbs. of camping gear. It has tremendous load carrying capability too at over 600lbs. Both would work fine, but I think the 385 is a better all around boat. That is, unless, you are wanting to carry a tremendous amount of weight and you are a large paddler as well. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi Cliff, I'm looking into getting a Sea Eagle boat at the beginning of May. The Fasttrack seems to meet my needs a little more than the Explorer, but I've heard of some seam issues with the FT. How has your boat held up? Are these mostly older kayaks that have this problem?
Hi 👋 Kdogg788 - I heard that years back, there were some issues with the drop stitch floor seems failing. As far as I know, these issues have been resolved for years now. My FastTrack 385FT has been “bomb proof”. Bottom line, when dealing with Sea Eagle, their customer service is EXCELLENT. If you ever do have a failure within their very liberal 3 year warranty period, they will stand behind it. If you are going to have any seam issues, they will certainly occur and make themselves known way before your 3 year warranty period runs out. Below is my affiliate link to the Sea Eagle FastTrack page, plus some adventure videos in the FastTrack! FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack Tandem 465FT - bit.ly/3CkL8EC My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e
We are looking for a two person kayak, and really like the reviews of the Sea Eagle. For the money, would we better off for a little extra more, going with the Razorlite? Or is there plenty of room for two with the 385? Thank you
@@KayakCliff I am 6'-0" - 180 LBS, and my wife is 5'-8" - 120lbs if that. We like the lakes in our Sierra's, and or the Ocean Bay area's we have on the Central Coast of California. We are also both in our late 50's. That's why hard shell seems too much of a hassle to cart around.
@farside722 I think either the FastTrack or the RazorLite would work wonderfully for the two of you. Will you ever be paddling solo, or will you always be with your wife? If you think you would paddle solo sometimes, I would go with the FastTrack 385FT bit.ly/3ecBQ1V You will have enough room for both of you in the FastTrack, however, you will have little space for storing anything. If you think you will be take some extra gear with you (cooler, etc.) you might look at the bigger FastTrack bit.ly/3CkL8EC The RazorLite tandem bit.ly/3CqBUGT is an excellent choice if you are looking for a higher performance kayak. It is fast and sleek, plus it has plenty of room for storing any gear you might have. If you are experienced paddlers in 28-30’’ wide kayaks and don’t mind the 15’6’’ length once inflated, the RazorLite would be a good option. I say experienced, because the RazorLite feels a little “tippy” at first, but over time as you paddle the boat, you will recognize it’s primary & secondary stability is really good. It’s just a faster, higher performance boat. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you for answering my precious question. Really appreciate it. As I was saying I will be getting in and out of the kayak as a diver/spearfishing. I figure it will tend to load up with a little water inside. Probably not too big a deal as I’m in a wetsuit but is there a way to drain water while on the water or are those drain valves only for land? Thank you.
LOL. the explorer is the boat that has 16 self bailing drain holes. The fast track, I do not believe those drain holes are self bailing purposed. For that, you would just need to have a hand pump bilge pump in the kayak. Those work pretty well.
I noticed you could edge quite well with the RazorLite & its full drop stitch construction. Will this FastTrac kayak edge at all with the rigid bottom & pontoon sides? My only experience with inflatables was years ago in a soft floored type that was miserable to paddle. Other than that I'm modestly experienced in canoeing (hard shells). I've never had the opportunity to try the newer drop stitch technology in inflatables. Which would you recommend for several days & miles of kayak camping, paddling & portaging? Thanks in advance for any help & suggestions. Cheers from Canada.
Hi 👋 there! My go to for efficient paddling, while covering some good miles on kayak camping trips would be the RazorLite 393RL. I’m a 190lbs with 50-60 lbs of gear, so fairly light camping and kayak loading. If I really needed to load down the kayak with a lot of weight / gear and was not concerned about my speed (due to current assist), I would choose the explorer or FastTrack. The FastTrack does not edge at all. Hope this helps, safe adventuring out there!
@@KayakCliff Thanks very much for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated. Now I need to find a dealer near by to check them out before ordering one. Of course it would be wonderful to have one of each like you, but my budget & storage space won't allow for that. Cheers.
You are welcome! I do not know of any dealers. Where are you located? I’m pretty sure most of their business is done via mail order. Because of that, they have a very generous return policy if the boat does not meet your needs. I believe 3 to 4 months. I hope you have a great weekend, safe adventuring out there!
@@KayakCliff I'm on Vancouver Is, BC up in Canada. Thanks again for your videos, all the information & most of all your response to my questions. Best from Canada. Cheers.
Thanks for you review, are those good enough to run some mild class 3 rivers, I know the rating said 2 but this look like a lot a float for only a rating of 2. The 380 seems great but very wide for a smaller paddler and maybe slow for long distances. ( i do expedition kayaking )
Hi there, thank you for watching and commenting! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I cannot speak to the fast tracks effectiveness in class three. I suspect it is not recommended because it would be pretty stressful on the forward inflatable keel. Also, the fast track does not have self bailing drain holes in the bottom of it like the explorer. I just received an explorer and I am getting ready hopefully this week to try it out on flat water. My review on it will be coming out shortly. I see multiple people that do major expeditions in the explorer. Just read about a guy that did 600 miles on it and speaks very highly of the explore in all conditions.
@@KayakCliff thanks for the reply , I did over 1400 miles last year on a Neris kayak on the Amazon river , loved it but they are build in Ukraine so way to order right now. I will wait to see what you are thinking about the 380 x on flat water. The person you know who did a trip on it have a site or youtube chanel ?..I would love to see what he have to say.thanks again and keep up the good job.
facebook.com/groups/413119092973182/?ref=share I believe that I saw it a few months ago on the Sea Eagle Kayak, SUP owners group. I’m not finding it right now, but it is a great group to join to learn more about all types of SeaEagle products. You could ask some questions there about the explorer performance on flat water. Great group to be in! Basically, think of the explorer as the “mountain bike” of kayaks and the fast track as a hybrid bike. The RazorLite of course, would be the fast road bike. A mountain bike will do everything, including efficient riding on flat surfaces, however, not as efficient as a road bike….
All roads point to the 385FT but customer reviews (Amazon, TH-cam) are saying the seams blow out on the Sea Eagles. A big investment so I want to make sure.
Hey 👋 Al - That is absolutely not a problem now :-). It’s my understanding that the old version of the FastTrack (without the inflatable keel) about 10 years ago had some seam issues. That is not a problem anymore with any of their boats. Back then, it was a fluke with the FastTrack model. It has been my experience that Sea Eagle boats are pretty indestructible. To add to that, their 3 year warranty and 4 month return policy is un-matched. I think you will be more than pleased with any choice you make from Sea Eagle, if you are not happy for any reason, Sea Eagle will be there to support you. I hope this helps! Safe adventuring out there!
@@KayakCliff Thank you Cliff. I'm wondering if the 380x would be a good boat as well. Seems to be a 385FT with a bit more whitewater capability. Both 12' 6", same options.. Not sure if the integrated keel is on the 380x or not so maybe speeds a little less? I'll be a solo paddler so I won't be doing class IV runs for safety reasons but I do like the blue color of the 380x and just having the whitewater potential would be good to have. Seems class II max is pretty mild. I don't know of many rivers that don't have the occasional class III so the 385FT would be pretty much a lake boat for me, although there isn't really anything wrong with that. I just don't want a slug slow boat, or a boat that can't handle more than a ripple in a river.
Hi Al - I’m mainly a lake, bay and flat water person myself. White water is newer to me too! Basically, if you have the FastTrack and you plan on doing class I or II rapids every once and a while, that boat will probably work best if it is not too shallow. That inflatable keel in the front could get caught up if you are dragging the bottom in shallow river rapids. The Explorer does not have an inflatable keel in the front, but it does have a plastic (removable) keel in the stern. This stern keel give you pretty good tracking performance in the Explorer, once the keel is removed (very easy), then the boat it totally responsive to whatever direction whim you may have, which is important for navigating whitewater. When you compare the FastTrack which is 36’’ wide, to the Explorer that is 39’’ wide, this is because the pontoons are larger on the Explorer for increased buoyancy in whitewater conditions. The Explorer is a great “all-around” boat, it’s just a little bit slower than the FastTrack. It’s nice to know that Sea Eagle has a 4 month return policy so you can try it and swap out if it is not what you wanted. For BOTH of these boats, you will definitely want the 8’ paddle from Sea Eagle or any other 250+ cm paddle from elsewhere. It’s necessary for the width of the boat. Hope this helps you in your search! Safe adventuring out there!!! FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater: bit.ly/3phWOTp Adventure videos in the Explorer: Nantahala Epic Whitewater Paddle: th-cam.com/video/4CsL96rl2zg/w-d-xo.html
Most manufacturers from time to time are required by the government to change some materials in their products. What happened on the 385FT as I understand it (I've been heavily active in Sea Eagle FB groups for more than a decade) is they needed to change their glues. A different glue was used for a period of time only on the 385FT, and later it turned out to go faulty. Customers that this occurred to who experienced it with in their standard 3 year warranty got their boats replaced for free. My friend's Razorlite was affected too, and they got a free replacement hull. For those that experienced it after the 3 years, Sea Eagle generally tried to make good the best they could, and gave a significant discount on a new kayak. They have exceptional customer service at Sea Eagle. In these COVID times, and with sales booming higher than ever before in over 50 years (kayaking is a great social distancing activity) it's more challenging. The problem has been resolved. I would avoid a pre-owned 385FT, but if you buy a new one you should be safe. Having tried both (I also own 7 Sea Eagles), I much prefer the Razorlite however.
@@KayakCliff One thing to clarify is that Sea Eagles's return policy only applies if you order directly from them through the website or phone. If you buy from a reseller, in my case a local retailer with better prices than Sea Eagle, the 120 day return policy does not apply. And many retailers will only accept returns if they are unused and ready to put back on the shelf. My first trip out was a state park with gravel and by the time I hit the water there were unavoidable and expected hairline scuffs and scratches. Sea Eagle requires "good" condition which is subjective and you never know what they are expecting as well as you are responsible for return shipping which for the huge box it comes in could be very expensive. I recommend to choose wisely because in all likelihood the yak you buy is the yak you're stuck with.
Wondering what your thoughts would be on taking a dog in this kayak? I like the open front and back to give them lots of space. I have a shepherd and a rottweiler who love the water but I can't ever take them in my sit in
Hi 👋 Christina - Thanks for watching and commenting! The FastTrack is an awesome boat to take larger dogs in. As long as your large dog is comfortable in a kayak without getting all nervous and constantly moving around (shifting it’s weight) it would be a great paddling experience. Now 2 large dogs? The boat will handle the weight, maybe put one in the bow and one in the stern behind you and see how it works. Let me know! FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack Tandem 465FT - bit.ly/3CkL8EC My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e
@@KayakCliff thanks! Love your videos. I went to lake Whitney a few weeks ago and a friend and I are doing the Brazos under Possum Kingdom this weekend. Love how you put the maps up of exactly where to go!!
Hi there! Here is the pump that I use. It is available from sea eagle and fits all sea eagle inflatable craft. Air Inflation Pumps: bit.ly/3MjKN9z Have a great weekend!
Hi 👋 Ramsey - I do, that’s because I like a more “playful” boat. That is not for everyone though, so it is nice that you have the choice of either going with or without the skeg. Hope this helps, safe adventuring out there!
I'm really torn between the FT SE385 and the Sea Eagle SE 380X for coastal touring and lake. They have similar use cases, sizing is similar, materials are the same. I won't be doing any class 2 or above so the higher rating on the Explorer isn't a massive selling pointy. Which would you pick?
