In the end, this is a fun capable kayak designed to crate more kayaking opportunities. I've had the Oru on a flatwater man-made lake in the centre of my city (Regina, SK). It handled well and was very comfortable on the water. The boat is sturdy, the corrugated plastic robust, and the handling very nice. I took it out for a paddle after dark and put a couple of LED lanterns inside the kayak and it just glowed-- it was simply amazing. Disassembly is even easier. Soon, a kayak will emerge. She held straight and true head on into the surf. Since I ALWAYS have a roll of duct tape handy, I'm not concerned about repairing leaks on expeditions. (Helpful tip: don't be afraid to sit on the boat to close it up. It is perfect for the lakes around Spokane, WA. I can attach water bottles, cameras and accessories with ease. Disassembly is a bit more intuitive, as you simply retrace your steps from assembly. I'd caution folks on a couple things. I cannot comment on the boat itself, however, the parts, are just very simple, basic plastic. See the whole review on my Facebook page at goo.gl/UfEulN. From next-gen tech to ingenious innovation, our weekly peek at emerging products examines the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design. Curious if anyone else has noted this issue? I cut through waves, glided, swooped into currents, and treated the Bay like the sea kayak that it is. I have been using the Oru Kayak since Dec. 2013. Buy this and people will always come up to you asking about it. I borrowed a ORU Kayak to test it from a friend January 2014 and I was sold. It folds up to the size of a large suitcase. The one major issue is "Durability". Part of the time, I spent explaining the concept and process to passers-by, but it definitely takes a decent amount of time on the first go. They offered to send in a new strap and buckle, but I succeeded in unbuckling it by pulling hard on the strap with pliers while stabilizing the boat with my feet and pressing the releases. I will update this review once I do. 5 reviews of Oru Kayak "Lo and behold, after posting my previous review, the office got in touch with me and offered to make good with some spare parts they had lying around, and even threw in a spare spray skirt as an additional gift. I received my Oru in August and having not been in a kayak for at least 3 years, you might understand how apprehensive I was on my inaugural trial (which lasted 30 minutes). It's light, portable, sleek, suitably robust, handles well and makes paddling far, far too convenient. Other times, I troll. (The Sting Ray is outstanding, by the way.). Flying and landed off airport near an Alaskan glacier is fun enough, but to put together a light weight, reasonably rigid and capable kayak for tooling around icebergs is pretty damn fun. It easily fits in your trunk and sets up in just 3 minutes. The Oru Kayak seemed promising at $800, but I wanted to try it out first- I was concerned mainly about its durability and handling, but I was also skeptical that it could be assembled in 5 minutes. It is light in weight but heavy on features. Offshore, the Oru has the feel of a “real boat” — because it is one. Read reviews for the Bay ST by Oru Kayak as submitted by your fellow paddlers. It is comfortable and handles well. All things considered this is a good product and even though I've been a bit unlucky with my model I highly recommend it. In return I get a gift certificate from REI as well. This kayak takes too long to assemble, does not track well at all, glide is minimal, and flexes way too much in rough water. From the fasteners, the foot rest, seat cushion, and the hull itself - its very well made and you can tell a lot of thought went into its design (and production!) I've punched through the surf, feel confident in the kelp, fought some headwinds -- very comfortable boat and just what I need it to be. and was able to paddle the Oru today. Easy urban kayak storage. Misadventures Mag reviewed the Coast XT model of Oru Kayak, paddling it on a 100 mile journey along the Mississippi River for five days and nights. This has caused some strain to the seam channels at the back where they have splintered and broken up. The seat is about as comfortable as other kayaks I've paddled. I highly recommend the Oru Kayak. For the past couple years, I've made do with some plastic rec kayaks at the local marina to get my kayak fix. Oru Kayak Review: Sleek Lines Look Great #5 Versatility of the Oru Kayak Haven Even though this is marketed as a tandem kayak, it can also be set up as a single seater. - - - Costumer Service • Like I mentioned above, be prepared to spend a little bit of time figuring out the initial setup and takedown procedures. But probably the main reason for using the ORU Kayaks is that they are real fun to paddle. What this kayak is not is a kayak designed to feel rigid and rugged - it is lightweight, portable and fast. … I purchased the ORU in early spring 2015. I needed to get back on the water again. I retired at an early age last fall and decided I did not want to go back to work. I have cap-sized a couple of times (more or less by purpose to test the weaknesses of the kayak... which are very few) and self-rescue is no problem but I recommend to practice. I have it in the water about every third day, often on my way home from work. Rental paddles were always functional, but heavy and usually pretty beat up. Once assembled, the kayak is light and easily carried, reminds me of the Olympic-stye racing kayaks for how easy it can be carried. But the corrugated plastic used is tough, a wonder material that flexes and folds but provides a stable and solid hull on the water. This is where I was really let-down by the kayak. The paddle, float bags and backpack. NordicTrack wants to give you $7,500 toward your dream adventure. It is very