saturn rafts??

[thogan]

Anyone have any thoughts or experience with these rafts? Looking for 1st raft for easy whitewater class III. Downfalls to PVC construction.? The pricetag seems to good to be true.

[DanRauer]

Originally Posted by thogan

Anyone have any thoughts or experience with these rafts? Looking for 1st raft for easy whitewater class III. Downfalls to PVC construction.? The pricetag seems to good to be true.

Save your money and buy a better boat. I believe that those boats are glued PVC. If you go PVC, try to get one that is welded PVC like Aires or Jack Plastic. Generally glued PVC boats don't last very long and are built cheaply. For the price you pay, you can get a great used boat and be alot better off.

Dan

[peak]

see "similar threads" box a the bottom of this screen, or search the forum...

[BuckytheGREAT]

Don't buy those boats, period.

A friend of mine bought one last year and we took it on the Main Salmon. Even with some friends who have NEVER rafted before could already tell it was a lousy boat by comparing it with other boats on this trip.

The tubes aren't as comfortable to sit on as other boats - they use a different quality of material for tubes. I don't know too much of this...

The thwarts are NOT removeable (however, I hear they changed that part for this year)

Their "free" paddles and pump is good enough for my 8 year and 6 year old boys to play with in a small pool! You can easily bend the blades with your hand. As for the pump, I actually do wonder if it's faster to blow in the tube from your mouth than using that pump of theirs. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit but....

They have plastic handles on the side of the boat which seems neat to carry on with but it's a boon for paddling. Paddlers say it gets in the way when they are paddling by hitting it too frequently causing them to change their style of paddling.

If you want to buy a boat for that price, I'd be glad to sell you my beloved 20 year old 13 footer, "Baby" that I STILL use today for that price and pretty much ensure you that this boat of mine will last longer.

Bucky

[thefreshpimpofbigair]

Try a tributary for a first boat, solid materials, constuction techniques and feel. I just got a 14sb and love it, though i had major reservations about the whole bladder - zipper aire thing. Seems bomber. The most boat for the price. My main gripes were the puny and insufficient repair kit and the thwart attachments are a pain in the ass, and may get in the way, or restrict your cooler/drybox. The standard aire lace-ins are much better.
oh yeah- my buddy has a saturn and its a piece.
-R

[RMrafts]

Like any new product, such as the Saturn rafts, there is always room for improvement. The new Saturn RD430 rafts I sell in Crested Butte don't have any hard side handles or life line holders on top of the boat; have removable thwarts, more self bailing holes, more d-rings, etc. The Canyon Series are very different and I don't have a lot of data or sell them. For a $1350 Saturn you won't find a better value in a raft. Yes, the paddles are good for an 8 year old and the pump is a throw away but what do you expect for $0. If you can afford a Lexus (Hyside) then buy one. If you are like most recreational rafters who want a very good quality raft for a great price, maybe the Toyota (Saturn) is a better option. BTW, what happened to your friends Saturn that you classify it as a piece of s....?

[Highcider]

Originally Posted by BuckytheGREAT

Don't buy those boats, period.

A friend of mine bought one last year and we took it on the Main Salmon. Even with some friends who have NEVER rafted before could already tell it was a lousy boat by comparing it with other boats on this trip.

The tubes aren't as comfortable to sit on as other boats - they use a different quality of material for tubes. I don't know too much of this...

The thwarts are NOT removeable (however, I hear they changed that part for this year)

Their "free" paddles and pump is good enough for my 8 year and 6 year old boys to play with in a small pool! You can easily bend the blades with your hand. As for the pump, I actually do wonder if it's faster to blow in the tube from your mouth than using that pump of theirs. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit but....

They have plastic handles on the side of the boat which seems neat to carry on with but it's a boon for paddling. Paddlers say it gets in the way when they are paddling by hitting it too frequently causing them to change their style of paddling.

