Description Take this inflatable kayak camping or to the beach--it's at home on calm lakes or in swift-moving waters. Made of coated, heavy-duty 840-denier nylon to stand up to years of use; front and rear 1000-...
Summary: I had a field day selecting an inflatable kayak, last winter.
This was untill I stumbled on to Saturn Inflatable Kayaks . I must say I was a sceptic at first. But they totaly won me over. I bought the Kaboat.
This is an invention that Saturn introduced some years back. It is an inbreed between a Kayak and Boat - KaBoat. In short, this inflatable kayak allows me to go up the river with a motor or I can paddle it like a regular kayak. I love kayaking. But whenever I got too far and too tired paddling, I thanked the people from Saturn for this invention.
Customer Service: Overall their service is great. Although their site says they are open till 5pm, I was able to get sales help as late as 8 pm and on weekends. Their shipping was pretty quick too.
Similar Products Used: I could only compare to seaegle I owned a few years back. I can not even compare these two, because this one is of much better quality and has more functions. Its also a better price than most other inflatable kayaks. By the way, I think the KaBoat can completely redefine the use on inflatable boats as dinghies.
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Summary: I bought a Stearns IK-116 from K's at a half-price sale about 15 years ago. This model has been discontinued. I bought the Spree about 3 or 4 years ago on the net for $299. The company made some changes that they like to refer to as "improvements". I've used them on lakes and rivers. I prefer the older boat & I am ready to purchase the Cordova.
I live on the Mississippi River and kayak almost every weekend (except for Winter) My main concern is comfort and the Stearns inflatables are extremely comfortable. I have napped in my kayak on the water many times (not in the Miss) I am in a local band and most of the band members have kayaks so I have tried a few types of hardshells. They are more responsive and faster, but speed has not been a concern. They only weigh 28 lbs inflated so you can carry the boat, paddle life jacket, etc. for some distance.
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Summary: We bought our Stearns inflatable kayaks about 10 years ago. They have been wonderful except for the removable seat cushions which have busted a few times, but Stearns was always very willing to ship us a new one. We own 3 and all are still going strong. We use them in the San Juan Islands, on lakes and fairly easy rivers. We are terrible about drying them off after floating, but so far, and 10 years later, we still love using them. They are so comfortable!
Customer Service: Stearns has been great to replace any parts we had problems with.
Similar Products Used: We also bought a couple regular hard kayaks, after we bought a cabin on the river, and enjoy not having to take the time to blow them up, just put in, but sometimes we still use the inflatables there because they are much more comfortable.
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Summary: While working as a yacht engineer in Alaska I needed a means of escape and excercise when the owner was not around. As storage was at a premium I had chosen to go for an inflatable and stumbled across the Stearn Kayak in a Mall near Juneau. The kayak and folding paddle were duly purchased and at the first opportunity I made my escape. Well all I can say is that this is a fantastic bit of kit for what I needed it to do. It is hand portable, easy and quick to inflate, a hoot to mess around on (we even tried to roll it but as you can imagine it I was met with an early rather cold dunking ;-) and for exploring small rivers and inlets it is ideal. I spent many evenings gently bobbing in the quite bays of the inside passage watching the wild life on the shore. It enabled me to get nice and close to the seals and otters that frequent the bays. Due to its light weight it was easy to throw over the side and drop down into it from the boarding ladder. Exiting was a simple matter too with no assistance required. I found the construction to be suprisingly rugged and my only gripe is that the splash deck zipper tended to let in a bit of water but a small neoprene flap would rectify this. (or a sponge when your butt starts to feel damp). It's not a white water performance kayak and does not pretend to be. For flat calm water paddling and easy storage I can't fault the little flubber. Highly recommneded
Customer Service: Never needed.
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Summary: We have the Stearns Cordova inflatable made for West Marine. Very easy to blow up and deflate. Not heavy.
I think the reviews above are pretty much on the mark with a few cautions. We are trailer sailors and tow a Hunter 26 ft sailboat to inland and coastal waters. The first review is a little more negative than it should be because the author misses the point - if you want a kayak for running rapids and dragging over rocks, get a hard shell kayak and pay a lot more. For small trailer boat sailors I think it's just the thing -- easy to tow and store inflated or packed. We don't use ours much - only for long trips where hauling our Walker 8 dingy would be a pain.
Check out this link for more on our experience with pictures: http://h260.com/kayak/kayak.html
Once you are in the inflatable kayak it you can really scoot fast in very, very skinny water - when we were in Florida we paddled in depths less than 6 inches for several hours no trouble. The cautions about not leaving it in the sun for long periods or dragging it over sharp rocks apply. Although I've done it, hauling a couple of cases of beverages and groceries back to the boat in two kayaks can be a challenge. Any kayak has limitations -- especially getting in and out from a boat - we have the sugar scoop stern so it's easier than others with higher stern freeboard.
It is a little hard getting all the water out but I've solved that with a shop vac and towel. I pull the insert out which allows easy access to all the nooks and crannies with a vacuum wand and towel. Mold has never been a problem but I don't live in a hot, humid climate. I leave them out for a day after drying them off good. Learning to pack them back in the bag takes a couple of tries until you get the technique down. I've found the shop vac a great aid in getting all the air out, then they fold and pack nicely.
I like the way they paddle in calm water & have taken them on a couple of easy river runs -- down stream they are great, but because of the flat shape and short skeg it's a little harder going against the current, but very doable. For me the biggest advantage is I can sit in it for an unlimited time. We've rented hard shell kayaks and canoes and after an hour or so my butt goes numb.
I'd say one of the biggest advantages is you don't have a lot invested for something that gets only occasional use. A hard shell kayak for use on a small boat in my view is much more difficult. The inflatable is very easy to handle and store - They tow well, but I usually stow them on the boat. The handle looks very durable, but its sewn on, I don't want to chance ripping it.
One one more thing, I think someone that weighs more than 250lbs probably needs to look elswhere - I'm 200lbs and don't have a problem, but I have a friend that tried it out, and he sort of bent it in the middle....:)
All in all, the inflatable is my choice for small boat trips to inland waters but I'd want a real kayak for open water or rapids. Of course, the ideal is a Avon dingy with a 10hp OB but I don't have a spare $10,000 laying around for this purpose...
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