[Da_Q-ban_one]

Hi all,


Long version of the question (scroll down for short version):

I'm new to kayaking, however I currently own a sea eagle 330, which I like, but it is a bit soft in comparison to their Fasttrack or Explorer IK lines.

I would love to be able to buy one of theses, but cannot afford them:

300x
340x
380x
385ft

So, I opted for the next best thing, the Sevylor SK100DS (red and grey one, not the yellow black one, although they are very similar) and bought 2 @ $200/piece (one for me and one for the wife).

I have not yet received it but judging by the specs online, it seems very rugged, built with the Sevytex material, which is comparable (I think??) to 1100 Decitex material.
The reasons I got two of these and not a single tandem one were 1) price, and 2) the fact that due to their smaller form factor, they may also serve as a surf kayaks for my wife and I (kind of hard to do with a tandem setup, I think?)

I should also mention that while I would like to do some whitewater kayaking in the future, that is not my main purpose for it. It will be more of an all around type of kayak which I can take to the beach, river or lake with me.

So... (sorry for the long intro), my question to you guys is as follows: How does this kayak (Sevylor SK100DS)

Sevylor 1-Person Surf Kayak with Paddle and Pump: Outdoor Sports : Walmart.com

compare to a Sea Eagle Explorer 340x (or the newer 300x),

Explorer Inflatable Kayaks are Rugged, Dependable Inflatable Kayaks designed for up to Class Four Whitewater

in terms of workmanship, build, rigidity, durability, you know overall?

It is my understanding that both are self bailing, both have hard dropstitched floors and both have a similar weight/gear capacity.

Aside from the removable skeg (which I've already ordered and PLAN on gluing to the Sevylor, in hopes it improves with tracking and maneuverability), what else is lacking or highly different between these two IKs.

By the way, I've ordered the NRS Fin replacement plate and both 5" and 9" fins, which I will glue to the bottom of the SK100DS.

Short version of the question:

Sevylor SK100DS vs Sea Eagle 340x /300x
how do these two compare??? (links above)


Please chime in with ANY observations or thoughts. Thank you.

-Qban

 

[bigben]

Please chime in with ANY observations or thoughts.-Qban

careful what you wish for!!

get a job, man up and buy a hyside paddilac. or if your broke, get a tributary tomcat.
your fancy sevylor ain't gonna last 2 seasons if you actually use it.
and you might not want to admit to anyone that you own one. especially on the buzz.
just sayin...

 

[tmcdevit]

The sevylor would be a big step up from what you are currently paddling. Sevylor is kind of a joke, but that is by far their best boat. Having owned a padillac as well, I would note that the Padillac is made of tougher material and bails faster, but it also handles much more sluggishly. The sevylor has more rocker and feels more like a kayak is generally more fun to paddle. I would also note that the Sevylor does have welded seams and is around 1000 denier, so it's not a total piece of junk. But no, you won't get much respect paddling it.

 

[streetdoctor]

Is that a link to walmart?

 

[yetigonecrazy]

Sevylor gets a bad rap because so much of their product line is absolute shit for beginners. It's true and well deserved.

That being said, I've owned an SVX100KDS for 8 years, and it has performed admirably for me. No, it's not as thick rubber as you find on an Aire or similar priced boat, and it probably wont last as long as one of those boats.

But, for the price, it is a great IK. I've used and abused mine through four states and two continents over the past eight years and I am extremely happy with how mine has handled. I've had to put some small patches on it here and there but honestly it's been amazing. I've paddled everything from a 60 cfs ELF run on Capitol Reef's Fremont River to 5,000+ cfs on Parkdale on the Arkansas and it did well in both and everywhere in between.

If you get the one man version, you will be surprised by how much it handles and feels like a hardshell as opposed to a big ducky. It's small (just over 10') and very nimble.

That's all I can really think of right now. My pops has a SeaEagle 330 and between the two I would pick the Sevy 10 times out of 10. The SeaEagle is a decent boat but its not the same performance level.