Hi 👋 MDC - I just filmed an adventure video yesterday on a 12 mile paddle down the historic Brazos river in West Texas. The explorer is very comfortable and it is built for rough conditions like up to class IV rapids. I really like the boat for what it is designed for and that’s carrying heavy loads of gear and white water rafting. Excellent boat! That being said, it is very slow and 12 miles paddling that boat REALLY wore me out. I was averaging 2-2.5 mph with 4.5 (current assisted) as my highest speed. The FastTrack will paddle MUCH more efficiently with you averaging 3-4 mph. It’s similar to the Explorer in that it is very stable and will also carry a heavy payload. For what you are describing as your type of paddling, there’s no question, I would go with the FastTrack 385. I hope that helps. Here’s the link FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: bit.ly/3ecBQ1V Thank You for using my affiliate link if you decide to purchase. I’m here to answer any questions you may have! Safe adventuring!
@@KayakCliff Saying a flat bottomed 12 foot long inflatable kayak is built for class IV rapids may be a bit of a stretch. I personally think an inflatable kayak with quite a bit of "rocker" on the bottom from front to back makes it much more maneuverable than a flat bottomed kayak when used in whitewater. I also see no drain holes on this kayak you are saying would be good for class IV rapids. How often do you want to paddle your kayak to the edge of the river and drain the water out? A lot of drain holes on an inflatable kayak used in class IV rapids are essential so that the kayak instantly drains all water out after being completely loaded with water when going through class IV rapids. SOTAR developed and perfected the lightweight heavy duty Urethane / Lexatron boat fabric used exclusively at SOTAR for 38 years. Lexatron which is a 40 oz.,100% urethane material with a 1500 denier base fabric that is defensively the toughest raft material in the industry. If you want to do class IV rivers like the Main and Middle Fork of the Salmon and Selway Rivers in Idaho I would go with a SOTAR kayak. Mine has been bullet proof for the last 15 years and just keeps going. It is made for one person, is 11 feet long, and weighs just over 30 lbs.
@@kellycourtright8030 Hi Kelly - This was a review for the FastTrack 385. In this video I made no mention that the FastTrack is made for up to class IV rapids. You would definitely NOT want to take the FastTrack on class IV rapids. What I did say is that the Sea Eagle Explorer line of kayaks is made for up to Class IV white water. I paddled the Explorer 380 last week down a mild river and can certainly guarantee to you that the Explorer maneuvers well, you can turn the Explorer on a dime to maneuver around whatever you need to avoid while shooting white water rivers. Here is the link to the Explorer line of kayaks, I hope this helps! Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater: bit.ly/3phWOTp
Great question Shawn, the RazorLite definitely has adjustable foot pegs, they’re really nice IMHO RazorLite 393RL website page - alnk.to/gKPBreg RazorLite 473RL Tandem website page - bit.ly/3CqBUGT My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html
Hi Cliff. First off, awesome videos. Love ‘em. My family just bought the 385FT, not 1 but 3. You’re videos helped us make the decision. We’ve watched your videos numerous times as you present lots of good info. There’s one thing that I’d like to ask you though. At the beginning of this video, you showed the 385FT in the bag. How are you able to neatly pack the 385FT like that? I was hoping to see you unpack it 😀 Thanks!!!
Hi 👋 there Francis! Congratulation on your new FastTrack kayaks! Getting it back into the bag (wrap) it’s not a problem, but it does take some practice. It’s essential to get all the air out of the boat, especially the inflatable keel. You do have a good point. I will try to show the unpacking from the bag and re-packing into the bag of some of the boats in some of my videos. I just figured they would add too much length to the video and people would not wanna watch it. However, if I do it at the end, people can click off if they don’t want to see it. Safe adventuring out there in those new boats!
I have not had the fast track out on wind and waves yet. I have done that a lot with a RazorLite in the past year. As we go through the year, I will definitely be out in high wind and waves on the fast track. I can pretty much guarantee that it will remain highly stable, plus because of its low profile, I think it will do fine into a good headwind or crosswind. Last weekend I had the RazorLite going into a 15 mile an hour headwind and it did fine as far as tracking.
@@KayakCliff, the RazorLite seems higher above the water, plus, it is also narrower. My bet is the FastTrack would be a better choice for such conditions. Looking forward to your video showing that!
I’ve never used a kayak that didn’t have foot braces. I find foot braces to be an essential part of the paddling process. Is there an option to add them?
I hear you Joe! I have owned 14 kayaks of all different types.This was actually the first time I paddled a boat without foot braces. Because of the side pontoons on this boat, they are not rigid enough to adhere foot braces like you have on the RazorLite. If you need to have foot braces, definitely look at the RazorLite. I ,however, found it to be not too bad paddling without foot braces. I would rather have them, but on this particular model I did not feel they were necessary. Stay safe and have fun out there! CORRECTION - You CAN add foot braces to the FastTrack. Here's the link for the kit - Flexbrace Kit - Foot pegs for RazorLite / FastTrack / Explorer bit.ly/3KRcuFq
@@KayakCliff Thanks, looks like the razor would be my best option. I really like the extra stability of this kayak for my better half. I’m just not sure if she would like it without the foot supports. I wish there were places where a person could try them and then make your purchase on the spot.
@@Joe-xq1nt Hi Joe, I actually just learned that you CAN add foot pegs / braces to the FastTrack. Here is the kit that you can order as well from Sea Eagle. I'm going to get a kit myself for my FastTrack. Here's the link - Flexbrace Kit - Foot pegs for RazorLite / FastTrack / Explorer bit.ly/3KRcuFq This will work for a single paddler only, not enough room to add two sets of kits for tandem paddlers.
@@Joe-xq1nt We use our 385ft as a tandem. I added the adjustable footrests for me in the back seat. It's been a couple of years now and they work great. There wasn't room for a set upfront, but my wife doesn't need them anyway. This is a fantastic boat and we highly recommend it!!!
Hi Gill, thank you for watching and commenting! FastTrack is definitely a kayak and is used and paddled like a kayak. The fast track will paddle much more efficiently, if Paddling is what you want to do. If you want one boat that does everything, the PaddleSki is something to look at, however it’s Paddling efficiency is greatly reduced compared to the fast track. It just depends on what you want. Do you want to mainly be a peddler, then look at the fast track, RazorLite, explorer boats. If you want the ability to motor and go long distances and do a little bit of paddling or stand up paddling, the paddle ski is a great option. Good luck and safe adventuring!
Hi, you are welcome! I believe that they are sold in Europe, here is the telephone number for them in New York and you could call and ask them. (800) 748-8066
Here’s the link. You will want to use sea eagle pumps, because they have all the right fittings. For kayaks that have any dropped stitch in them, you definitely need the two-stage pumps.
Choosing the right inflatable kayak th-cam.com/video/Y0R3g8qNNB4/w-d-xo.html Hi Isai Lara - Here is a video I did recently that compares all the models that Sea Eagle has to offer. I would say the RazorLite or the FastTrack would be my choices.
Hi 👋 there! Here is a video I did on how to mount camera and fishing rod mounts to the sea eagle inflatable kayaks. Fishing Rod and Camera Mounts for Inflatable Kayaks & Paddleboards th-cam.com/video/BtMNh1pqhOM/w-d-xo.html
@@KayakCliff Thanks for the quick response....this will be very helpful.....I just actually subscribed to your channel under another account of mine called Over the Hedgrerow......My wife passed way this past January and I am looking forward to embracing kayaking along with my bikes as a healthy way to work through my loss...Thank you once again for your help...
@@OurTopSpots you are very welcome. I’m so sorry for your loss. My condolences. Reach out to me anytime if I can help you as you explore Kayaks. I have really enjoyed and believe in the sea eagle brand. You can reach me privately through my contact information on kayakcliff.com. Have a blessed week!
Sea eagle sells battery operated pumps that work excellent! That is what I use and all of my videos. Here is the link. Air Inflation Pumps: bit.ly/3MjKN9z
@@KayakCliff i liked your comment. I stand corrected. I haveca 385ft znd love it. Putting all my other gear in it while carrying it I thinking must be my kryptonite! Thanks. Great review.
@@zhrob1 Let me be the first to concur that while 35lbs may not sound like a lot, this yak is a pain in the butt to carry because of its long length. Packed into the carrying bag with the straps pulled tight it is manageable from your front door to the car but any longer and it feels quite heavy. If you have to walk down a long path, down/up a hill, or across a parking lot with this thing you're going to be hating life. Many won't be able to do it at all and will resort to dragging it on the ground whether it be grass, dirt or gravel. Inflate at the car, put your gear in, and strap on a set of kayak wheels. You will thank me later. Trust me.
I find it pretty easy to carry if I inflate it at my vehicle, then pick it up and put it on my shoulder and walk it down to the water. I then come back to get my paddle and PFD etc. Coming from a bunch of hard shell kayaks, the weight of the sea eagle is a godsend to me!!! Much more light and efficient to carry by myself. The Sea Eagle carts are really nice to have if you think that you need to wheel it a long distance down to the water with all of your gear in it. Also an excellent option!
No, with the wide pontoons, you don’t really feel like you need them. It’s not a kayak that you are going to be a speed demon in. It’s more of a cruising, comfortable kayak. However, it is pretty fast! hence the name fast track. If you want foot pegs, you can order them from Sea Eagle, and adhere them to the pontoons like the razorlight has. Totally doable.
@@KayakCliff I'm very much into getting going on the water as soon as possible. I recently lost my right leg below the knee so ingress and egress are now important to me. Learned to paddle in touring kayaks as teen on the wanganui River in NZ so I expect a certain level of handling and tracking. If I can be on the in about 10 minutes after I park its definitely not for. The big advantage of an inflatble is easy xport & storage bur my concerns are performance and durability longevity. I wanted the sea eagle paddliski foe the longest time but they discontinued that model foe some reason. I even was ready to buy one but they rep on the phone wouldn't take payment over the phone, he insisted I go through a website. Instead went to Walmart and payed half as much for a sundolfin 12 which was fine until my jeep got 4 inched taller making it hard to manage. Everything is a compromise it seems. Any ways I would love to see the fast track being set up and paddling alongside a razorlight
Hello Richard, if you are used to paddling touring, Kayaks, the RazorLite, without a question, would be the best performing kayak for you, and what you are used to. Here are all of my videos on the razorlight. My Razorlite affiliate product links for ordering. Your support, supports my channel, Thank You!!! 393RL Razorlite Kayak - Slow rivers & flat / open water, high performance: Sea Eagle website RazorLite page - bit.ly/3Enpq1z RazorLite Tandem - bit.ly/3CqBUGT My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the RazorLite: Suwannee River Paddling Three Days With My Dad th-cam.com/video/m3eifjl1NZ8/w-d-xo.html Florida Kayaking Withlacoochee River Dunnellon Florida in the Sea Eagle RazorLite 393RL th-cam.com/video/A7urz2yIQmQ/w-d-xo.html Kayak Camping 20 miles on the Brazos th-cam.com/video/yOea6TfzsHw/w-d-xo.html Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Earth Day Caddo Lake - th-cam.com/video/ceOGrVkOyzU/w-d-xo.html Weedon Island Mangrove Trails - th-cam.com/video/9lNst39pZsk/w-d-xo.html Ft Worth Nature Center - th-cam.com/video/30iakMQHkaI/w-d-xo.html Trinity River Elm Fork - th-cam.com/video/o6LbEkF7Vrc/w-d-xo.html Silver Springs Florida - th-cam.com/video/T8MZjjmxM9Y/w-d-xo.html How to fold the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/Dfbp_lm3jGY/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater: Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V FastTrack Tandem 465FT - bit.ly/3CkL8EC My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html Adventure videos in the FastTrack: Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter bit.ly/3RKGd7e
Hi Jim - In most every video I do, I show inflating the kayak. If you use the hand pump that comes with the kayaks from Sea Eagle, you can expect to inflate the FastTrack in this video in 5-10 minutes. I use the Sea Eagle battery operated 2-stage pump and find it takes 4-5 minutes to inflate. Take care!
