Inflatable Kayak that tracks well

Advice
#21

Are you planning on having two different boats? If you are at all into open water paddling where the loss of a paddle could be a serious thing, or river paddling where there is a chance of breaking a paddle, you should always carry a spare. Buy one of each appropriate length, and carry the one that doesn’t exactly go with the boat as a spare. You can go with a less expensive paddle for the boat that you paddle less often.

There is always a choice of an adjustable paddle, but these vary widely in quality, price, and amount of adjustment. Again if you move to another boat, you can always sell the old paddle. This make more sense if you can buy used.

#22

I’m 99% sure I will upgrade to a Sea Eagle Razorlite (28") or similar, or a hard shell. I may keep this 34" 370 around as a spare, for family or guests. but it is safe to assume, if I get a “better” kayak, that will be my primary kayak and I won’t use this 370 if I’m alone.

Obviously I don’t have experience yet, but i suspect that one adjusts the width a bit to find the correct length. On the other hand, an adjustable paddle will be a bit heavier with everything else equal.

For a spare paddle, I always can take the 4-piece paddles that come with the 370, so I don’t need an interim paddle. but it seem a paddle will be my next purchase and i want to find out if I should just go for a $100 one, or go full bucket for a really good one. but then obviously it should fit future thinner kayak.

Looking at manufacturer sizing guides, they put me in a 230-240cm paddle. I hope to be able to kayak this weekend and see how long the OEM paddles are, and how they work length-wise and go from there. I would even go to a local store with the OEM paddles to see the difference in stiffness. But from what I’ve seen the interesting paddles are not in the local stores and only can be ordered. So not actually being able to see paddles, makes me think I may as well buy online to begin with.

#23

You can get a perfectly good Werner or Aquabound paddle for around $130, even a carbon shaft Aquabound for under $200. Best to stay with longer thinner blade style than fatter ones with a wider boat with fat gunwales so your aren’t hitting the sides with your stroke. And fat blades mean you have to modulate your stroke more to compensate for infatable’s tendency to want to not track straight.

The Aquabound Stingray is a good choice (I’ve owned 3 of them) and Campmor has the fiberglass model (usually $150) on sale at the moment for $110 plus $30 shipping.

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#24

Correct paddle length depends on the boat, your dimensions, and paddling style. Most paddlers use a low angle style.

Look at videos of a properly done forward stroke. The correct paddle length will be, with a properly executed forward stroke, for the majority of the stroke the entire blade will be in the water, no more and no less for an efficient stroke. You will also not be hitting the side of the boat.

For some reason, retailers almost always try to sell people paddles that are too long. The extra length leads to an inefficient stroke and unnecessary extra weight. For most true sea kayaks and the average paddler they will end up with a paddle of 220cm or less. A wider boat with high sides and a smaller paddler might require a longer paddle, but it’s uncommon to see someone with a 240cm paddle. If you can try a paddle with your boat, see where the water comes up to on the paddle. It should be at the top of the blade. If not, use the water mark to determine the proper length you need.

General advice is to buy the lightest paddle you can afford.

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#25

My Saturn OK420 tracks great. the drop stitch floor is raised so that only the tubes are in the water most of the time., so on rivers, it is great. I have had it on up to Class III and at tiles with a load of camping gear and it has never been an issue. It also comes with two skegs, so provide you have enough weight it tracks well on the ocean or bay as wells a lakes as long as there is not a ton of wind. Not bad for a $600 inflatable.
1-11-2021 12-17-58 PM

#26

Having paddled one of the higher end Sea Eagles, I can say that, while comfortable (I’m about your size and weight) and pretty durable, they do NOT track well. Speed is certainly better than lower end inflatables, but IMO is only on par with the cheap, short kayaks sold thru big box stores.

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#27

thanks. That looks like a nice boat and likely is stable due to width (38"). Do you think the width slows it down a lot?

I got my 370 2 days ago. I inflated it (the pump sounds like in the videos!) and kept it inflated all night to see if it has leaks. It was a returned model judging by some minor dirt spots and some scratches on the skegs. I assume it was used 1-2 times. All parts (repair kit, inflation scale etc.) were included like a new one. Here is the seller. I noticed price is higher now at $242 (I paid $337).

