Whitewater Rafts - www.SaturnRafts.com

2011 Photo Contest – And the Winner is…

admin — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:55:21 +0000

The first annual Saturn Rafts photo contest has come to an end. Over the past two months we have received over 100 photos and testimonials from Saturn owners and we couldn’t be more pleased with the responses. Since day one our #1 goal has been to “get you on the water” and what better evidence of that success than all of the great photo submissions. An overiding theme from Saturn owners is the feeling that our Saturn products represent “one of the best values they have ever purchased.” That input is truly valued and reignites our passion to spread our products to others around the world.

We had the tough task of sorting through some amazing pictures and narrowing them down to our top 3. We took many factors into account and have attached the winning submissions as well as a brief description of who and where the photo was taken. At the bottom is also a list of a few of our honorable mentions.

1^st Place: Jay Hermon – Middle Fork of the American, CA – Tunnel Chute Rapid

2^nd Place: Chris Schino – Multi-Generation Saturn Rafts at Ruby Horsethief, CO

3^rd Place: Bridget Tincher – Cheat Narrows, WV

We appreciate everyone that participated and sent in pictures of their family and friends out on the water. Towards the end of the boating season we will be sure and run another contest and please keep checking our website and social media outlets as I am sure you will see some of the pictures you submitted popping up.

Also, please note we are introducing our first Saturn Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUP Boards) and they will be available in the next two weeks. Please call for details and to get in on this new and exciting sport.

Honorable Mentions:

Glenn Fischer – San Juan Trip
Chuck Minor – “Kids Holding Hands” – Lower New River, WV
Steve Thompson & Rob Lyon – Owyhee River Canyon
Firenze Rafting – Italy

NRS Dealers

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:22:29 +0000

We are extremely excited to announce that we are now NRS Dealers. We have forever believed NRS makes some of the best frames and gear on the market and we are excited about the opportunity to team up. We can now drop ship any NRS frames or accessories directly from NRS to your doorstep, allowing us the ability to customize frame packages with any Saturn Raft or Cataraft and have it to you quickly so you can get out on the water.

Please keep us in mind as providers for all quality equipment that NRS and Saturn Rafts have become known for.

2011 SATURN Rafts Photo Contest

admin — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:06:17 +0000

It’s that time of year when we all start feeling the itch to get on the water. We are teased by the sunny days and warmer weather and then reminded it’s still March when Mother Nature decides to start snowing. Hang in there as spring is around the corner. We are excited for the 2011 season and what better way to get in the mindset than giving away some great whitewater gear in our first annual photo contest? We love to hear your Saturn Rafting/Boating stories and share in your fun and excitement. Our customer base is growing rapidly around the globe and it’s great to be able to share your stories and pictures with other soon-to-be Saturn boaters. Through May 31^st, 2011 send in your pictures and/or stories of friends and family enjoying your Saturn Raft, Cataraft, Kaboat, Kayak or Dinghy and we will award some killer prizes for the top submissions. Prizes will be awarded for 1^st,2^{nd, and}3^rdplaces with the overall grand prize being a Type V – MTI Canyon PFD, Pro-Tec Full Cut Helmet, Extra Large Seattle Sports Dry Bag and a $100 SATURN Coupon! (Over $250 Value) Entering the Contest: It’s simple. Title your submission “2011 Photo Contest” and submit as many photos as you would like via E-mail, mail or Facebook. Submissions may include stories, testimonials and pictures of any of your SATURN products.

E-mail: info@saturnrafts.com
Mailing Address: 1825 Whiff Dr. Boise, ID 83616
Facebook URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saturn-Rafts/187633847932771

The GOODS!

1st Place - Type V – MTI Canyon PFD / Pro-Tec Full Cut Helmet / XL Seattle Sports Dry Bag / $100 OFF Coupon for any SATURN raft or boat. (Over $270 Value)
2nd Place – Type V – MTI Canyon PFD / XL Seattle Sports Dry Bag / $100 OFF Coupon for any SATURN raft or boat. (Over $230 Value)
3rd Place – Type V – MTI Canyon PFD / $50 OFF Coupon for any SATURN raft or boat. (Over $150 Value)

Winners will be announced on our Facebook page, BLOG and via email in early June. We appreciate everyone’s participation and please note that any photo submitted may be used on our website or other marketing efforts. Also our new 2011 product line is now in stock with discounts for previous customers and referrals! Call or email to get your special pricing.