A year ago we bought a Sea Eagle 385FT Pro (with the upgraded seats). This was all part of a plan to camp and kayak in Florida and escape several weeks of Nebraska winter 2023. We are 68 and 70, weigh a total of 285 pounds, and are in good health, but not particularly athletic types. Our past kayaking experience is limited to a few hard-sided kayak rentals. Last summer we took the Sea Eagle out on local lakes a number of times to familiarize ourselves with it, but here are some comments about using the Fast Track for a month in Florida.
Although the weight of the Sea Eagle is 35 pounds, that number quickly increases when you weigh it with the seats and the paddles. The total weight of boat, bag, pump, repair kit, paddles and seats comes to about 53 pounds, too much for us to carry by hand except for a short distance.
Carrying the kayak to put-in points either in its bag, or inflated, was rigorous because parking is not necessarily nearby. At one state park, we had to carry the kayak three blocks to reach the water. At a second state park, we encountered a fellow Sea Eagle owner rolling his kayak on a kayak cart. Aha! We promptly headed to Walmart and picked one up for about $54. This made all the difference so that we could inflate the Sea Eagle at our campsite, load it with the paddles and the PFDs and easily roll it to the water, which had to be at least half a mile away. The Sea Eagle balanced nicely on the cart without using any straps to tie it down. Before paddling, hubby easily removed the cart wheels and stowed them behind the rear seat, and tucked the rest of the cart (folded flat) under the rear bungee cords. The cart we bought does not roll easily through loose sand, or over roots, so we would need to strap the kayak down in those cases.
We are very impressed with the quality of the Sea Eagle. We met a fellow owner whose 385FT is seven years old, and another owner who has a well-cared-for Sea Eagle ten years old. Both boats looked like brand new and both owners said they have had zero problems with theirs.
We improved over time at inflating and deflating the kayak. I timed hubby without him knowing I was doing it, and he inflated it with the hand pump and punched the floor into position in 12 minutes. We gained confidence that we did NOT need to pump each chamber in gradual increments, and had success inflating the two sides completely full, and then the floor. Hubby counted the number of pump strokes needed for each of the four air chambers; the floor and the two sides were each 23-25, and the keel underneath took just one stroke.
Including the disassembled paddles in the bag with the rest of the kayak made for a very cumbersome and lumpy bundle. Storing the paddles in a custom bag, stitched up from an old pair of jeans, has worked much better for us.
It was easy for both of us to get in and out of the kayak. It will not tip over if one person sits on the side tube in the process.
The upgraded seats were very comfortable until we had been in the boat for about two hours, and then we were quite ready to stand up and stretch.
On this trip, the Sea Eagle took us safely in every kind of water we desired. We paddled the Intracoastal Waterway, and on rivers with and against the current and the tide, and sometimes against winds that had us stopped dead in our tracks despite paddling as hard as possible. We also paddled one mile between two islands in the Gulf of Mexico, and only in that one case did water splash over the bow into the cockpit from the wake of a passing motor boat. We look forward to many more happy trips with our Sea Eagle 385FT.
Hello 👋 Elizabeth! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story with your sea eagle Fastrack! I’m glad that you found the kayak cart option. That is a must if you want to load down the boat with everything and then walk it down to the water. I know what you mean, many times the parking lot is quite a distance from the water. Sea Eagle on their website sells some excellent carts as well.
Best wishes to you and your husband in 2023 with many exciting fast track kayak adventures!
Here is a link for the kayak cart page on the sea eagle website:
EZ Carts
bit.ly/3OXPhmV
A second full review in the comments! Thank you!
@@emmber19 You're welcome! My comments here were lengthy because I wrote them as a review to post on the Sea Eagle website, only to find out the length of reviews allowed there is quite short. I will add a bit now, too. Our grandchildren, ages 14, 12, and 10 took our kayak out this week for the first time and loved it. It is so stable! They felt very secure and we had no concerns even though they were inexperienced.
Great to hear your additional comments, Elizabeth! You might want to look into these easy to inflate seats from sea eagle. They fit inside your seats and give you more of a cushion to sit on. You can adjust how much cushion by how much you inflate them or deflate them. They will also elevate you and your paddling strokes will be much more efficient and you will feel like you have more power. Its a more comfortable way to sit by placing these in the high back seats that you already have.
Inflatable seat cushion -
bit.ly/3Ndlrvh
Have a great summer paddling!
No tiene reposapiés?.
Thanks! Very informative. My wife and I downsized to a condo recently so we no longer have much in the way of storage space. That meant we had to get rid of the canoe that had carried us for hundreds of miles over the decades. The 385FT angler looks like the perfect solution for us all our needs: tandem paddling, camping and fishing. Can't wait for delivery!
Hi Ian 👋- Thanks for watching and commenting Ian! I hope you enjoy, great choice! Safe, adventuring out there!
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack Tandem 465FT - bit.ly/3CkL8EC
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Hi Cliff, greetings from the south island of New Zealand!! enjoyed the video thanks. We got a 385FT back in 2012 and used it on lakes, calm sheltered coastal areas and also non whitewater rivers. Love how you just throw it in the back of the car and forget it. Used to have 2 hard shells and lot of work putting on the car roof etc.
Anyways, about 2 years ago (the kayak was approx 8 years old) the seams started failing and we got it reglued a few times but in the end it wasn't worth trying to keep fiixng it. I emailed Sea Eagle and asked if we could buy a new one, but the hull only as the seats, paddles etc were all still fine. They came right back and agreed to sell us the hull for $550, instead of $900 for the basic package! They said the seam construction is way better now than in 2012. Another bonus is the hull design appears more streamlined. Looking forward to getting it on the water even though it's autumn here now.
Regards to all and enjoy your time on the water:)
Brendan
BTW, would love to paddle in the US, you have so many beautiful looking lakes and rivers
Hello Dusty! That is a really interesting story! The folks at sea eagle are certainly wonderful to deal with, and I’m glad that you were able to get just the hull replaced. I wish you the best in safe adventuring in 2022!
I purchased this after much deliberation, using your videos to make an informed buying decision.
This is easily one of the best purchases I have ever made in my life. The boat is outstanding quality and performs exactly as you describe.
My first trip was 4 hours and having the ability to stand up and stretch out was a huge benefit. I could see other kayakers were very perplexed as to how I was doing this and also beating them in speed.
My main hesitation was price but I can absolutely say that this boat is worth every cent. If anyone is having trouble committing to the purchase, just bite the bullet and get it. You will not regret it.
Thanks for the awesome vids!
Hi 👋 🥓 🥨 - Thank you so much for sharing your insights! I’m glad you like the fasttrack, I think it’s awesome too! You are right, the quality of Sea Eagles products is one of the first things that I noticed when I got my first kayak. Safe adventuring out there!
Bought a 385FT a while ago and have to agree this is an excellent choice. I see other reviews recommending the 380X as the best choice for versatility but I believe the 385FT is for a variety of reasons. The 380X is a "do it all" boat but the adage "jack of all trades but master of none" rings true. It does flat water but is slow. It does class IV whitewater but is too long to do it well. The 385FT is an excellent flat water boat and an excellent class II boat. It is stable. It is comfortable. Another thing to consider for whitewater is transportation. If you are a solo kayaker and you decide to go downriver 5 miles how do you get back to your car? Do you have friends, or a team for safety? Only a fool whitewaters class IV alone. A lot of new kayakers don't think of these things and go for a class IV boat not realizing it takes experience, a team, and transportation to do river runs. Go to a lake, bay, or wide, calm location like this and you can park, paddle, and return to your car and go home safely. 385FT is the most versatile inflatable. 300X is Sea Eagle's true whitewater beast.
Hi 👋 Shawn - I think I like the 380x explorer for most versatile, BUT the speed of the FastTrack is very appealing if you need a little extra speed.
Hey this is my boat! I've had mine for 3-4 years now and it's holding up just fine. I didn't upgrade my seats so they are just the inflatable ones. But I really like them, you sit up a bit higher but the boat is so stable that it doesn't matter. Also the inflatable seats are removable and useable as a beach chair. I fish in my boat a lot and haven't had any punctures at all. Great product, I like Sea Eagle stuff so much I bought the Fishing SUP too.
Hi 👋 Justin, thank you so much for watching and commenting! Enjoy those Sea Eagles this spring summer and fall!
How durable is when hitting submerged trees and such?
@@ElderBoob Hey no issues for me. No punctures at all, no issues with long term storage causing creases or anything either.
@@5justinleach sweet. Tyvm for response!
I bought a Sea Eagle Explorer 420x last year (what a fantastic boat for multi-day river trips!). And this year I bought the FastTrack 385 for calmer water where I want some a little more sporty. Another amazing boat from Sea Eagle. Great review Cliff!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting Hockey Dad! Enjoy those sea eagles this year, summer is fast approaching!
I love my 385FT. I use it for scuba and freediving in the ocean, works great.
Hi 👋 Sea Monkey! I’m planning to do some snorkeling out of mine this summer. I think it’ll be the perfect type of kayak to be able to jump out of and wet entry back into! Safe adventuring out there this summer!
Just placed my order for a 385 (through your affiliate link, naturally!). Thanks for your wonderful reviews -- it made the decision quite easy! I'm upgrading from a Costco "raft", and can't wait to get out on the water with it!
Thank you, Tom!!! Enjoy that new fast track, it’s a great boat!
Thanks Cliff for the great review.n😊
Thanks for watching!!! Safe adventuring out there!
FastTrack 385FT bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack Fishing Kayak 385FTA - bit.ly/4bAtqxM
Explorer 420x
alnk.to/4qKYnkv
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Thank you, thank you! Nice review. I was considering the Razorlite, but when I saw that you can stand up in this, and also go reasonably fast, I was sold. Occasionally I'll have a companion who might not be experienced, so the stability of the Fast Track is a plus. And you can fit a bunch of stuff into it. Also, if you look at the comparison chart, the deflated size of this kayak is much smaller than the RL double, and it weighs less. I will check out your adventure videos too.
Thank you for watching and commenting Lorenkelley1568! Here are links to many of my adventure videos. You can also find them at kayakcliff.com
My Razorlite affiliate product links for ordering. Your support, supports my channel, Thank You!!!
393RL Razorlite Kayak - Slow rivers & flat / open water, high performance:
Sea Eagle website RazorLite page - bit.ly/3Enpq1z
RazorLite Amazon store page - amzn.to/44rQLOi
RazorLite Tandem website page - bit.ly/3CqBUGT
RazorLite Tandem Amazon store page - amzn.to/3NTQEUo
My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the RazorLite:
Suwannee River Paddling Three Days With My Dad
th-cam.com/video/m3eifjl1NZ8/w-d-xo.html
Florida Kayaking Withlacoochee River Dunnellon Florida in the Sea Eagle RazorLite 393RL
th-cam.com/video/A7urz2yIQmQ/w-d-xo.html
Kayak Camping 20 miles on the Brazos
th-cam.com/video/yOea6TfzsHw/w-d-xo.html
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Earth Day Caddo Lake - th-cam.com/video/ceOGrVkOyzU/w-d-xo.html
Weedon Island Mangrove Trails - th-cam.com/video/9lNst39pZsk/w-d-xo.html
Ft Worth Nature Center - th-cam.com/video/30iakMQHkaI/w-d-xo.html
Trinity River Elm Fork - th-cam.com/video/o6LbEkF7Vrc/w-d-xo.html
Silver Springs Florida - th-cam.com/video/T8MZjjmxM9Y/w-d-xo.html
How to fold the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/Dfbp_lm3jGY/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
--------------
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page, this is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You! - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack 465FT Website page - bit.ly/3CkL8EC
FastTrack Amazon store page - amzn.to/3JXFJbn
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the FastTrack:
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
-----------------
Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater. This is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You!