I took it out for 2km yesterday to test it out. Wind was at 18 km/h according to my app, but this is when I had time. Waves were about 10"on the open lake. I first started out with both seats thinking I would use one as wedge for my feet. But I also brought the boat bag with spare paddle and pumps, the boat was quite full. In the beginning it was a bit shaky, but I got better. I then went back to shore to ditch the 2nd seat and could position the solo seat better. The second run was faster and more stable. The pier is about 1.5ft above water level and getting in and out was fine.

I had to fight more with waves and wind since on my way back wind came from the left. Not a big deal, it just prevented me from seeing how it tracks. Will test tracking on calmer days. Wedging my feet under the sidewall was a bit annoying and next time I will put the bag with paddles and pump in front to use a foot rest.

The seats are fine. Only change I would try is a lower seat (like a stadium seat or so) to lower my center of gravity. Obviously any seat will work on 2km with a break in the middle :slight_smile:

It is listed for up to 3 people. I think even for small adults, 2 would be stretch and not for frequent use. But I don’t know if more adults would lower the boat more to be more stable. but IMHO, this is a 1-person boat with maybe occasional addition of a child.

The paddles weigh around 3# and are 240cm and have 3 positions for feathering. With the high walls, I wouldn’t want to have shorter paddles and will be fine with those for now. If I knew nothing, I would even buy longer ones. They seem stiff. And honestly, I’m still too stupid how to paddle correctly and find my style too invest in an expensive paddle.

Some reviews mentioned the valve O-rings can be kinked and make the valves leak. I didn’t experience problems. Deflating also worked well. I have to practice rolling it up better since I have a harder time putting it into the bag. I suspect the inflatable skeg protectors can come off when putting in the bag.

I know technically I should inflate and clean the boat at home. But I’m too lazy to do that every time I go out. when it looks like I go out more often in a few days, I may not always do that properly.

Lots of dog poop on the grass by the boat launch where I inflated it. When deflating i did that on the pier and think the pier is better for inflating as well.

So I’m definitely happy with it and it gives me practice how to deal with all logistics of boating. However, i know there will be an upgrade in the future.

I bought these ropes to tether my paddle to the boat and to tether the boat to the pier. I got a 20l drybag and ordered a phone tether (turns out, my phone is rated to 1.5m submersion already). I think I’m mostly set for now and sure will be happy with this boat for this season. No regrets.

I definitely learned a lot from my little paddling trip.

#28

Actually it is pretty fast since the floor is off the water and its only running on the tubes. In our group there are several Sea Eagles, Tomcats and Soar’s and the Saturn runs circles around them. I also made a custom seat for mine, which is great when you have gear to carry.
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#29

Sounds like it works like a catamaran and provides the stability of a wide boat, but the lower drag of 2 skinny boats. and I think the 2-fin design is a good idea since the non-straight running seems to happen in front.

Did you by any chance observe if stability also is better than for the Sea Eagles? The Saturn is wider, but it looks like the seat is much higher. As a noob I would assume a boat advertised to be for the ocean is stable for what I would encounter.

Does the self-bailing work well and does it bring water back into the boat? They indicated that the 21 model they revised the floor design for better slow self-bailing.

I took my SE 370 out for 9 km today on calm water (3 km/h wind). But saw the paddles bring some water into the boat. That wasn’t a big deal, since it is warm. But I got caught in a short heavy rain. Later on land I drained out about 2 gallons. And the water also collects right in the middle where I sit. So with an open boat (like most inflatables) self-bailing seems to be a nice feature.

I started my tour by sitting on a pad and used the seat (installed reverse) as a lean. That got me a bit lower and probably in a more stable position. But I hit the sidewalls with the paddles. I then switched to the OEM seat (about 4" high). That seemed to have improved paddling subjectively. But at the end of my tour my butt hurt and my feet had fallen asleep from my odd foot rest consisting of the bags.

I got small blisters at the base of my thumbs. But it was fun nevertheless.

Tracking on calm water was OK. Obviously a longer and better shaped kayak will track better.

#30

I built that seat to fit over the tubes. I made it out of 1 !/2 " PVC and a Wenonah tractor seat. I Also added thigh straps because in big WW you can get bucked off if you are not paying attention. I have run Class III and IV with a fill load of camping gear in it on that seat and it is very stable. If you had that high seat on the sea eagle, it would probably be tippy since its is a bit more narrow.
The Saturn only has 4 elongated bailing holes and some times water comes in the front ones and out the back, but very seldom does it ever feel like you are sitting in a puddle if I’m sitting on the floor seat. I has a Star that had dozens of drain holes and it took forever to drain. The drop stitch floors are hard and they will put you butt to sleep. That is one of the reasons I made the tractor seat.

