Couldn’t find a video on TH-cam as detailed as this one. I’m currently looking and researching these boats and this was a big help. Thanks for posting it!
gowdaflow - Good deal! I couldn’t either which is why I wanted to make this once I got it. I did if research, and tried to answer my own questions in this video. Glad it helped!!
I bought the same boat and brought it to Colombia, SA for making tours in the small jungle rivers. I put a 6HP Suzuki motor and it goes quite well. I am very happy with it!
HV SG how u do a 6hp? meaning do ya keep whole thing aired up and trailered or inflate when you get to water and manhandle motor on it each time out. I'd think without a trailer and boat ramp you'd have to have it in the water to put on a motor as not to damage anything as in inflating & mounting motor on shore then drag in water. I was starting to do a barrel pontoon I was gonna ss steel tension strap to some 5/8" 10' deck boards and bolt to a 5'x10' piece of plywood with same but shorter boards for width of plywood. problem is I don't have indoor storage and afraid of motor or whole boat theft plus I don't really want to trailer anything as I'll be traveling and don't want to drag around trailer everywhere when not using. think I could handle putting something like this kaboat on the water and attaching a 2.5 to it that I can completely store in van when not in use but still afraid I'd fumble thing in the water by accident. I used to do a canoe with troller without issues but want more power now but places I've gone I've had hell of a time fishing out a dropped motor ie gets deep fast along some shores and basically 0 visibility past first foot or two down. one thing I know for sure is I'm not gonna paddle anymore, doing that yourself on anything more than a kayak ya go nowhere against even minimal current.
I selected the 6HP motor because of its weight, which allows me to handle it by myself. I am able to take the motor out of the cart and attach it to the boat. I ordered and installed the launching wheels to the boat, which allows me to roll the boat with the motor to the water or to pull it out of the water without damaging anything. I had the boat inflated on a normal trailer, where I installed long 4" PVC pipes for supporting the boat tubes and secured it with tie downs. I carried the motor on a cart where I installed additional wheels on the height of the handles. This allowed me to lift the motor on to the trunk of my SUV, where I could secure it also with tie downs. I designed it so, that the head of the motor always is kept at a higher level than the propeller in order to avoid that engine oil goes into the motor cylinder. Taking the boat off the trailer is easier if 2 people handle it, but it is also possible to do it alone by myself.
HV SG I've seen those wheels that go on stern and fold out. that seems pretty smart way to do things I just fish alone usually and don't wanna manhandle the 50lb+ motor each time. may just give myself parking issues by doing barrel boat on trailer everywhere I go deal and just cross my fingers nobody rips of motor or anything.
So I had decided to go for the 15' XL model, woke up very excited today ready to go buy the boat, only to find out they're in a back order waiting list for 1 month.. Oh well.. gives me time to learn about motors, gear, accessories, regulations, etc..
That’s a great idea. I may also try to use an air mattress pump as well. I would definitely recommend this boat (or simile size). Really happy with purchase from boatstogo.com. They’ve been great to work with as well.
Good choice for fishing. Better than hard shell kayak. More load and stable. I've fished in a 12ft kaboat with a Suzuki 2.5hp for 5 yrs. Whole rig with fishfinder is less than half of a Hobie. But it's lot faster than fancy peddle drive. Take with me anywhere, lakes and saltwater in Corpus Christi. In texas, register as inflatble you don't pay tax.Don't do trolling motor. Battery is a pain. My biggest issues are :no transom angle, bow design bad for front boarding and waves; can't put seat on wobbly bench. End cones of tube give less buyoncy. Wish Saturn can improve quickly or I'll have to build my own. BTW, those floor mats can be found at Dollartree. lol
You’re correct. In this video, I didn’t inflate it as much as it was supposed to be. I have a couple of other items since them, and it no problems. It tracks great and turns really well. When using the oars, it keeps a straight line pretty easily. As for speed, it’s honestly hard to say because my kids were rowing as much as I was the last time we took it out. When it was me doing the work, we were pacing at the same speed or faster than most of the other kayaks around us. We will likely be adding a trolling motor though, just for ease of use. Hope that helps! I’ll film another video of us actually rowing so you can see better.
Was looking to buy the heavy duty FB365. For the 1st year everyone loves these boats, but just curious if any seams are coming apart, and issues after a year or more. You've had yours more than 2 years now, so any update on issues, problems, etc? Is your Kaboat the heavy duty or normal quality model?
Troy D - I still love mine and have had zero issues. All seems still in tact, no wear or tear anywhere. It’s been solid. I have the SK385XL, which is a heavier duty model.
Thank you very much for the response. I can't afford the 4 to 5K on Hypalon, so have to take a chance. Good to know it's still holding up! I'm ordering the heavy duty model as well, just a bit wider than the kaboat.