Website page -bit.ly/3phWOTp
Explorer Amazon Store Page - amzn.to/3PQEEpr
Explorer fishing kayaks - bit.ly/3ZLXL5W
Adventure videos in the Explorer:
Nantahala Epic Whitewater Paddle: th-cam.com/video/4CsL96rl2zg/w-d-xo.html
Texas Kayaking Brazos River: th-cam.com/video/lU3xlxh35jI/w-d-xo.html
Kayak Camping 20 miles on the Brazos
th-cam.com/video/yOea6TfzsHw/w-d-xo.html
E-Kayaking with the Bixpy Skeg Motor
th-cam.com/video/nBaSjGPYoGY/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
--------------
PaddleSki Boat / Kayak / SUP - The “Do Everything” boat!
My Sea Eagle website affiliate link, your purchases off my
affiliate link help to support my channel, Thx 🙏🏻 - bit.ly/33PbnFH
PaddleSki Amazon Store Page - amzn.to/44pb4Me
My review of the PaddleSki - th-cam.com/video/9h0BoJi8XjI/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the PaddleSki:
Chassahowitzka Springs / River - th-cam.com/video/zpyIiSv8V3U/w-d-xo.html
Anclote Key Florida - th-cam.com/video/LBEROBSGbA8/w-d-xo.html
Weeki Wachee River -
th-cam.com/video/KWqfnMJwB1U/w-d-xo.html
Yes totally agree I have a 380 explorer and I love it best investment I ever made
Glad you are enjoying it! I love the inflatable benefits and lifestyle!
Thanks Cliff! Love your channel. I just ordered the 385, mainly because of your superb video. I have plans on strapping this to the back of my Goldwing and kayaking WA state lakes and tributaries.
Wow! Thanks for watching and commenting Wayne! I wanna do that! That sounds like a blast! Send me some photos of your setup when you end up doing it.
You bet, Cliff!
You sure gave me the bug. I just bought a paddleski and looking at outboard motors now. My Shelta hat, neck cover, and shirt are coming this week. Thanks for the links!
Wow, that’s awesome Wayne! I love my paddle ski! It’s unbelievable how versatile that boat is and all the things that you can do with it, especially adventuring much further out! Have fun this summer! You will love the shelter hat and other products! I’m one of those that does not really like to put on sunscreen, I would rather cover myself up to protect me from the sun. If I have to, I will put sunscreen on, but I try to avoid it whenever possible.
@@KayakCliff studies have shown that people with a lack of vitamin D have a higher rate of cancer, I too don't like to get sunburned so I cover up after enough exposure and never use sunscreen!
@@KayakCliff oh forgot to add fantastic video. Sold on the Sea Eagle boat's. Thanks for sharing
Truck looks great , good job on the wash
I've bought an on sale hard-shell but these look terrific and their floatation capacities and stability are amazing
Thanks for watching and commenting, Rod! Yes, I really do love the weight capacity that inflatables can carry. Have a great week and safe adventuring out there!
Kayaks in this video! - Best Inflatable Kayaks & Boats
kayakcliff.com/favorite-inflatables
Great review. High quality inflatables are so practical for travel and easier to carry to and from launching sites not accessible by vehicle.
You are right Al! Safe adventuring out there!
Greetings, from San Diego, CA. Thanks, for the great review. We have two FastTrack Anglers and love the way they pack and play. I've had them on a mountain lake and an open ocean bay. In both settings, they performed flawlessly. I also have the Shelta Firebird V2 sun hat... the non-floppy visor-brim works great.
Hi there Ron, Great minds think alike! Thank you so much for watching and commenting and sharing your experiences!
In SD? Have you taken this to Mission Bay?
@@usitl5037 Hello, I haven't taken the FastTrack out on Mission Bay, but I did go for about a 5 mile paddle across the back (south end) of San Diego Bay. We launched off of Silver Strand, by the Coronado Cays, then paddled across to the Chula Vista (east) side, south of the J Street Marina.
Great review. I got the razorlite and I'm regretting it. For just me it's great. It paddles so much nicer than I expected an inflatable kayak to paddle and it's surprisingly zippy. I will say though I've found the foot pegs to be unusable for me because i can't get them in. They made the metal rods too long. Ive been out on it 3 or 4 times now and have never been able to get both foot pegs on. Yesterday though I tried taking my 40Lb dog out with me for the first time and it's just not possible. She immediately almost tipped us over. We hadn't even moved away from shore yet so I was able to swing my leg over and put my foot down to keep us from going over. Now I'm hoping maybe I can sell it and get the fast track. I wish I could keep the razorlite for when I want to go out by myself, but I just don't have room in my camper.
One question I have is, how easy/hard is it to get it folded up and back in the bag? That's one thing I struggle with with the razorlite. I hate the bag. I wish they had done a bag more like Bote's bag where it zips open all the way and you just lay it in. It looks like the bag for the FastTrack is different than the razorlite.
Hi there Diver Girl! Do you need to fold the RazorLite back up to fit in the back pack due to travel / RV storage / small storage space? With my foot pegs installed, I simply fold my RazorLite into thirds, then lay in the back of my vehicle and ultimately a shelf in my storage unit / garage. I totally understand the challenge with the installation of the foot pegs. It does take same hand strength to bend the black rubber receivers in the kayak back to allow the insertion of the foot peg metal pieces. Do you have someone else with a little more hand strength who can help you install these? I will tell you, after they have been installed, then taken out several times, the process becomes much easier as the black rubber receiver pieces on the kayak become more malleable. Here is a great video from Sea Eagle on how to fold the RazorLite. Now this model did not have the foot peg option, but the process is the same for today’s model once your foot pegs are removed. I hope you are able to make the boat work for you! IMO, the Sea Eagle RazorLite is the best performing kayak on the market in it’s intended class. Let me know if I can help any more!
@@KayakCliff yeah I saw another video of yours where you just folded it up and put it in the trunk without putting it in the bag. I thought "well now why didn't I think of that." 🤦♀️ I had the coolest experience in it yesterday. I was kayaking on the lake I was camped on in MT. I had gone a pretty fair distance and thought "I'll just paddle around that next point and then turn around." So I get around the next point and turn around to start heading back. I hadn't gone more than maybe 15-20ft and I heard all this crazy splashing behind me. I looked back and there was a moose standing in the water right where I had just been floating. It just stared at me for a moment and then took off swimming across the lake.
OMG, I would LOVE to see that! You were blessed with that nature experience!!! Safe adventuring out there Diver Girl!
@@KayakCliff I realize this was an old conversation so I'm not sure if you'll even see this but I wanted to give an update. There was no way I could take my pup with me in the razorlite so I just picked up one of their used fasttracks over black Friday and just tried it out for the first time today. I'm spending winter in FL and paddled Silver Springs for the first time today. My pup and I did the loop 3 times. The first time around I didn't put the skeg in and it was AWFUL. Every little move my dog made made the boat change course. There were multiple times we were literally spinning in circles because of her moving around. But! We never even came close to tipping. The second time around I put the skeg in and it was a night and day difference. It's amazing what a difference that little piece of plastic makes. She was still bouncing around and I couldn't even tell. The second time around was so much nicer we went for a third. This one is going to work so much better for us I think. And it even folds up much smaller than the razorlite. Now I have to try to get that one sold. So if you know anyone in FL in the market for a used one let me know.
What a great story and update, thanks Diver Girl! Yes, the fast track is definitely a boat where you absolutely have to have the skeg in. You can get away without using one in the razor light, but definitely not the fast track. Safe adventuring out there!
Nice, we just bought a modular one, but also looking for a nice inflatable. Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome! Thank you for watching and commenting! Like I mentioned in the video. Depending on what type of paddling you’re going to be doing, the RazorLite, FastTrack and Explorer line of kayaks will fit just about any need that you have out on the water! I should have my explorer kayak review out in the next few weeks. Safe adventuring out there!
Subscribed! Thanks for the review, just bought this kayak, can’t wait to take it out, great upgrade for me
Hi April, thank you for watching and your comments! Enjoy your new fast track, it’s a great all-around kayak, while still offering good speed, maneuverability and excellent stability!
Thank you for a detailed and thought out review. I think you have helped me find my kayak
Thanks for watching and commenting Miriam!
Have you seen my adventure videos in the FastTrack and RazorLite kayaks?
Here they are. Safe adventuring out there!
393RL Razorlite Kayak - Slow rivers & flat / open water, high performance:
Sea Eagle website RazorLite page - bit.ly/3Enpq1z
My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the RazorLite:
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Earth Day Caddo Lake - th-cam.com/video/ceOGrVkOyzU/w-d-xo.html
Weedon Island Mangrove Trails - th-cam.com/video/9lNst39pZsk/w-d-xo.html
Ft Worth Nature Center - th-cam.com/video/30iakMQHkaI/w-d-xo.html
Trinity River Elm Fork - th-cam.com/video/o6LbEkF7Vrc/w-d-xo.html
Silver Springs Florida - th-cam.com/video/T8MZjjmxM9Y/w-d-xo.html
How to fold the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/Dfbp_lm3jGY/w-d-xo.html
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Hi Cliff! This was a fantastic video and thanks for making it! Am in the market for an inflatable kayak and I'm focused on the 385. I am concerned about the lack of a foot rest for proper positioning. I know Sea Eagle sells a foot rest that glues permanently into place, but that will interfere with the tandem configuration. Am curious if you have figured a good way to use a "removable" foot rest with the 385? I've read you can just stuff a dry bag with "stuff" and use that for a foot rest, but that isn't the best option for me. Was even thinking of trying an Isle inflatable foot rest, but they're a bit pricey. Thanks in advance!
Hi 👋 Sorry for the delay in getting back to you! Honestly, when I have been paddling the FastTrack and the Explorer kayaks, I have never felt
like I needed foot rests. They are not high performance boats like the RazorLite, where you do have foot rests and on the RazorLite, I appreciate
having them as I use them to help with proper torso rotation. When paddling the Explorer and FastTrack, these are not high performance boats
and I never feel like I need them. You can definitely order them and glue them in, OR, you could glue in some D rings opposite each other, with
rope tied or carabinered between them as a foot rest.
FastTrack 385FT bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack Fishing Kayak 385FTA - bit.ly/4bAtqxM
Explorer 420x
alnk.to/4qKYnkv
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Explorer Kayak - Website page -bit.ly/3phWOTp
Explorer fishing kayak - bit.ly/3ZLXL5W
Explorer 420x
alnk.to/4qKYnkv
My review of the Explorer - th-cam.com/video/YmOezRl8Dis/w-d-xo.htmlsi=9eLQqiGKMSGgl0Ny
What a great and informative review. You've answered many questions I had, including single vs tandem seat placement. I've already used your link to purchase the Blue Dot Outfitters cooler!
Thank you so much Mark! Enjoy that cooler, especially this memorial day weekend.
Please check out my endorsed products page on my kayakcliff.com website! These are products that I LOVE and use on a regular basis. I think you’ll love them too!
Here’s the link - kayakcliff.com/endorsed-products
Hi Cliff, I finally received my Sea Eagle Fasttrack 385FT the other day. I'm seeing different values for psi for the floor. On the kayak itself, it says max psi is 10, however, in the manual that Sea Eagle sent with it (and it's dated) says up to 14 psi. What do you inflate your floor to? I'm using 3.2 for the side chambers. I'm here in the DFW area also. Will be taking it to Caddo in a couple of weeks and then to Atlanta State Park.
