RV GAME CHANGER / MOST VERSATILE SEA EAGLE PADDLESKI 437ps / BEGINNING OF NEW ADVENTURES

[@christopherl.miller4092]

I bought the Paddleski back in February (I think). I LOVE this thing. I went with the 5HP Honda and have only had her out on a lake about 10 minutes from our house for about an hour to start the break-in of the motor. Since I live up north, I haven't had much time to get her out on the water but the hour I was out was great. It was a very windy day and she handled the chop like a pro. We bought her to take her RV camping with us. We have reservations for 4 state parks in Florida for next Jan-Feb timeframe and I can't wait. I look forward to seeing more of your videos featuring "Ducky". Be blessed, Chris.

[@roadnotesrv]

Awesome. Enjoy your Paddleski and RV trips.

[@classicarcadeamusementpark4242]

I wanted to congratulate you on your purchase of a Sea Eagle Paddleski. For the past 13 years or so, I've been one of the biggest fans of the Paddleski design. My original one, a 435ps, has been used between 450-500 times at more than 125 locations. It still looks like new, and has never been patched so far. I was one of the very first people to get the new 437ps, and the first to post a video online using it on the water. I loved my 435ps so much, I bought a spare last year because they are no longer available. You are the first 437ps owner like me that, as mentioned in your video, kayaking the boat is one of your main interests. As great as this boat is, I have to say paddling it as a kayak you will find more difficult than any other inflatable kayak I know of. Unlike the previous model, Sea Eagle does not classify the 437ps as a kayak. It has larger pontoon tubes on the sides, and is a bit wider. It's target market is as very portable fishing boat. Improvements have been made in that can do stand up casting on the this model. It offers a little more room for fishing gear. The hull is twice as fast with a 6HP motor, where as the 435ps could handle a maximum of a 3HP motor. 5 air chambers for safety. It's a great boat. But it's no longer really a kayak. You can paddle it as a kayak, but the amount of effort to do so is significantly more. If someone inexperienced were to paddle this a few miles out and the winds kicked up, they might not make it back. Especially paddling alone. A body builder might not have much trouble, but many people would. The paddling ability of the 437ps is intended for either short distances, or extremely calm conditions. You can paddle into areas other boats can't go however, but the real intention is to motor if going any distance. You are well equipped however with your 2.5HP gas motor. I would like to see Sea Eagle make the Paddleski a series of boats. The 437ps for the fishing market, and a version more like the 435ps for the kayaking market. After all...the name is the Paddleski. Paddling should have priority. With the Paddleski design, you get many features typically of kayaks, a fishing boat and even a sail boat. This was especially true on the 435ps. Paddling of the 435ps I believe to be as good or better performance than Sea Eagle's popular Explorer models. Last year on a calm day, I raced my friend on his Fast Track and I won. I was surprised without wind, the effort to paddle my 435ps didn't seem a lot harder to paddle than my Razorlite. On an average day which has some wind, when paddling my 437ps any real distance, my arms feel like they are getting a massive workout. Not so with...a kayak. The 437ps also has no skeg of any kind, and has a tenancy to want to spin a bit when paddled. You can get used to it with the right paddling technique, but again, it's not really a kayak. But make no mistake..it's a great boat for what it was designed to be. To improve paddling, I would highly recommend upgrading to Sea Eagle's longer paddles. The included A30 paddles I feel are sort of token paddles, but uncomfortable for kayaking the 437ps as it is too wide. I keep hitting the sides and it's annoying. But I mostly paddle my Razorlite these days. Did you reach top speed on your 2.5HP motor? I'd like to see a video of top speed. I may end up buying one of those as both my expensive Torqeedo's (which I loved) broke, and I don't have $3000 to buy another.

[@roadnotesrv]

Thank you for your information and post. I agree, due to the paddleski’s wide body (4 feet) it isn’t the easiest to paddle through windy or heavy upstream situations. It’s is however easy to maneuver as a kayak on calm or downstream situations, which is mainly our focus when utilizing paddles. All other conditions is where the motor will get us where we need to go. Have not reached top speeds yet as I am still in the 10 hour break in phase. I imagine however at 100% throttle, single person 8-10 mph and two people 6-8 mph, which is plenty for us. I do intend, and have been using it as a fishing boat outside of our excursion days, and it’s awesome.

[@bobparish5008]

I got one last year, we full-time in our RV, I can fit it and all accessories in my front bay of our 5th wheel with plenty of room left over. I had it out on San Diego Bay last summer with high winds and choppy water and she handled beautifully. I love the versatility of it. We love ours.

[@roadnotesrv]

That’s awesome, we really enjoy ours as well. Thank you Bob

[@artat777]

Outstanding video

[@SuperLooneyrooney]

I just bought mine a few days ago - they are having end of year/inventory management sale. I wanted the 5hp Honda but after doing some research you will probably be better off buying that separately as Sea Eagle is charging $1999 for it whereas my local dealer is charging about $1700. I ended up getting the 6 HP Tohatsu for $1450 after $100 rebate.

