Folding Kayak

[wincrasher]

I ordered one of these earlier this week. Wanted something light and easy to carry, yet compact.

You may have seen these guys on Shark Tank. They took the deal and now have the version 2 of their product.

http://www.orukayak.com/



Yes, they are expensive compared to cheap hard plastic boats you can buy at discount stores. But these can be carried inside your tow vehicle, or inside your tear, which may be desirable for some folks.

[grant whipp]

Now, that's a handy boat ... ...! I like it! Thanks for posting!

CHEERS!

[S. Heisley]

Now, that's clever and light weight!

[felixx]

what an awesome design,
I got a ruger 10/22 take down last year..


Everything is going collapsible

[wincrasher]

Felix,

Normally I'd say not to mix these two products. But in this case it could be OK. The boat is made of corrugated plastic, so if you shot a hole in it, it would still float!

[kudzu]

Ooooo! Hope you love it. It certainly seems like the perfect for Tears & TTT's. Please let us know what you think of it. I've been interested in this since the first version was a Kickstarter project. Not in the market to replace my Folbot just yet, but I do still follow Oru's progress.

[wincrasher]

My Oru Kayak came in!

It takes up a good amount of space in the back on my SUV.

But doesn't seem so big in the back of my van:

Laid down may work better, as you could fold the bed down:

32.5"x28"x11"
[

All the hardware appears heavy duty and a good quality. The clasps are stainless:

It unfolds easily, but it's plenty stiff. It will take a few foldings, and unfolding, to loosen it up. I'm leaving it assembled overnight to see if it loosens up a bit.


Took me about 20 mins to put it together the first time since it was so stiff. There was some grunting involved. The instructions are step by step and quite clear. The video was really helpful. No surprises.




Dry storage bag:


Foot rest:




The deep vee of the hull should provide a lot more performance and better tracking than my inflatable. 12' long x 25" wide.



Overall, I'm quite impressed with it. It's extremely rigid - almost indistinguishable from a hard-sided yak. Love the lightness - only 26 lbs. Easy to carry and you can hold it from the combing without any stretching or it coming apart.

[rowerwet]

let us know how it holds up, I have a hard time with the price, and a real hard time believing that corogated plastic will stand up to regular use, ( at least like the way I use a boat)

[bonnie]

Bump. Any updates?

[GPW]

BIG bucks for a Yak ...

[kudzu]

BIG bucks for a Yak ...

That's true when compared to the inexpensive, plastic, recreational kayaks. Yet it is well within bounds for a folding kayak. The smaller they fold, the more expensive they are. Like the difference between a 1-piece swim suit & a string bikini. The less material used the more it costs.

[DrewsBrews]

Neat idea. The shape it turns out in the "unfolded" state is impressive. Though I'd be very weary of the lifespan. You can only fold plastic like that so many times before it begins to work harden and split. You can even see the stress it's going through by how it turns white at the folds.

[Cosmo]

Congratulations on the kayaks. They are GREAT boats.
Oru rates the kayak for 20,000 folds.

Have had mine for a year. Barely broken in. Very seaworthy and rugged within reason.
I will be selling mine in November when the 16' sea kayak version arrives.
Yes - not cheap but solves lots of problems. While not a as durable as a rotomolded plastic boat. This boat is plenty rugged for the opportunities it provides (including open water) keeping in mind your own skill level - and realizing the boat is a compromise.
Its not a good idea to load he boat up with all your camping gear and then drag it over the rocks to the water...
But you would not be smart to do that with the Hypolon skin and frame kayaks too. I just load the bat at the waters edge.
I prefer the Oru boat which is more rugged and simpler than the Folbot I owned in the past. But of course its not as rugged as my ridged plastic boats were. That's not a problem for me - I do not abuse my gear.

I have in the past and plan to again - left the car at the end point and hitch hiked to the starting launch point with my Oru kayak. Not something I could do with my rigid kayaks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScontRXj95I
Open water test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik92k8qddqA