Seaflo Kayaks - Ultimate Buyer Guide & Reviews
There are so many kayak brands out there these days that it has become hard to keep track of them all. To be honest, there isn’t a huge difference between the vast majority of kayaks on the market, which is why it’s so important to know about individual brand reputations.
The good name of a kayak brand carries a lot of weight amongst buyers. You want to know that you’re paying for a high-quality kayak that is also backed by a company that will provide support if you encounter any product defects.
Seaflo is possibly one of the lesser-known kayak brands out there, but it’s worth considering how they stack up against the competition.
So in this Seaflo Kayak ultimate buyer guide, we’ll ponder that very question, along with providing brief overviews of all the kayak models from this China-based company.
Photo by Sharif Putra via Shutterstock
About Seaflo Kayak
PC Seaflo Kayak
Seaflo is a relatively new company that got its start in 2012. While they’ll be celebrating their 10-year anniversary soon, they continue to expand the number of sectors and industries in which they offer products and services.
Their holistic approach to delivering their products includes research, design, manufacturing, supply chain integration, and marketing. They specialize in a number of products, including sprayers, blowers, micro pumps, pressure systems, and, of course, blow-molded kayaks and accessories.
The company currently has two factories and employs more than 300 people. Their factories cover a total area of more than 300,000 square meters and their kayak and pump factory is located in the Fujian Liancheng country industrial area in the People’s Republic of China.
Seaflo Kayak Ultimate Buyer Guide
Photo by Galyna Andrushko via Shutterstock
So what types of kayaks can you get from Seaflo? And how do you sort through their models to find what’s right for you?
Let’s talk about those questions, and several others, in this buying guide.
What Kinds of Kayaks Do They Offer?
This is a great place to start because we can tell you right up front that Seaflo doesn’t make any of the best whitewater kayaks on the market these days. That said, they make a variety of other models for other purposes, such as:
What is Blow-Molding?
This is a style of kayak manufacturing that Seaflo predominantly uses in most of their models, besides their inflatable kayaks of course. A mold is created for each kayak shape and plastic is then blown into that mold before it hardens to create a rugged, one-piece design.
Blow-molding is different from rotomolding in that the latter uses a process by which plastic is poured into the mold and then rolled to fill the corners.
The advantage of rotomolding is that you typically end up with a thicker material at the corners, which are also the areas of a kayak that tend to receive the most contact with the ground or rough objects.
Generally speaking, the blow-molding process produces a more consistent product and also utilizes a tougher plastic. The drawbacks include a more expensive production process and more difficulty in achieving a uniform plastic thickness throughout the kayak.
Which Seaflo Kayaks Are Right For You?
The easiest way to narrow down your selection is by your predominant activity. In other words, those interested in casual, recreational paddling don’t need a Seaflo kayak that is primarily designed for day touring or kayak fishing.
Now, keep in mind that fishing kayaks are highly versatile because they can be used for fishing or recreational paddling. So there are some kayak types that can serve multiple purposes if you know you’re into one type of paddling but have a growing interest in another.
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices according to activity, you should also make sure your kayak can handle your body weight plus the weight of all the kayaking safety equipment and paddling accessories you’ll load in.
Mind the 80-percent rule, which states that a kayak shouldn’t be loaded with more than about 80 percent of its advertised maximum weight capacity.
A kayak won’t sink immediately if overloaded, but it will ride significantly lower in the water, which makes it slower, harder to maneuver, and much more likely to capsize.
Seaflo Kayak Reviews
Currently, Seaflo offers 21 different kayak models for adults and kids. We are going to provide brief profiles on all of them, along with their best uses, so let’s get started.
1. Recreational Kayak QUEST 9.5
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 9’7”
- Width: 27.6”
- Height: 12”
- Weight: 31.6 pounds
- Max Capacity: 300 pounds
This is a great leisurely sit-inside kayak for novices and it offers a large stern storage compartment that allows it to grow with you as you plan longer kayak trips.
