473rl RazorLite™ Inflatable Kayak Reviews

The kayak took longer than expected to arrive. When it came, it came in two different boxes. The kayak didn't fit in the carrying bag. show more... I tried to contact customer services more times than I can count. They finally answered saying they didn't have a bag available to fit the kayak. They then sent me a cheap $10 dollar big cargo bag that was pretty useless. The only reason I'm even giving them a 2 (instead of a 1) is because I do think the quality of my specific kayak is great. It is such a shame that the company and customer service is so bad. My best friend tried to buy the same kayak as mine and when his arrived, it was completely different than what he ordered. Not surprised. For the price tag of these kayaks, I would expect to have all pieces fit and proper customer service when something is wrong with the order/ a part doesn't fit.

Sea Eagle Reply:
Thank you for the review and feedback Valerie. We are very sorry that the complimentary CarryBag did not work out for you. We strive to provide our customers with the best personal service possible. We hope you are enjoying the boat and are here for any of your future needs. Please feel free to reach out to us anytime.

In general I am very disappointed with the product and at this point wish I hadn't purchased it. My primary complaint is that I find show more... the kayak too narrow and unstable. I've spent some time trying to devise an outrigger, similar to something you see on Polynesian canoes. I also experienced significant difficulty inserting and removing the foot rests. Both factors have played a major role in the kayak remaining in storage while we use our individual kayaks for routine local trips.

Sea Eagle Reply:
Thank you for the review. We offer a 120 day return policy for any reason. Otherwise we'd be very happy to offer you assistance in the use of your boat. We hope we can make it work for you and get you out there enjoying your RazorLite. Feel free to reach out at anytime.

Received our 473rl. Tracks well and set up wasn't too bad with the manual pump. However, after we pumped it up for the first time show more... we noticed an obvious defect in the drop stitch. There is a bulge on the side of the boat. See pic. Very upset. Sent sea eagle an email and no response. It's been two weeks. I definitely don't want this to get worse. Agree with the other reviewer that sand tracks on the bottom and it's difficult to rinse off. There was also an issue with one of the paddles the locking mechanism didn't pop and we had to grind it out with a tool to make it work. Not too much of an issue but clearly there's quality control problems. Customer service had a huge wait time. Hopefully, someone will contact us soon. Pros. Lightweight and portable Easy setup Tracks well Cons. Worried about the bulge on the side and the durability Splash skirt needs to be longer Need some bungees and D rings to attach stuff Foot rest design needs improvement. Difficult to put in and take off.

Sea Eagle Reply:
Thank you for your review, it appears that our customer service team has been in contact with you. This bulge is perfectly safe and is where the valve is located. We would like to assist you with any of your other needs. Please contact us anytime.

Although we have 6 hard single-seat kayaks, we use our 473rl for long road trips where we stop for short periods of paddling. We can show more... even fit it in the back of our Prius C along with luggage and our dog and cat. The kayak handles well but isn't exactly nimble on turns with the skeg installed. So far we have never been able to install the foot pegs. I just modified the front pare by drilling out the rear support and drilling a hole in the rod and securing them with a pin.

Sea Eagle Reply:
I'm sorry you had trouble with your foot pegs. For any questions regarding set up feel free to reach out to our customer service team and they would be happy to instruct you on setting up your kayak.

I wish I had known about a shorter version of this boat.

It is my estimation the the Sea Eagle 473RL is not for experienced novices.

The 473rl is a wonderful inflatable kayak. We've white water kayaked on the finger lakes in New York and down the Snake River in Grand show more... Tetons NP. The 473rl is superbly rigid, fast, and easy to paddle. The thin rigid walls of this inflatable have everything to do with its superb performance. But it has a major design flaw. The problem is how the bottom inflatable section connects to both side inflatable sections. Since each is about two inches thick, they are connected together with rubber sheets glued to each side of the bottom and side being connected together. This creates a tube the length of the seam running ALMOST the full the length of the kayak. When inflated the tube is MOSTLY squeezed together. But not enough to keep out river gravel. When that gravel gets in there it is EXTREMELY difficult to remove. The engineering fix is to insert some 1" diameter foam into each tube-end as a plug. When brought to their attention, Sea Eagle refused to acknowledge the necessity of blocking the ends.