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#31

It looks like even the OEM seat would be a bit higher since the floor itself would be higher than on most regular kayaks. It has the rings attached to the hull, so one can rig something up for seat and foot rest. Speaking of feet, does it have a foot rest solution?

did you ever damage the skegs? I could see close to the shore you can hit the ground since they are on both ends. Do they have good support (like buying new skegs)? and if i saw that right, they sell them directly and you can’t buy them elsewhere (unlike the Sea Eagle). is that right?

Did you ever set it up for 2 people?

With the elevated floor, it seems to be like a sit-on-top. It seems to be light at 35#. I like it.
Knowing what you know now, would you buy it again? I like they don’t include some cheesy paddle that would add to the price.

#32

I does not have foot rests. with my seat on it, it paddles like a canoe and I usually sit on the seat cross legged. My seat actually sits on top of the tubes, so I am about 5 or 6" off the floor. All I usually use is my thigh straps for WW stability.
Far as the skegs, I have never actually hit anything with them and I have a Sea Eagle too and the skegs look like they can interchange. On imported Chinese inflatables, parts are pretty universal. With Saturn you are buying through dealers typically. I use Boats To Go.com and they have always been helpful.
DO NOT consider the 13 ft model as it has an aluminum seat that slides in to a pocket on top of the tubes if you are heavy (like over 200 lbs). It puts a lot of pressure on the seams. That is why I made my own for the longer OK420. I made my seat modeled after a rowing frame for a raft so it distributes the weight better and i can strap it down either through the rear bailing holes or using a couple of D-Rings that I added depending on where i want it.
I have has this one for 10 years and it is starting to show signs that that seams are going to fail. Glued seam boats only last so long. I plan to replace it with the same model this winter and move all my outfitting over. When I got mine, it came with two paddles, a bag and a repair kit. The paddles were useless as was the repair kit. I carry a full repair kit with replacement valves, plenty of material, a 10oz flask of MEK and a small can of Clifton on every trip. Learned my lesson with an older boat when a seam popped on the Rio Chama, 25 miles for the takeout. The little tube was nowhere near enough and ended up having to flag down other PVC boats until I found someone with some glue.

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#33

I think one could use some sort of log with adjustable straps and attach to the rings to create a nicely adjustable foot rest.

Did you actually try a regular seat first or did you get the set without seat? And when you say you sit cross-legged, do you feel legs fall asleep due to restricted bloodflow? I get more and more to the conclusion #1 feature needs to be comfortable seat and foot position. I wonder if the OEM seats are any good.

I see now boatstogo sell the bare-bones package without seat. This is probably the best deal for a bit over $600 shipped. They are sold out, which is probably good since it saves me from impulse-buying :slight_smile:

Since you have a Sea Eagle too, do you use both depending on situation, or is the Saturn you main kayak? Did you observe any difference in longevity?

Looks like their 14’ Ocean kayak is the best one from Saturn for my use. Many small features that my SE 370 lacks. Just the fact it has paddle attachments makes life easier and less crowded on the boat. Yes, I knew beforehand the SE 370 is an entry level boat for me, and it provided me entry and knowledge, and experience to pick a better long term solution.

#34

One of the reasons I went with a canoe was knee angle and being able to change leg and foot position. I have a half-inch foam pad covering the floor area and even allows for short periods of kneeling. 30 years ago I could have sat many hours legs mostly straight but after a couple blood clots following a leg injury the doctors suggest I move around a lot. That’s good advice for everyone IMO. I fold my legs on and off also and nothing falls asleep because it is not for long periods of time. @Paddlinpals it looks like converted his inflatable kayak into a canoe like posture. The photos look like he has a high CG, but if he is doing WW and it works it can’t be too high.

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#35

I think being able to change positions is good. I may try the cross-legged a bit to switch things up. I think having a wide stable platform like the Saturn makes switching easier. I wonder if a seat can be rigged to do both canoe and kayak position.

Paddlinpals: when you said it paddles like a canoe, do you mean with a canoe paddle? The picture shows you with a kayak paddle. Can you do both from the same seat? Since I believe in spare paddles, having both types on the boat wouldn’t be a problem and would be a nice change. Do you by any chance have a closer up picture of your seat construction?

