Inflatable Kayak 'Disaster' Sea Eagle 385ft FastTrack™
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- Опубликовано: 6 авг 2020
- I hope that what happened with my Sea Eagle 385ft FastTrack™ Inflatable Kayak just weeks after 3-year warranty expiration (4th summer season start) is not systematic. However, I do feel that I'm obliged to inform/warn all Sea Eagle customers about potential dangerous situation they may run into on a hot sunny day. Do the integrity checks before going on long water trips!
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I’ve have purchased 6 kayaks from Sea Eagle(Sport, Explorer, FastTrack series) and the Fishing Skiff. I’ve never encountered any problems from them. All of them are still being used. I left the skiff on my pond an entire summer with temperatures well in the 90’s and it’s still in perfect condition. You may have just got a bad one, it happens sometimes.
What disaster? An unlikely failure of your kayak was replaced out of warranty by a reputable company when they were under no obligation to do so. Sea Eagle sounds like a solid purchase to make.
I'm not questioning SeaEagles reputation (love their product and service), however, the "unlikely failure' caused by deviating from manufacturing process easily could have been a serious 'problem' for an unsuspecting kayak user should this happen on the water miles away from suitable landing... Such things could ruin not only company's reputation. Oddly enough, some parts of the kayak are glued together so well that even heating seams with a heating gun would not help in tearing them apart. Why is that so?
@@igorzavoritko5763 Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe YOU did something wrong b/c I would think if it was a manufacturing defect or as you stated "deviation" from the manufacturing process, there would be more videos about this happening to others. But the fact that they replaced it for free and didn't have to and you put up a statement towards the end of your video that you don't trust their product dependability, tells me it's likely that you've left that kayak out in the sun just sitting around several times. But if you don't trust their dependability anymore, why accept another kayak from them? I get it, things fail and stuff happens, but to trash them after they rewarded you with a free kayak when they were under no obligation to do so, tells me more about you than them.
Not questioning if heat can weaken the bond; BUT if you fully inflate, then leave in the sun to heat, the air pressure inside will rise from expansion! That results over-inflation, and I suspect that was the real cause of failure. This condition would be mitigated in the water because the bottom of the kayak would be cooled and interior temperatures would not be as high.
So, thanks for posting this. It’s certainly important to be aware that this condition is likely to happen if you leave your kayak out in the sun. I have one of these on order, and I’ll try to avoid leaving it fully inflated in the sun. Will partially release some pressure if I need to leave it on a beach.
If this was happening on the water I’m sure it would be more widely discussed on the internet.
Unfortunately, your assumptions about over-inflating as the main cause of failure could play a bad trick on you... When heated the weakened seam would not be able to hold 1/3 of the recommended air pressure. The only shown in the video seam is affected as if a different type of glue is used. The other seams are staying strong even when heated with a heat gun up to 100C. ???? So, first 3 seasons you should be safe, however, after that, if the kayak manufacturing process stayed the same, I would not be using the kayak on hot sunny days. G.L.
They warn against this in documentation
I also imagine this would be a bigger (and much more common) problem on the fasttrack angler which has the darker coloration of strictly from the heat. I haven’t read into enough to see if this is the case.
@@Suph373 If the kayak manufacturing processes are the same, the darker colour will only speed up the process of reaching critical temperatures... The issue is the adhesive used for gluing only that seam, since all the other seams are holding up very well even heated up to 100C.
Well, Umm, it did outlast the warranty. And yes, things get hot when they are left in the hot sun. I've seen no other reviews like this of people having issues. But hey, you got your 3 years of use. I've had mine a year and no issues using it in these Texas summers and this past summer was one for the record books.
After reading about this potential issue in the manual of my explorers, I bought some heavy duty pvc fabric and some high temp (250C) rated pvc contact cement and reinforced the joints. Added about 2lbs of weight, but I loathe uncertainty in my gear.
A couple of pounds of weight or piece of mind?.. I do like your approach!.. May I know which contact cement exactly you used? Being not happy with HH-66 cement high temperature performance, I'm searching for a better solution.
@@kaktotak2521 I recall it being 3M ScotchWeld, but I'm unsure of which one specifically. I think it's 1357, but I can't swear to it. I'll have to see if I can find the can in my basement on the weekend.