What Type of Pump do I Need for My Whitewater Raft?

admin — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 05:02:36 +0000

Here are a few quick pointers for you to remember when inflating your white water raft. You can use a hand pump or an electric pump for your inflatable Raft and often times it’s best to use both to minimize energy while get adequate pressure.

In general you won’t be able to soley use an electric pump and we often recommend picking up a Coleman rechargeable pump to use to get the chambers to 85% full. Then, just use the hand pump to top it off to the needed pressure. You can generally tell the pressure is adequate when the tubes are rigid to the touch and you’ll only be able to push your finger in about 1/4″ deflection when pressing against the PVC.

The pressure relief valves found on both the side tubes and floor make it tough to overinflate which helps protect the tubes and your Saturn raft from overinflation.

If you use an electric high-pressure pump, you can over inflate your inflatable raft. Here are some guidelines which you can use so that you can avoid damage to your inflatable raft.

Average Pressure for Inflatable Boats

	Max	Recommended
Tubes:	3.6psi (25kpa)	2.9psi (20kpa)
Keel:	5.8psi (40kpa)	4.3psi (30kpa)
Floor:	10psi (70kpa)	8.7psi (60kpa)

If you need more information please visit http://www.saturnrafts.com

Don’t Forget Your PFD !

admin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:20:03 +0000

Saturn rafts always wants you to be safe on the water. So don’t forget that you always need a personal flotation device that is approved for the type of water activity that you choose, e.g. white water rafting! It must also be the right size for your weight and fit you correctly. When you try it on, the fit should be rather snug and it should not ride up or move to much when you move your arms about.

Saturn Rafts.com has three main personal flotation devices that we offer. The Riptide PFD allows for more movement and offers an athletic racer back. The Fisher PFD, which is specially rated for fishing, has four adjustable side straps. It has enough pockets for all your lures plus a central zipper. The Canyon PFD has a four buckle front entry and five point adjustment. We also offer the Youth Canyon PFD which is available for children with a 50-90 lb weight range.

As you can see there is more than enough variety for you to be able to find a PFD that suits your needs. If you need more information, please visit http://www.saturnrafts.com or call (208) 559-5449 to find out about ordering your own PFD.

2011 SATURN Outfitter Models are Here!

admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:17:07 +0000

saturn rafts

Here at Saturn rafts ,we are always trying to improve our products. We listen to our prospective customers, dealers, guides and outfitters and try to take their advice when designing next years boats. Last year we released the 2010 models that featured the upgraded 1.5mm thick floor, soft handles, new exterior tube valve location and angled D-rings. We have been overwhelmed by the response from the upgrades and want to thank everyone for their opinion.

For our 2011 models we haven’t made any of the large changes that were seen last year but we have had several requests about D-ring location. With the help of Sunshine Sports in Billings, MT we have added 4 new D-rings to the exterior of our 13′ -16′ saturn rafts. The added D-rings give a more flexible point to strap certain frames down to the boat.

We are excited about 2011 and want to thank everyone for their input and ask you keep sending in any recommendations. It is our mission to put the best whitewater rafting boats on the market for the most reasonable price and we can’t do that without feedback.

Take care,

Jeff

Whitewater Rafting For All Ages

admin — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:58:11 +0000

When you first think of whitewater rafting, you might immediately think of class 5 rapids, danger at every turn and the thrill of the adventure adding more hairs to your chest than you might have needed.

But what some of us forget is that whitewater rafting is for all ages and can be a great time for families to bond and spend some quality outdoor time together. With thousands of rivers and lakes in the USA, there is going to be one that suits your families needs.

Whether you have small children, teenagers or even grandparents, most families need time to reconnect with each other. The main point is to get out there, get fit and enjoy the environment.

Whitewater rafting is a bonding experience that gets the family working together to achieve a goal and get to the end of the course. It usually needs team work, commitment and allows us to learn a lot about ourselves and each other.