The double-arched hull design on this recreational kayak provides a great balance between stability and tracking ability and the sealed bulkhead provides the kind of buoyancy that larger paddlers will require.
2. Day Touring Enduro 14
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 13’7.2”
- Width: 23.4”
- Height: 12.5”
- Weight: 58.4 pounds
- Max Capacity: 326 pounds
The Day Touring Enduro 14 is Seaflo’s longest kayak and, as such, it is best suited for longer day trips or even multi-day kayak excursions. It is built with a streamlined hull and a drop-down rudder to help you maintain course in higher winds or when dealing with heavy ocean currents.
This touring kayak is also equipped with two sealed storage hatches at the bow and stern that provide plenty of storage for your gear. It also features self-rescue safety straps just behind the cockpit that help you pull yourself back up and into this kayak if you capsize accidentally.
3. Day Touring Enduro 13
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 12’8.4”
- Width: 25”
- Height: 13”
- Weight: 55.6 pounds
- Max Capacity: 300 pounds
The Day Touring Enduro 13 is the Goldilocks version of all Seaflo’s touring kayaks–it’s not too long and it’s not too short. It’s a great choice for medium-sized paddlers and it offers all the same great features at the Enduro 14, including a track-rite skeg system, built-in adjustable footrests, and two large sealed storage hatches at the bow and stern.
4. Day Touring Enduro 12
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 11’8.4”
- Width: 27.2”
- Height: 13”
- Weight: 59.1 pounds
- Max Capacity: 351 pounds
The Day Touring Enduro 12 is the shortest of Seaflo’s touring kayaks, but it also offers the highest maximum weight capacity, which makes it well-suited for larger paddlers.
In the hull, they’ve built a wheel right into the stern area to make this kayak much easier to transport from your vehicle down to the water’s edge.
5. Fishing Kayak Escape 10
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 10’6”
- Width: 34”
- Height: 15”
- Weight: 59.5 pounds
- Max Capacity: 400 pounds
The Fishing Kayak Escape 10 is the first of three fishing-specific plastic kayaks that Seaflo produces. It’s laden with many of the features you’d find on the best fishing kayaks on the market these days, including four fishing rod holders, an elevated aluminum-framed seat, and mesh tackle box holders on both sides of the cockpit.
This fishing kayak also boasts a large center console that can hold your smaller fishing gear or personal belongings.
Multiple footrest positions allow it to handle paddlers of varying heights and expansive storage areas at the bow and stern provide plenty of room for all of your kayak fishing essentials.
6. Fishing Kayak MAKO10
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 10’
- Width: 25”
- Height: 15.15”
- Weight: 64 pounds
- Max Capacity: 380 pounds
The MAKO 10 is Seaflo’s only pedal-driven fishing kayak, which provides the benefits of keeping your hands free to fish while you can still move your kayak around with your legs.
The large, open, and flat cockpit on this kayak also allows experienced anglers to fish from a standing position if they so desire.
If you thought the Escape 10 had a lot of features, the MAKO 10 is what we’d call ‘fully-loaded’. It’s got accessory tracks for kayak fishing gear, an adjustable rudder system with hand steering, an adjustable seat with high and low positions, trolley anchors, a sliding rail to move the seat forward or backward, and so much more.
7. Inflatable Kayak Solo
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 8’3”
- Width: 30”
- Height: 13.8”
- Weight: 24.25 pounds
- Max Capacity: 220 pounds
Seaflo’s solo inflatable kayak is great for casual paddling on lakes and slow-moving rivers. It’s a great choice for folks that don’t have a lot of room to store a larger kayak at home or that don’t want to worry about transporting a rigid kayak on a roof rack.
8. Inflatable Kayak Tandem
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 11’4”
- Width: 31”
- Height: 14”
- Weight: 41.89 pounds
- Max Capacity: 353 pounds
Their inflatable tandem kayak has those same advantages of being able to pack up into a compact carry bag when you’re not using it, but this one is ideally suited to two paddlers.