Sea Eagle Reply:
I apologize if your previous suggestions was not properly addressed by a service representative. We are a customer service based driven company and our customer feedback on our products are invaluable. I have passed your suggestions onto our research and development team where our engineers will have further insight and knowledge on if this can be accomplished.

It is exciting to have an inflatable kayak that handles like a hard shell and it is as fast and lighter than a hard shell. show more... One concern is the lack of a bow cover as small waves come into the boat easily. A small deck with combing with a lip that deflects small waves that break on the bow would be much safer especially since I am using it in cold waters of Alaska.

I have owned and enjoyed a Paddleski for 20 years now but wanted a faster tandem primarily for solo paddling. After watching Kayak Cliff solo show more... in a Razorlite, I figured a 473RL would be a great choice for both solo and tandem use. Solo I could not ask for a better boat, responsive and easy to paddle. With or without a skeg it was fine. When I tandem with my wife, we tend to putter about and see the wildlife and seldom go fast. This boat is not great at puttering about as each time you turn the boat does the primary tilt and it is not comfortable. It is not going to dump you, just when you are still the boat is not still. So we decided to send the 473rl back for the FastTrack 385. SeaEagle was super easy to work well on this trade. Love their customer service.

We are very pleased with our kayak. The 120 day trial was ideal to have a real experience before committing to such an expense. It’s show more... easy to transport and set up. The ride is smooth and mimics harder shell types. We stopped short of a 5 rating only because the storage and carry bag could be made a little larger so you don’t have to struggle to fold it and get it in the bag.

We've really enjoyed our kayak. Goes together pretty easily and works great on the water. Only complaint is I've never figured out how to get show more... it back in the pack so neatly-it's always sticking out a couple of feet!

Sea Eagle Reply:
Hi Jeff, I recommend watching our instructional video as it really helps for getting the kayak deflated and back in the bag! - https://youtu.be/quNuRkXFQpU

The fabric is quality, so the boat holds up well I have had it for about 9 months now, i have used it alot. I show more... purchased it pre-owned from SeaEagle direct. Since it is 15 feet it is a bit heavier than i expected, but i got the wheels for transport and its fine...The stitch fabric inflates fast and is very durable and offers confidence its is almost like a hard shell kayak, but inflatable, the bottom protection and the forward and aft designs are great. Since it is fast and lower to the water, it can be a bit less stable than a kayak with more freeboard. We love it..delivery time was good, the boxes came a bit damaged but the contents were still ok, delivery service was responsible..Customer service is great at Seaeagle..I have a utility trailer i transport it on or sometimes put it on a tow rack when i go away for a week or so and kayak several days...I have even put it in my sedans trunk. I would recommend for anyone who desires 2 man kayak that is fast..I would buy again as my wife and i love it...

I really like the boat but it feels a bit unsteady as if it will easily tip over. Otherwise I really like it.

I paddle surfskis and high-end sea kayaks. I wanted a tandem that I could handle by myself when I go out with my kids, so show more... a heavy poly boat wouldn't work. I am impressed by the 473rl performance. Great boat, durable construction, setup takes less than 10 minutes with an electric pump. Exceeded my expectations. I bought an used one that was like new other than for some scuffs. Delivery was on time even during the pandemic chaos. The not so good: - The included paddles are too heavy and too long. Invest in a good lightweight paddles to improve your experience. - It lacks a handle around the middle of the kayak to be carried by a single person on land. I am improvising with a strap. - The older version had seat hooks and pegs for solo paddling. The new one switched that by better footpegs. It is still possible to go solo, but the seat attachment is funky and no footpegs. - It's very hard to put the kayak back in the backpack. Not a big deal as it usually goes from car trunk to water directly.

