Inflatable Ocean Kayak OK420

Super solid been through class 3+ and it rocked it!

I'll just say my experience with BoatsToGo has been stellar. Shipping and delivery was prompt. My boat was received in perfect condition and within no time, I was out on the lake! I've taken the Saturn boat out about 6 times so far, and the boat material is super strong and sturdy with no signs of deflation.Sometimes i would dock the boat in shallow waters with sharp rocks, but that did not phase the condition of the boat either. Customer service is excellent. I would not hesitate to order additional accessories from them or even a second boat (their inflatable kayaks look really nice!). I have found a new sport and hobby to enjoy, and I have BoatsToGo to thank for their outstanding quality products and service.

The first 2 years I owned my Saturn OK420 kayak, it was great. See my earlier post below. (darryl042) I took extraordinarily good care of the kayak. I was careful to properly inflate the kayak per the instructions. I washed the saltwater off after each use and dried the kayak before storing it. When not in use, I kept it protected in the storage bag provided, and it was stored it in a well ventilated closet out of the sun. I expected that the kayak would last many years.

Well, in February of this year, when my wife and I took the kayak out, my wife heard some hissing noise coming from the boat. When I returned home, I got out the soapy water to look for the leak. I found it in the seam. It was small but noticeable. I then proceeded to check the rest of the kayak and discovered 3 other small seam leaks. I was annoyed, but sometimes inflatables develop leaks that have to be repaired. That is why they give you the patch kit. However, what I found next was disturbing. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that some significant air pockets had formed under glued seams. It was clear that the seams were failing catastrophically. I was pretty upset but glad it did not fail while we were using it in the ocean.

I called BoatsToGo, who sold me the boat, and sent them a copy of the bill of sale along with photo's of the kayak and seam leaks. I thought they might want to address what I considered a manufacturing defect. Boy was I wrong. They could not have cared less. The kayak was just outside the 2 year warranty and BoatsToGo told me that they had no responsibility to do anything about the seam failures. They did offer me a small discount if I wanted to buy another one.

I learned two valuable lessons from this. (1) Think twice before you buy a Saturn inflatable kayak. It is reasonably priced, but the glued seams did not hold up as I expected. The Saturn kayak is now garbage as I cannot feel safe taking it out in the ocean. Conversely, I've had a Sea Eagle inflatable boat for over 10 years and I use it weekly during the summer. It has electronically welded seams and I have never had a seam leak. I know the Sea Eagle costs more, but you get what you pay for. (2) I would not buy from BoatsToGo again. They did not stand behind their product and I think they have very poor customer service.

I am not interested in trashing any seller or product, but I did want to share my experience. Needless to say I am done with Saturn products and I will be buying the Sea Eagle FastTrack 465 this time around.

MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSE

The reviewer contacted Saturn in February 2019 regarding the issue he had with his OK420 that was purchased on February 16 2016.  Saturn offers a 2-year warranty and unfortunately, this product was out of warranty by more than one year.  (The warranty ended as of February 16 2018). While we were unable to offer a replacement product, we did offer the reviewer a discount of $100 off a replacement product instead. While it is unfortunate that the product developed a leak, it also is beyond the control of Saturn as to how a product was treated over the past 3 years. In addition we offer extended warranty of 3 years for $99, for up to 5 years. Unfortunately, this customer chose not to purchase the extended warranty.

I really like the design of this kayak. It's the only one I've found where the floor is suspended half way up the tubes. This eliminates so much drag, and makes it very responsive and quick on flat water. I don't know why more inflatable kayak manufacturers don't go this route. That is what makes the design so brilliant. Having a rocker on both ends and being self bailing, also makes it behave well in white water, but the rocker isn't so high that being blown about by the wind is a problem. The material is heavy duty and robust and this kayak can carry a lot of gear for overnight campouts on the river. This kayak is amazing, and very light for the amount of gear it can carry. The price is very reasonable, you can't go wrong with this kayak.

My wife and I have been canoers all of our lives, with a little bit of kayaking thrown in the mix. I decided to look for an inflatable canoe/kayak for ease of transportation. I searched the web over to analysis paralysis. My choice came down to 2 brands that I was trying to pick a lessor of 2 evils. Then I found the Saturn Ocean. At 15ft it was large enough for 2, with room for lots of stuff, as I can never seem to travel light. It also can be easily configured for 1, as I occasionally paddle solo. My local float trips can include flat water rivers, lakes, saltwater bays, and the ocean. I do some white water rivers on vacation, but nothing regular. The Saturn Ocean has scupper holes for the ocean waves and my occasional (really occasional) white water. It stays very dry in the flatwater. Paddle drips find their way out of the supper holes. The IK’s central floor is raised and does not touch the water. This gives you a catamaran hull, with very little drag. I think it also makes it track much better. The IK comes equipped for a removable fin at the rear, and one at the front. I have only used it with the rear fin. Tandem or solo it tracks better than either of my canoes. The floor inflates very ridged, allowing you to stand. The catamaran hull is incredibly stable, seated or standing. I am not sure you could even purposely tip it.

