Frequently Asked Questions.

How do I find and repair air leaks?

If you are losing air pressure, (aside from pressure loss commonly caused by colder temperatures), check the kayak over for leaks. Start by checking the valves first. The best tool to find leaks is soapy water in a spray bottle. A leaky valve is rare, but if you do find a leak we can send you a replacement valve. We recommend mixing soap and water in a spray bottle. Spray around the valve. If you see bubbles forming, check your valve fitting and base and be sure the valve insert is screwed on tight. You can apply glue from the repair kit to seal small leaks around the valve or holes where the nylon string enters the valve assembly. If you continue to have problems with the valve, it's probably time to order a new one. 

To find tiny leaks, take the floor boards out, fully inflate the kayak until it's hard to the touch. Put some liquid detergent in a bucket of water and scrub it all over the kayak with rag or big wash brush. Watch for elusive or tiny bubbles. When you find the first leak, keep looking. You might as well fix them all at the same time! Remember, the number one cause of slow leaks is due to poorly fitted valves. Unscrew the valve and clean the area. Make sure the little rubber O-rings are still good. They are the cheapest repair possible. 

If you have no luck finding a slow leak with air bubbles, inflate the kayak to it's maximum air pressure and try to listen for the leak. If you can narrow the area down, return with a spray bottle to identify the source of the leak. 

Punctures less than 1/8" in size can be repaired simply without a patch. Deflate your kayak, then clean and dry the area to be repaired. Apply a small drop of glue to cover the puncture and let dry for 12 hours. If you need to get on the water sooner, let dry for 30 minutes and then inflate the kayak, inflating the compartment with the repair only 3/4 full. This repair might not be permanent so add a drop again at a later date to make it permanent.

Your Inflatable Kayak comes with a repair kit as standard equipment. It is recommended to do repairs in  dry weather. Humidity will decrease glue bond. Cut a piece of repair material large enough to overlap the damaged area by approximately 1" and round off the edges. Apply glue to the under side of the patch and around the area to be repaired. Too much glue will often interfere with a proper repair. Allow adhesive to become tacky for 5 minutes, and then place patch on the damaged area. Use a weight to apply 3-5 lbs. of pressure for 24 hours. After the patch has dried, apply glue around the edges for a complete seal (dry 6 hours).

What to do if kayak gets accidentally punctured while on the water?

First of all - do not panic. Inflatable kayaks have several air chambers, and if one of chambers gets punctured, the kayak will stay afloat due to the buoyancy of the remaining air chambers. 

We suggest that you always carry on board the following items - Personal Flotation Device (PFD) for each passenger along with a whistle, a marine emergency radio to call the Coast Guard for help if necessary, a hand pump, piece of duct tape (Gorilla Tape) and a small bottle of acetone.

If kayak gets punctured below the water line, there is nothing much you can do except for pumping air with a hand pump in order to slow down the air leak. For quick emergency repairs in ripped inflatables, you can purchase a ClamSeal. 

Punctures in accessible places, inside the kayak, can be temporarily fixed with a piece of duct or Gorilla tape. To insure a good seal, the area around the puncture should be cleaned with acetone before applying duct tape. After that, you can pump in air to slow down the escaping air, and get ashore as soon as possible.

How long should I expect my SATURN kayak to last?

That is totally up to you. If you take good care of your kayak, it may last 5-10 years. If you do not take proper care of the kayak, it will only last up to its warranty period. However, abused and mishandled kayaks are not covered by the warranty.

To extend the lifetime of your kayak by taking proper care of it, we are recommending following book: "INFLATABLE KAYAKS - Selection, Care, Repair, and Seamanship" by Jim Trefethen. ISBN number 0-07-065252-X. Available at www.amazon.com, or you may order it from the publisher: The McGraw-Hill Companies, 1-800-262-4729. 

It is well known that the most common reason for premature kayak aging is exposure to the sun and its damaging UV rays. Fabric discoloration, fading, breakdowns and damages to varnished plywood can be all attributed to direct sun exposure.

The solution is simple - when the kayak is not in use, cover it or deflate it. There are plenty of Inflatables rotting under the damaging sun in any local marine or harbor. If possible, deflate the kayak, clean it and store it in its carry bag.

If the kayak is constantly dragged behind your sailkayak, left year round on a dock, or left dirty and directly under harmful UV-rays, you can't expect it to last forever. If you use a kayak cover, or at least cover kayak with a piece of tarp, your SATURN will last much longer. 

Try to keep the kayak clean and free of chemical detergents and sun screen lotions that may discolor the fabric. We highly recommend kayak cleaners available at the Inland Marine USA web site. 

Please use ONLY cleaning solutions that are approved for PVC fabrics. For example Inflatable Kayak Cleaner from NauticalEase or Cape Ann Inflatable Kayak Protector from Inland Marine. Do not use CLOROX, Windex or any other household cleaners. These chemicals will make the fabric sticky over time. Sun screen lotions may contain silicon that will also make PVC fabric sticky. Clean the kayak tubes of any sun screen lotion marks to extend the kayak fabric life cycle.

We also recommend very convenient Swipes Wipes, as they contain an excellent cleaning solution for inflatable kayaks. These wipes remove any type of dirt, protect against UV-rays and can make the kayak look new again. 
 

