Sea Eagle 9 Review (SE9)

With the release of the Sea Eagle SE9, America’s top manufacturer of inflatables has revisited their core values of providing high-quality, super convenient inflatable boats that can be used for just about anything.

The Sea Eagle 9 inflatable boat is versatile enough to be used for just about any purpose — whether you want it for family, fun, fishing, or camping, or as an ultra-convenient ship-to-shore tender. With its durable hull, an intrinsically stable construction, and high carrying capacity, this is a quality inflatable boat that won’t let you down.

But one of the defining characteristics of all Sea Eagle inflatable boats is their extraordinary convenience, a feature that doesn’t disappoint with the SE9. With a deflated weight of only 51 lbs. (including the floor), the SE9 measures just 26″ x 23″ x 10″, making it supremely efficient to transport or to store away when it’s not in use. And because it inflates in only 15 minutes, this convenience extends to getting the Sea Eagle 9 out on the water, as well.

Sea Eagle SE9 Review: Boat Overview

When it comes to inflatable boats, nobody makes a better hull than Sea Eagle and this is obvious in the design and construction of the SE9. Featuring tough but light construction, the SE9 will give you a stable, comfortable ride, together with the capacity to carry large loads or several passengers.

Thanks to the innovative four-chambered hull design (main and safety chambers, floor, and Motormount support chamber), the SE9 is virtually unsinkable. The main inflatable chamber, which runs completely around the boat, is supplemented by an independent safety chamber that rests above it. This not only gives you more space in the cockpit, but also ensures that a tear or hole in either chamber will not lead to a total lack of buoyancy – you’ll stay afloat in the SE9 no matter what you do to the hull.

Causing damage to the SE9 is easier said than done. The hull itself, which inflates to a comfortable 1.1 psi, is manufactured from strong but lightweight 38 mil Polykrylar and reinforced with high-frequency welded seams that Sea Eagle guarantees with their 3-year warranty on workmanship. The SE9’s hull is puncture- and abrasion-resistant, but still convenient enough to pack up into a bag and carry around.

The Sea Eagle SE9 also provides an extremely stable boating platform, with its strong and rigid floor.

Thanks to a compact design (an exterior length of 11′ and a beam of 4’8″) the SE9 sits safely and securely on the water, while additional stability is offered by the wide (15″) tubes. This makes it great for family fun, ideal for comfortable fishing, and perfect as a tender for a yacht.

The stability and buoyancy of the Sea Eagle 9 are improved by Sea Eagle’s extraordinary removable reinforced floor. The 4″ floor offers a dual construction, with a nine-chambered bladder protected by a damage-resistant nylon sheath. The floor inflates to a rigid 2 psi, which gives you a stable platform if you ever do need to stand upright in your SE9.

And, despite it’s relatively modest dimensions, the SE9 is spacious enough to carry up to four adults, or a very useful 1,199 pounds of gear.

SE9 Features

Not only does the Sea Eagle SE9 offer a tough, dependable, and buoyant hull, it’s also fitted with a number of simple yet effective features that make it an all-around winner of a boat.

There are two inflatable seats provided with all SE9 hulls: a 13″ fishing seat that gives you an elevated position and better viewing point, or a 4″ inflatable rowing seat that lowers your position and provides a better rowing platform. Both of the inflatable seats are protected by a tough nylon sheath to prevent accidental damage.

A grabline runs around the hull of the SE9, making it safer and more comfortable at higher speeds. This feature is particularly important if you’re bringing the kids along. A bow-mounted towing grommet makes it easy to tow the SE9, while the carry handle (which is also bow-mounted) makes moving the boat around on land easy and convenient.

Another nice feature of the SE9 is the trouble that Sea Eagle has gone to with the oars. To begin with, there are four molded oarlocks on the SE9, meaning you can choose your rowing position if you’re rowing alone, or you can turn it into a tandem rowboat in the blink of an eye. When you’re not using the oars, molded clasps hold them safely and conveniently against the sides of the hull, out of the way but ready for instant use.

All of this, plus two convenient and effective open/close drain valves, are just a few of the reasons why the SE9 has been awarded both NMMA and EC certification.

SE9 Configurations

When you buy the SE9, it’s important to understand what you’re getting. This boat is not a high-performance sport inflatable, but rather one of Sea Eagle’s most useful hulls that combines easy and efficient boating with a sizeable capacity and an efficient design. The Se9 is an affordable, all-around inflatable boat that you can motor, row, tow, and even tandem row.

• For pure rowing pleasure, the Sea Eagle 9 Standard Package is Sea Eagle’s introductory model. Each SE9 hull is supplied with a set of AB254 oars (5′, 2-part, 1.7 lbs.), and the SE9 reinforced inflatable floor. For seating, you’ll get one inflatable 13″ fishing chair and one inflatable 4″ rowing chair. The A24 foot pump inflates all four chambers of the SE9, as well as the inflatable seats. Each hull is supplied with a repair kit, together with Sea Eagle’s convenient carrybag. The Standard Package excels as a rowing package because the SE9 is fitted with two sets of oarlocks, so you can even row in tandem.
• If you already own an outboard motor suitable for the SE9, the Sea Eagle 9 Fisherman’s Dream Package is what you’re looking for. By adding the SE9 Motormount, Sea Eagle now let you mount your favorite outboard onto your favorite hull. The Motormount can support a 3 hp gas engine, or 70 pounds of thrust from an electric engine.
• If you don’t currently own a reliable outboard, Sea Eagle suggests the Sea Eagle 9 Watersnake Motor Package. The Watersnake Venom 34 is one of Sea Eagle’s favorite electric outboards. It delivers a reliable 34 pounds of thrust, and is covered by the manufacturer’s own one-year warranty.
• For the same convenience but more fun, choose the Sea Eagle 9 Watersnake Motor Canopy Package. Not only will you get where you want to go easily thanks to Venom 34, you’ll get there under the cover of Sea Eagle’s effective smaller boat canopy. The canopy gives you great protection from the sun and rain, and it’s suitable for salt water. When you don’t need it, the canopy packs neatly away with a minimum of effort.
• If you want the SE9 for fishing, the Sea Eagle 9 Fish-n-Troll Package will probably suit you just fine. The SE9 is fitted with the canopy, and a quick assembly turns it into a veritable fishing machine, providing two Scotty universal rod holders and a convenient surface.
• If you want something a bit less sedate, the Sea Eagle 9 Honda Motor Package could be what you’re looking for. Honda’s BF2.3 will satisfy your need for a bit more speed, and is covered by Honda’s own True 5 warranty.

Final Thoughts

The SE9 is an excellent all-around boat, offering outstanding value for money and excellent durability. Combined with the convenience of being an inflatable that you can fold up and store when it’s not in use, this is a boat that you’ll enjoy for many years to come.

The SE9 is a great inflatable hull for fishermen, and it’ll get you to all of those favorite fishing spots. It’s also great for yachting: a perfect little tender that packs away when you don’t need it. Lastly, the SE9 is a great choice if you’re looking for a comfortable family boat, because it can carry so much gear and several passengers.

It’s not high-performance, it’s not fast, and it’s not flashy — but if you’re looking for an inflatable boat that represents Sea Eagle’s core values of outstanding inflatable hulls that offer the utmost in convenience and quality, the Sea Eagle 9 won’t disappoint.

Click Here to Buy the Sea Eagle SE9