...I'd take the drain plug assembly out of the boat, to make sure that the hole for it has been properly sealed over, otherwise that's where the water can easily get in to most assuredly rot out your plywood transom...
Im inflating my new kaboat 385 just like yours. Its taking me a long time even with the electric pump. My question for you is this: each time I stop inflating in a valve and remove the pump hose from the valve intake, air rushes out of the tube before I can get the valve cover on. Am I doing something wrong? Thats why it is taking me so long as I have to keep going back to top up each chamber. What are your thoughts? Thanks, Greg
I’ve developed a 3 step process. First, blow it up as much as you can with an electric pump. Mine isn’t actually made for these valves, so I have to have the follow next step. Second, I quickly attached the manual hand pump and get as much air in it as I can. Third, and last, Before I take the pump hose off the valve, I line up the plug in the exact position it’s going to go on, and replace the two as quickly as possible. I’ve gotten better at it, so very little air seeps out. You can’t really prevent air from coming out, but you’ll get better and faster so it doesn’t impact the overall amount in the boat. There’s times I’ve been too slow and had to do it again, but not much any more. You’ll get better and faster, but lining up the valve cover/plug to be the same as the pump valve you are taking off will help drastically.
Big Al Cervantes - Absolutely. I took it out 2 weeks ago, and it’s still in great shape. There isn’t anything wrong with it at all since I bought it. Still highly recommended.
Yes, I stand often and fish. Check out the recent video “Lake was Loaded with Giants!” I’m standing quite a bit in those shots. You need the floor to be aired up completely for the most stability.
Hey there, I'm having a hard time getting this info from the dealers. I want to use one of these on my sailboat, I know the width is good. But I only have 10' of available space on the bow of my boat. Can you give me the measurements of this boat from the back of the transom to the tip of the bow? Likewise, can you tell me the measurement of the back of the transom to the tip of the tubes that stick out the back? Thanks!
Not sure about being faster, but this model of Kaboat (SK385XL) is 20 lbs lighter than the SD330. I would love the referral if you decide to buy one. 👊
Ron Koehn - look for my recent 1 yr review video. At the very end I fold up mine, but for time sake, I didn’t show the entire process. When I fold mine up, I start with the transom, fold in the two back ends, then roll it up from there. Hope that helps.
The interior length is likely around 10-11 ft. It’s 18 inches wide on the interior as well. I purchased it from www.boatstogo.com and there’s more specs there. Search for model SK385XL.
Racing Pigeons - I purchased this Kaboat from boatstogo.com. Their FAQ section stated they should last 5-10 years. However, this all depends on how the boat is stored when not in use. I knew this when I purchased it, but still figured I could buy 3 of these for the price of a similar sized fishing kayak, which only holds one person. Hope that helps. The FAQs on their site is extremely helpful, and I would recommend reading through them before making a purchase.
How many psi ? Tomas whit a 3 horsepower longtail-motor in Sweden ho is looking för a "smal"l kaboat for small rivers like Olandsån/Forsmarksån in Norra Roslagen....
It’s not puncture proof, but is very durable. I won’t be fishing around coral reefs, but in the event of a puncture, there is a repair/patch kit. Worse case scenario, it inflates with 5 different air chambers, so the other 4 would keep you afloat until you reached land.
Couldn’t find a video on TH-cam as detailed as this one. I’m currently looking and researching these boats and this was a big help. Thanks for posting it!
gowdaflow - Good deal! I couldn’t either which is why I wanted to make this once I got it. I did if research, and tried to answer my own questions in this video. Glad it helped!!
I bought the same boat and brought it to Colombia, SA for making tours in the small jungle rivers. I put a 6HP Suzuki motor and it goes quite well. I am very happy with it!
That’s awesome! Trolling motor will be next for me. I really like this boat/Kaboat and happy with the purchase!
HV SG how u do a 6hp? meaning do ya keep whole thing aired up and trailered or inflate when you get to water and manhandle motor on it each time out. I'd think without a trailer and boat ramp you'd have to have it in the water to put on a motor as not to damage anything as in inflating & mounting motor on shore then drag in water. I was starting to do a barrel pontoon I was gonna ss steel tension strap to some 5/8" 10' deck boards and bolt to a 5'x10' piece of plywood with same but shorter boards for width of plywood. problem is I don't have indoor storage and afraid of motor or whole boat theft plus I don't really want to trailer anything as I'll be traveling and don't want to drag around trailer everywhere when not using. think I could handle putting something like this kaboat on the water and attaching a 2.5 to it that I can completely store in van when not in use but still afraid I'd fumble thing in the water by accident. I used to do a canoe with troller without issues but want more power now but places I've gone I've had hell of a time fishing out a dropped motor ie gets deep fast along some shores and basically 0 visibility past first foot or two down. one thing I know for sure is I'm not gonna paddle anymore, doing that yourself on anything more than a kayak ya go nowhere against even minimal current.
