SOLSTICE Inflatable Boat for Lakes, Rivers & Beaches – Heavy-Duty Raft with Swivel Oar Locks, Rod Holders & Inflatable Seats – Voyager, Fishing, Full Kit Includes Oars & Pump, 4-Person, Brown, 8'6"

OK, honestly I bought this because it was lowered from $89 to $49 and had free shipping. It also had swivel oar locks and a fishing rod holder, which suited my needs for ocean-capable, fishing-ready, potential use as a casual tender and near-shore recreational boat.When it arrived, I was initially (and pleasantly) surprised at just how thick the material was, it literally is like a light leather and feels twice as durable as the comparably-sized Sevylor/Coleman inflatable pool boats.The swivel oar locks help maneuvering and handling on open waters (my experience with the older Sevylor Fish Hunter boat) as you can rotate the oars from a higher or lower plane (i.e. sitting on the seat or on the floor of the boat) equally well without the oar shaft binding on the soft plastic of normal boats' molded oar locks. Because the oar now "pivots" around that swivel point, it greatly increases the speed of the oars being rotated around that point.The fishing rod holder is located on the "flatter" part of the rear deck, rather than at a more pronounced angle like the Sevylor Fish Hunter, and if the boat is properly inflated, it does hold up to a 9' pole with 45lb line/medium reel.The boat has twin Boston Valves on the hull chambers, and two floor chambers. There are also 2 seats included, which is a great addition. Those seats lie flat and are very wide, adding stability even if you're seated upon them. The seats are so strong (as an example) you can stand on them fully inflated, and it doesn't give too much (inflated to about 95% capacity). Then again I'm 145 lb so...The minor drawbacks: the grabline is relatively thin-looking, and you could replace it with a heavier duty nylon rope; also there are no oar holders to secure the oars when the boat is being towed as a tender, or while fishing, necessitating you remove the oars completely and place them on the floor, or else run the risk of them coming loose in the waves, or otherwise creating drag as you tow it along. Also it's varying shades of over-ripened tomatoes a creamy pink/orange color that you can't quite put your finger on while describing to someone, like the color you get when you mix ketchup and mayonnaise or something (lol).The major drawback: the 4 person rating is a little misleading, 4 full-sized adults CAN fit on the boat but it's cramped, and the boat will drag with too much weight (as with all inflatable round boats). Just take w/a grain of salt, IMHO the "4 person" rated boat is just perfect for 2 to go out fishing, carry a tackle box and cooler chest. Throw 2 more adults in the mix w/all that gear, and you'll have a clustered mess, people climbing all over each other. Plus when someone stands up to move, their weight will cause the tackle box & cooler to fall over, etc. Trust me, after years of experience with these boats, use the general rule of thumb that (for the sake of passenger comfort and cargo space) whatever the capacity of the boat is rated at, minus 1 person. So a "2 person" boat is a solo boat, a "3 person" is for 2, etc. Just my experience, so like I said, take w/a grain of salt.Back to the boat...The front grab handle is strong enough to tie off an anchor, or tie to a boat and use this little inflatable as a casual tender.Overall I am very pleasantly surprised at the quality construction of this boat, and with the price and free shipping, it's almost a no-brainer. We use it for paddling out into the waves at Moku Nui off Lanikai or fishing in Kaneohe or Kailua bays, and even braving the surf in Waikiki. If you buy it for any less demanding purpose, I think you will be equally pleased.

Even the fancy kayakers say my boat is cool maybe not the 30 mins it takes to blow up but has held me and some kids around multiple different lakes for a great price

I bought this boat for rowing around in a pond so I knew I wouldn't be putting it through too many hardships (no pun intended?). I got a chance to test it, and it seems to stand up to the reviews on other, similar solstice voyager boats. I'm about 150 , 5' 6" so I have no complaints about the size of the boat. I'll post an updated review if possible at the end of the summer.After a short water test, this is what I got:Pros:- extremely light- so far it is durable- inflates under 10 minutes with the foot pump- several two way valves for easy inflation-definitely comfortable for one-two people-swivel oar locks-comes with inflatable seat-padCons:- flimsy paddles, I have back-ups because I suspect these may snap with too much force- there are four inflation holes; two easy-to-reach ones for the main body, and then two, small more-difficult-to-reach/inflate holes for the boat floor. They are inflatable but take a little bit of work to do so. We'll see how the summer goes, but as of now I don't feel all that comfortable standing up in the boat (i have gear that must remain free of water on-board).-deflating is a bit of a drag on your own, but that is more a con of all inflatable rafts.You can use the foot pump to deflate, but it also takes a while.Overall:- for ~$60-$70, this boat cannot be beat-comfortable, and for now it is durable

Boat was super bright colored and nothing like the picture, box was damaged and opened and when I placed my order it said oars were included. None came with it and now the ad says none come with it. I got it for a family trip and can't return it before the trip so now I have to run around looking for oars and going to be embarrassed due to the god awful colors of the thing. It even said 5 person boat when I ordered it because that and it had oars and blended pretty well with nature is the reason I chose that one. I guess one of us will be sitting on shore while the others go out on the boat. This was the biggest expensive disappointment ever

The box claims that the vinyl is “heavy duty”. No specification is given. The vinyl feels heavier than my last vinyl boat which lasted only two summers. Overall, this boat has a nice sturdy feel to it.The shipping weight was 13 pounds, so it seems that the posted weight of the boat (12.8 pounds) is accurate. The boat is 88x44 inches. The seating area is 54x19. The maximum person weight is 495 LBS. Overall weight maximum is 600 LBS. There is a grab line and a handle in front for launching the boat. There are two rotating oar locks. There is an inflatable pillow to sit on.The package does not include oars or an air pump. There are four air valves, in three different styles. You will need two different nozzles on your air pump. I wish the instructions gave some guidance on this, but they don’t. All four valves are one-way.The instructions say to deflate the boat by opening the valves but they do not say how. Three of the valves were easy, but the #1 valve was tricky. I guess you have to disconnect the longest pump nozzle from the pump and leave the nozzle inserted into the valve, to hold the one-way flap open while you push the air out. I wish the instructions covered this.I haven’t taken the boat out on the water yet. I am giving the boat five stars due to the low price. I have already seen enough to know that I got a good sturdy boat for the amount of money.

I had to keep inflating boat, at least 3 times a day. It was very minimal air it required, only it was a hassle