Sea Eagle PF7 PackFish7 Inflatable 7' Fishing Boat-Lightweight-Portable-Dry Enclosed Hull-Durable-One Person Fishing Boat Float Tube

So…. I wanted something I could set up quickly and access remote, or not so remote, lakes, ponds or rivers. I’ve done the kayak thing. Kayaks are not as convenient and lack the stability I truly wanted.At this price point I was pleasantly surprised. I used the included bellows pump to inflate it and honestly, was surprised at how few pumps it actually took to inflate both bladders. Took about 10 minutes, taking my time in my house, to get it fully inflated and ready for action.Breakdown and storage in the included backpack was equally (surprisingly) simple. About 15 minutes as it was my first time.On the water, I took too much with me. I’m 6’ and 200lbs. With the seat installed, my feet were at the end of the boat. Wedging them between the rod holders was a bit awkward. I simply took too much with me. Also, the two side (orange) storage containers are roomy, but more to follow….The bellows, foot pump had to be stored in one of the tackle containers (orange storage on the gunwale). The backpack did not fit easily into the storage behind the seat, so that went into the other gunwale storage.Overall, once I got the oars measured to where they were comfortable (they are a bit awkward to use, but not crazy), the boat tracked perfectly. It held its place in the water well with a moderate breeze thanks to the tracking pieces on the hull.This is a one rod, light tackle boat, at least for a 6’ stud trying to fish LOL. So a shorter person will definitely have a different experience, but I think this can work for taller people too. Much taller than 6’ though and your knees might interfere with rowing.The key is to maximize the limited space you have.I was on the water just trying it out for the first time and was comfortably suffering for about 2.5 hours, which could have been longer if I wanted to. It wasn’t bad at all with too much gear. Can’t wait until next time with a streamlined gear set!Buy with confidence and you don’t need an electric pump for this boat. It’s easily inflated with the foot pump.Breakdown was super simple and took about 10 minutes total to get everything back in the pack.Happy fishing!!

Looked around a lot for an upgrade to my previous toy. The Packfish 7 one-person raft fit the bill nicely. A step up in price from the tier of basic rafts, but far cheaper than some really serious boats. For my purposes, a great value. Very sturdy, a tough nylon cover above, and a tough, thick vinyl floor. I've used it for spring trout fishing 3 times so far this year. Heavy-duty foot pump inflates everything quickly. Much easier to get into and out of than my toy. I was surprised that I didn't have to crawl out - I could partially stand, even without the hard floor, and the raft was quite stable. I've had to force myself (carefully) over shallow obstacles - no damage. High sides, very comfortable and stable in the water. The seat is a real comfort - though I wish the bottom were extended forward a little more and sloped down toward the back a little, to make it harder to slide forward. The tracking bars work really well to keep you steady in the wind. The built-in cargo compartments are nice to have - but because they're under your elbows, they make rowing a little awkward. Not a big problem, but I do a lot of trolling, so I notice. With space at a premium, probably hard to find a better place. Maybe they could go amidships on the inside?As I write with aching shoulders from yesterday's 6-mile round trip, I'm aware that my biggest issue is packability. I want to use the raft on ponds at the end of wilderness foot trails. The raft with pump and oars weighs about 32 pounds. It packs into a zippered bag with basic shoulder straps - no waist belt. The bag only barely fits the raft, seat, paddles and pump, so I have to carry all my other gear in a duffle bag. Because the major (only?) reason to use a raft instead of a hard-body boat is packability, the pack provided is the limiting factor. It could greatly benefit from the addition of features I enjoy on my hiking backpack, like padded straps and a wide padded waist belt. Without those, I'm not likely to venture more than a mile or two from the car. Also, while there is a large zippered compartment on the outside, it's flush with the pack, so it can't hold much. With the large size of the pack, if the back compartment had a third dimension - extending outward, it would have a lot more usable storage space. Maybe an upgraded pack could be added as an option?Finally, getting the raft back into the pack in the wild has been a challenge. After my first trip, it was a little under 40 degrees when I started the deflation and folding process. In the cold, the heavy vinyl was a real bear to wrestle and fold down to a size that would fit into the pack. I will say though that after studying the guide and having gone through the packing-unpacking process 3 times, it seems to be getting easier. It feels as if folding it down a few times is limbering it up. And I'm sure it will be easier in warmer weather. I don't really want to complain too much about this. The difficulty has a lot to do with the quality of the raft and knowing what to do.

If you are on the fence about getting the packfish, just do yourself a favor and get it! I love this thing. Plenty of room and storage . The seat is really comfortable, but if it happens to be too rigid for you? No problem, just let some air out to your liking. It's also not attached to the boat so if you happen to fall out it could be an option to grab onto. That being said, it feels absolutely stable in the water. Leaning one way or the other won't affect you. I have the one with the rigid floorboard and would suggest you get it as well. Some of the videos I've seen show folks standing and fishing in the boat but I haven't done that. More than comfortable sitting down. The oars stay out of the way and once you find your rythym you can get going! And it all packs up into a backpack. Watch the sea eagle video on youtube. Love this boat, and I managed to snag my first cutthroat in Colorado on it. Was it because of the boat? Probably not, but why take the chance! Get it, and good luck in the water