I selected the 6HP motor because of its weight, which allows me to handle it by myself. I am able to take the motor out of the cart and attach it to the boat. I ordered and installed the launching wheels to the boat, which allows me to roll the boat with the motor to the water or to pull it out of the water without damaging anything. I had the boat inflated on a normal trailer, where I installed long 4" PVC pipes for supporting the boat tubes and secured it with tie downs. I carried the motor on a cart where I installed additional wheels on the height of the handles. This allowed me to lift the motor on to the trunk of my SUV, where I could secure it also with tie downs. I designed it so, that the head of the motor always is kept at a higher level than the propeller in order to avoid that engine oil goes into the motor cylinder. Taking the boat off the trailer is easier if 2 people handle it, but it is also possible to do it alone by myself.
HV SG I've seen those wheels that go on stern and fold out. that seems pretty smart way to do things I just fish alone usually and don't wanna manhandle the 50lb+ motor each time. may just give myself parking issues by doing barrel boat on trailer everywhere I go deal and just cross my fingers nobody rips of motor or anything.
So I had decided to go for the 15' XL model, woke up very excited today ready to go buy the boat, only to find out they're in a back order waiting list for 1 month.. Oh well.. gives me time to learn about motors, gear, accessories, regulations, etc..
Been looking at these looks good! A quick tip to fill, use a shop vac on blow to fill and pump the rest to get to pressure.
That’s a great idea. I may also try to use an air mattress pump as well. I would definitely recommend this boat (or simile size). Really happy with purchase from boatstogo.com. They’ve been great to work with as well.
The Camera girl did a fantastic job panning and zooming as the old man ran around ad hock. Well done camera girl you did a great job.
psocretes - Yes, yes she did! : )
True, camera girl was underrated MVP.
Good choice for fishing. Better than hard shell kayak. More load and stable. I've fished in a 12ft kaboat with a Suzuki 2.5hp for 5 yrs. Whole rig with fishfinder is less than half of a Hobie. But it's lot faster than fancy peddle drive. Take with me anywhere, lakes and saltwater in Corpus Christi. In texas, register as inflatble you don't pay tax.Don't do trolling motor. Battery is a pain. My biggest issues are :no transom angle, bow design bad for front boarding and waves; can't put seat on wobbly bench. End cones of tube give less buyoncy. Wish Saturn can improve quickly or I'll have to build my own. BTW, those floor mats can be found at Dollartree. lol
l2bang3 8
Awesome man! The kids must be stoked😎
They are! Unfortunately it’s been a busy week and rainy weekend so we haven’t taken her out yet!
Great video, thank you.
john crowell - Thank you for the feedback!!
Beautiful but doesn’t look fully inflated. I’d be interested in your experience with tracking and speed.... thanks for posting
You’re correct. In this video, I didn’t inflate it as much as it was supposed to be. I have a couple of other items since them, and it no problems. It tracks great and turns really well. When using the oars, it keeps a straight line pretty easily. As for speed, it’s honestly hard to say because my kids were rowing as much as I was the last time we took it out. When it was me doing the work, we were pacing at the same speed or faster than most of the other kayaks around us. We will likely be adding a trolling motor though, just for ease of use. Hope that helps! I’ll film another video of us actually rowing so you can see better.
Was looking to buy the heavy duty FB365. For the 1st year everyone loves these boats, but just curious if any seams are coming apart, and issues after a year or more. You've had yours more than 2 years now, so any update on issues, problems, etc? Is your Kaboat the heavy duty or normal quality model?
Troy D - I still love mine and have had zero issues. All seems still in tact, no wear or tear anywhere. It’s been solid. I have the SK385XL, which is a heavier duty model.
Thank you very much for the response. I can't afford the 4 to 5K on Hypalon, so have to take a chance. Good to know it's still holding up! I'm ordering the heavy duty model as well, just a bit wider than the kaboat.
Can you put a trolling motor instead of gas? I don’t want to deal with a gas motor
What is the actual weight of this boat without seats? ...website says 90lb which is very heavy? Is it 60lb like you said or is it actually 90lb?
Can the haswing 1hp use Lithium batteries or is lettuce a lonely.
Good question. I would assume Litium would be fine, but may want to check with whoever sales it.
...I'd take the drain plug assembly out of the boat, to make sure that the hole for it has been properly sealed over, otherwise that's where the water can easily get in to most assuredly rot out your plywood transom...
Makes sense, not sure that’s an option though. I haven’t had any issues with it leaking, but a marine sealant could always be placed around it.