[@roadnotesrv]

Good choice on the outboard. We actually sold out 2.5 hp and now strictly use our electric trolling motor. Very enjoyable. Enjoy yours and congrats on a great purchase.

[@sparkleandspurs]

New subscribers here....we have the Paddleski as well. Opted for the package w/ Honda 5hp and got the bimini & wheel cart too. We are FT Rv'ers, travel in a 44' Newmar Dutch Star. Our paddleski goes on top of our Jeep Grand Cherokee in a cargo carrier. Our Honda 5hp stays in the back of the Jeep just in case we're out sight seeing and come across a lake or river we want to explore. We've had it out everywhere from FL, NC, VA to where we are now in upper MI! The seats that came with it aren't the most comfortable to us so might upgrade those, but overall ,we love the versatility the paddle ski gives us while traveling. We also travel with two inflatable kayaks. We went with the Aquaglide Deschutes 110. Super lightweight, very stable with superb construction. We look forward to following you guys. Marc & Phyllis

[@roadnotesrv]

Awesome, thank you so much. The Ski is great, and the Honda 5 is a nice outboard to have. I can imagine it’s pretty heavy to lift the ski up to the top of your Jeep? Are you guys on instagram, or any other platform?

[@artat777]

So do you still have it and what are your pros and cons?

[@101010105]

I purchased a Paddleski for my son who has moved to Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Just wondering where you were in this video and where you launched your Paddleski from. It appears to be near the area he lives in now.

[@roadnotesrv]

Hi, we launched from Haulover Canal in Titusville. About three hours north of PBG.

[@victorquintana8437]

Love the video, and love ducky!!

[@roadnotesrv]

Thank you, Ducky is great :))

[@NghiaPham-xi5so]

Have you tried to see how fast you can go with two people? Also, what brand and hp is your motor? Thanks

[@roadnotesrv]

No, not measured. We have 2.5 hp Suzuki Probably around 7-8 mph with two people.

[@artat777]

@@roadnotesrvthat’s not bad

[@artat777]

It looks like you’re doing between 10-12

[@angelikagelbke7069]

Ducky ist Spitze 👍👍👏👏

[@roadnotesrv]

Thank you 🙏

[@zerocool098]

Can you make do without the aluminum cross bar in the front? Or you loose stability?

[@roadnotesrv]

Yes, it’s part of the set up, that keeps it all stable. Good thing is, it literally only takes five seconds to install. :)

[@jeffh2125]

Hi guys, I have been researching this quite a bit as well and I think Sea Eagle 437 looks pretty good for my requirements. How is the effort pulling it fully loaded back up a typical boat ramp - one person? I see that you pretty easily dropped it in at a slight incline. I have not watched the full video yet to see you take it out. I was planning on a 6-hp 60 lb motor though and canopy top. Also I saw an optional type of seat that is just a cushion, that doesn't swivel. In a pinch, do you think one of those seats would fit up front as a third seat? The weight capacity of the boat seems perfectly sufficient for three average people. I do expect it may be a little tight. Thanks for the great video so far. You're selling me. :-)

[@roadnotesrv]

Not sure about the seat up front (maybe a child would work). To get her out of the water is pretty much the same as getting her in, just in reverse. The wheels make it pretty effortless once you get used to using them. Good luck and enjoy!

[@jeffh2125]

@@roadnotesrv I was referring to gravity, going uphill, possible slippery ramps, etc. Come to find out though, and sadly, Sea Eagle is based in NY and marxists Hochul, Engoron and James keep me from buying there. I don't like it either, but they're examples of "power corrupts absolutely". Nice boat though; thx.

[@brentedg]

Great video, thanks for sharing. I am considering purchasing and I am curious to know why did you go with the smaller engine vs the 5hp Honda? Thanks.

[@roadnotesrv]

Thank you. It was a purely cost for us, the Suzuki was half the cost.

[@artat777]

@@roadnotesrvthanks I’m getting a sea eagle as well The cost of the motor and probably the weight that Honda motor is 60lbs

[@floridamontanaman1028]

Thank you for the video… are you guys still loving it? The 2.5?

[@roadnotesrv]

Yes we do. So far, I haven’t had any problems. Very reliable and very economic. Thank you

[@artat777]

@@roadnotesrvSuzuki makes great reliable motors

[@kenmidas2850]

I had one of the older paddle ski ,it was very nice, the redesigned Paddle ski , what I don't like about is when you redesigned it you moved the transom forward which is good because it's a better design but the older one the transom of the boat on the end which gave you more leg room in the rear because if you watch the video the rear person padding legs are cramped very uncomfortable the paddle ski needs to be made longer

[@roadnotesrv]

With two seats yes, leg room is restricted, but I found that you can still stretch your legs by either standing up, or simply stretch them out to the sides. It works and it’s fine. Seats are very comfortable.