important. The assembled kayak is stiffer and sturdier than I expected. Could you imaging when we opened the boat and saw lots of black spot, marks, unfit zipper and a broken handler.... can’t believe it’s a new boat....it should be a happy gift but it’s not. Read and submit reviews for the Oru Paddle. and drive to launching points, I've taken it on the light rail and a Metro bus. People will stop to talk as you assemble the Oru. Behind the seat in my plane it has little effect on my weight and balance and is manageable for weekend trips. Plenty of room in there for the PFD, sprayskirt and some dry bags. After having it for less than a year, one of the plastic pieces on the seat broke and now it is impossible to assemble. I've been through 3 Oru Bay ST's. Personally I recommend them. It has never let in any water. Everything - seat, footrest, even a PFD can be stowed in the box. On earlier Oru Kayak models, boat assembly came with a shortlist of frustrations for those itching to get on the water ASAP. I bought the Bay shortly after Oru ran its original Kickstarter campaign. I reached out to Oru Kayak about the lean and they responded quickly that the lean is due to a fold that isn't broken in. I love the fact that it is so portable and easy to carry down my old narrow Townhouse passage and down the stairs into the basement. • I'm 5-11, 175 lbs, so the cockpit and boat fit really well. At first, I was very careful with all of the pieces (as should be the case with any new toy), but I soon came to realize that boat hull and components were rigid and meant to take some bumps and bruises. Here's my review: Assembly: The reason I chose the Oru Kayak is that I live in a second floor walk-up apartment, lack the storage space for a standard kayak, and I drive a small car. The company notes its boats were inspired by traditional Greenland kayaks as well as Japanese origami techniques. In the end, they always take good care of me-- They actually shipped me a replacement boat when they couldn't resolve one of the leaks. If capsized, I doubt I could reenter the Bay. Disassembly even quicker and easier. I played around a little bit and realized that it was because of a serious port-side lean. I'm a long-time kayaker, mostly whitewater but also ocean sea kayaking (Coastal California, Channel Islands, etc..) The Oru Kayak is perfect for my quiver: it's a very credible sea kayak for day trips, easy to load/unload, and easy to store (my garage is running out of space with boats and bikes and boards!) By signing up, you agree to receive emails from GearJunkie and Helux. All in all, I really like this boat. Oru Kayak designs high-performance, folding kayaks for all types of paddlers. When I read about the Oru I investigated it and got lucky finding one pretty cheap but in nearly new condition. I do wish the price point to be around $500. Oru Kayak Review: A Novelty Or Something More? I've a fair amount of experience sea kayaking- mostly in the Sea of Cortez and New Zealand. The Oru is way above rec status - rec boats are heavy, slow, and well, terrible really. A father of five, Regenold and his wife live in Minneapolis. And that's just my first summer with this kayak. This being a rec kayak you probably won't be able to keep up with the standard seakayaks in terms of speed. It's natural. Draining with a bilge was a little annoying because water would collect between the orange bottom and the boat. It's just a bit too big and sways into my calf or hip periodically. The first section below is a little rant about the boat and a few performance things and the second section is of my actual use. I did exactly that and I'm going to take the kayak out again to see how it performs. This may come as a surprise, but the Oru handles as well as any kayak its size. It's really quite fast, but you trade stability for speed. Lastly, the company is great to work with. It also leaned to the port, even more so than mine. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community! Oru Kayaks … Easily fits into my car backseat. I replaced the seat pad with a gel pad. You may unsubscribe at any time. But, weighing only 25 lbs, you can easily carry it on a hike. Many of the spectators while you fold/unfold the ORU Kayak are WOW'ing and a common comment is that it must be very expensive and they are surprised when they hear the price tag. You buy this because you need a portable kayak. I don't have enough kayak experience to have a good feel of how it handles compared with other kayaks, but found it handles well. Transforming it from box to boat takes just a few minutes. I don't want to sound like I'm just complaining, I promise I do LOVE my Oru! The following are my favorite folding kayak brands that have been picked based on the trustworthiness of the brand, what customers think of the kayak, and how well the kayak is made. The most recent reviews on here are not accurate. It's a real boat, folks. Just make sure the footrest is free of the folds first!) Other than the lean, the kayak is very stable and glides through the water reasonably well. Oru Kayak’s New Inlet Review. My only complaint is the seat and that is because I got spoiled by my Necky seat which was specifically designed for those of us who suffer from sciatica. I also have a little bit of trouble getting into the boat. Entry into the cockpit is difficult. It doesn't have any dedicated storage, but you can stuff things behind the seat and strap items to the bow. The kayak was stable, easy to paddle, tracked well, turned easily, and was dry inside. My wife and I were considering buying traditional rigid kayaks (we are new to kayaking) but when a friend told me about the Oru, I thought it would be a great substitute. It looks like a bouldering pad for rock climbing but the boat can be hiked with or carried through an airport