Im inflating my new kaboat 385 just like yours. Its taking me a long time even with the electric pump. My question for you is this: each time I stop inflating in a valve and remove the pump hose from the valve intake, air rushes out of the tube before I can get the valve cover on. Am I doing something wrong? Thats why it is taking me so long as I have to keep going back to top up each chamber. What are your thoughts? Thanks, Greg
I’ve developed a 3 step process. First, blow it up as much as you can with an electric pump. Mine isn’t actually made for these valves, so I have to have the follow next step. Second, I quickly attached the manual hand pump and get as much air in it as I can. Third, and last, Before I take the pump hose off the valve, I line up the plug in the exact position it’s going to go on, and replace the two as quickly as possible. I’ve gotten better at it, so very little air seeps out. You can’t really prevent air from coming out, but you’ll get better and faster so it doesn’t impact the overall amount in the boat. There’s times I’ve been too slow and had to do it again, but not much any more. You’ll get better and faster, but lining up the valve cover/plug to be the same as the pump valve you are taking off will help drastically.
You don't have your Boston valve set properly.... Watch a video on that
Hey! JERRYRIGEVERYTHINGS brother!
“It scratches at level 8 with deeper punctures at level 9...” 😁
Looks great 👍 👍 😊
I'm looking to buy this exact boat, do you still review the boat as a good buy and how is the quality?
Big Al Cervantes - Absolutely. I took it out 2 weeks ago, and it’s still in great shape. There isn’t anything wrong with it at all since I bought it. Still highly recommended.
is it possible to stand up? is it very stable
Yes, I stand often and fish. Check out the recent video “Lake was Loaded with Giants!” I’m standing quite a bit in those shots. You need the floor to be aired up completely for the most stability.
Hey there, I'm having a hard time getting this info from the dealers. I want to use one of these on my sailboat, I know the width is good. But I only have 10' of available space on the bow of my boat. Can you give me the measurements of this boat from the back of the transom to the tip of the bow? Likewise, can you tell me the measurement of the back of the transom to the tip of the tubes that stick out the back? Thanks!
Benjamin Weidman - Let me see if I can get this for you. I believe it’s 13 from tip to tip, so likely 2 ft less to the transom.
Fishing the LoneStar awesome, thanks.
I wonder if this is faster and lighter than my Saturn SD330, I was looking to buy one of those for when I boat solo.
Not sure about being faster, but this model of Kaboat (SK385XL) is 20 lbs lighter than the SD330. I would love the referral if you decide to buy one. 👊
Fishing in Texas ok Thanks
Do you still have this boat? If so how do you like it now?
I actually gave it away about a year ago when another company gave me a boat. I loved it though! Only downside was windy days.
I have the sk470xl and I can’t fold it very well. Anyone have a video doing this? Needs to be an xl KaBoat because the bottom is much thicker
Ron Koehn - look for my recent 1 yr review video. At the very end I fold up mine, but for time sake, I didn’t show the entire process. When I fold mine up, I start with the transom, fold in the two back ends, then roll it up from there. Hope that helps.
Does the boat come with the bill of sale?
Isaiah Robinson - Not necessarily. I purchased mine from boatstogo.com. After purchase, I could print a blank bill of sale from their website.
Hi hey i want buy one can you tell me what is the interior length thank you
The interior length is likely around 10-11 ft. It’s 18 inches wide on the interior as well. I purchased it from www.boatstogo.com and there’s more specs there. Search for model SK385XL.
Xcape Marine Explorer is the better option, build quality is second to none.
how long do they last
Racing Pigeons - I purchased this Kaboat from boatstogo.com. Their FAQ section stated they should last 5-10 years. However, this all depends on how the boat is stored when not in use. I knew this when I purchased it, but still figured I could buy 3 of these for the price of a similar sized fishing kayak, which only holds one person. Hope that helps. The FAQs on their site is extremely helpful, and I would recommend reading through them before making a purchase.
Kermit the Frog here...
But, should be no wrinkles on a boat when it fully inflated. Tubes must be as hard as rock.
john crowell - You’re correct. It was slightly under-inflated in this video. With a few more pumps, it’s solid and no wrinkles!
How many psi ?
Tomas whit a 3 horsepower longtail-motor in Sweden ho is looking för a "smal"l kaboat for small rivers like Olandsån/Forsmarksån in Norra Roslagen....
Have to be very careful when tightly inflated: leave it in the sun (in FL) and seams can separate and it will rapidly deflate!
@@MrTespro They should be stored in the shade, then?
Hope it's PUNCTURE proof...can withstand RUB OFF AGAINST CORAL REEFS....
It’s not puncture proof, but is very durable. I won’t be fishing around coral reefs, but in the event of a puncture, there is a repair/patch kit. Worse case scenario, it inflates with 5 different air chambers, so the other 4 would keep you afloat until you reached land.