Hi there, Reginald! Congratulations on your new Fastrak! The pontoons are definitely 3.2 psi, while the drop stitch inflatable floor is and has always been 10 psi. I’m not sure that they changed the makeup of the floor to where it now accepts 14 psi. Did you order it from Sea Eagle? As far as I know, it is still 10 psi for the floor. Hope this helps, enjoy the kayak!
@@KayakCliff Thanks Cliff. Yes, I ordered it directly from Sea Eagle - it was a used unit. But I'm going to go with a max of 10 for the floor.
This was great. Seems like sea eagle is a great company. Really leaning towards them. Thanks for the informative video. Liked and subscribed.
Hi 👋 Bobby - Thanks for watching and commenting! The FastTrack is a really great boat and offers maximum versatility. Sea Eagle is a 52 year old company. They make an awesome product backed up by excellent customer service. You may also
enjoy watching many of my adventure videos in Sea Eagle boats. More is coming on the FastTrack. I’m attaching these video links below . . .
393RL Razorlite Kayak - Slow rivers & flat / open water, high performance:
Sea Eagle website RazorLite page - bit.ly/3Enpq1z
My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the RazorLite:
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Earth Day Caddo Lake - th-cam.com/video/ceOGrVkOyzU/w-d-xo.html
Weedon Island Mangrove Trails - th-cam.com/video/9lNst39pZsk/w-d-xo.html
Ft Worth Nature Center - th-cam.com/video/30iakMQHkaI/w-d-xo.html
Trinity River Elm Fork - th-cam.com/video/o6LbEkF7Vrc/w-d-xo.html
Silver Springs Florida - th-cam.com/video/T8MZjjmxM9Y/w-d-xo.html
How to fold the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/Dfbp_lm3jGY/w-d-xo.html
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater:
bit.ly/3phWOTp
Adventure videos in the Explorer:
Nantahala Epic Whitewater Paddle: th-cam.com/video/4CsL96rl2zg/w-d-xo.html
Another great video Cliff!!!
Thank you Dave! Have a great week!
hey kayak Cliff -really enjoying your videos :) Thank you for the fun and informative reviews. I am interested in several kayaks at the moment and am having trouble choosing. I'd like to have foot pegs and wonder if you have any ideas for this kayak -and things to brace your feet on that might be added?
Hi 👋 there, Val!
Two weeks ago, Sea Eagle just introduced a brand new boat and I think this might be up your alley. Check out their Web link and my review on this boat. You get foot bags and a whole lot more!
EZLite 10 Sea Eagle - alnk.to/60ZT3Sz
My Review:
Best Ultralight Kayak For Your Money Sea Eagle EZLite
th-cam.com/video/FgzpJMpcu2g/w-d-xo.html
I also highly recommend the razor light, which has foot pegs as well.
RazorLite 393RL website page - alnk.to/gKPBreg
RazorLite 473RL Tandem website page - bit.ly/3CqBUGT
My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html
@@KayakCliff thank you and i saw them! I really enjoy your videos thank you :).
An excellent video presentation of the 385 FT kayak. We have two of them; the first one dates back 12 years. Superb craftsmanship. One comment: you didn't install the skeg on the stern of the boat? Was that on purpose? We achieve much better directionality with the skeg.
Thanks Romeo for your comment! You are an astute observer! When I was carrying the boat to the water, you noticed that I did not have a skeg. I quickly realized that once I started paddling and went immediately back to Shore to install the skeg. You are right, it is absolutely necessary on this boat. Safe adventuring out there!!
Thank you great video. That rigid inflatable keel, seems it will make maneuvering (turning the boat) more difficult? Great in tracking though..
Hi Alex, thank you for watching and commenting! Actually, the combination of the rear, skeg, plus the inflatable keel in the bow makes for a nice tracking boat, but it does maneuver nicely. Not like a Whitewater boat where you need to turn on a dime to avoid rocks, but, it does maneuver nicely for typical paddling flat water kayak.
---------
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page, this is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You! - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack 465FT Website page - bit.ly/3CkL8EC
FastTrack Amazon store page - amzn.to/3JXFJbn
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the FastTrack:
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
Love this boat, my only concern is, where are the foot rests? The razorlites have them, but this does not. No matter who makes the kayak, almost all the inflatables of this style lack foot rests. This not only affects comfort but paddling efficiency. I'll probably stay with a hardshell kayak because ALL of them have foot rests.
Hi 👋 there!
Actually, Sea Eagle sells the foot peg kits that can be installed in both the fast track and the explorer models. Works great and is inexpensive and easy to install yourself!
Flexbrace Kit - Foot pegs for RazorLite / FastTrack / Explorer
bit.ly/3KRcuFq
The seat is designed in a way that it wraps around your hips and gives you good grounding. You also rest your thighs and knees on the pontoons which gives you even more contact with the boat.
I thought it would be an issue too but its very comfortable and gives you lots of control. You can jerry-rig a DIY solution using the D rings and paracord if it's really a concern.
I have not missed the Foot pegs in the Fastrak at all. I do like them in the razor light, and feel that I need them there. In the Explorer and the Fasttrack, I’m fine without them. The black wraparound seats give me wonderful support. After about an hour and a half I’m in need of standing, but I’m not way in any kayak. it’s a big plus to be able to stand up in the explorer and the fast track boats.
So glad to see a stable kayak. I will be using it in ocean (light winds). Tandem kayak. How does it compare to the 480 explorer tandem? Thank you.
Hello Alex - Both boats will be fine for ocean paddling, however the FastTrack will give you better performance. What are the individual heights and weights of each
paddler? I’m getting ready to paddle the florida keys for a week next January with my 83 year old Dad. For that trip, I will be using the FastTrack 465FT
because both him and I are 6’ tall and 190 / 210 lbs. If both of you are lighter and smaller framed, you could use the 385FT, but there will be less storage
if you want to take extra things along. The FastTrack will paddle much faster than the wider and bulkier Explorer. The Explorer will work fine, just know
that it will be slower to paddle if that is something you are concerned about.
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page, this is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You! - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack Tandem 465FT - bit.ly/3CkL8EC
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the FastTrack:
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater. This is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You!
bit.ly/3phWOTp
Explorer fishing kayaks - bit.ly/3ZLXL5W
Adventure videos in the Explorer:
Nantahala Epic Whitewater Paddle: th-cam.com/video/4CsL96rl2zg/w-d-xo.html
Texas Kayaking Brazos River: th-cam.com/video/lU3xlxh35jI/w-d-xo.html
Kayak Camping 20 miles on the Brazos
th-cam.com/video/yOea6TfzsHw/w-d-xo.html
E-Kayaking with the Bixpy Skeg Motor
th-cam.com/video/nBaSjGPYoGY/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
Thanks much ! Whole bunch of info. I didn’t know the made a 465, will check it out. The 385 fast track a little to short for tandem.
I’m just getting into this kayak stuff. I will call sea eagle for prices. I was thinking to install a portable / retractable 3 inch by two foot long
front keel similar to the fast track to make it point better, ( I’m an old sailer I can do stuff like this) not sure if it will hurt the turning /steering, what do you think? Thanks a lot. When is the best time to buy from Sea Eagle? How about used market?
Good luck on your adventure in Florida with Your Dad…
Sea Eagle has some excellent customer service, they also sell used boats as well with the same warranty, so check that out as well. On the FastTrack
with the inflatable skeg in the bow (front) of the boat and the rigid plastic skeg in the stern (back) of the boat, you will have all the tracking apparatus
you will need to tracked efficiently and effectively. Yes, you should check out that 465 FastTrack. Safe adventuring out there!
Thanks Cliff. So if I want speed and tracking as the highest priority, then razelite is the way to go still. This has different priorities.
Hello LJ - absolutely! My go to is definitely the RazorLite for when I want speed and the ability to cover large distances with great tracking!
@@KayakCliff Got it and thanks Cliff !
Thank you for the great review. A few questions for you: I paddle in rocky river conditions. With a 190 pound paddler, do have a sense of how much water it draws? As well, how does it handle without the skeg? I've heard some people have tried reversing the direction of the boat without the skeg with some success. Thanks again.
Hi Jonathan! This FastTrack kayak should draw the same amount of water in the bow as it does in the stern. Both the bow inflatable keel and the stern keel draw about the same amount of water. If it is a very shallow, rocky river that you frequent, you might want to look at the Explorer line of kayaks since they will not have the front keel constantly dragging on the bottom. Again, I’m not sure how shallow you are talking. If you have a foot of clearance, the Fastrack will glide over just fine.
If you know you will be rubbing quite a bit, I would check out the Explorer! Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater:
bit.ly/3phWOTp Hope this helps!
@@KayakCliff Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply. Yes, I’m on the Potomac, which is pretty rocky, especially at low water.
Great review..thanks very much.
Hi 👋 teamtls - Thanks for watching. Here are some of my other Sea Eagle reviews, PLUS links to adventure videos using their awesome
inflatable kayaks! Stay safe out on the water!!!
393RL Razorlite Kayak - Slow rivers & flat / open water, high performance:
Sea Eagle website RazorLite page - bit.ly/3Enpq1z
My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the RazorLite:
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Earth Day Caddo Lake - th-cam.com/video/ceOGrVkOyzU/w-d-xo.html
Weedon Island Mangrove Trails - th-cam.com/video/9lNst39pZsk/w-d-xo.html
Ft Worth Nature Center - th-cam.com/video/30iakMQHkaI/w-d-xo.html
Trinity River Elm Fork - th-cam.com/video/o6LbEkF7Vrc/w-d-xo.html
Silver Springs Florida - th-cam.com/video/T8MZjjmxM9Y/w-d-xo.html
How to fold the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/Dfbp_lm3jGY/w-d-xo.html
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater:
bit.ly/3phWOTp
Adventure videos in the Explorer:
Nantahala Epic Whitewater Paddle: th-cam.com/video/4CsL96rl2zg/w-d-xo.html
Texas Kayaking Brazos River: th-cam.com/video/lU3xlxh35jI/w-d-xo.html
PaddleSki Boat / Kayak / SUP - The “Do Everything” boat!
Sea Eagle website PaddleSki page - bit.ly/33PbnFH
My review of the PaddleSki - th-cam.com/video/9h0BoJi8XjI/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the PaddleSki:
Chassahowitzka Springs / River - th-cam.com/video/zpyIiSv8V3U/w-d-xo.html
Anclote Key Florida - th-cam.com/video/LBEROBSGbA8/w-d-xo.html
Needlenose iSUP Inflatable Paddleboard:
Sea Eagle web page for the Needlenose iSUP:
bit.ly/3LL9taW
All Paddleboards:
bit.ly/35b6VBV
My review of the Sea Eagle Needlenose:
th-cam.com/video/9bU0UdohbyY/w-d-xo.html
Ahoy from south Australia, nice review!
Just regarding the material, which I know is highly resistant to uv etc. Would you recommend using 303 marine protectant as well as or not required ?
Hi there! Thanks for watching and commenting! Absolutely, I use formula 303 on it all the time. Sea Eagle even sells it on their site and recommends it as well. I like 303, because it protects from UV radiation, plus it makes it easier to clean the boat later as it does not pick up as much dirt and stains. Safe adventuring for you out there!
Cliff - thanks for the video. Do you have any thoughts on the performance of the drain system on nthe 385ft?
Hi there Larry, The fast track has two drain plugs back near the stern of the boat. They are not self bailing holes, they just drain when you open the drain plugs and let the water out. I have found that sometimes it’s easier to just pick up the boat and tilt it back-and-forth and let the water drain that way as well. Two options! If you are looking for self bailing drain plugs, the explorer line has those. That is my next boat to review here shortly, while trying out those self bailing plugs.
