Oru Kayak  Haven Folding Kayak - 16'

My wife and I have owned the Haven for a year now. I checked the rei.com reviews out of curiosity and it is interesting how they compare to our experience. To qualify this is the first kayak we bought, however I have paddled a number of other kayaks including sea, touring, and sit-on styles. I purchased our kayak via the oru.com pre-sale of the model, so we were likely among the first to try the Haven. Initially I was skeptical as to how the materials would perform. After learning the setup process (<10 minutes with 2 people) and a few uses it became apparent that this was an early iteration of an ambitious product that has both room for improvement but also some great characteristics. My thoughts are as follows: Like others, our floorboards came with some seams split. However, it would appear this is intentional (?) to allow a better fold when transforming from storage shell to cockpit base. While it could probably be manufactured to look cleaner it has not impacted performance in any way. As for the g-hooks, when we realized the straps liked to slip out of position we simply tied them to length. I have not noticed any sign of actual metal failure. I have noticed some of the frame straps beginning to fray against their fasteners under tension. My chief complaints are actually 1) The rivets used on parts of the kayak - sharp edges can become exposed and damage skin or gear during setup 2) The seat back design is relatively uncomfortable on longer trips 3) I would like to see the folded dimensions flattened 4) The price point is quite high for product with unknown lifespan. That being said, I am very pleased with our kayak. The long lightweight craft in the water allows for speed and maneuverability, especially as a single person. The trade-off for this buoyancy and responsiveness is the perceived lack of stability and susceptibility to wind that beginner paddlers probably won't like. In my experience the kayak will actually ride on an edge quite well and would take a lot to tip. Navigating wind in any watercraft always takes consideration. The open style cockpit allows us to take our 45lb dog and two large dry sacks. We have paddled lakes, streams, channels, rivers, sloughs, in rain, wind, sun, ,cold - throughout ID, OR, WA. After a year of use I am impressed with the durability of the corrugated polypropylene the kayak is made of. We have several rubs, scratches, and abrasions on the bottom of the kayak from the different shallow waters and shores it has seen. None have required repair glue or patch. We bought the Haven because we wanted a a tandem folding kayak that could fit in the hatch of our small suv and also accommodate our dog on the water. Given those parameters we were excited that such a craft even existed! What we got was a kayak that performs well, adapts to our needs, and allows us access to waters that were previously beyond our reach of exploration. I would recommend Oru if you value space and portability, are a believer of "fast and light", or just an adventurous consumer. I hope Oru keeps innovating in the niche of folding kayaks and demand remains enough to support ongoing production. It will be interesting to see where ours has taken us a few more years downriver.

I really want to love this kayak, because there's literally nothing like it on the market, but two months after purchasing it, and shipping it back to Oru for service multiple times, we still don't have a functional boat, and customer service is very slow to respond to inquiries. Like James' review, we've had two floorboards broken in shipping, as well as other shipping damage. We've also been plagued by slipping G-hooks, the hardware that hooks up the seatbacks and footrests. Our first kayak they didn't hold any tension whatsoever - they immediately slipped. Oru replaced the g-hooks, but the floorboards were damaged in shipping when they sent it back to us, and the slippage wasn't fixed. Oru eventually sent us a brand new boat, but it exhibited the same problems -- floorboards severely damaged in shipping, and the g-hooks *still* slipped. This time the slippage resulted in damaging the stabilizer bar, which is immediately behind the front seat. That's three times we've excitedly unpacked a Haven only to be immediately disappointed. More disturbing, each time the metal parts have *bent*. I've never seen any slippage on the regular nylon buckles used in their other kayaks - I don't think these metal parts were intended to be used for load-bearing applications. They're very popular on backpacks and messenger bags for closing pockets and flaps, but they don't seem to hold up under load. This is a theoretically wonderful boat, but it's been marred manufacturing quality issues and well-meaning but ineffective and slow customer support. Hopefully they can iron out the material and shipping problems soon.