If you want to buy a boat for that price, I'd be glad to sell you my beloved 20 year old 13 footer, "Baby" that I STILL use today for that price and pretty much ensure you that this boat of mine will last longer.

Bucky

Wrong, wrong, wrong... I did my research last season and found alot of great information on all types of whitewater rafts from this site and boatertalk. I stumbled across this post by searching for "saturn rafts" in Yahoo after reading alot about the rafts in Boatertalk. Here's my story and I think alot of weekend rafters like myself will gain some extremely valuable info on Saturn Rafts.

I bought a 15' Saturn raft at the end of last season from a guy in Boise who sells wholesale to local but also to the general public. Dude was so confident in his product that he let me take a brand new 15' raft out for a long weekend on the South Fork of the Payette River without even charging me upfront. Although we didn't intend to we ended up putting about 60 miles on it in some nice III-IV whitewater and really ripped the *%#^ out it. I could not have been more impressed with the tracking and ride it provided.

I think Buckster must have seen an older model because this one had removable thwarts, no rope, no hard plastic handles, even the paddles were ok (ok, maybe you might have to buy a couple paddles but they worked great for us). Anyway, I now own that 15' saturn raft and have sold 3 more for the guy from referrals. Granted, I have only had the raft on the water for about 300 miles but I'm telling you the quality looks on par with all the other rafts I used to rent (Maravia and AIRE mostly).

I can't speak for all rafters because I'm a weekend user putting 450-650 miles per year on the river but I can tell ANYBODY looking to buy a new raft to seriously consider these saturn rafts. Atleast take a look, you'll be impressed by the appearance and if you get a chance to demo one you'll be even more impressed putting through your favorite rapid.

I highly recommend these rafts. The guy from the main website (Saturn Rafts - Wholesale Supplier) will really help you make in informed decision. Call these guys up. You know you're talking to an honest salesman when he tells you his favorite raft is a Maravia Wallowa and that is his closest competitor. Dude raved about the Maravia urethane coating and even said they were looking to apply urethane to their boats in the future.

There...put it to you straight. A very fair review of the saturn raft product.

[RMrafts]

Highcider,
Glad to hear you like the boat you bought! You are absolutely correct in your assessment of the new and improved Saturns. I bought a boat from
Cody at saturnrafts.com in Boise, ID, and it had fixed thwarts, no relief valve in the floor, hard handles, etc. However, the boat quality was very good. So, I called Boats To Go, the distributor of Saturn Rafts, and told them I would be a dealer for them if they made about 10 changes to their boat to make it respectable amongst the rafting community. They made those changes, and you have the quality boat there is out there today. I started my own business, RM Rafts, selling the improved boats and they were a hit for the average Joe who wants a good quality raft at a reasonable price. The dealer in ID, saturnrafts.com, piggybacked on my mods and also sells what is now a very high quality raft.

I continue tweaking the Saturn line of boats to give them the amenities of more expensive rafts at a fair price. If you want the latest, most improved model of Saturn raft, give us a call at 888-9rmraft and we will give you the very best price on a Saturn with the best customer service.

Saturn Rafts in Boise is just a dealer for Boats To Go. Boats To Go owns the brand name Saturn Rafts. Don't think Saturnrafts.com is the owner or distributor of Saturn brand rafts. They aren't. They are just a dealer who happened to acquire the website saturnrafts.com early in the game. Good move on his part. However, RM Rafts in CO is also a dealer and will deliver you better prices and customer service on Saturn Rafts. That's all we sell and we are the ones responsible for all the great improvements you have seen to the Saturn over the last year. Keep your comments coming and we will keep delivering you a quality, affordable raft. We, at RM Rafts believe everyone should have the opportunity to own a quality raft at a fair price. Give us a call anytime! Thanks.

Originally Posted by Highcider

Wrong, wrong, wrong... I did my research last season and found alot of great information on all types of whitewater rafts from this site and boatertalk. I stumbled across this post by searching for "saturn rafts" in Yahoo after reading alot about the rafts in Boatertalk. Here's my story and I think alot of weekend rafters like myself will gain some extremely valuable info on Saturn Rafts.

