A couple of days ago I saw two kayaks on the water, but just out of range for me to see the brand.
They were white, sit in kayaks, probably in the 12 to 13 feet range, and due to the bright sunshine, I could see what appeared to be the frame through the skin.
The kayaks were white with black bow and stern keels.
I assume they were some sort of collapsible kayaks but am not sure. They were nice looking and definitely grabbed my interest.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Either
they were small folders, or skin on frame kayaks. Folders are usually aluminum frames with a heavy duty industrial skin. Skin on frames are generally homebuilt, or built to order, and have wooden frames with nylon or other heavy fabric skins.
I think if you could see the frame through the skin, my bet would be skin on frame.
They Appeared To Have
a brand near one end printed on the side so I am thinking they were a retail item rather than self built. They could be skin on frame. Very neat looking.
How durable are those types of kayaks?
Did it look anything like this Oru kayak
http://www.orukayak.com/collections/packages/products/oru-kayak-two-boat-package
Look up
Pakbooat, Feathercraft, Folbot, Klepper they are all folders.
Feathercraft
Does sound like a folding kayak.
The Feathercraft’s I have seen have had black hulls (maybe entire hull, maybe just bow/stern) with a color on top, so that would be my guess. http://feathercraft.com/
Because you saw a frame, I don’t think the person who suggested Oru Kayaks is right (though they do fit the length you guessed, where I think a lot of Feathercraft and other folding kayaks are more like 16’).
Ding, Ding, Ding…
I think we have a winner! Yes, it looked exactly like the Oru.
They looked very interesting and I wish I could have gotten a closer look.
Thanks so much.
Happy to be of assistance : )
guess I was wrong
Oh, well
Toughness
Both folders and SOF’s can be made very durable. They require more awareness of condition than plastic boats, but it’s no big deal.
Though I probably would not paddle an SOF too far from shore in salt water, and always with someone else if I was not paddling right along shore. Not that a bad tear is likely, but safety first.
logical fallacy?
The further you are from the shore the less likely you get a tear, since most floatsam you might hit floats near the shore :). And no one in their right mind would paddle SOF or folder without float bags and sea-sock.
Incidentally, sea-sock is the greatest kayaking invention ever… I’m thinking of adding one to my glass boat. Emptying a boat choke full of water with seasock takes about 20 seconds and no effort whatsoever - just turn the sock inside out and voila! not a drop of water in the boat.
Safety
Commercisl folders are fine. Franz Romer crossed the Atlanic in 1928 in a Klepper, and Hannes Lindemann did it again in 1956.
However, distance from shore is not a relevant factor in some places, like Fishers Island Sound, where I paddle a lot. You can be a mile and a half offshore, and be swept up onto a stone shoal by a strong tide rip, of which there are several there. Those will even eat glass boats.
I agree about float bags and sea socks - they do add a lot of safety, especially in SOF’s.
Orukayak
Yes, as soon as I read your description I thought “has to be Orukayak”. Since they have been out for a little less than a year they have started to show up used on Ebay occasionally. There are not many since it was a “Kickstarter” type pre-sale product that had a bumpy start and slow early shipping. So kind of a beta product but an impressive idea. I have loved and collected folders for 11 years and would like to see and paddle one of these some time. I admit I would wait to see what the longer term durability was before buying them, but I have always been impressed by how tough my Feathercrafts, Pakboats and traditional fixed skin kayak have been. I trust the skin on frame structure, just hesitant about the hardware and hinges in the Orus.