The kit you get comes with absolutely everything that you need to get started except life jackets. The duffle bag is huge and tuff. I paid close attention to how the IK was folded from the factory. I refold it in that same configuration after use. I think you could get 3 of the IKs in the duffle bag. Which means lots of other stuff goes in the bag. In my case EVERYTHING can go in the bag. Two seats, 2 cushions, 2 life jackets, a hand pump, a foot pump,(bought extra) and a repair kit, my empty dry bags and more I am probably leaving out. All that still can go in the trunk of my wife’s Honda or the back of my truck. The IK also came with 2 break down kayak paddles. They are my only complaint. At 80 inches (200cm) they are way too short for a kayak of 34 inch girth, heavy, and the paddles are the only part of the kit that was not a quality component. I would have rather saved $40-$50 (or whatever they are worth) and not got them. I ended up buying 240cm paddles of a MUCH better quality. They move the loaded IK with ease.

The two included seats have a nice attached storage bag on the back. They hold lunch, sun screen, a camel back, repair kit etc. The seats attach to the IK D rings at 4 points with adjustable straps, and have a velcro removable bottom cushion. (cushions may have been a limited time promotional bonus, but I highly recommend them)The seats are very comfortable and supportive. The included hand pump is large so it pumps a large volume of air, pumping up the IK quickly. But large becomes a negative when you try to carry onboard. A patch kit is no good if you can’t re-inflate, so I bought a foot pump for a carry on. I also got a valve adapter for my Ryobi One+ battery operated pump. That saves my arms for paddling.

The other thing I missed from hard kayaks was foot support to push against when you really need to dig in. I solved that with a piece of PVC pipe placed inside a pool noodle, some buckle straps, and carabiners. (the review section really needs pics). The foot rests are an awesome addition. I give this IK a 10. I am really enjoying it. I have a few more MacGyver mods in mind, but you can’t go wrong with this IK. This is the IK you have been looking for.

The OK420 is sold as am ocean kayak, but it is much more versatile than that. Its tubes are made of 1100d PVC and has a 100mm drop stitch floor that blows up rock hard at 8 psi and huge self bailing holes that drain the boat quickly The floor is raised in between the tubes so its not touching the water and features two large removable skegs that combine to really help with tracking in open water and it all folds up into a package that can fit in just about any vehicle

I have had mine now for about 6 months and it has performed admirably in several different scenarios. Paddling the Gulf of Mexico, It tracked almost as well as a hard SOT and provided a solid fishing platform AND it as a fantastic boat to just play in the surf with.
With the skegs removed, I clipped in a pair of thigh straps and have run it through up to class III whitewater. I have other WW inflatables, but none with the drop stitch floor and the OK420 gives you the benefits of both the super stability of an inflatable and the ride of a hard boat thanks to the rigid floor.

I also made a strap on bench seat that sits on top of the tubes and allows me to paddle it like a canoe, plus affords enough space to tote enough camping gear for a weekend paddle trip. The OK420 is rated to carry up to 900lbs. Again the raised floor made the boat track very well even loaded down with my gear. After a couple of shakedown runs to get the load right, I am comfortable enough to take it on an extended expedition like the Rio Chama or the San Juan as it should be more than capable of handling up to Class III with a load of gear.

If you are a minimalist camper, you can also just throw a sleeping bag in it and get your 40 winks although you may want to let a bit of air out of the floor to soften it up.

Overall for the price and its versatility the OK 420 is a great buy. it comes with a nice carry bag, a two way manual air pump and two kayak paddles that are probably too short to be useful. (I use a 270 cm from the bench seat or a 250 or 260 sitting in a kayak seat on the floor.) Seats are optional and can be ordered separately or you can purchase them locally as any aftermarket seat will work.

It comes with 8 d-rings set up for seats or for tie downs. I added a couple of extras for my thigh straps and my bench seat. It also has nice bow and stern handles and velcro straps on the outside to allow you to stow an extra paddle out of the way.

If you are interested in any boat with a drop stitch floor, I strongly recommend in investing a good two stage electric pump as it takes an awful lot of pumping to get 8psi into that floor.

This would also be an especially nice boat for someone who is considering an entry level tandem canoe but does not have room to store it, plus its better made than a lot of the low end hard boats you see at the discount stores and is probably less expensive too.

Considering the price, versatility, quality of manufacture and ease of storage, I would give it and 8 out of 10.