@@KayakCliff - thanks for the clarification on the drain plugs. Larry
Great review !
Thank you for watching and commenting Steve! Have a great weekend!
Cliff, I have the 385 and love it. My only issue is getting it to fold properly once the folding gets near the keel. I just can’t seem to get it to fold properly there. Will or can you do a “how-to” on folding the 385? I’ve watched the SE video and still struggle.
Hi there Jackie, I actually had my fast track out over the weekend and was having a little bit of difficulty folding it up, because of the inflatable keel. I will play around with it some and figure out the best way to do it. That’s a great idea about making a video. Stay tuned…
Great informative video. I noticed no foot pegs. How comfortable is it without the pegs? Looking to purchase this model.
Hi there Gabe, this is the first kayak I have ever paddled without foot pegs. I thought it was going to be an issue, however I was pleasantly surprised that it was very comfortable and I did not feel like I needed them. I hope this information helps! You can actually order the flex brace kit from Sea Eagle. They can actually be installed on the FastTrack and Explorer line of kayaks. Here's the link - Flexbrace Kit - Foot pegs for RazorLite / FastTrack / Explorer
bit.ly/3KRcuFq
The problem with the available kit is determining the best placement for its adjustment range. i.e. loaded with camping gear (with or without 60 lb dog), with the dog, or just paddling without all that stuff.
A good alternative is a piece of 4" pvc pipe and an adjustable loop of nylon strap attached to a pair of the D-rings.
You would only want to install it for the single paddler position. So, just install your single paddler seat in its proper location, then measure out where you would like the foot braces to be located based on your height and the height of other people that will most likely be paddling the boat. There is a sweet spot to find and it will not be hard once you get the boat inflated.
Great video Cliff, as always! I was feeling quite set on purchasing a RazorLite but now you've got me second guessing! You sound rather smitten with the FastTrack models. I'm having a hard time getting a feel for the extent of the tradeoff between performance (speed & tracking) vs stability based on other people's reviews when compared to the RazorLite. I feel like I would really miss having the foot FlexBrace, which doesn't come in the FastTrack it seems. Apparently you can add it, but only in 1 position (not sure which one).
Hi there Dylan, The razor light is definitely my go to for when I want to cover large distances and get the maximum amount of speed, maneuverability and tracking. The fast track will be my go to for when I’m going to want to be able to stand up and when I might wanna swim / fish out of a kayak. Also, if I’m doing a multi day trip and I need to carry a lot of weight, the fast track is perfect for that as well.
Get this model, not the razorlite! It's suprisingly well balanced.
@@tagheuer001 haha, oh man, every time I think I've made up my mind and I'm ready to pull the trigger, some one pulls the rug out. So you're a big fan of FastTrack it sounds like? I got cold feet reading reviews on Amazon - a bunch of people seemed to have problems with seams on the FastTrack after a couple of years of use? Very frustrating that there's nowhere to try them around here in Vancouver to compare the stability vs speed/tracking tradeoff.
@@dylanpassmore4436 Take a chance!
It is my understanding when the fast track test came out probably 10 to 15 years ago, there were problems with seams. That has since been resolved and I have not heard of any problems from anyone on any of my social media groups. Bottom line, sea eagle is highly responsible and their customer service is top-notch. If you ever have a problem outside of the three-year warranty, they will definitely work with you!
I've never kayaked before but I lived near the Sacramento River right here in Sacramento. Would this be a good purchase? I'd take any advice I can get. Thanks!
edit: Should I consider a different model?
Hi, sorry for taking so long to get back to you. So I can direct you in the right direction. Let me ask you a few questions? What is your height and weight? Do you want to do extended paddling where you paddle for longer distances? Will you be in extremely shallow river water, or larger, deeper open bay / lake areas? Are you going to want to take lots of things with you in terms of weight? Will you ever do white water rivers? If you can answer these for me, I can definitely tell you the right direction to go. Thanks!
Cliff, what is the interior dimension between the side tubes(while inflated) on the 385FT ?? Thanks. And your videos are great !!
Hey Bob, here is a link from Sea Eagles website on the dimensions. It is 18 inches wide inside from tube tube. Have a great weekend!
www.seaeagle.com/FastTrackKayaks/385ft
Hi! Cliff! Thanks for this review! I will be purchasing this soon. I'm planning to upgrade the paddle to all carbon. What would your recommend the paddle sizing. I'm 5'6" so do you think 245cm would be a correct size? Thank you!
I think you are right on with 245 cm, you might even want to go 250 cm. The fast track is a wider boat at 36 inches, you need the added length to adequately get the paddles in the water. 245cm is probably best for you at 5'6". For me at 6 foot I would get the 250cm.
Take care, let me know how it works for you. You can always email me or text me at my contact information located at kayakcliff.com.
I'm putting my affiliate link below, if you click on that when you order, it will not cost you a dime extra, it just gets me a little bit back for my channel to pay for the videos that I do. Thanks, and have a great week!
FastTrack 385FT bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack Fishing Kayak 385FTA - bit.ly/4bAtqxM
Explorer 420x
alnk.to/4qKYnkv
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
@@KayakCliffDid you have to pump the Keel? If so, what's the PSI? I know the side tube is 3.2 psi and floor is 10psi. Also, do you remove the floor first to clean the inside of the kayak? Thank you!
@@KayakCliff have you tried using the smallest keg for 385FT yet?
@saturninopizarro3532 Yes, you do have to pump up the keel, but it only takes seconds as it is small and get’s to 10 psi REAL quick. When you are
finished using the FastTrack, you should remove the floor to dry out underneath. I only do this if storing for longer periods. If it is during the paddling season
and I’m going to be paddling again a week later, I leave the floor in.
My practice is to go kayaking, then when I get back to my truck, I deflate the kayak and quickly roll it up wet. When I get home I re-inflate with my
battery powered Mega pump (highly recommend) and let it sit out in the sun for a couple hours. This get’s it dry enough. Like I said, at the end
of the season, I remove everything and dry it completely out, then apply some formula 303. Hope this helps!
@@KayakCliffYes! Thank you! Have a Blessed Day!
Hello, I'm planning to purchase the 465ft fasttrack soon thanks to your reviews! Just a quick question, what is your recommendation for an affordable e-pump? I know it's probably best to get the most expensive ones from sea eagle but the kayak itself is already pricey. Thanks!
Hi 👋 there LTKGaming! - Sea Eagle only recommends their powered pumps be used to inflate their boats. Now, these pumps are made by Bravo air pumps,
but you need to make sure the right end detail is on another pumps hose to match up with the inflation valve of the FastTrack. For this reason, if you want
a battery operated pump, it’s best to go with the Sea Eagle model, because they hose will mate up with the valve by having the right end detail on it. A lot
less hassles and headaches. I know they are pricey, but BOY do they make your life easier. It will work on all other Sea Eagle products too, if you should
get any more in the future!
Air Inflation Pumps:
bit.ly/3MjKN9z
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page, this is my affiliate link, purchasing through this link supports my channel and these videos, ThankYou! It doesn’t cost you any more money at all, Thank You! - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack 465FT Website page - bit.ly/3CkL8EC
FastTrack Amazon store page - amzn.to/3JXFJbn
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the FastTrack:
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
@@KayakCliff thank you for your quick response! I’d love to use your affiliate link. However, I will need to modify the package a bit so not sure if I can do that on the website. I have reached out to sea eagle and they asked me to call them directly instead. Would mentioning your name/channel during my call with them work?
Also, please do more video on the fast track (especially the longer version so people can tell how roomy it is) since I believe it deserves a bit more attention. Thanks! :)
Oh, absolutely, I think if you mention to the great customer service up at sea eagle that Kayak Cliff guided you and you want him to get the affiliate support, they would accommodate you no problem. Thank you so much for watching the video and commenting and let me know if there are any other questions that you have.
I have used your link to place an order for the longer version of this kayak. Hope this helps!
Also, I think it would be great if you could show more of the leg room for each kayak (mainly tandem) for one person or even two people on coming reviews.
Thank you so much for the support!!! Also, thanks for the suggestion! I plan on doing another comparison video (this time in the water) between the RazorLite,
FastTrack, and Explorer. I will make sure I cover legroom as well! Stay safe out there!
Great video, would this be pretty good for saltwater? I like your vids
Hey, thank you for watching and commenting! Yes, this boat would be great in saltwater! I have had all of my Sea Eagle boats and kayaks out in salt water quite a bit. The hardware holds up perfectly, no rust no damage from the salt environment. They are pretty much “bulletproof.”
looking at the fast track boats i was thinking a tent and double sleeping bag wont fit until i saw the 465 take out the middle seat and plenty of space
Hi 👋 Jason - I’m 6’0’’ and 185 lbs. I think the FastTrack has plenty of room for me and 50-70lbs. of camping gear. It has tremendous load carrying
capability too at over 600lbs. Both would work fine, but I think the 385 is a better all around boat. That is, unless, you are wanting to carry a
tremendous amount of weight and you are a large paddler as well. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi Cliff, I'm looking into getting a Sea Eagle boat at the beginning of May. The Fasttrack seems to meet my needs a little more than the Explorer, but I've heard of some seam issues with the FT. How has your boat held up? Are these mostly older kayaks that have this problem?
Hi 👋 Kdogg788 - I heard that years back, there were some issues with the drop stitch floor seems failing. As far as I know, these issues have been
resolved for years now. My FastTrack 385FT has been “bomb proof”. Bottom line, when dealing with Sea Eagle, their customer service is EXCELLENT. If you
ever do have a failure within their very liberal 3 year warranty period, they will stand behind it. If you are going to have any seam issues, they will certainly
occur and make themselves known way before your 3 year warranty period runs out.
Below is my affiliate link to the Sea Eagle FastTrack page, plus some adventure videos in the FastTrack!
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack Tandem 465FT - bit.ly/3CkL8EC
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
We are looking for a two person kayak, and really like the reviews of the Sea Eagle. For the money, would we better off for a little extra more, going with the Razorlite? Or is there plenty of room for two with the 385? Thank you
Hi 👋 Farside722! If you don’t mind me asking . . . What are both the paddlers height’s and weights? Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@KayakCliff I am 6'-0" - 180 LBS, and my wife is 5'-8" - 120lbs if that. We like the lakes in our Sierra's, and or the Ocean Bay area's we have on the Central Coast of California. We are also both in our late 50's. That's why hard shell seems too much of a hassle to cart around.
@farside722 I think either the FastTrack or the RazorLite would work wonderfully for the two of you. Will you ever be paddling solo, or will you always be
with your wife? If you think you would paddle solo sometimes, I would go with the FastTrack 385FT bit.ly/3ecBQ1V You will have enough room
for both of you in the FastTrack, however, you will have little space for storing anything. If you think you will be take some extra gear with you (cooler, etc.)
you might look at the bigger FastTrack bit.ly/3CkL8EC The RazorLite tandem bit.ly/3CqBUGT is an excellent choice if you are looking for a higher performance kayak. It is fast and sleek, plus it has plenty of room for storing any gear you might have. If you are experienced paddlers in 28-30’’ wide kayaks and
don’t mind the 15’6’’ length once inflated, the RazorLite would be a good option. I say experienced, because the RazorLite feels a little “tippy” at first, but
over time as you paddle the boat, you will recognize it’s primary & secondary stability is really good. It’s just a faster, higher performance boat. I hope this
helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you for answering my precious question. Really appreciate it. As I was saying I will be getting in and out of the kayak as a diver/spearfishing. I figure it will tend to load up with a little water inside. Probably not too big a deal as I’m in a wetsuit but is there a way to drain water while on the water or are those drain valves only for land? Thank you.