@@kaktotak2521 My apologies for a mistake above. My memory failed me. It's temp range is up to 300F/~150C, and it is 3M Scotch Weld 1357. I sanded all mating surfaces with 100 grit, cleaned everything thoroughly with alcohol, and followed to label from there. The worst part was figuring out the various shapes to cut out. Good luck to you.
@@GodlessDad Thank you. I will check it out. '300F/~150C' sounds very promising. I will check it out. Good luck to you too.
Hi KatToTak, thank you for letting all know of this! I was going to get the 385ft but now thinking of the Explorer 380x or the Aqua Glide Chelan 140. What would you do, or which one would you pick? I do really like the 385ft because of the weight, stability, quickness, kneel etc.. However, now I am questioning this. Also, if it's only the one seam that has different glue on the 385ft why doesn't Sea Eagle change that glue seam? Wondering if they ever considered that? Oh, I plan to use the inflatable kayak for recreational uses, including crabbing. Do you think the 385ft is suitable for crabbing occasionally? Much thanks again for any thoughts on the above! 😁
Allan, our decision on buying Sea Eagle 385ft was also made based on the design, weight and compactness of the kayak which was superior to any of inflatable kayaks at that moment in 2016. Of course, the issue with deteriorated glue ruined all enjoyment of the SeaEagle kayak ownership and since then I’m suspicious of any their product. I have no idea, if they made any changes to manufacturing process. However, I cannot suggest any other inflatable kayak brand since I’ve only used SeaEagle. Speaking of kayak suitability I would suggest to consider how many people or/and weight your your kayak will be carrying. In our case upgrading from Sea Eagle 385ft to 465ft for two person use gave us a huge jump in kayaking comfort and extra room for camping stuff. Also I would consider Explorer 380x or 420x with larger diameter pontoons and multiple drain ports which makes it a way more practical in windy weather when waves can be an issue. Also I would suggest to invest in comfortable seats - we use Tall Back Seats with added self inflating seat pads and found this extremely comfortable combination allowing us not to think about stretching legs for at least 2-3 hours. Good luck to you in making a perfect choice for your kayaking needs.
@@kaktotak2521 thanks again for the added input! Yes, I also like the design of the FastTrack series, and feel it's a good median between the Explorer and the RazorLite series. I take it no problems since Sea Eagle replaced your 385ft with the 465ft? For people using, I would say it will be myself most of the time and sometimes my son and/or wife will join in occasionally, so I think I will go with the 385ft, as for solo I am guessing it will be easier to navigate the 385ft solo than the 465ft. Do you use your 465ft solo at all? If so, how do you find it kayaking solo and transporting alone etc.? Much thanks as always, and will likely order the Pro Carbon Package soon as Sea Eagle has a sale on now until May 31. 😁 One last question, where did you get your additional cushion seats? From Sea Eagle as well?Thanks again!
@@allanwong2688 The 465ft was intended to be used for 2-person kayaking and I've only used 465ft a few times while testing sail rigging (yepp, I have a ‘modified’ Hobie sail to play with). So, I’ve paddle a bit on 465ft solo and only found it goes straight like a train on rails and it’s a bit harder to maneuver… Probably, it’s a bit too much for solo kayaking and 385ft would be perfect. To get the kayak from my car to water I simply carry it and if some distance involved I use a foldable two wheel kayak cart like this one which I got at COSTCO for 49.95 CAD a long ago: www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/shoreline-mini-kayak-canoe-cart-0791272p.html
In regards to seat pads: I got them 5 years ago at MEC and they are still like new - www.mec.ca/en/product/5023-544/Seat-Cushion?colour=MAR33 I attached them to seats by rope to prevent sliding, adjusted air pressure for best comfort once and forever, and even wash seats and cushions together with a hose - it takes minutes to dry out on a hot day.
Thank you. I’m considering getting a Sea Eagle & have grave concerns due to stories like this.
This is an awesome company with amazing kayaks. Remember, this poster is still using one😂.
My son Max and I thought 🤔 the boat was going to blow 🌬️ all the plants off the deck..
