Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

[CTodar]

Hi guys again ,
I really appreciated the help last time i posted a thread the amount of help you guys gave me so thanks. I was wondering about these premium Azzurro Mare boats from Saturn are they as strong as Saturn say they are?

Thanks Again guys

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

The only difference is the thickness of the PVC material. Yes, I would say Saturn offers a fair assessment of their products.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

Much better to count with a thicker 1.2 mm fabric than a standard 0.9 mm. Will hold more sun UV, abrassion, user abuse..

Happy Boating

 

[stilesp]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

Seems like the squared front on the Azzurro Mare's makes for a ton more room inside the boat. Is it just the pic or does it really have 20-30% more floor space? I'm just guestimating by comparing pics.

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

If you need more room go for the sd330w

 

[Guest]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

I love the 330w looks and was planning on buying it but on one of my past theads said it would not be good with a 15hp outboard. So IMo I went for the zoom 350.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

The Azzuro Mare bows are european cut style, roomier than cheapo standard M type less roomier bows. What was suggested was : Being a wider fishing platform than standard SD 330, will need a 15 HP as opposed to a 9.8/9.9 HP to overcome the extra hull width drag in order to plane at throttle. Universal truth : Wooden floor sibs performs much better than air deck sibs at speed.

Happy Boating

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

Your universal trueth depends on the boat. It also depends on tge the engine matched up to the boat. Air floors are getting better and better. Having had both I will tell you that. If the boat is trailored a hard floor is great. If the boat is transported and inflated and deflated for every use, then its not even close. Air floor all the way.

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

I love the 330w looks and was planning on buying it but on one of my past theads said it would not be good with a 15hp outboard. So IMo I went for the zoom 350.

I feel the same way. I had ordered a 330w and got tired of waiting for it. I went to get a Walker Bay inflatable but the first dealer wasnt allowed to sell the large boat and the dealer that was wasnt interested in my business. After I found out the zodiac dealer I deal with now does the coast guard and all the area rescue stations. It was a no brainer.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

Your universal trueth depends on the boat. It also depends on tge the engine matched up to the boat. Air floors are getting better and better. Having had both I will tell you that. If the boat is trailored a hard floor is great. If the boat is transported and inflated and deflated for every use, then its not even close. Air floor all the way.

Some tech clarifications :

1-Can you explaion how are air decks getting better and better ?

2-Let's compare a 340 air deck with a 15 against a 340 wooden deck with same 15 HP, don't tell me the air deck 340 performs much better at wot...?

3-Standard flat air decks are no excellent performers compared to wooden or alu panel floors, rigidity issues, no matter how well you have the air deck inflated to. Deflation starts as soon sib is launched to sea. To top again 10/12 PSI it's impossible to achieve with a foot or hand pump while at sea, will need to call Iron Man to do so.

4-Air decks found on more pro costly inflatables are other story, much thicker fabric holding more air pressure and achieving more rigidity. Deep V air decks performs completely different compared to simple flat air decks.

5-Many manufacturers has downsized their 380/360 air deck sibs to smaller versions, clients were not satisfied with their current performance. If you need outing on choppy, windy water conditions, standard air decks are not the way to go.

6-If you like inflatable deck sibs because wooden or alum floors weights more, a portability, ease of assembly issue, welcome on board. What suits best your personal taste, will not suit others. BTW, have had 3 air decks, all were extreme water tested beyond their limits. Like the Romans at the Coliseum "Thumbs Down"...

Happy Boating

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

I'd agree with the assessment that it is a case by case thing. I have a mercury quicksilver sport 340 (which means it CAME with a wooden floor) the fact that it is now an Aerodeck model, after putting out the cash for the floor and I can safely say... same boat with alternate flooring systems made for the same exact boat and with the same exact engine... it is NOT a no brainer either way. The wood floor gives extra space in the boat... believe it or not the extra 1.5 2' of depth makes the boat feel "roomier" (obviously to a point). The wood floor has one and only one real performance advantage and that is tracking. It is not faster... in fact, the fastest day on the water in that boat came with the air deck. Presumably because the boat floats ever slightly higher or maybe it was just the sea conditions... in either case. It is what it is and the "speed advantage" isn't there. The air deck will cause the boat to lose grip in the turns and tend to slide around a lot. Almost like a drift car. I have even experienced the sensation of it sliding down a wave face starting from the rear end... at speed (kind of melted down the side of the wave). Now what the air deck does have going for it is real ease of use, light weight, slightly shallower draft (usually not an issue anyway... but when You are alone in the boat alot you notice the changes in attitude attributable to weight). At the extreme of performance, the wood also has an advantage with water re-entry when you get airborne, though with a decidely unnerving cracking sound as the boards shift against the aluminum rails.

The point of this is to say, for me.. in the identical setup with flooring being the ONLY change. Tracking and stability are the only real performance changes I see between wood and air. Now there are other reasons to prefer wood (such as my wood floor is customized with glued on blocks screw eyes that allow me to set up the boat much nicer and neater, but this is not a "performance" advantage per se.
s

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

For me the air floor was advantagous because it also came with an air keel so it tracks better in the water. It is a high pressure air floor 11psi as opposed to the 3psi floors. It has different material.

For a boat that is inflated and deflated alot. An airfloor is the only way to go. The 150 to 200 pound difference is huge when you have to move the boat by your self.
Understand we are talking about boats without trailors. Where you have to carry everything. You can have a much larger airfloor boat than a solid floor boat for a given weight. . That makes for more room fishing and a better boating experience.

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Saturn AM330 Premium Inflatable Boat

RonaldJ, are you comparing to a roll out/ slat style floor? Yes, those don't track worth a dime. As for the wooden floor (non slat style) they too have air keels and the keel holds its shape better against the definitely more rigid wood floor than the air deck (not as rigid) so they tend to track truer than the same boat with an air deck, both styles of course blow the d(oars) off of the slat style floor boats. You must have a huge boat because the difference in my set up is 30 to 40 pounds tops! (again with only the floor changing). Actually the whole boat doesn't weigh 150 and it only just reaches the 200 pound area with the motor on (other accessories bring it well over 200).