That being said, the inflatable seats can be removed and one can be repositioned centrally if you want to use this kayak as a single paddler.
9. Child Kayak SF-1002
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 6’1”
- Width: 24”
- Height: 9”
- Weight: 21 pounds
- Max Capacity: 121 pounds
This is a perfect kid’s kayak with a built-in skeg wheel for easy transportation and enhanced tracking ability. The hull design makes this exceptionally stable for kids just learning how to kayak.
For a kid’s kayak, there’s an exceptional amount of storage in the rear compartment and the front bungee storage area. There’s also a sealed hatch in the center of the cockpit for keeping your small personal belongings secure.
10. Adult Recreational Kayak SF-1003
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 8’9”
- Width: 27.2”
- Height: 9.3”
- Weight: 38.7 pounds
- Max Capacity: 275 pounds
This sit-on-top kayak is one of Seaflo’s best options for adult beginners because it’s very stable and maneuverable.
The lifted bow on this kayak design helps it punch through waves very well for casual recreational paddling and its relatively lightweight body makes it more efficient than most recreational kayaks.
11. Kid’s Kayak SF-1005
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 6’
- Width: 24”
- Height: 9”
- Weight: 18 pounds
- Max Capacity: 130 pounds
This kid’s kayak is even lighter and more compact than the last one, but it does offer a slightly higher weight capacity. One of the best features of this kayak is the rear swim-up platform that makes it easy for kids to climb back up onto it.
There’s no room for storage on this kayak, but it’s mainly made for young kids to tool around and have fun on the water. Even if they just use it to take short breaks from swimming, it’s an easy kayak to use and transport.
12. Parent-Child Kayak SF-2001
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 8’
- Width: 32”
- Height: 10.4”
- Weight: 44 pounds
- Max Capacity: 276 pounds
This square-backed kayak is designed for a parent and child to paddle together and it’s rated for kids ages five and up. Molded-in handles on the sides make this kayak easier for a single parent to carry on his or her own, but you could always invest in a kayak cart for rough terrain to make life even easier.
13. Blow-Molded Kayak SF-1008
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 8’
- Width: 31”
- Height: 14”
- Weight: 33 pounds
- Max Capacity: 264 pounds
This is a compact single kayak made for smaller paddlers with a lightweight design that makes it easier to transport and maneuver once you’re on the water.
Self-bailing scupper holes allow any water that comes into the cockpit to drain naturally and a folding backrest makes it easy to set up and then store when you’re done paddling.
14. Fishing Kayak SF-1007
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 10’
- Width: 31”
- Height: 14”
- Weight: 58.4 pounds
- Max Capacity: 275 pounds
If you don’t need something as high-end as the Escape 10 or the MAKO 10, this fishing kayak is a great option if you just want to explore a casual interest in kayak fishing.
It features two flush-mounted fishing rod holders behind the seat and a third swivel-mounted rod holder in the center of the cockpit, just in front of the built-in water bottle holder.
Two paddle parks on the gunwales give you a place to keep your kayak paddle secure while you’re fishing and two deck mounting brackets can accommodate a variety of fishing accessories. Plus, a tail wheel and multiple carrying handles make it easy to transport this kayak over the land.
15. Parent-Child Kayak SF-2002
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 7’9”
- Width: 32”
- Height: 11.4”
- Weight: 37 pounds
- Max Capacity: 235 pounds
This is another single kayak that is made for a small adult and a small child, but unlike the first model on our list, this one features a built-in grab handle in the cockpit to give your child a place to hold on in wavy conditions.
It also features a centrally-placed drain plug, a flip-up backrest, and a rear storage area with bungee rigging to keep your gear secure.
16. Parent-Child Kayak SF-4001
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 11’2.4”
- Width: 33”
- Height: 11.4”
- Weight: 64 pounds
- Max Capacity: 485 pounds
While it’s labeled as another parent-child kayak, this is a true tandem that boasts enough weight capacity to carry two adult paddlers. Plus, there’s even enough room at the bow or in the center for a small child to paddle along with both parents.