 

[PhilipJFry]

Don't let them get you down, a lot on the buzz are snobs. I own an Aire Ocelot, and a Sotar raft, yet I still have 3 Sevylor K79's and 3 Sea eagle 330's, Why you ask? because they are a boat load of fun, and they are cheap. my oldest Sevylor is 13 years old, and its still going strong, (two pinhole patches that were caused by neglect) and those patches have been on for years with no issue. not a huge fan of the seats, so I did put aire cheetah seats in 3 of them. just glued some D-Rings to the floor for the seat to strap to. it made a heck of a difference. - the Sk100DS is built much better than the k79, so I'm sure if you take care of it, it will give you a lot of years of enjoyment, for a fraction of the cost of a comparable boat (a tomcat doesn't have a drop stitch floor in it, and it has insanely thing urethane bladders compared the the 1000 denier fabric on the SK100DS. you have pros and cons to both boats. But heck even Sea Eagle offers a 3 year warranty on the cheap sport class boats.

 

[2kanzam]

I don't have experience with that particular sevylor, but the ones I've put my hands on were more like pool toys.

In addition to my NRS, Hyside and cheap chinese bucket...I own an older 380x. I have really liked the boat. Not a great performer on flatwater or whitewater but it is a very good boat...it's kinda like the basic pickup truck of the IK world. Assuming the materials stayed the same (I know they started transitioning to cheaper- now plastic hardware on some things) I think they have really improved with the new design on the explorer series. Mine, 4 years (?) later looks like new...no issues and actually faired quite well in an extraction. They are (were) good starter boats. I will also say there are few IKs you can load so much crap into and I haven't found one that is more comfortable than mine with the "deluxe" seats. I could use the extra bailing holes the new ones have.

However, over the past few years they started pricing the explorer series out of the affordable good boats niche. When I got mine it was the best boat you could find for about $800+/- AND it includes all the stuff (except pfd) that you need to get started...other brands don't. Now you can get a bandit or tomcat for alot less than a SE...and these are much better preforming boats from reputable companies.

If I were in the situation I was in when I bought that ^ boat now...I would get a tomcat or bandit.

If it were between the sevylor or SE....SE hands down, at least they have a warranty. However I would recommend getting a longer one...it helps greatly with capacity and tracking and doesn't really negatively affect anything else. I have paddled a 340x and it was not as good as the 380x.

I can't find any real specs on the sevylor, but it's a little disconcerting when they don't tell what gauge pvc, type of seams, warranty, types of valves etc...these are the areas that are often skimped on to make a boat cheaper and/or lighter.

....I reread your post and realized you already bought some? Just trying to torture yourself are ya? LOL!

J/k...have fun, be safe and welcome to the sport! (i.e. make room for more boats!)

 

[Da_Q-ban_one]

(Sorry for taking so long to reply but better late then never...)

So first off, wow... a "lot of snobs" just about covers it



In any case, I DID ask for it, so THANK YOU ALL for chiming in!!

Ok, so here's the verdict:

I think it is a great kayak, especially b/c I went out and also bought a cheap plastic (hardshell) one from walmart and the Sevylor is WAY more stable and sturdy imo.

Yes, it doesn't track very good out of the box (until you get used to paddling it that is), but I temporarily rigged a makeshift fin that I strapped to the back of it (I'll try and snap a few pics next time), and it tracked much better, so I know it will improve tremendously once I glue on the receiving plate and mount the slide-in skeg/fin from NRS which is similar to those found on the exporer and fasttrack series of the sea eagle kayaks.

Here's the link for the NRS fins:
NRS SUP Board Fins at nrs.com

and plate patch:
NRS Fin Replacement Plate at nrs.com


Once I get those puppies attached and mounted, this will be hands down the best kayak you can get for that price: super sturdy, small and nimble and with a rigid drop stitch floor, what more can you ask for?

Again, keep in mind that I live in AZ, no crazy river rapids near me, and I don't plan on going whitewater rafting in it anytime soon... so for the moment, I think this will suffice (as I initially stated, I wanted a relatively stable, sturdy, IK that I could float down the Salt river, local lakes and occasionally take down to Rocky Point, MEX or San Diego, CA with me to fool in the surf for a bit).
And for that, I think it is PERFECT (especially @ the price Walmart currently has it for... $199)!!!

So once again, thank you for your replies, suggestions and (we'll call them) constructive "knocks"... hehe.. Cheers!!

Qban-

 

[thefix]

better deal than you might be thinking

So I read through this post and it got me to thinking... at the price you paid($200) for the sevylor sk100ds, how good of a deal is this?