Previous lol I don’t know how precious my question was haha
LOL. the explorer is the boat that has 16 self bailing drain holes. The fast track, I do not believe those drain holes are self bailing purposed. For that, you would just need to have a hand pump bilge pump in the kayak. Those work pretty well.
I noticed you could edge quite well with the RazorLite & its full drop stitch construction. Will this FastTrac kayak edge at all with the rigid bottom & pontoon sides? My only experience with inflatables was years ago in a soft floored type that was miserable to paddle. Other than that I'm modestly experienced in canoeing (hard shells). I've never had the opportunity to try the newer drop stitch technology in inflatables. Which would you recommend for several days & miles of kayak camping, paddling & portaging? Thanks in advance for any help & suggestions. Cheers from Canada.
Hi 👋 there! My go to for efficient paddling, while covering some good miles on kayak camping trips would be the RazorLite 393RL. I’m a 190lbs with 50-60 lbs of gear, so fairly light camping and kayak loading. If I really needed to load down the kayak with a lot of weight / gear and was not concerned about my speed (due to current assist), I would choose the explorer or FastTrack. The FastTrack does not edge at all. Hope this helps, safe adventuring out there!
@@KayakCliff Thanks very much for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated. Now I need to find a dealer near by to check them out before ordering one. Of course it would be wonderful to have one of each like you, but my budget & storage space won't allow for that. Cheers.
You are welcome! I do not know of any dealers. Where are you located? I’m pretty sure most of their business is done via mail order. Because of that, they have a very generous return policy if the boat does not meet your needs. I believe 3 to 4 months. I hope you have a great weekend, safe adventuring out there!
@@KayakCliff I'm on Vancouver Is, BC up in Canada. Thanks again for your videos, all the information & most of all your response to my questions. Best from Canada. Cheers.
Thanks for you review, are those good enough to run some mild class 3 rivers, I know the rating said 2 but this look like a lot a float for only a rating of 2. The 380 seems great but very wide for a smaller paddler and maybe slow for long distances. ( i do expedition kayaking )
Hi there, thank you for watching and commenting! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I cannot speak to the fast tracks effectiveness in class three. I suspect it is not recommended because it would be pretty stressful on the forward inflatable keel. Also, the fast track does not have self bailing drain holes in the bottom of it like the explorer. I just received an explorer and I am getting ready hopefully this week to try it out on flat water. My review on it will be coming out shortly. I see multiple people that do major expeditions in the explorer. Just read about a guy that did 600 miles on it and speaks very highly of the explore in all conditions.
@@KayakCliff thanks for the reply , I did over 1400 miles last year on a Neris kayak on the Amazon river , loved it but they are build in Ukraine so way to order right now. I will wait to see what you are thinking about the 380 x on flat water. The person you know who did a trip on it have a site or youtube chanel ?..I would love to see what he have to say.thanks again and keep up the good job.
facebook.com/groups/413119092973182/?ref=share
I believe that I saw it a few months ago on the
Sea Eagle Kayak, SUP owners group. I’m not finding it right now, but it is a great group to join to learn more about all types of SeaEagle products. You could ask some questions there about the explorer performance on flat water. Great group to be in! Basically, think of the explorer as the “mountain bike” of kayaks and the fast track as a hybrid bike. The RazorLite of course, would be the fast road bike. A mountain bike will do everything, including efficient riding on flat surfaces, however, not as efficient as a road bike….
@@KayakCliff thanks cliff appreciated it.
All roads point to the 385FT but customer reviews (Amazon, TH-cam) are saying the seams blow out on the Sea Eagles. A big investment so I want to make sure.
Hey 👋 Al - That is absolutely not a problem now :-). It’s my understanding that the old version of the FastTrack (without the inflatable keel) about 10 years
ago had some seam issues. That is not a problem anymore with any of their boats. Back then, it was a fluke with the FastTrack model. It has been my
experience that Sea Eagle boats are pretty indestructible. To add to that, their 3 year warranty and 4 month return policy is un-matched. I think you will
be more than pleased with any choice you make from Sea Eagle, if you are not happy for any reason, Sea Eagle will be there to support you. I hope this
helps! Safe adventuring out there!
@@KayakCliff Thank you Cliff. I'm wondering if the 380x would be a good boat as well. Seems to be a 385FT with a bit more whitewater capability. Both 12' 6", same options.. Not sure if the integrated keel is on the 380x or not so maybe speeds a little less? I'll be a solo paddler so I won't be doing class IV runs for safety reasons but I do like the blue color of the 380x and just having the whitewater potential would be good to have. Seems class II max is pretty mild. I don't know of many rivers that don't have the occasional class III so the 385FT would be pretty much a lake boat for me, although there isn't really anything wrong with that. I just don't want a slug slow boat, or a boat that can't handle more than a ripple in a river.
Hi Al - I’m mainly a lake, bay and flat water person myself. White water is newer to me too! Basically, if you have the FastTrack and you plan on doing class
I or II rapids every once and a while, that boat will probably work best if it is not too shallow. That inflatable keel in the front could get caught up if you are
dragging the bottom in shallow river rapids. The Explorer does not have an inflatable keel in the front, but it does have a plastic (removable) keel in the stern.
This stern keel give you pretty good tracking performance in the Explorer, once the keel is removed (very easy), then the boat it totally responsive
to whatever direction whim you may have, which is important for navigating whitewater. When you compare the FastTrack which is 36’’ wide, to the
Explorer that is 39’’ wide, this is because the pontoons are larger on the Explorer for increased buoyancy in whitewater conditions. The Explorer is
a great “all-around” boat, it’s just a little bit slower than the FastTrack. It’s nice to know that Sea Eagle has a 4 month return policy so you can try it
and swap out if it is not what you wanted. For BOTH of these boats, you will definitely want the 8’ paddle from Sea Eagle or any other 250+ cm paddle
from elsewhere. It’s necessary for the width of the boat. Hope this helps you in your search! Safe adventuring out there!!!
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater:
bit.ly/3phWOTp
Adventure videos in the Explorer:
Nantahala Epic Whitewater Paddle: th-cam.com/video/4CsL96rl2zg/w-d-xo.html
Most manufacturers from time to time are required by the government to change some materials in their products. What happened on the 385FT as I understand it (I've been heavily active in Sea Eagle FB groups for more than a decade) is they needed to change their glues. A different glue was used for a period of time only on the 385FT, and later it turned out to go faulty. Customers that this occurred to who experienced it with in their standard 3 year warranty got their boats replaced for free. My friend's Razorlite was affected too, and they got a free replacement hull. For those that experienced it after the 3 years, Sea Eagle generally tried to make good the best they could, and gave a significant discount on a new kayak. They have exceptional customer service at Sea Eagle. In these COVID times, and with sales booming higher than ever before in over 50 years (kayaking is a great social distancing activity) it's more challenging.
The problem has been resolved. I would avoid a pre-owned 385FT, but if you buy a new one you should be safe. Having tried both (I also own 7 Sea Eagles), I much prefer the Razorlite however.
@@KayakCliff One thing to clarify is that Sea Eagles's return policy only applies if you order directly from them through the website or phone. If you buy from a reseller, in my case a local retailer with better prices than Sea Eagle, the 120 day return policy does not apply. And many retailers will only accept returns if they are unused and ready to put back on the shelf. My first trip out was a state park with gravel and by the time I hit the water there were unavoidable and expected hairline scuffs and scratches. Sea Eagle requires "good" condition which is subjective and you never know what they are expecting as well as you are responsible for return shipping which for the huge box it comes in could be very expensive. I recommend to choose wisely because in all likelihood the yak you buy is the yak you're stuck with.
Wondering what your thoughts would be on taking a dog in this kayak? I like the open front and back to give them lots of space. I have a shepherd and a rottweiler who love the water but I can't ever take them in my sit in
Hi 👋 Christina - Thanks for watching and commenting! The FastTrack is an awesome boat to take larger dogs in. As long as your large dog is comfortable
in a kayak without getting all nervous and constantly moving around (shifting it’s weight) it would be a great paddling experience. Now 2 large dogs? The
boat will handle the weight, maybe put one in the bow and one in the stern behind you and see how it works. Let me know!
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack Tandem 465FT - bit.ly/3CkL8EC
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
@@KayakCliff thanks! Love your videos. I went to lake Whitney a few weeks ago and a friend and I are doing the Brazos under Possum Kingdom this weekend. Love how you put the maps up of exactly where to go!!
Have fun, that is a great trip. Are you doing the full 20 miles down to Rochelle’s?
@@KayakCliff yes sir! They are going to move our truck as well
Would love to know what powered air inflating pump you use in video
Hi there! Here is the pump that I use. It is available from sea eagle and fits all sea eagle inflatable craft.
Air Inflation Pumps:
bit.ly/3MjKN9z
Have a great weekend!
Hey Cliff, so you prefer to use the razorlite with out the skeg?!
Hi 👋 Ramsey - I do, that’s because I like a more “playful” boat. That is not for everyone though, so it is nice that you have the choice of either going with
or without the skeg. Hope this helps, safe adventuring out there!
I'm really torn between the FT SE385 and the Sea Eagle SE 380X for coastal touring and lake. They have similar use cases, sizing is similar, materials are the same. I won't be doing any class 2 or above so the higher rating on the Explorer isn't a massive selling pointy. Which would you pick?
Hi 👋 MDC - I just filmed an adventure video yesterday on a 12 mile paddle down the historic Brazos river in West Texas. The explorer is very comfortable and it is built for rough conditions like up to class IV rapids. I really like the boat for what it is designed for and that’s carrying heavy loads of gear and white water rafting. Excellent boat! That being said, it is very slow and 12 miles paddling that boat REALLY wore me out. I was averaging 2-2.5 mph with 4.5 (current assisted) as my highest speed. The FastTrack will paddle MUCH more efficiently with you averaging 3-4 mph. It’s similar to the Explorer in that it is very stable and will also carry a heavy payload. For what you are describing as your type of paddling, there’s no question, I would go with the FastTrack 385. I hope that helps. Here’s the link FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
Thank You for using my affiliate link if you decide to purchase. I’m here to answer any questions you may have! Safe adventuring!
@@KayakCliff Fantastic reply! Thank you Cliff, I will be ordering a FT 385 based on your excellent recommendation.
@@KayakCliff Saying a flat bottomed 12 foot long inflatable kayak is built for class IV rapids may be a bit of a stretch. I personally think an inflatable kayak with quite a bit of "rocker" on the bottom from front to back makes it much more maneuverable than a flat bottomed kayak when used in whitewater. I also see no drain holes on this kayak you are saying would be good for class IV rapids. How often do you want to paddle your kayak to the edge of the river and drain the water out? A lot of drain holes on an inflatable kayak used in class IV rapids are essential so that the kayak instantly drains all water out after being completely loaded with water when going through class IV rapids. SOTAR developed and perfected the lightweight heavy duty Urethane / Lexatron boat fabric used exclusively at SOTAR for 38 years. Lexatron which is a 40 oz.,100% urethane material with a 1500 denier base fabric that is defensively the toughest raft material in the industry. If you want to do class IV rivers like the Main and Middle Fork of the Salmon and Selway Rivers in Idaho I would go with a SOTAR kayak. Mine has been bullet proof for the last 15 years and just keeps going. It is made for one person, is 11 feet long, and weighs just over 30 lbs.
@@kellycourtright8030 Hi Kelly - This was a review for the FastTrack 385. In this video I made no mention that the FastTrack is made for up to class IV rapids. You would definitely NOT want to take the FastTrack on class IV rapids. What I did say is that the Sea Eagle Explorer line of kayaks is made for up to Class IV white water. I paddled the Explorer 380 last week down a mild river and can certainly guarantee to you that the Explorer maneuvers well, you can turn the Explorer on a dime to maneuver around whatever you need to avoid while shooting white water rivers. Here is the link to the Explorer line of kayaks, I hope this helps! Explorer Kayak - River & Whitewater:
bit.ly/3phWOTp
I didn't notice any foot pegs like the razor light has.. did I just miss them?
