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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 researched the heck out of this kayak and there were no red flags for me. The price was right and I ordered it for use in the Caribbean. The setup on the Saturn Kayak was a breeze and takes just minutes. In the water, the kayak performed well. It tracked straight using the two attachable fins, and moved remarkably easy through the water considering its an inflatable. The floor is very firm and is raised slightly off the water. The seats are comfortable, and slightly raised by using the cushions provided, giving me a better view of the water. Any water that got in the kayak is quickly removed through the openings in the floor. My butt stays completely dry. The kayak is incredibly sturdy and stable. I used it for fishing and I was able to stand and cast with ease. As with any inflatable, it seemed to be affected by stiff winds, but that would be true with almost any boat. The paddles provided are marginal and the Velcro paddle holder on the side of the kayak are not very reassuring. I've used it in the ocean, open bays and protected lagoons. So far... no problems. I would recommend.