What to do if a hand pump arrives damaged?

Saturn inflatable kayaks and rafts are of excellent quality and workmanship. However, in efforts to pass the savings on to you, we are keeping costs as low as possible. Instead of enclosing a high quality and expensive hand pump, and then passing the cost to you, we are enclosing good quality generic hand pumps. The hand pump enclosed with the kayak is free and is a complimentary gift to you. 

In rare occasions, if FedEx drops the shipping box during handling, the hose of the pump may get squeezed by the weight of the kayak and develop small cracks. The simplest and fastest solution for cracks in a hose would be to apply duct tape around the hose. This will make the hand pump fully operational again. However, if you wish to receive a new pump, please send damaged pump back for replacement. 

If the hose is fine and the pump doesn't provide enough pressure to inflate the kayak, then unscrew the green cup with a T-handle and inspect the rubber seal on the plunger. If it's torn, let us know and we will send you a replacement seal.

Please note that high-performance foot and hand pumps are available from the  following retailers that are not associated with KayaksToGo, Inc:

www.waterstrider.com/raft-air-pumps.htm
www.clavey.com/pumps.html
www.thekayakpeople.com/atr_pumps.html

How to protect air floors from accidental punctures or sharp dog claws?

An air floor PVC material has been designed to be strong and puncture-resistant. But if enough pressure is applied with a sharp object, like a knife or fishing hook for example, then a puncture may sometime occur. Dog claws, in general, are not sharp enough to puncture an air floor. But small pieces of sharp broken glass or similar objects may stick to the insole of shoes while boarding the dinghy and may also cut the surface of air floors in some cases. 

To avoid damage to the high-pressure air floor, and keep it as good as new, you can purchase a piece of vinyl floor covering in a hardware store, or just use regular carpeting. Cut the vinyl or carpet to fit the inside of the kayak and over the floor. Use paper patterns first, to get a perfect fit. Then use this paper pattern to cut the new flooring.

Applying vinyl or carpet covering will make inflatable air floors virtually indestructible. Floor vinyl covering or carpet is flexible and may be rolled up for storage when kayak is deflated. 

Can I inflate my kayak using an electric pump only?

No. You will need to use a hand pump to provide proper air pressure to the tubes. Electric pumps will not provide enough air pressure and your kayak will not operate to it's full performance. You may quickly inflate all air compartments with an electric pump, up to the point where no more air can be electrically pumped  inside, or about 90%. Then, you will need to use a hand pump until the tubes, keel and bow are hard to the touch.

How our SATURN kayaks are different from other brands?

Saturn Inflatable kayaks are made of the same quality materials as famous expensive brand name inflatable kayaks. The workmanship is exactly the same or even better quality then most overpriced brand names that you can buy in retail marine stores. SATURN Our SATURN kayaks are made by a major manufacturer of inflatable kayaks in Korea. 

Some of Saturn kayaks strong points:

• Very clean, hand-made seams. Glue does not stick out from seams.
• Double layer fabric at the bottom of all tubes .
• The Extra thick 1100 Dtex fabric with polyester support is a much thicker fabric than some other famous brands use.
• Flat and rigid air floor. Not bended in front like on most other brands.
• Safety valve that prevents over-inflation.

There are several reasons why our prices are the lowest in the US:

• We import directly from the manufacturer bypassing the middleman.
• By conducting our business on-line we avoid expenses that retail stores are passing on to their customers.
• We do not invest as heavily in marketing as other famous brands do.
• We don't have to maintain a large network of dealers and retail stores.
• Our 2 year warranty doesn't force you to pay for extra years that otherwise are just built-in into the retail price.

Air starts escaping from the valve immediately after I remove air pump.  My kayak starts loosing air after few hours. What is wrong?

The valve has a special pushpin inside. This pushpin has two positions, both up and down. When it is pressed in the down position, air will escape. If you turn the pushpin in any direction it will pop up. This will lock air inside and prevent it from escaping through the valve. Before inserting the air pump tube into the valve, please make sure that the pushpin is in the upper, popped up position. Once the pin is in the "popped up" position,  insert the air pump tube into the valve and inflate the kayak until it becomes hard. Once you remove the air pump, air will seal the valve and will no longer escape. If you would like to deflate the kayak later on,  press down on the pushpin and turn it in any direction until it  stays in the pressed down position. Air will immediately escape from the tubes thru the valve.

What is the working pressure of Saturn kayaksSATURN in terms of PSI? Do I need a  special pressure Gauge?

Max. Air pressure tubes: 0,25 bar
Max. Air pressure keel:  0,40 bar
Max. Air pressure floor:  0,70 bar

• Conversion factors:
• 1 psi = 0.06895 bar
• 1 bar = 14.50326 psi

It is not necessary to have an air pressure gauge to inflate Saturn kayaks. The kayak tubes are equipped with Safety valves that will prevent over-inflation. In general, when you feel that kayak tubes/floor are hard to the touch, and it becomes difficult to pump any more air in, that means that the kayak is ready.

What kind of valves do Saturn kayaks and rafts have?

Saturn kayaks and rafts use a  Halkey-Roberts flat valve designed by Naru.