Great question Shawn, the RazorLite definitely has adjustable foot pegs, they’re really nice IMHO
RazorLite 393RL website page - alnk.to/gKPBreg
RazorLite 473RL Tandem website page - bit.ly/3CqBUGT
My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html
Hi Cliff. First off, awesome videos. Love ‘em.
My family just bought the 385FT, not 1 but 3. You’re videos helped us make the decision. We’ve watched your videos numerous times as you present lots of good info.
There’s one thing that I’d like to ask you though.
At the beginning of this video, you showed the 385FT in the bag. How are you able to neatly pack the 385FT like that? I was hoping to see you unpack it 😀
Thanks!!!
Hi 👋 there Francis! Congratulation on your new FastTrack kayaks! Getting it back into the bag (wrap) it’s not a problem, but it does take some practice. It’s essential to get all the air out of the boat, especially the inflatable keel. You do have a good point. I will try to show the unpacking from the bag and re-packing into the bag of some of the boats in some of my videos. I just figured they would add too much length to the video and people would not wanna watch it. However, if I do it at the end, people can click off if they don’t want to see it. Safe adventuring out there in those new boats!
You look different from above!
How does the kayak fare on waves and in high wind?
I have not had the fast track out on wind and waves yet. I have done that a lot with a RazorLite in the past year. As we go through the year, I will definitely be out in high wind and waves on the fast track. I can pretty much guarantee that it will remain highly stable, plus because of its low profile, I think it will do fine into a good headwind or crosswind. Last weekend I had the RazorLite going into a 15 mile an hour headwind and it did fine as far as tracking.
@@KayakCliff, the RazorLite seems higher above the water, plus, it is also narrower. My bet is the FastTrack would be a better choice for such conditions. Looking forward to your video showing that!
“Floatatious”!🤣
I’ve never used a kayak that didn’t have foot braces. I find foot braces to be an essential part of the paddling process. Is there an option to add them?
I hear you Joe! I have owned 14 kayaks of all different types.This was actually the first time I paddled a boat without foot braces. Because of the side pontoons on this boat, they are not rigid enough to adhere foot braces like you have on the RazorLite. If you need to have foot braces, definitely look at the RazorLite. I ,however, found it to be not too bad paddling without foot braces. I would rather have them, but on this particular model I did not feel they were necessary. Stay safe and have fun out there!
CORRECTION - You CAN add foot braces to the FastTrack. Here's the link for the kit - Flexbrace Kit - Foot pegs for RazorLite / FastTrack / Explorer
bit.ly/3KRcuFq
@@KayakCliff
Thanks, looks like the razor would be my best option. I really like the extra stability of this kayak for my better half. I’m just not sure if she would like it without the foot supports. I wish there were places where a person could try them and then make your purchase on the spot.
@@Joe-xq1nt Hi Joe, I actually just learned that you CAN add foot pegs / braces to the FastTrack. Here is the kit that you can order as well from Sea Eagle. I'm going to get a kit myself for my FastTrack. Here's the link - Flexbrace Kit - Foot pegs for RazorLite / FastTrack / Explorer
bit.ly/3KRcuFq
This will work for a single paddler only, not enough room to add two sets of kits for tandem paddlers.
That’s good news, thank you for getting back to me. Much appreciated!
@@Joe-xq1nt We use our 385ft as a tandem. I added the adjustable footrests for me in the back seat. It's been a couple of years now and they work great. There wasn't room for a set upfront, but my wife doesn't need them anyway. This is a fantastic boat and we highly recommend it!!!
How would you compare this to the 437 Paddleski?
Hi Gill, thank you for watching and commenting! FastTrack is definitely a kayak and is used and paddled like a kayak. The fast track will paddle much more efficiently, if Paddling is what you want to do. If you want one boat that does everything, the PaddleSki is something to look at, however it’s Paddling efficiency is greatly reduced compared to the fast track. It just depends on what you want. Do you want to mainly be a peddler, then look at the fast track, RazorLite, explorer boats. If you want the ability to motor and go long distances and do a little bit of paddling or stand up paddling, the paddle ski is a great option. Good luck and safe adventuring!
Nice, where did you find the boat rests?
My wife got them for me for Christmas one year. Just google or Amazon “Kayak Stands”
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hi! Thanks for the video. Is it sold in Europe?
Hi, you are welcome! I believe that they are sold in Europe, here is the telephone number for them in New York and you could call and ask them.
(800) 748-8066
@@KayakCliff Thank you very much!
Sorry if I missed it, but what pump did you use to inflate this?
Here’s the link. You will want to use sea eagle pumps, because they have all the right fittings. For kayaks that have any dropped stitch in them, you definitely need the two-stage pumps.
Air Inflation Pumps:
bit.ly/3MjKN9z
very good video senior
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! Have a great rest of your week!
@@KayakCliff thank you again senior and success always
Which Sea Eagle kayak is best for sea kayaking??? (I’m in San Diego)
Choosing the right inflatable kayak
th-cam.com/video/Y0R3g8qNNB4/w-d-xo.html
Hi Isai Lara - Here is a video I did recently that compares all the models that Sea Eagle has to offer.
I would say the RazorLite or the FastTrack would be my choices.
How do you mount your camera on the boat when you record your video. Thanks.
Hi 👋 there! Here is a video I did on how to mount camera and fishing rod mounts to the sea eagle inflatable kayaks.
Fishing Rod and Camera Mounts for Inflatable Kayaks & Paddleboards
th-cam.com/video/BtMNh1pqhOM/w-d-xo.html
@@KayakCliff Thanks for the quick response....this will be very helpful.....I just actually subscribed to your channel under another account of mine called Over the Hedgrerow......My wife passed way this past January and I am looking forward to embracing kayaking along with my bikes as a healthy way to work through my loss...Thank you once again for your help...
@@OurTopSpots you are very welcome. I’m so sorry for your loss. My condolences. Reach out to me anytime if I can help you as you explore Kayaks. I have really enjoyed and believe in the sea eagle brand. You can reach me privately through my contact information on kayakcliff.com.
Have a blessed week!
How u pump air with out the wire
Sea eagle sells battery operated pumps that work excellent! That is what I use and all of my videos. Here is the link.
Air Inflation Pumps:
bit.ly/3MjKN9z
@@KayakCliff thanks very much
What is this like on the sea when choppy?
It is extremely stable and performs very well in waves and chop. Paddles slower than the RazorLite, but is still a moderately fast paddling kayak.
Going to point something out. The 385 is 35 pounds without air. With air it definitely heavier
With air in it, it is definitely bigger. It is not heavier though, because air does not weigh anything.
@@KayakCliff i liked your comment. I stand corrected. I haveca 385ft znd love it. Putting all my other gear in it while carrying it I thinking must be my kryptonite! Thanks. Great review.
@@zhrob1 Let me be the first to concur that while 35lbs may not sound like a lot, this yak is a pain in the butt to carry because of its long length. Packed into the carrying bag with the straps pulled tight it is manageable from your front door to the car but any longer and it feels quite heavy. If you have to walk down a long path, down/up a hill, or across a parking lot with this thing you're going to be hating life. Many won't be able to do it at all and will resort to dragging it on the ground whether it be grass, dirt or gravel. Inflate at the car, put your gear in, and strap on a set of kayak wheels. You will thank me later. Trust me.
I find it pretty easy to carry if I inflate it at my vehicle, then pick it up and put it on my shoulder and walk it down to the water. I then come back to get my paddle and PFD etc. Coming from a bunch of hard shell kayaks, the weight of the sea eagle is a godsend to me!!! Much more light and efficient to carry by myself. The Sea Eagle carts are really nice to have if you think that you need to wheel it a long distance down to the water with all of your gear in it. Also an excellent option!
No footpegs?
No, with the wide pontoons, you don’t really feel like you need them. It’s not a kayak that you are going to be a speed demon in. It’s more of a cruising, comfortable kayak. However, it is pretty fast! hence the name fast track. If you want foot pegs, you can order them from Sea Eagle, and adhere them to the pontoons like the razorlight has. Totally doable.
@@KayakCliff I'm very much into getting going on the water as soon as possible. I recently lost my right leg below the knee so ingress and egress are now important to me. Learned to paddle in touring kayaks as teen on the wanganui River in NZ so I expect a certain level of handling and tracking. If I can be on the in about 10 minutes after I park its definitely not for. The big advantage of an inflatble is easy xport & storage bur my concerns are performance and durability longevity. I wanted the sea eagle paddliski foe the longest time but they discontinued that model foe some reason. I even was ready to buy one but they rep on the phone wouldn't take payment over the phone, he insisted I go through a website. Instead went to Walmart and payed half as much for a sundolfin 12 which was fine until my jeep got 4 inched taller making it hard to manage. Everything is a compromise it seems.
Any ways I would love to see the fast track being set up and paddling alongside a razorlight
Hello Richard, if you are used to paddling touring, Kayaks, the RazorLite, without a question, would be the best performing kayak for you, and what you are used to. Here are all of my videos on the razorlight.
My Razorlite affiliate product links for ordering. Your support, supports my channel, Thank You!!!
393RL Razorlite Kayak - Slow rivers & flat / open water, high performance:
Sea Eagle website RazorLite page - bit.ly/3Enpq1z
RazorLite Tandem - bit.ly/3CqBUGT
My review of the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/wCpz9gl_8Nc/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the RazorLite:
Suwannee River Paddling Three Days With My Dad
th-cam.com/video/m3eifjl1NZ8/w-d-xo.html
Florida Kayaking Withlacoochee River Dunnellon Florida in the Sea Eagle RazorLite 393RL
th-cam.com/video/A7urz2yIQmQ/w-d-xo.html
Kayak Camping 20 miles on the Brazos
th-cam.com/video/yOea6TfzsHw/w-d-xo.html
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Earth Day Caddo Lake - th-cam.com/video/ceOGrVkOyzU/w-d-xo.html
Weedon Island Mangrove Trails - th-cam.com/video/9lNst39pZsk/w-d-xo.html
Ft Worth Nature Center - th-cam.com/video/30iakMQHkaI/w-d-xo.html
Trinity River Elm Fork - th-cam.com/video/o6LbEkF7Vrc/w-d-xo.html
Silver Springs Florida - th-cam.com/video/T8MZjjmxM9Y/w-d-xo.html
How to fold the RazorLite - th-cam.com/video/Dfbp_lm3jGY/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
FastTrack Kayak Rivers & Flatwater:
Sea Eagle website FastTrack page - bit.ly/3ecBQ1V
FastTrack Tandem 465FT - bit.ly/3CkL8EC
My review of the FastTrack - th-cam.com/video/Nw5ZhcsM8vg/w-d-xo.html
Adventure videos in the FastTrack:
Paddling & Diving sunken airplane - th-cam.com/video/gFZ9gjnO1r8/w-d-xo.html
Bixpy® J-2 Electric Outboard Motor Kit with Slide-n-Lock Skeg Adapter
bit.ly/3RKGd7e
Confused why did you not show time inflating kayak that's a biggie one with no footrest stick with a hard sided Jack
Hi Jim - In most every video I do, I show inflating the kayak. If you use the hand pump that comes with the kayaks from Sea Eagle, you can expect to inflate
the FastTrack in this video in 5-10 minutes. I use the Sea Eagle battery operated 2-stage pump and find it takes 4-5 minutes to inflate. Take care!
Hard to take people who wear under armour logo printed trash clothes seriously, but I'm trying Cliff
Whatever. 🤐 I have never been one to judge a person by what they wear…
Don't quit your day job for stand up Richard.