Oru folding kayaks

[Suijin]

Stumbled onto this recently. Does anyone have any experience with these?

Home | Oru Kayak | Explore outside the box

Very cool concept, although not the most durable looking of vessels.

[Cuttyhunk]

I have a pakboats puffin (www.pakboats.com) and like it very much. Hypalon fabric.


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[Travelnik]

How about a take-apart kayak?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-ZWA0-U-ao

Point 65º N® Martini Sit In Modular Kayak | Bass Pro Shops

Amazon.com : Point 65 Martini Front Piece Kayak, Red : Kayaks : Sports & Outdoors

[Oceanbrew]

I have a friend with one. He doesn't use any if his three other kayaks now. We have oyster beds here, and he has become extremely cautious about tides. The our kayak doesn't have a comfortable cushion and he complained about that. I think he was going to add a cushion, which wouldn't be able to be folded up. But they fold up really nice and would easily stow away on a boat.


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[drewvta]

Those folding ones look great! Any body have any experience with them? Are they durable and do they track well?


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[thomm225]

Klepper Folding Kayaks are pretty durable. A german doctor paddled across the Atlantic in one in 1956:

History

Technology & Material

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXeQC9Cl2ss

[Snore]

Previously, I spent a lot of time in kayaks. And have spent a fair amount of effort looking into folding kayaks.


The usefulness of a folding kayak is related to what it will be used for. Paddling protected anchorages in winds under 10 and waves under a foot? Anything will work. The quality/robustness of the construction needs to be proportional to the conditions. Knowing that I will be using the boat outside protected waters, I looked for something robust.

I looked at the three piece boats as they checked a lot of points on my list. It looked like the joints in the plastic boats would wear quickly and get sloppy over time. The Oru looks good, but without some type of internal frame, the hard body could fail. CLC makes a wood nesting kayak that is interesting.

Pakboats are hard to find so I have not had a chance to look at them.


FWIW, I am leaning towards reaching deep into my pockets for a Feathercraft or Klepper. YMMV-