This is such a strange post. Yes, there is glue and all glue will melt. I am suspect as to how you go the temp up to 60degrees. It was 40 here yesterday and I went out for an hour and the kayak stayed reasonably cool. Sea Eagle is a highly reputable company. They replaced your kayak for you out of warranty and you still pushed them under the bus. Did you accept the free kayak? Wow. You're a charmer. My Sea Eagle Fast Track 385 is awesome and I would never consider another company. In fact, I know at least three friends who have made the same purchase with no issues at all. I would challenge anyone to find that level of customer service anywhere. I would not, in good conscience be able to ride on that new kayak knowing that I am hurting the reputation of the company. Best of luck.
Dear Canalvy, from your comment I see that you are a loyal SeaEagle customer as I was till the disaster and a not too technical person... Do you really think it would be better to keep it down, quietly enjoying the ‘Replacement Kayak’ and not making any attempts to warn SeaEagle users about potential danger? Two years ago I made SeaEagle to remove ‘electronically welded’ wording in regards to quadruple overlapped seams in the kayak specifications on their website. If this tells you nothing, then… When it warms up next year I will start the integrity testing of the ‘Replacement Kayak’ - time for the glue to start disintegrating.
Sea eagle states that these kayaks need to be stored in a climate controlled building
Oh man - that’s scary! I just bought a 300x explorer direct from sea eagle and it cost me close to $1600 with conversion, shipping and duty! Thank you for sharing your unfortunate story - I will definitely inspect seams prior to long trips! By the way I live in Vancouver too- where’s your favourite spot to kayak?...
My apologies for delayed response. Friends of mine also owners of a 420x explorer for 4+ years now and no complains so far... Before starting summer season I’ll make sure that they do thorough seam inspection utilizing a hairdryer… We, my wife and I, have been kayaking wherever and whenever weather permits pretty much on every lake throughout BC from Whistler to Okanagan and even some lakes in US. Best spots are the closest ones where we can get from Coquitlam after work: Buntzen Lake, Sasamat Lake, Belcarra Regional Park, Rocky Point Park,
Alouette lake and river. On summer weekends, when it gets crazy busy in the parks, we go as early as possible to Alouette, Cultus, Harrison or Chilliwack Lakes. Anything within 2 hour drive is suitable for a day kayaking trip. Explore and enjoy!
Tip: on sunny days on large lakes it can get very windy and wavy... Usually, between 11 am and 5 pm. Good for sailing though!
@@kaktotak2521 Great tips! Thank you. I'm still kayaking every clear day- if there's a 3-4 hour window of decent weather I'm heading to the waters! i usually head to Deas Slough for nearby paddling or Cates park or deep cove. Love heading to Pitt Lake or Belcara too. Can't wait for warmer weather so that i can try my Folbot Cooper !(bought used)
Safe paddle my friend!
@@jayspot4 I have an explorer 380x and had no issues. It’s a pretty tough rig. I decided not to get the fast track for this very issue. There are others that claim the same issue with the fast track having seem leaks. I’m really thinking about grabbing one of their all drop stick ultra lights but until I see some long term reviews I’ll hold off
@@waynebrucemanbat5787 I bought their razorlite 473 and the explorer 380 at the same time. Ended up exchanging the 473 for 2 300x's and some more cash. The 473 felt too much like a canoe for my liking, and my son wanted to be on his own. The Explorers are just more comfortable imo. Like big floating sofas.
Yikes! It rights absolutely true that glued things don't always stay that way when glue gets hot enough. Summer rolls around and the phone stand or whatever glued to the dash that seemed great falls off. You use a heat gun to get the screen off your phone to replace the battery and other things. I'll say yikes again. And I also just bought a 465ft. One more yikes. Yikes.
After watch this video, I am hesitated to buy fasttrack now. It happened to you on the fourth summer use, I wonderel if this is common or not. Fasttrack has so many positive review online. How often you use this kayak last 3 or 4 years ?
Thank you for asking. Firstly, our region, British Columbia, Canada, is not the hottest place on Earth. Normally, we (my wife and I) use my kayak from April to October on average 1-2 times a week for 2-3+hour long kayaking trips… Total time spent on the water is around 150 hours per kayaking season and we used it for around 500 hours before its failure. We purchased Sea Eagle 385ft FastTrack kayak based on positive reviews, relative compactness and sensible weight, and our experience has been only positive till the ‘disaster’. I have tested all the seams on my ‘failed’ kayak and the glue disintegrated only on the grey/blue seams... and on both main chambers. All other seams are in perfect shape and even heating up them with a hairdryer does not melt the glue. I’ve communicated with SeaEagle support, got the kayak replaced and they also removed “electronically welded” words from the seam description in the kayak tech specs on their website. I hope that the provided information will help you to make your buying decision... Otherwise we have been enjoying the kayak(s).
