I have friends with Tuctecs, and others with Orus. After my favorite boat (Eddyline Sandpiper) was stolen off the roof of my car, I went with the Razorlite 393; It’s Ok, but not ideal. I chose that over the Pacboat (which is a local company for me, and I’ve also had a friend with one; she and I picked it up at the factory) because with my arthritis, I wasn’t confident I could get in and out of the Pacboat. The Razorlite I can basically fall in to; its floatation is ideal for us older and stiffer folk, and I can get in and out easily. I have a slightly inflated cushion on the seat, because two hours was the most I could do, and it is much less forgiving than the Eddyline, so I am more cautious where I paddle - it has little to no secondary stability, although kept flat it is very stable. And it won’t be stolen off the roof of my car!!
I have the Oru Beach. It’s good for lakes and quiet rivers. I’ve used it on a river with a couple of class II rapids and it handled ok but wouldn’t use it on that river again. The light weight is great for me as I have Fibromyalgia and couldn’t handle heavy boats anymore. The assembly can be a problem when my arthritis in my hands act up but all in all it’s a great kayak for my needs - just a light weight stable kayak for quiet, calm paddles that fits in my car.
Don’t know or have any opinion about folding kayaks. Most kayaks have their place in the right venue. In venues that stretches the ability of the design parmeters…
sing
I can give an update on my experience with folding kayaks, based on limited use of two, the Ore Coast and Pakboat Quest.
The Oru Coast is the quickest to assemble and get on the water. It is by far the best conversation starter. It paddles OK, but has a lot of drag and water noise due to turbulance from the design of the ends. It is bulky when folded up, and it is hard to get to storage behind and in front of the cockpit. It is somewhat fiddly, and the seat is not that comfortable.
The Pakboat Quest takes longer to assemble and get on the water, there are just more pieces, thus things you have to do. It paddles like a kayak, easily keeps up with other kayak, silent as any hardshell kayak. More compact when folded, it is the size of a large duffle bag. It is easy to get at things stored behind or in front of the cockpit. The seat is very comfortable. We got the footpegs, which do not come with it, and would recommend getting them.
Amazing photo in the Lake Pueblo article, @sing . Rare that we get to see the true conditions where the event happened and what boat was used. Looks like little more than a riffle and yet the hydraulic power was enough to collapse the Oru.
According to the article, she hit a submerged log. That allowed even the low flow to hold it in a way that broke the boat.
Why anyone would paddle such a fragile kayak during high season, on a res known for crazy jetski/powerboat traffic, is another headscratcher.
The only times I paddled there were in winter. That res normally did not freeze over, so on a mild day between the lapse in warming chinook winds and the arrival of brutal cold and snow (the lapse could range from half a day to two days), we’d drop all else and beeline for the water).
I looked at Oru last year. I was drawn by the idea of keeping a kayak in the trunk whenever we go somewhere just in case the opportunity for a paddle arises. I already have an Aquaglide inflatable that was purchased for the same reason, before I understood how involved the drying/put-away would be.
Oru’s design looked comparatively simple to dry, simple enough that with a couple of towels, I could dry it thoroughly enough on shore to fold it up and not have to think about it again until next use. But it turns out not to be so simple because water gets into the corrugated plastic and you may still need to stand up the shell to dry it.
Other things I read about were bad customer service, not returning emails and phone calls, and lots of complaints about quality: cheap fittings that don’t last, boats arriving damaged, new boats with cracked floorboards or other damage, poor fit & finish, insufficient packaging for shipment, leaks on first use, even boats that would not fold correctly. I also saw reports from people who bought new boats which were obviously used. I would never buy one of their Black Editions. I suspect those are returned shells that they have simply painted over.
The other downside of Oru is that it’s only for calm water. Given what I’ve seen on YouTube, I would not depend on being able to re-enter after capsize. And it seems like everywhere we go now there’s rec kayaks available for rent, so the argument for always carrying a boat just in case isn’t a good one.
Obviously, I elected not to buy the Oru.
Almost forgot to answer the question…
I have never owned or paddled an old school folding boat (Klepper etc.) but I did get this for camping trips:
It’s a hybrid folding boat/inflatable. The bottom of the hull is formed by an aluminum frame with plywood bow and stern. The skin includes air bladders that form sponsons for stability and buoyancy and stretch the skin over the frame. I also considered the PakBoats Saranac. There are plusses and minuses to both.
Neris is made in Ukraine just outside of Kiev and is sold in the US by Gerald Grace, who used to represent Klepper here.
My only experience with Oru kayaks is with people that have brought them on weeknight paddles or beginner trips. These have been exclusively the Lake base model. They are greatly affected by the wind and difficult to control paddling across the wind and very slow when paddling against the wind. Given the lack of floatation and open cockpit not suitable to accommodate a spray skirt making a rescue essentially impossible in most conditions, this boat is not suitable for open water in my opinion. They often end up being towed on longer trips on larger bodies of water. They are probably fine in smaller more protected bodies of water.
