This is the Oru Lake Kayak, it’s a full-sized kayak that can be quickly and easily folded down into a carry bag, then unfolded in under 60 seconds when required and used to explore rivers, lakes, and other waterways.
The Lake Kayak is one of the lightest kayaks on the market, weighing in just 17 lbs or 7.7 kgs. It’s also the least expensive of the Oru range of folding kayaks, though it’s still made from the same heavy-duty materials as the company’s more costly expedition models.
This infographic gives a good breakdown of the features of the Oru Lake Kayak. It’s one of the lightest kayaks in this size range in the world weighing just 17 lbs or 7.7 kgs, and it has a maximum capacity of 250 lbs (113 kg).
About The Oru Kayak Company
The first Oru Kayak appeared on Kickstarter back in 2013, it caused a sensation in the outdoor enthusiast community, and the project was fully funded with over $443,806 USD pledged by backers. In the years since the company has grown significantly and progressively upgraded the kayak’s design.
Oru moved from San Francisco to Emeryville in California just north of Oakland, and they share an old warehouse-style sewing factory with film company Pixar, a small batch coffee roaster, and a vintage race car shop.
The company now has a fleet of six different kayak designs which can be ordered in a range of colors, with a number of optional extras also available – including the always-useful collapsible Oru Paddle to help you get around on the water.
This GIF shows you the origami-like fold out procedure for getting the Lake Kayak ready to go out on the water. It’s said to take experienced people under 60 seconds from start to finish.
The Oru Lake Kayak is made from a 5mm double-layered, custom-extruded polypropylene with a 10-year UV treatment. This is a strong but lightweight material ideal for this application, and it can survive sliding over rocks, bumping into obstacles, and folding up tens of thousands of times.
When unfolded ready for use on the water this kayak measures in at 9’ 0” (274 cm) long by 32″ (81 cm) wide, and the cockpit is 66″ x 24″ (168 x 61 cm). The maximum height for the paddler is 6’4″ (193 cm) with a maximum load of 250 lbs (113 kg) – this includes the person and their gear.
When folded down ready for transport the kayak measures in at 42″ x 10″ x 18″ (107 x 25 x 46 cm), and of course the weight stays the same. Experienced paddlers are said to be able to go from fully folded to fully set up in under 60 seconds, but new uses might take 3 minutes or so.
The Oru Lake Kayak is ideally suited to lakes, rivers, and other calm waterways – the company does offer some larger models that are designed for use in the ocean if required.
Each Oru Lake Kayak comes with 30 day returns and a 3 year warranty, plus Oru has a service department that can help with assembly or technical questions. American outfitting company Huckberry is currently offering the Lake Kayak with free US shipping for $499 USD.
Images courtesy of the Oru Kayak Company
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