#36

OK, I decided to buy one of these Sting Ray paddles. It seems each of theirs also has the Posi-lok option for $10 more. Is that really useful on an inflatable? I read the main advantage of feathering is less air resistance, which may not matter for an inflatable like it does for a “real” hard kayak. I tried the feather angle adjustment on my cheap paddles, and didn’t care for it since it made me pay too much attention to the paddles and a noob has to pay attention to many other things.

Manufacturers also don’t have good sizing rules for wide inflatables. They seem to be optimized for regular kayaks, which makes sense. This guide seems to put me at 240cm, which matches my current paddles on my 34" Kayak.

I’m willing to buy one of the $200 carbon Stingray paddles, but want to make sure it will be OK for a future boat. Since I’m tending towards the Saturn Ocean 14’ (38") wide i wonder if the 240 cm will be good or if I should try the 250cm. I’m 5’11". 250cm is only an option for the hybrid paddles $150 and over. Everybody says to get one as light as possible. And I think the full-carbon advantage over the hybrid will be the added weight saving in the actual blade (swing weight). Weight savings in the shaft likely matter less.

On this and future boats: I realize for speed and effort a hard kayak is better. I spent quite some time in my garage to figure out how I logistically would hang a solid kayak, put it up there etc. I just didn’t come up with a good hassle-free solution. I also think an inflatable will be better since it can be set up for 1-2 people, which makes it more usable to me (bring child etc.). I also think I will use an inflatable more often since I can leave it in my car all the time, just in case. i wouldn’t keep a kayak on my roof all the time. I also seem to appreciate the added stability more than the potentially added speed of a hard-kayak. Obviously with more experience I may add a hard kayak in a few years…

Edit: it seems the posi-lok version is a bit lighter than the snap-lok. 28.75 oz vs. 30.25 oz. Is it safe to assume the weight saving is the mechanism only and in the middle only? If so, does it matter much since it doesn’t add to swing weight? Is there any longevity advantage of posi-lok vs. snap-lok? On their Amazon store they actually have a sizing chart that includes 34"+ kayaks and that puts me at 250cm paddle.

#37

The most valid reason for feathering a paddle is that some paddlers find a feathered paddle more comfortable to paddle and less strain on their wrists. That’s a perfectly valid choice. The augment about wind resistance is ridiculous. Do you always paddle straight into the wind? (I know it often seems like it.)

Whether you choose to paddle with a feathered paddle or not, the position of the blades must be fixed in muscle memory. Never change the feather angle as conditions change. Pick the angle you like and stick to it. If you do frequently change the feather angle you will soon need a brace or look to impress the people watching from the Tiki Bar with your dazzling acceleration only to have the blade slice through the water as you go for a swim.

Personally, I’ve noticed fewer paddlers using a feathered paddle, even among some people that race, where you used to see radically feathered paddles at up to 90°. Some of this might be the growing popularity of Greenland paddles. One advantage of paddling unfeathered is that you can use almost any paddle. Paddles with only a set feather angle other than 0°are very rare now.

#38

Good points and with an inflatable the little added wind resistance seems small anyway. Only reason to go against the wind is if that is the way back home. With feathering chances are I lose more power by holding the paddle slightly in the wrong angle.

Their regular snap-lock seems to have a 60° feather, which equals what my cheap ones have.

Would there be any reason to think the posi-lock is more prone to wear and damage? Google didn’t think so. but typically adjustable items are worse than fixed ones.

Edit: I’m also considering just to get the hybrid at the recommended length of 250cm since i may change my mind. Besides the weight difference to the carbon , would a noob notice the difference in the blade stiffness and the tiny weight difference of 1.75 oz even assuming this is swing weight? I don’t want to get the cheaper paddle and wonder all the time if life would be SO MUCHH better if I had spent another $50 for carbon blades. Obviously either will be a huge upgrade from my 4-piece aluminum paddles.

#39

No, My Sea Eagle is a 11 footer that I use at the beach and on some WW day trips. The only outfitting I added was thigh straps. My Saturn is set up for extended day river trips when I have to carry camping gear and will encounter WW over Class II. I do use it for other things, but I have other hard canoes and kayaks as well so It is pretty much purpose built.

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#40

The CG is kind of high, but since I am usually running with a load of gear, it balances out. With no gear or front paddler, I sit on the floor. However some inflatables, like the SOAR are designed to be paddles like a canoe with the seat on the top and you would thing hey would be tippy due to the high CG, but they are not.

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