I have not yet seen a Coast XT model which is more like a traditional sea kayak. Given the price of around $2,000 I suspect that most people go to a hard shell kayak and find a way to deal with transport and storage or seek other options.
I’m going to add a post to this string (as possibly one of the most frequent advocates for folding kayaks in recent years on this forum) in case the heading draws in some of the newer members.
If you want a serious folding or inflatable kayak that combines lightness and portability as well as safety and performance in open water, look at the models from PakBoat, Itiwit and Nautiraid.
If you have questions about specific models of folding kayaks, here is a list of the models (including one inflatable) that I have owned and I would be glad to answer questions about them. Some models are no longer made, but occasionally used ones turn up for sale. Since Feathercraft kayaks were so costly, some owners kept them in very good condition – I bought 3 of mine used and they were as good as new when I got them and I was able to resell them after years of my own use and careful maintenance for a good price to the third owners. If you ever see someone selling a Feathercraft Wisper in good condition, buy it! (Or at least tell me about it.) I’ve attached a photo showing why it’s such a great boat. I’ve paddled mine in two of the Great Lakes as well as the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Set up takes 30 minutes at a comfortable pace, weighs 36 pounds and packs into a duffel bag.
Best current value for a capable folder in terms of lightest weight, versatility, price, customer service and performance on the water, IMHO, is the PakBoat Quest 150 which can be converted from an enclosed touring kayak to an open boat. Current cost is $1550 and their US dealer is in New Hampshire and will ship FREE. It’s slim, fast, low profile and only weighs 31 pounds with a 285 pound capacity.
Trak folding kayaks are impressive and may tempt you, but they have had technical problems, are heavy and have a terrible record on delivery and customer service. You have to pay up front and wait months or even years to get your boat.
My past and present fleet by length:
12’ PakBoat Puffin solo (still have this one)
13’ 6" PakBoat Quest 135 (still have this one)
14’ PakBoat Swift (still have this one)
14’ 9" Feathercraft Kahuna
15’ 7" Feathercraft Wisper (still have this one)
16’ Feathercraft Java (inflatable) (still have this one)
16’ 6" Feathercraft K-1 Expedition
I have room for regular kayaks, so I have little personal experience with them.
I do have a friend with the original ORU and she loves it, it has been dependable for her for years.
One day, however, she rushed her assembly and got a bubble in one of the Velcro closures. The boat started to come apart just seconds after hitting the water.
Kayaking is inherently dangerous is you are not paying attentions and folding, or inflatable, kayaks are more so because of that lack of attention.
Please take the time to make sure everything is properly assembled and in good working order; the life you save might be your own.
How long does it take you to set up the Quest 135? I’ve seen the assembly video for the Quest 150 and it looks involved, like 30 minutes with practice and no interruptions.
The Itiwit X500 would be faster to get on the water, but you can barely carry anything in it because the air chambers take up almost all the room. And based on my limited experience owning two, I think inflatables with drop stitch floors feel different than folders because you’re sitting higher on the water. You can feel the passing water through the skin with your feet in a folding boat, but you’re 2 inches removed from that by a drop stitched plank in the inflatable. Also, you might be riding up and over small waves in the inflatable that you would be cutting through in a hard shell or folding boat.
Your observations are all correct about the Quest.
It is far easier to set up a PakBoat than any of the Feathercraft folders because of the open hull design with the deck going on last or, in the case of the Quest, optionally. Yes,it tends to take about 30 minutes. But since I have found that loading and securing a hard shell touring kayak onto my car roof rack takes at least 15 minutes, then another 10 once at the launch site to remove ans stash straps and bow/stern lines, it really is not that big of a deal to set up a folder. In fact half of the set up time tends to be inflating the integral sponson tubes (which tighten the skin and add some flotation) and blowing up the inflation bags that fill the stern and bow chambers when they are not going to be filled out with cargo dry bags.
And it is far easier to break down and dry off before storage than any inflatable I have seen in use. Takes 10 to 15 minutes, about what it would take to re-load a hard boat. I have transported PakBoats while assembled on a roof rack also for shorter local trips. If I was going to do so at higher speeds and longer distances, I would construct a sort of stretcher frame out of PVC pipe to support the length of the boat to cradle it and avoid the wind pressure stressing the frame and skin. I did somewhat bend some of the aluminum frame longerons of my Wisper by roof racking it for a 500 mile highway trip, but was able to eventually staighten them (a lot of work I don’t want to repeat for any boat).
Cargo capacity is great, plus everything is accessible once ashore by easily peeling back either end of the deck skin. The industrial grade Velcro fastening strip is snug enough that I have never taken on water through it. I had a friend roll it successfully.
I have always liked the fact that I sit low in the water in my folders and that, as you describe well, I can feel the water’s force through the skin. It provides a special connection I don’t get with my hardshells. And folders handle rough conditions splendidly, absorbing some of the wave force and flexing slightly when riding over crests and chop instead of getting battered around.