I’m looking for an inflatable canoe, and so far this:
http://www.boatstogo.com/inflatable_fishing_kayaks.asp
looks like it will fit the bill the best for me. I’m not an angler and I’m not really looking to cover a lot of distance in a short amount of time either. I’m mainly interested in wildlife photography from out on the water as well as being able to do things like carry coolers and equipment for water sampling for invertebrates and smaller vertebrate critters like tadpoles and newt/salamander larvae, etc.
I’ve had a couple inflatable kayaks and a hardshell kayak, but they just don’t work for me. I have problems with my left thigh/hamstring and I can’t sit for a long period of time with my feet essentially being on the same level as my rear end. I get cramps in my left thigh and back of my knee. Canoes on the other hand - no problem.
I don’t have space to store a hardshell canoe though, so it’s back to inflatables for me. So far, in my searching the various Saturn boats look the best to me, with 13’ FK396 looking like it’ll work the best. I see know reviews on here and only a couple mentions of the Saturn brand, so this inquiry may fall on deaf ears.
Finally, I see from photos of the Saturn FK396 that it can be paddled with either a double paddle (ala kayak), or a single paddle. I could go either way, but frankly I think I’d like to use a single canoe paddle instead of a double kayak type paddle. Anyone see any potential issues with using a canoe paddle with this particular boat versus a kayak paddle? Mostly, I’m just hoping someone on here is familiar with the Saturn inflatables.
Seems Good
Sorry no experience with Saturn but it seems like a decent rig for your situation. Price seems right too.
I had some previous experience in an Advanced Elements tandem/solo kayak but that one you sit on the floor. AE offers StraightEdge sit-on-top models but seating appears to be on floor too:
http://advancedelements.com/straitedge_angler
http://advancedelements.com/straitedge2.html
They also have a StrightEdge canoe that does sit you up off floor a little but Saturn looks better.
http://advancedelements.com/straitedge_canoe.html
Advanced Elements
makes some good stuff. I had one of their Expedition 13’ kayaks. It was a nice boat but I just couldn’t sit down any more like that with my rear end at the same level as my feet. The other issue I had was the AE kayak is covered with a heavyweight nylon fabric which would take quite a while to dry once I was done paddling. I would have to bring it home to my apartment and lay it out for two days to get it dried thoroughly before I packed it away. I like the design of the Saturn because you can use a kayak seat and elevate it with an extra cushion, or even sit on the aluminum platforms to paddle it. I looked at the AE Straitedge canoe, but it looks like its seating position is almost as low as a regular kayak. It also looks like it doesn’t have as much interior space as the Saturn. What do you think about paddling the Saturn with a canoe paddle versus a double blade kayak paddle?