The key to remember above all is to do your research, make sure the river that you decide to raft is suitable for the age range of your party. Bring the right equipment, for example, the MTI Canyon – Type V lifejackets are some of the safest on the market and also come in youth sizes. Helmets, oars, sunblock and a first-aid box are just a few things more that you should make sure are on your list.

Above all enjoy yourself and take care!

Welcome to Saturn

admin — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:49:29 +0000

Hello everybody!

The weather is starting to change and so is Saturn. We are really excited about 2010. We have new models to showcase as well as the launching of our new website. The site is designed to be more user friendly, from researching the perfect boat for you to helping us stay in touch and receive feedback.

One way we want to get your feedback, as well as hear about your recent river trip, is the creation of this blog. We get some great stories from you already and want a way for everyone else to hear them as well as a platform for us to let you know what we are up to. Please e-mail me any pictures you have and we will get some of them on here as well as post some of us.

We hope to organize a couple floats this year and have a sea of Saturns heading downstream. Please come along even if you don’t have a Saturn. This will be a great time to talk with other Saturn owners as well check out our 2010 models. Be sure to check back on dates and times so you don’t miss out.

Our #1 goal is to get you on the water, so let us know if we can ever get you out in one of our boats for a “test” trip. Take a look at our new website and let us know what you think.

Take care

-Jeff

2010 Outfitter Rafts are Here!

admin — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:48:48 +0000

Below is a message from Cody, much of the brains behind the 2010 design.

2010 Saturn Outfitter rafts are really causing a buzz in the whitewater community. The handles and paddles were the biggest concerns we received in 2009 and we spent the off season addressing those concerns by removing the paddles and making the Carlisle line of paddles available to our customers. We also modified the handles to a much softer rubber grip handle with a nylon strap for extra rigidity. The BIG change is the new and improved floor design which made the floor nearly twice as thick and added about 10-12 lbs to each of our Saturn Outfitter Rafts. We’ve received tremendous feedback on the floor and that change has made our entire Outfitter product line much more appealing to commercial guides and outfitters that can put any raft to the test.

We’ll be posting a bunch of new pictures to our website soon and will showcase some of our new frames we’ve started to custom build for our rafts. We took some of the best frames on the market and combined the components we liked in order to build our new Outfitter series frames.

Lastly, we want to thank each of our customers over these past 5 years that have helped us grow to the size we are where we are able to put new and improved products on the market each year. Without your feedback and support we wouldn’t be where we are. Enjoy the rafting season and hopefully we’ll hear from many of you throughout the year.

We have received some great pictures of customers running our 2010 models and have started adding them to the website under “pictures”. We encourage you to write us about your experience and please send any pictures.

On another note, Cody and I attended the 2010 Idaho Whitewater Equipment sale this past Saturday April, 24th. I have included a couple pictures below from the event where we showcased our Outfitter Series Frame packages. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to talk with us, it was a great way to get a start to the boating season.

Take care,

Jeff

Cheers to 2011!

admin — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:16:27 +0000

Hello all, 2011 welcomes us with prospects of another great rafting year. We’ve seen near record rain and snowfall in our area and have been hearing the same about the entire West coast! The river levels should remain high throughout a very long season and will provide the thrills we’re all seeking.

Ok, maybe I’m jumping the gun a bit being thats it’s only the middle of January but it sure feels like spring is around the corner. Maybe that’s because we’ve made some big changes that will positively impact ALL of our customers.

We’ve recently worked an agreement with our manufacturer to have exclusive rights in the entire USA for all Saturn whitewater products. To our customers, that means all Saturn dealers will order directly through us, making sure that all Saturn rafts, kayaks and catarafts will come standard with the same accessories. To our dealers, any warranty claims will be processed through us so we can make sure to respond in a timely manner with our tradition of exceptional client service.

Our product line will remain mostly the same in 2011 although we are prototyping some new rafts and catarafts. We’ll get some pictures up as soon as we can to get your much appreciated feedback.

We are excited about the recent changes and ready to get the 2011 season started.

Take care,

Jeff