[@koalafan1576]

Gotta have room for your coffee.

[@roadnotesrv]

For sure. We’ve added the Scotty cup holder, so now it’s even better. :)). Thank you

[@christopherbenson8619]

Thanks for a great video. I bought a Paddleski last Sept and only used it twice before winter. Curious to know how you re-attach the wheels when you are taking the boat out of the water. I struggled with how best to do it and ended up wading into the water up to my knees to position the wheels and attach the strap.

[@roadnotesrv]

Hi, good question. I’ve been experimenting with this and found the best and easiest way to do it, is to treat the cart like a boat trailer. I removed the straps from the cart and push the boat out, once the wheels are 3/4 covered in water, the boat slides out and I retrieve the cart. To get it back out of the water, I place the cart in the water (about half deep of the wheels) and pull the boat on to it until it hits the back part of the boat and pull it out, much like you do with a bigger boat and a trailer/truck. Works pretty well and it’s super easy and quick. Hope this helps.

[@christopherbenson8619]

@@roadnotesrv Great idea. I’ll try it soon! Thanks for the suggestion

[@NghiaPham-xi5so]

@@roadnotesrv Can you pull out the boat without securing the strap from the wheels or do you need to strap it down first before pulling it out of the water? Thanks

[@roadnotesrv]

@@NghiaPham-xi5so yes you can. In fact, I removed the strap completely and launch and retrieve like one would with a normal boat trailer. Takes a bit of practice, but it’s quick and efficient.

[@newmanbert]

Hello - Thanks for the Paddleski video, great work. Question, we have had ours apx 1 year and looking towards getting a motor for the boat one of the challenges is we are weekend RV'ers, retired and trying to figure out where we can store the motor and can it be layed down? Was looking at the honda 6hp they offer on Sea Eagle website but do know most say they work best leaving upright. Since we pull our travel trailer we are unable to put it on the hitch like many do. We love to fish as well and anxious to get the canopy top and motor to get out more in the water. They are very durable we love our as well. Any suggestions? We have a 34' Grand Design Imagine TT.

[@roadnotesrv]

Hi, yes, motors can be layed down (on the correct side), just make sure that the head of the motor sits up a bit higher than the shaft (due to oil and gas in the head). However, when we travel with our RV and we don’t have a tow car with us, we only bring an electric motor (watersnake) 54 lbs thrust, because the outboard wouldn’t be be sitting in the right angle in our bay. We love to just “E-kayak” with it and run the electric one and just steer with the paddle :). As far as outboards, the Honda 6 is awesome, but was too expensive for us, so we opted for a smaller Suzuki 2.5 for half the price, and it has been very reliable and sufficient. Hope this helps and enjoy the ski and keep the fishing lines tight. :).

[@capnjsknotaide9168]

Great vid. Can it be used without the transom, as just a paddle craft?

[@roadnotesrv]

Hi, the transom is part of the boat, it provides the stability from the side Pantoons and width of the craft. I know this, because I contacted Sea Eagle with the same question :)).

[@capnjsknotaide9168]

@@roadnotesrv Thanks

[@RamblinRoadies]

The boat is great. I was hoping for a little more info on the motor.

[@roadnotesrv]

Hi, we purchased the Suzuki 2.5 HP DF2.5S5 Outboard. onlineoutboards.com/collections/suzuki-2-5-hp-outboards?gclid=CjwKCAjwrJ-hBhB7EiwAuyBVXaYMZolCYIZAa3_CV9Qc_3pvBgo4bozJ9_sBoc-Wvj4l00OTivhd8BoCqOgQAvD_BwE

[@classicarcadeamusementpark4242]

@@roadnotesrv Wow, that's pretty cheap actually. Please take notice if you end up spilling any gas or oil inside your car, and if you spell fumes. This is one of the main reasons I choose the pricey Torqeedo. Some other reasons too. I'd still like to have a gas motor as well, because for one thing, you can get much greater range by taking a spare can of gas with you and possibility buy more out on the water. There are some locations I'd really appreciate the range of gas. I'm generally limited to a maximum of 10 miles round trip, and that's going slow some of the time.

[@roadnotesrv]

@@classicarcadeamusementpark4242 no spillage or fumes so far. It is imperative that if you store it horizontally (like we do in our trunk) you drain the access gas from the carburetor and that you store it right side up on a slight angle (engine higher than the prop). You can also opt for a hitch attachment, that allows you to transport it vertically.

[@newmanbert]

@@roadnotesrv We have the paddleski... but the rowing or paddeling does not work well for us..your motor seems much cheaper, may need to take a look at that. Sounds appealing, can you haul it on its side? We also Rv with a 34' and need something that will set on it's side in the back of the truck.

[@roadnotesrv]

@@newmanbert yes, the 2.5 Suzuki was half the price of the Honda 5. Both motors can be transported on its side (semi flat). You want the motor part a bit more elevated than the prop. We love the Paddleski and also just added a bow mounted trolling motor to ours :).