Oru Kayak Foldable Kayak Coast XT | Stable, Durable, Lightweight - Lake, River, and Ocean Kayaks - Beginner to advanced Paddler - Performance Kayak

First time assembly took a long time. The third time took less than 15 minutes. The kayak is fast and tracks well. It is great fun. Disassembly took about 10 minutes.

I've always loved kayaking, both whitewater and flat water , but don't get to go regularly because storing a kayaking is challenging and I don't have a car with a roof rack. Since getting my Oru Coast, I've been kayaking weekly on the river. I also look forward to kayaking the marshes and coastal areas when we head to the beach. It fits into my trunk easily and I can now assembly it in 15 minutes and disassemble it in less than 10 minutes. I assembled and disassemble the first time at home, which I highly recommend, and things went very smoothly when I went to the river the first time. The instruction video is excellent but watch it carefully a few times to get all the tips. Despite being portable, it is a high performance kayak which tracks very well and is both fast and stable. It is very well constructed and I expect it to last many years. I strongly suggest ordering the gel seat and gel back as this makes it even more comfortable. I strongly recommend the Oru Coast without reservation and hope you have a great time on the water.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Takes time to break it in, but gets a memory to the folds. It doesn't take long to put together or take down. It's fast and lightweight. Overall I'm impressed with the kayak. It's easy to transport! No need to put a heavy kayak on the roof of your SUV! Handles great in flat water, current, and rougher water conditions.

I'll be quite honest–I didn't fall in love with the Coast immediately. In fact, I may have uttered a few expletives the first few times I setup the boat. There definitely is a learning process to putting the kayak together, from the folds to the seam channels to the seat bottom. That said, once practiced a few times, I've seen rapid improvement in how fast I'm able to put it together and I feel confident this will continue. On the water this boat is a huge step forward. I have demoed the Bay a few times and this boat very clearly is faster and more stable. I've paddled reasonable surf in this boat and am still surprised at how well it handles and maneuvers. I highly recommend the Coast kayak for all!

Most of my paddling is on the ocean, in waves, around rocks, through kelp, and even sometimes with big crossings from one island to another. I was skeptical that this boat could keep pace with hardshells, not to mention hold up to rough launches, pounding surf, and the occasional hidden rock shoal...and OH was I wrong. The Coast barely shows any sign of wear or tear (let alone actual structural damage) after weeks of hard and rugged use along the coast. I've taken it out on a big sailing boat, filled it with gear for a couple multi-day trips, and used it to explore some local spots as well. I absolutely love that this boat can go anywhere with me, and I can do anything with it.

I was skeptical on how this boat would do when compared with rigid kayaks in the water, but took the risk anyway because I love how small it could pack and lightweight it is (less than half of my other sea kayaks)... and OH BOY was I wrong. The Coast glides through the water effortlessly, gets up to speed in only a couple strokes, and is incredibly durable–I didn't notice any change in the hull after a full afternoon of charging through big ocean waves, practicing rescues, and grinding against rocks. This boat is truly made for anyone who loves spontaneous adventure and needs the right gear to keep up with them!

Now a proud Coast owner for almost a year, I couldn't be happier that I took the risk on Oru's Kickstarter last spring. The boat came ocean-ready, with float bags and a skirt, and has been used extensively in Washington, BC, and even on a vacation to Tahiti. I'm continually impressed by how well it paddles, and how easy it is to travel with it, whether by car or plane. Thank you Oru for making paddling this much fun!

I like my boat. The few things I have thought of changing. One is putting the straps on the floor, that hold it on as the top of the box, so that they are farther down from the top. I think that they will hold it on better. Two, the plastic bulkhead retainers on the hull , one in particular, are not wide enough to except the bulkhead easily. They need made wider,or the bulkhead seals could be made narrower to make assembly easier and quicker. Once you get used to it the assembly is pretty slick. It tracks straight and maneuvers pretty much as well as my 13' plastic light touring kayak.

I've only had the chance to test this vessel already assembled and in calm marina conditions, but for being a foldable sea kayak I was impressed and thought about how liberating it would be to be able to take your own sea kayak with you on airplanes when you travel for expeditions. My only con is the seat seems a bit low quality for being an expedition kayak, so I'd probably find a better seat solution. Super stoked to try this on a longer trip!

Before expressing my opinion, it is only fair to state that I am a whitewater kayaker, and the first time paddling a sea kayak was the Oru Coast, in the San Juan Islands. At first, I was skeptical of the rigidity of a folding kayak, however, the boat was able to carry 185 pounds of me, and all of the necessary components of a comfortable, self-support overnight camping trip into the boat. The Coast is light weight, easy to carry, tracks well, and is still relatively maneuverable fully loaded. While paddling close to shore, I paddled over a submerged volcanic rock, and I was able to feel it underneath me due to the nature of the kayak’s thin exterior material, however, the hull of the kayak was not harmed. Also, this boat stays extremely dry! The “cons” of the boat were that a standard spray skirt fit oddly onto the cockpit of the boat, and the kayak fit my hips and thighs loosely. With this said, in the event of the kayak flipping over, it would be extremely difficult to “roll up”, or “right” the kayak, due to the loose outfitting. In fact, I felt as if I would fall out of the kayak in the event of a rollover. Initially, the boat was difficult to set up and took about 15-20 minutes to set up, but with a little practice, it became faster and more manageable. Lastly, the seat is thin, with very little padding; an easy fix if you shape your own foam seat to insert into the boat.