Where did you buy from?
Directly from SeaEagle on their website www.seaeagle.com/
This falls into the “You must be kidding” category. You heated it up to almost 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and you’re surprised it didn’t hold up? You’re disappointed after using it over 3 years? Yeah. If you set it on fire, it probably would become useless, too.
Worthless review.
Old Codger, I feel from your comment that you are somewhat offended by the video. Also I'm a bit disappointed by the fact you think that this video is a review... It just a warning about what could happen when a respectable manufacturer skips on quality... Purposely or not?.. You do not expect everything you buy disintegrates completely a few weeks after warranty expiration, do you?.. Sea Eagle kayaks are not cheap either.
Did you see me in the video using a heat gun or a torch?
I suggest you watch the video again and tell me what exactly I did 'wrong'. Til then I will consider your comment as absolutely worthless.
BTW, I still think that Sea Eagle kayaks the best in terms of design and the most comfortable too.
Talk to you later.
@@kaktotak2521 - No. My comment and your reply speak for themselves. Do you deny heating up the kayak to 140°F? I’m not the only one who pointed this out.
@@oldcodger9388 Do you really think that reaching 140°F is something incredibly impossible? I did not heat up the kayak to 140°F. The top of the kayak was heated up by the direct sunlight when ambient temperature was around 80°F and no wind and in a few minutes. I simply demonstrated that it easily could happen even on the water. The disintegrated glue already gives up when the seams are heated up slightly over 106°F. Believe me I've done some thorough testing. On certain parts the glue will hold like crazy even when heated by a heat gun over 180°F... Different glue? The first three hot seasons the kayak was was exposed to sunlight in very hot weather and held up well. Do you think that it is normal to fail like this on the fourth season start? The purpose of the video is to warn kayakers about the potential danger.
I'm quite sure this is not a SeaEagle 385fta. The SeaEagle is Green and has "Sea Eagle Fast track Angler" printed on the side of the kayak !!
Bruce, you are absolutely right! It is not "Angler" - www.seaeagle.com/FishingKayaks/385fta. It is Sea Eagle 385 FT - www.seaeagle.com/FastTrackKayaks/385ft. Let's hope "Angler" is more durable!
" I wonderel if this is common or not" Pretty common situation with FastTrack. I've got 465FT, the seam gave way and had a catastrophic failure - one side at least a 6" seam leak. Fortunately we got back from 4days kayak trip in very remote location (no people around, no cell reception, system of pretty large lakes) just a day before. Whew, we got lucky... SeaEagle staff said it's not repairable. Looks like new, but it's piece of garbage now
Igor, based on collected on the internet SeaEagle layak failure cases I started suspect that it is systematic. Could you provide more details on your failed kayak - kayak 'age', weather conditions when it failed and which seam failed?
Also read my earlier comment which provides additional info on the issue :
"Thank you for asking. Firstly, our region, British Columbia, Canada, is not the hottest place on Earth. Normally, we (my wife and I) use my kayak from April to October on average 1-2 times a week for 2-3+hour long kayaking trips… Total time spent on the water is around 150 hours per kayaking season and we used it for around 500 hours before its failure. We purchased Sea Eagle 385ft FastTrack kayak based on positive reviews, relative compactness and sensible weight, and our experience has been only positive till the ‘disaster’. I have tested all the seams on my ‘failed’ kayak and the glue disintegrated only on the grey/blue seams... and on both main chambers. All other seams are in perfect shape and even heating up them with a hairdryer does not melt the glue. I’ve communicated with SeaEagle support, got the kayak replaced and they also removed “electronically welded” words from the seam description in the kayak tech specs on their website. I hope that the provided information will help you to make your buying decision... Otherwise we have been enjoying the kayak(s)."
@@kaktotak2521 Well, it's 7 years old, but I've always took good care of it. No salt water, used in Quebec and upper NY. Kept it in the shadow on the shore during camping stays, approx. half-deflated, winter storage inside the house, washed and dried.