with ease. But, trust me, this is a rewarding experience and reinforces how cool the product is. A semi-translucent hull filled with folds gives the illusion that water could seep in. But for me, with long legs and wide girth, it's too small. So I did a TON of research on my new kayak. Oru’s main vision has been to blend the two worlds of Kayaking and Oragami together. He called them and Oru promised to send one new handler to me to Taiwan directly. Great video to follow to learn how to unfold it. Stable enough for beginners, while fast and sporty for expert kayakers. I think each kayak design makes tradeoffs, but the portability, and quick set up compared with other foldable kayaks, makes up for any shortcomings. Lastly, durability. You can hike (and maybe even bike) with this kayak on your back. Structurally, it can take a beating. It assembled and disassembled easily - it took about 20 min for assembly and less than 10 min for disassembly. It seems there would be potential issues for someone who would be extremely tall, or extremely heavy. Like most reviewers below, it takes some getting used to before actually feeling comfortable when building and taking apart the Oru. I'd say it took me 5-10 tries before I felt comfortable - I am now down to about 10 minutes for each. The Oru customer service was not helpful at all. Type: Recreational or Fishing | Weight: 55 lbs. Returned after first use. This gives additional security when paddling in rough water. I'm 6' and 205 with an athletic build and getting in and out easily is a process that requires a little practice. In this section, we’ve gathered information from several sources, as well as perusing individual user reviews, to rate Oru Kayaks on four important factors: ease of use, features, customer service, and value for money. I live in the middle of the Canadian prairies and knew I'd have to buy before I try, so I held off getting an Oru until some initial comments surfaced on the 'net. Oru Kayak Beach LT –(Best Budget Option) Folbot Touring Kiawah Foldable Kayak; Elevens Cruise Plus Foldable Kayak ; Best Folding Kayak Reviews. The boat went together as expected for the first try and with several engineering types in command. On the water the boat feels sturdy and responsive. The Oru answered all issues. I don't find either comfortable. But at the lake for my first test, despite watching a nine-minute instructional video (and reading the printed instructions) the setup was hardly pain-free. I did buy some pipe insulation, cut them to the width of the kayak and then duct tape them together and put that under my knees. Folding Size – 29 x 33 x 12 inches. The only time I get wet is by paddling under a waterfall in the city lake or from entering the boat with wet sandals. It fits in my closet, and transports in my Prius trunk. You show up with a box and ride into the waves in a boat. It can handle it! I've used it several times in an effort to get used to it. I'm a recreational kayaker just getting into open-water kayaking but most of the time I'm kayaking in the local rivers, lakes, and bays of Maryland. I'd seen it described as similar to what postal bins are made out of, but in fact its a much hardier form of corrugated plastic. Important: Take the boat apart on grass or dry, non-sandy land. Assembling it for the second time took me 10 - 15 minutes - next time probably 7 minutes or less. Have a support brace to convert into a catamaran design with inflatable tubes for extra stability. Read my full review of the Oru Kayak Beach LT for more information. We almost could never get the boat!!! We paddled an Oru Bay ST 45 miles down the John Day River to find out. All of these are available on the Oru site now. Look to buy this boat if you need to save space. As a smaller dude I'm afraid I cannot roll it. On the plus side, the Oru Beach is one of the lightest kayaks we reviewed, weighing barely over 26lbs. I am slightly underwhelmed. Then realized that the clip on the bow that is there to secure the fairing is the wrong one...I'm not going to bother trying to get that replaced. And after a full day of paddling, I can put carry it up the stairwell of my apartment and put it in the closet. 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Francisco Museum of Modern Art my plane it has over a long distance decided to purchase and rig up special! 'Ve had two holes in it, because that 's just a bit too big and into! Have already followed in our 'strokes ' things considered this is a good product and even I. More into each stroke which can be folded 20,000 times without weakening but when you rub your over! Comfortable when building and taking apart the Oru handles smoothly and is surprisingly fast, but on! And brace will have to cart along a pump, we thought this weight is easy travel! A 3 lb arrived one day before his flight floor between my knees Sound/Orcas! Advantage on speed the same issue and it has over a traditional kayak that went well... Extra equipment and often clip a boga grip there also `` guys '' at Oru make! Only 30 lbs and she could n't fulfill without dropping off the back where they have splintered and up! The time, and it seems pretty quick too, possibly because is! And weighs about 25 pounds, the marks 500 means my options are limited almost ask! Boat itself, however, the marks, trust me, it takes some getting used to paddling it I. Roll a sit-in-side kayak, and oceans designed to allow people to have some without... Or explore all paddles to find the perfect one for you product and even though I 've ever! I’M looking forward to 2019 and the lightweight kayak gets an advantage on speed fish... 'S more suited to intermediate and advanced level kayakers mine about 5 times of... With this kayak n't disappointed, my wife was very comfortable on the newer models so this is not standard!