17. Adult Recreational Kayak SF-1004
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 10’
- Width: 8”
- Height: 13.3”
- Weight: 40 pounds
- Max Capacity: 275 pounds
Unlike the day touring kayaks, this sit-inside is designed for recreational paddling and it is even suited to handle light surf. It boasts a rocket head and arch design that keep it nimble and maneuverable when you’re breaking through waves.
18. Sit-in Kayak SF-1006
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 8’9”
- Width: 31”
- Height: 30.5”
- Weight: 35.2 pounds
- Max Capacity: 275.6 pounds
Seaflo’s other recreational sit-inside design is even more compact and lightweight than the last one and this one includes a slightly elevated seat so that you don’t end up sitting in any water that does make it into the cockpit.
There’s a sealed storage hatch at the stern of this kayak and it also features two secure paddle parks on both gunwales.
19. Blow-Molded Kayak SF-1010
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 8’8”
- Width: 26”
- Height: 10”
- Weight: 38.5 pounds
- Max Capacity: 275 pounds
Here we have another compact sit-on-top kayak with a simple design and excellent stability. There aren’t too many bells and whistles on this model, but that makes it an ideal choice for casual kayakers that don’t need to make a huge investment into a high-end kayak that you’re only going to use a handful of times each year.
20. Blow-Molded Tandem Kayak SF-2003
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 11’9.72”
- Width: 30.71”
- Height: 15.67”
- Weight: 61.73 pounds
- Max Capacity: 551.16 pounds
The tandem kayak offers the highest maximum weight capacity of any design in Seaflo’s arsenal and it boasts a deep design that helps to protect you from the spray of waves.
It is primarily suited for day trips and is appropriate for paddlers of all skill levels, but it’s mostly designed for small and medium-sized paddlers.
21. Crocodile Kayak SF-1011
PC Seaflo Kayak
Available Kayak Specifications
- Length: 6’7”
- Width: 24”
- Height: 12.6”
- Weight: 22 pounds
- Max Capacity: 121 pounds
The final kid’s kayak from Seaflo is quite arguably its most unique and distinguished design. With a crocodile head at the bow and a scaly design throughout, your kids can pretend they’re riding their very own primordial reptile, even though it’s much safer than capturing a live one.
Dual carry handles make it easy to transport and a stackable design makes it realistic to store multiple crocodile kayaks together. This model also boasts a flat bottom with a protruded stern that make it both stable and relatively easy for kids to learn how to kayak.
How Does Seaflo Stack Up Against the Competition?
Photo by CC7 via Shutterstock
A reasonable place to start when comparing Seaflo kayaks to the competition is with the design process. In addition to blow-molding and rotomolding, the other common design process for creating kayaks is called thermoforming, which is a process in which the hull and deck of the kayak are built separately and then sealed together using heat.
In general, the widespread consensus in the kayak community is that blow-molding, thermoforming, and rotomolding should be ranked in that order from good to better to best when it comes to durability in boat construction.
The main issue with blow-molded kayaks is inconsistency in terms of the thickness of the plastic. From a practical standpoint, this can result in thin areas that are more susceptible to cracking as your kayak expands and contracts due to external temperature changes.
Another issue is that some blow-mold manufacturers cut corners by adding recycled plastics. While this is a more environmentally-friendly practice than using new plastics for each kayak produced, it can result in further inconsistencies in kayak thickness and, thereby, durability.
So, when you combine these potential design flaws with the fact that Seaflo Kayaks seem to be tough to find in the US marketplace, we might recommend looking into alternatives like Pelican or Lifetime Kayaks!
Author: Peter SalisburyPete is the Owner of KayakHelp.com. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, he grew up kayaking, fishing, sailing, and partaking in outdoor adventures around the Great Lakes. When he’s not out on the water, you can find him skiing in the mountains, reading his favorite books, and spending time with his family.
0 Response to "Seaflo Kayaks - Ultimate Buyer Guide & Reviews"
Post a Comment