Was going to take it to one-day short ride, inflated it ( in the shadow) put it on the water, secured drybag and took some stuff to the car. Then I got back to the boat two minutes later, left hull looked weird, and I found big opening, 4-6 inches, nearby 465FT sign, on the top of the balloon. Again, it stayed on the sun about 3-5 minutes, wasn't too hot, morning sun, about +20 +23, such a shame !!!
I found good glue, but it seems useless to fix it, check comments under this video ruclips.net/video/4XhZ4yOZdWQ/видео.html and update from the guy in another FastTrack leak video : "After 18 months of sitting unused, the patch held up just fine...THEN THE SEAM AT THE OTHER END OF THIS PONTOON BLEW OUT when I went to use it again. Moral of this story....fix one problem and get another just like it. I think this coincidence may be caused by the manufacturing process. "
Could not believe we got back from kayak trip safely just day before ! Crossed big lakes, far away from the shore, no humans around, fully loaded for 4 days trip... Anyway, can't trust in this thing anymore
@@igoria2427 Your story sounds shockingly the same as all the others! As I said earlier I started suspecting... No! I'm sure now that glue they used for the very last seam in the technological process of assembling main balloons is not the same glue or process which used for gluing other parts - after a few seasons of kayak use it disintegrates and fails each time when inflated and heated over 40 C. Period.
The question rises: Is it done purposely?
When I communicated with SeaEagle support and, surprisingly, they did not sound surprised... at all...
The ugly part is that I tried to fix the seams with 'the best for PVC' HH66 glue which as well does not hold very well when heated. Now only thermally welded seams will give me the sense of security and safety. I like the idea of inflatable kayak, but only when it's done properly. I will spend some time searching for an easy way to reinforce seams exposed to the sun: light coloured liquid PVC+polyester mesh over the seams or something like that. If I succeed, I'll upload a detailed video about the process. Wish me luck.
@@kaktotak2521 "When I communicated with SeaEagle support and, surprisingly, they did not sound surprised... at all... " : ))))))
Friend of mine has SeaEagle Explorer approx. same age and he uses it pretty intensely, including two trips to Panama ( Pearl Islands, salt water, tropical sun etc.). No problems so far, knock on wood... I did a lot of research on SeaEagle products and found this difference - Explorer seam: Glued Quadruple Overlapped , FastTrack seam : High Frequency Welded. Could it be the case for the failure ? Quien sabe... But I'm out of any SeaEagle, for sure.
Plus, I've always felt uncomfortable about just two balloons, prefer to have multiple independent air chambers, six or four, at least
@@igoria2427 All kayaks are "Seam - Glued Quadruple Overlapped": now. My earlier reply to someone's comment - "I’ve communicated with SeaEagle support, got the kayak replaced and they also removed “electronically welded” words from the seam description in the kayak tech specs on their website" - in July, 2019. Welded seams will not rupture due to heating, they may only slowly leak which is fine and can be rectified easily. I would not be surprised that Explorer manufacturing outsourced to different location than FastTrack. As I said all the other seams are in very good shape and hold even when heated with a hair dryer up to 100C.
This is the kind of shit that gets me about Inflatable kayaks. Just when I see one that I like and im close to buying this comes up. Doesnt matter what company it is they all fail at some point so I think why do I keep looking for one. I see a gazillion good reviews for one and im thinking "ok cool this sounds like a legit kayak" and then the bad sides of it rears its ugly head. Also for a gazillion bad reviews you have one that looks good but again it gets a gazillion bad reviews. My question is if you have no more trust in Sea Eagles product dependability why did you want a replacement of said Sea Eagle product?
Tapes are supposed to melt at high temperature. it happens to my van that I fixed with duck tape every year in Florida. I replace it annually. It seems to be a failure on your part that you left it under the sun, and highly inflated it. You should always read user's manual and know limitation of your stuff. Lucky to you Sea Eagle replaced your kayak, probably Sea Eagle didn't have to. Probably you should use pressure gauge. or maybe you should go with hard shell kayak, so you don't have to worry about tape. However, hard shell kayak also have their own weakness if you don't read user's manual.
Duck tape?!!... User Manual?!!.. I feel that I did not provide enough information on how the kayak was tested... Watch the video again and point what was not done right! Hmmm...Duct tape!..
Don’t tape ducks! Please only use it on ducts.
voila
Sounds like it's time for a non-inflatable?
At the end of the day, this video makes Sea Eagle look extremely well. Best and Baddest company ever!!! #1