I love this kayak, there is only one thing that will make you hate it at first, that being the foot rest or Flex-brace system show more... as they call it. So, if you find yourself setting up your kayak in 10 just minutes but spending 20 minutes or more installing or removing the aluminum rods from the feet flex-brace don't panic, after cutting my fingers trying to do so I contacted SeaEagle, they suggested to cut half a cm of each rod which makes the task easier, now you know. Besides this the kayak is great, quick set-up, with their car electric pump it takes 5 minutes to inflate. Glides easily and fast on the water. It's on the shaky side, so it takes a bit to get your balance, if you're a nervous person better pick a wider one like the Fast-track or explorer models. As for the looks, you'll never think is inflatable, it's fun when people see you deflating it in 5 seconds before start folding it. It's on the heavy side, hard for just one person to carry, so I got a cart for it. The carrying bag should be bigger.

Good: - Lightweight - easy to transport when folded - fast paddling - every time we use, have admirers that want to know where to show more... get one - lives in bed of pickup during extended camping trips Not so good: - hard to get sand, etc,. cleaned out of interior, esp where sides meet floor - hard to get dried out - folding to get back into bag takes some learning - had to get pictures from company How we deal with the not so good: - Rinse kit, synthetic chamois, and long skinny tarp strip. Lets us clean and dry the boat prior to folding after use - Extra strap - once boat is folded, strap around prior to fighting into bag - Live with dirt until end of trip, then thorough hose out and dry at home before storing

We own a 473rl and a 385ft. The 385ft is 4 years old and the 473rl is 1 year old. The 385ft is more stable show more... and a better choice for novice kayakers. The 473rl is faster. Both boats are easy to inflate and durable. The seats in the 385ft are more comfortable. We tried the seats from the ft in the rl, but the higher seat profile made the boat less stable. Both our son and daughter bought sea eagle boats after using our boats. We highly recommend Sea Eagle boats. The storage bag for the razor light is inadequate. Once we got the boat out of it, we were unable to get it back in. It is also more difficult to dry the razor light for storage. There is a plastic support in the bow that fills water and is hard to dry. We tend to use the ft as it is more comfortable, and reserve the rl for trips with our son who also has a rl and can cover a longer distance with less effort. We use both boats in flat water conditions, rivers and lakes.

Sea Eagle Reply:
John, give this video a try for packing ► youtu.be/Dfbp_lm3jGY a try! Should make it pretty easy.

Set up fairly fast. Tracks well. Bought the cart and that makes it so much easier to inflate and then roll down to lake. It's show more... a littler bigger and harder to fold up than expected. Larger bag is needed!

Enjoying the new Kayak, but find it more tippy than the first Sea Eagle. I'm sure we'll be more confident with it as we use show more... it. Just had it out for 3rd time this week. We find it easier to get in and out of due to the narrow sides.

It's winter here so I have not been able to set up the boat yet, not to mention I just received it. I was disappointed show more... that it was so heavy, and everything will not fit into the pack. Perhaps I didn't read the information carefully enough, but I thought I did. Anyhow, I am looking forward to trying it.

We absolutely Love 473rl !!! One we get in and settled, we’re off for a super great paddle. We live 3 minutes from Hermon Pond, show more... and love to be on the water in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, my husband recently passed away so I may be looking at a smaller SeaEagle kayak for myself. I love ALL the SeaEagle products, the customer service is top notch and shipping was a breeze. Thank you for creating such a superb product.

We are loving the Razorlite Tandem. Easy to store when not in use. Easy to transport when we go camping. Easy to setup when we show more... get to out destination. And it is fast! We have a blast just paddling around the lakes. I have even used to to fish on several occasions.

The inflatable that can hit oyster beds and keep on going!! Quick and nimble this kayak is. Been all over the Southern U.S. and glad show more... it is the BEST!!!

Such a great mobile kayak for our RV adventures.

Customer service was great and we love our kayak!!