Folding Kayak

06Fargo wrote:
Seems problematic on land too:

Clicky

Awesome

I know this thread is a little older butt i was wondering if anyone had any additional recommendations for inflatable kayaks. I'd like to purchase 2 to take along camping. ..probably a small cheap one for my 8yo daughter and a moderate priced one for me. Woyld it be harder to tow her in an inflatable? Im new to kayaking so have very limited experience but have found the tandems we rented very cumbersome and my experienced friends say it would be far better to let her paddle a smaller kayak and just tow her with a rope when she gets tired. We have a coachmen 21qb class c so we could probably figure a way to bring hard shelled kayaks buy i like the idea of a lightweight and smaller portable one. We only do calm waters and short trips.

06Fargo wrote:
Seems problematic on land too:

Clicky

After getting that together I would need to take a nap...way to much work.

I camp with friends that have the Advance Elements Advance Frame kayaks. He poked a hole in the bottom of one last time we were out, he hit a decent sized submerged stick. I paddled one a while back and really liked it, it tracked a lot better than my cheapo 8' sit on top. I did wonder about the durability on our shallow rivers though. I bet that folding one wouldn't hold up to well around here as well.

I was "in this boat" too - I have gobs of hardshell kayaks, but didn't want to subject them to thousands of miles of travel, not to mention the lack of vision they would cause, loaded over the nose of the truck....

I wanted to be able to go solo or tandem - and safety was a big concern. I agree with others - the lack of bulkheads or air bladders on the "folders" made me concerned; nor did I want the high freeboard of many inflatables, since I might be paddling open water (plus rivers). For me, the answer was the Sea Eagle Fast Track 385. Very rigid and quick to inflate, front and rear skegs; low freeboard so I could snorkel off it, if I wanted. Rated to Class II whitewater. Right now, it's packed in its bag (along with the air pump and seats) and stows between the seats on our dinette. I have to add that the carry bag is clever because it sort of wraps around the boat; lets you fold to the size and shape you need for storage. It's not one of those bags where you'll never get the item stuffed back in it once opened....LOL!!

Ours is a canoe - an Ally 17- not a kayak, but I thought I'd add it to the discussion anyway. Packs into 2 duffle bags and does not use inflation - aluminum folding frame. Handles beautifully. Can be car topped like a hard shell boat. Assembly easy, but takes about 25 minutes with a cranky back lol.

This is a flat water design which tracks excellently, but they make a rockered version for white water. I've not paddled a finer canoe of any construction.

They also make shorter models. Weights 47 lbs btw.

Options include a skirt, pontoons for fishing, it can take a trolling motor and a third party sail kit. Replacement parts and repair kits easily available.


Ally canoe by jglennhart, on Flickr

Folding kayaks will provide the ultimate in performance if you are interested in paying 3-5 times as much as for a kayak like the Advanced Elements frame kayaks.
The question becomes when and where will you be using the kayak.

The Advance Elements is fine for lake and slow moving rivers or back bays but not something to take out into the ocean. Windage is a factor and an inflatable will be blown around more but not enough to make a big difference. Where I kayak in the Pacific Ocean anything without a rudder is going to be a major pain to paddle as the prevailing winds are going to be across the beam of the boat.

The Sea Eagle type may be fine in a lake but not very good when there is current to contend with. Some inflatables will take a small trolling motor and this can make paddling easier and be useful for using the kayak for fishing.

With any take down water craft a factor to consider is where it will be stored for travel, how heavy the largest part of it will be, how easy is it to move around for one or two people (we found our Porta-Bote easier to manage than a deflated 11 ft inflatable in its bag), how you will secure it to keep it from "walking off" when left unattended.

There are decided advantages to having a small utility or boat trailer and there are very lightweight trailers made specifically for use with kayaks and canoes. A canoe trailer and two used canoes or kayaks can be bought for a lot less than the cost of a folding kayak and you well get a lot more use when it is easier and faster to get out on the water.

Five Fujitas would be a thing to behold and would certainly break the bank. Also, both the US and Canadian importers didn't make it much past the financial festivities of '08. They are still made in Kyoto though and have been for over 50 years. PortaBotes are a whole different critter - an open dinghy as opposed to a decked kayak. Perhaps a solution for portable group fun on the water. Check out the Oru Kayak orukayak.com which is a somewhat similar concept to the PortaBote that has had very good reviews and an attractive price point. I might even consider one though my current choice would be a FeatherCraft Wisper EX. One Wisper is roughly equivalent to five Orus...

Thank you for the clarification of the differences. I also really like the Fujita (looked at those too, but couldn't afford to buy 5 - the number I needed). I really liked the performance of it though. I'm still not convinced about the subject kayak of this thread though, in terms of better performance. PortaBotes aren't all that rigid (yes, tried one of those too). Is this folding kayak as rigid as a Fujita? (The subject Kayak is not skin-on-frame like the Fujita...)

atreis,

There is a huge difference between inflatable and folding kayaks, particularly in terms of performance. I’ve owned both - an Advanced Elements inflatable and a Fujita folder and I’m an active kayaker on NorCal bays and ocean. An inflatable is great casual and inexpensive fun on calm and sheltered waters, no doubt about it. Since an inflatable is mostly air and sits more on than in the water you can expect to be blown about by a good stiff wind. Also you will find that the boat has very little glide between paddle strokes. This may or may not be an issue depending on what you want to do with the boat. A folder is a skin on frame boat, close cousin to the original and millennial design, that can be conveniently disassembled. While most have inflatable sponsons, their main purpose is to snug up the skin after the frame is assembled inside of it. The boat sits fully in the water and is much less affected by wind and wave and the improvement in glide is immediately apparent. On the flip side, a folder will take longer to assemble and will be more expensive. Both types of “bag boats” will need more care than a hardshell - a good rinse after being in seawater and a time and place to dry everything before putting it back in the bag for any length of time. The Fujita is currently strewn about my living room…

Check out foldingkayaks.org