After reading a lot of praise for this kayak and a lot of criticism for it as well I noticed that most of the critics are people speaking from not much or any experience with the boat, but out of familiarity with the brand(Sevylor). I am inclined to agree with them as the Sevylor name doesn't inspire much prestige. Still all the good things I read about the kayak from people who have used it made me interested. So looked into it a bit and I found that just a few years ago that kayak(SK100DS) retailed for $600, of course its not currently listed on their page. I had to look it up on "The Way Back Machine". So right off the bat I'd have to say that is a pretty good deal at over 60% off. But who cares if you got a huge discount on a piece of junk?..

I don't think it is a piece of junk, I'm sure its far from the best quality you'll find in other boats. But it is made from Sevylor's sevytex material which is 1100 denier PVC, had welded seams and decent valves. Its made in china but so is the Tomcat that everyone says is a better buy. I think the arguments that it will just fall apart are kind of unfair unless you want to make the argument that 1100 denier PVC cant hold up(the Tomcat has 900D material on it). With welded and not glued seams you don't have to worry about that. Even if this boat won't last like an Aire Lynx or Force at 1/6-1/8 the price, it doesn't have to(plenty of testimonials of people who have been using theirs for 5+ years).

The question I have for those who know more than me is:
Is the design inherently inferior in some way? Is the dropstitch floor a plus, minus or negligible in terms of performance for say class 2-4 WW?

If the answers to those questions are as I expect, I think this is the best deal going.

 

[PhilipJFry]

This post got me looking at them too, so I went ahead and picked one up. Paddled it on the staircase stretch of the South Fork of the Payette. Fell in love with it, so I picked up 3 more. (I have wife and 2 teenage daughters who love them too) The thing punches waves great, bails fast. turns on a dime. tracks fairly straight, straight enough for a whitewater boat. It's comfortable. plenty of tie downs (I put an Aire cargo bag behind the seat, fits perfect) I think it'll last a very long time. Valves are H3 (HR / Summit knock off) you can pick up extras from ZOIK - Kayaks, Rafts, Inflatables, Rafting Accessories if you feel the need. I picked up two just because I like to be prepared. I say get one! you really can't go wrong for $200 - and it may last as long as a Lynx or a Force, as it's easier to dry and clean than a lynx or a force.

 

[thefix]

nice to hear

I went ahead and bought one as well, I also bought a removable skeg plate and skeg because why not? I have not gotten them yet but it is nice to hear you were thinking the same thing as me and are pleased. If I feel its a decent kayak after trying it out I may buy another just to have for friends/family. At $200 its an easy buying decision.

 

[PhilipJFry]

You'll enjoy it, i'm sure.
I ran mine on the Main Payette, and the Cabarton stretch of the North Fork Payette this week. Had a blast. I have a tomcat too, that I bought a couple years ago. I think it's going to go up on craigslist soon.

 

[thefix]

another thought

The $212 price includes a paddle and a pump. Im sure the paddle is not impressive but what do you think about that pump that it comes with?

 

[PhilipJFry]

The paddle is complete yeah, the pump is pretty good though, better than expected. On par with the nrs wonder pump, the wonder pump has more volume, but the included pump does just fine for this small ik.

 

[thefix]

So with the pump being of comparable value to a $30 pump, this deal looks even better. And I guess that paddle might be nice to have as an emergency backup or something.

 

[PhilipJFry]

The paddle is complete garbage, maybe use the tubing for a tent pole or something? guess it could serve a purpose if you had absolutely nothing else to paddle with, but you could easily break it in easy class III water.

 

[Da_Q-ban_one]

I have yet to receive the nrs plate and fin(s), will have to give them a call. But I have also used it several times and a lot of folks have admired it and asked about it. All in all, if you take care of it (meaning clean and dry it up after every trip), it should last years to come.

I had the unfortunate event of having the small round black plastic center piece fall off from the bottom of the pump (underneath)

I wonder if I can find the replacement piece, otherwise since I bought two I can just use my other pump.. but I would still like to fix it eventually.

As for the paddles, they are complete gargage..

 

[thefix]

The skeg plate wasn't listed on the nrs site when I looked for it. I ordered it from Colorado kayak supply. I got it in 2 days, but I live in Colorado.