Oru Kayak  Coast XT Folding Kayak - 16' 2"

So, my background is owning the Bay, it was a good Kayak but for wanting a little more room, better tracking, better price and being in stock at REI id still have that boat. But I returned it and purchased this boat. I have read the other reviews and frankly i'm scratching my head. I will fully admit 'm not the most experienced paddler, id say intermediate at best. But, other than a few peeves if you will in think this boat is excellent for price and convenience. I recently took it out in Resurrection Bay, Alaska, if you are not familiar there are extreme tides, it gets very windy, there is a large amount of vessel traffic and it gets quite choppy. I paddled for about six hours, it tracked as good as one can expect for no ruder or skeg. As I returned the weather got bad, decent size swells and waves crashing diagonally across the boat. It stayed up right and cut through the waves flawlessly, It felt plenty rigid to me and never seemed to be in danger of coming apart. The seat, yes it could be better and I need to order another cushion. It has tons of space and once you get good at at it, you can assemble and disassemble in a jiffy to access your cargo. If you watch Youtube videos, you will see older or euro versions of the boat and frankly 'm not sure where the features of those boats went as they seem far superior. Orange markings making for better visibility, a hatch to access items faster and most of all what appear to be straps that help hold the boat together side to side. Are they necessary probably not but its good for peace of mind. I don't know what other paddlers do, but I dont care to paddle in weather much worse than I encountered I suspect not many do, so what the other reviewer described during rescue I can only imagine. What this boat does do thus why I purchase it though is eliminate the need for a rack, allow me to take it around the world, Iceland, Mexico, Lake Tahoe, Kodiak Alaska. In some categories it's not as good as a rigid boat but in others, like weight and portability no contest. There are of course other options like inflatables, been there done that or some other brands more expensive of course. If 'm sound like im saying buy this boat, here are my cons, as I stated in my review of the Bay, I have huge issues with Oru the company, customer service is non existant, key among them. I would not consider buying any Oru item other than from REI for a great many reasons. Another is the way that advertise this product lets just say the booklet and the website greatly contradict one another and you can see what I mean. The assembly portion where you places the post into the back of the seat back is a pain. All in all for what I need and want this is the boat and exceeds my inflatables by lightyears.

My experience was it tracked poorly in wind but my bigest concern was I got a small crack (which I repaired) in the stern from launching at rocky spots, which is most of the puget sound. It's judt not durable enough for the Puget Sound marine environment.

This review is for a 2022 16' Coast XT that I bought & returned (even though I really wanted to keep it). I'm a flatwater paddler for the most-part. I've owned the 12' Bay ST model before, but felt it was a little bit of a tight fit. I'm 6'1" 220 lbs. I have a bad back & wanted something lightweight for carrying & also long for tracking in the water. I normally paddle for about 2 hrs. First maiden voyage with this was 3 hrs (with a stop to stretch). It was a great fit for me, and it performed as I had expected (not as well as my kevlar sea kayak, not as much glide, but definitely very good performance for how it's constructed). REI is mistaken to say that it comes with thigh braces. It does NOT come with thigh braces. I checked into that and already knew this before purchasing it. It was very manageable for a guy my size (even without thigh braces), but they definitely would've been nice to have. I'm not sure why Oru stopped carrying them. The reason I returned it back to REI after my maiden voyage? I got it home & discovered water in about 4 or 5 of the hollow channels between the outer and inner ply of the polypropylene-constructed shell. Even though the inside of the kayak remained dry, and even though the trapped water in the shell might've eventually dissipated (maybe?), for that price, I expect zero water intrusion into any place that shouldn't be holding water. I would've kept it & gave it 5 stars had that not happened.

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!

I was one of the first to paddle the Coast Kayak as a Kickstarter backer, and absolutely love it. It took me nearly half an hour to assemble it the first time, but now I have it down to roughly 10 minutes. I've been out in the SF Bay, in rivers, estuaries, and in big surf. The boat continues to impress me with its versatility and performance. It's light enough to be carried a few miles in a pack and still durable enough to launch off rocks. Pros: fast on the water, lots of storage, stable, tracks incredibly straight and edges pretty well, too. Cons: it's a puzzle to assemble / put back the first few times.

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.

Just back from 3 days paddling Maryland Chesapeake Bay eastern shore. Light weight folds and unfolds in about 15 minutes. Seaworthy, fast, tracks straight. I got the Oru pack for storage and transport, works well. Also got Oru float bags and gel seat cushion. Supplied my own 1.4 skirt. Perfect for urban dwellers with limited storage space!

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'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!

While I've only paddle the Coast for one, 3-day trip, I can pretty confidently say that it meets–if not exceeds–all of my expectations for a folding kayak at this price point. After some practice the Coast now takes me about 15 minutes to assemble, including the time to fit dry bags, camera gear, fishing equipment, spare paddle, and such inside and on the deck. This is much faster than it usually takes me to pull out, transport, load, and unload either of my two other kayaks. Maybe more importantly, the boat is a true joy to paddle. It's fast, stiff, and completely sealed, making it great for multi-day trips like the one recently completed in the San Juan Islands. Couldn't recommend this boat any more highly!