SealLine Discovery and Bulkhead View Dry Bags

The “View” in their name refers to their transparency or see-throughness – an excellent feature which allows you to quickly identify which bag contains which themed contents, or, if a little less particular a packer, where that headlamp went. No more dumping everything out into the sand, no more blindly rummaging around in vain. Look at the example below, I can see my undies, my orange mid-layer, that green shirt--all from the comfort of my beach chair. It's an exceptionally appreciated feature. 

In addition to their distinctive transparency, the bags include a few other features which separate them from the pack – their bottoms, constructed of the über-robust 330D 18oz polyurethane-coated polyester, are oval-shaped to allow for easy packing and standing up.

Both bags include SeaLine’s updated roll top Dryseal ^TM closure,

They also feature PurgeAir ^TM valves – thick foam-like waterproof discs that allegedly help the bag compress further once it’s been sealed. More on this later.

Though not reviewed here, we also got our mitts on the SealLine Discovery Deck bag. It doesn't fit within the "view" subcategory we are focussed on here but we love it anyway. And it's pink so you are unlikely to leave it on the beach and let the tide take it away. Unfortunately, the  bag already sustained a minor injury (note to self: never force sharp objects--like a pencil--into any bag. Even if you do have purple duct tape). 

• Transparent 12 oz. polyurethane film body
• 300D 18oz. polyurethane coated polyester bottom

Bulkhead

• 70D/140D 7.5 oz. polyurethane-coated ripstop nylon body
• 2 oz polyurethane window

These bags have really good slideability when stuffed together in a hatch – the frustrating stickiness of older vinyl drybags fusing together while in the heat is a distant memory – the thinner, and still super durable, 12 oz. polyurethane film construction just slides on by. A downside might be the lack of grippiness if the bag floats away and you’re trying to catch it—but I haven’t experienced that. Knock on wood.
 
The welded seams have held out without incident for multiple kayaking trips and 3 or 4 accidental submersions, and show no sign of wear. The 10L bag also makes a great pillow when stuffed with dirty laundry – and locks in the “scents”!
 
These bags compress really well when burped before full closure. Although the PurgeAir ^TM valve might provide some kind of competitive advantage for snazzy design, they seem redundant if you’ve compressed the bags diligently before closure, and they’d probably be the first place to invite leakage after the inevitable sand and grit work their way inwards. I pumped away at the valve on the 30L bag about 75 times after closure, and noticed little difference in compression.
 
The double-panelled rolltop closure offers slight innovations from previous already excellent models, with more pliable bands, and new buckles – which are durable and well-placed, but unfortunately only snap closed one way – frustrating until you get the hang of it, and potentially inconvenient if you’re having to close on the fly under high winds and heavy seas.
 
All-in-all these are great bags. I’ll add them assertively to my quiver of aging dry bags, with the confidence that they’ll last well into the next quarter century and beyond.