I bought a 15' Saturn raft at the end of last season from a guy in Boise who sells wholesale to local but also to the general public. Dude was so confident in his product that he let me take a brand new 15' raft out for a long weekend on the South Fork of the Payette River without even charging me upfront. Although we didn't intend to we ended up putting about 60 miles on it in some nice III-IV whitewater and really ripped the *%#^ out it. I could not have been more impressed with the tracking and ride it provided.

I think Buckster must have seen an older model because this one had removable thwarts, no rope, no hard plastic handles, even the paddles were ok (ok, maybe you might have to buy a couple paddles but they worked great for us). Anyway, I now own that 15' saturn raft and have sold 3 more for the guy from referrals. Granted, I have only had the raft on the water for about 300 miles but I'm telling you the quality looks on par with all the other rafts I used to rent (Maravia and AIRE mostly).

I can't speak for all rafters because I'm a weekend user putting 450-650 miles per year on the river but I can tell ANYBODY looking to buy a new raft to seriously consider these saturn rafts. Atleast take a look, you'll be impressed by the appearance and if you get a chance to demo one you'll be even more impressed putting through your favorite rapid.

I highly recommend these rafts. The guy from the main website (Saturn Rafts - Wholesale Supplier) will really help you make in informed decision. Call these guys up. You know you're talking to an honest salesman when he tells you his favorite raft is a Maravia Wallowa and that is his closest competitor. Dude raved about the Maravia urethane coating and even said they were looking to apply urethane to their boats in the future.

There...put it to you straight. A very fair review of the saturn raft product.

[SaturnRafts]

Let us help you enjoy your "staycation" this summer.

We put 150+ rafts on the water each year and work with outfitters, guides and rafting rental companies in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Georgia, Montana, New York, Texas, New Zealand, Dominican Republic and Peru.

We can custom orders products for you with a 3 month lead time. We have 13', 14', and 15' Saturn Whitewater Rafts in stock. We have been in the business for years and continue to be the leading supplier of SATURN rafts in the country. We have a 2 day shipment policy on all orders and offer a full 7-day money back guarantee. We always offer our 5-year warranty for an additional $99 (all products come with standard 2-year warranty at no cost) Give s a call and we'll provide answers to any questions you have.

Through April we're honoring our $50 off pricing on our Saturn Whitewater Rafts. Check us out at www.saturnrafts.com or call us at (20559-5449.

Check out the pictures below of our newest 15' Saturn Whitewater Raft which hasn't even hit our website yet. We've customized this raft from our standard 15' to have 22" side tubes, a full 7' width, larger removable thwarts, and a slightly revised bow design.

[riverdoghenry]

Originally Posted by SaturnRafts

We have a 2 day shipment policy on all orders and offer a full 7-day money back guarantee. We always offer our 5-year warranty for an additional $99 (all products come with standard 2-year warranty at no cost) Give s a call and we'll provide answers to any questions you have.

I'm always open minded and willing to take a look at things. Your website claims that you fabric is, "Puncture Proof":

"SATURN inflatable boats and rafts are hand-sealed at the seams for perfect seaming-the most expensive and reliable method used today. Each seam is strengthened with four layers of bonded fabric for maximum strength and durability. Heavy duty 1,100 Dtex High Strength PVC fabric coated on both side with 1100 g/m2, 0.9mm. Fabric is thick, puncture proof and abrasion resistant."

Saturn Rafts - Wholesale Supplier

Puncture proof raft??????????

This is a classic alligator mouth over-loading a humming bird ass statement!!!

I believe many of the seasoned boaters on this forum would feel that "puncture proof" is a bold and ballsy statement in this industry. Again, I would like to be open minded and if I can be proven wrong, I would love to own a puncture proof raft.

I have no bias against your brand, because I've never used one. Puncture proof PVC is really reaching for a sale!