Apartment-dwelling bass anglers can have trouble storing a kayak. A folding kayak they can store in a closet? They do exist. Inspired by the Japanese art of origami, Oru kayaks don’t come in a case — they are the case. The Coast XT, one of Oru’s 16-foot models, weighs just 32 pounds folded or opened up.The orange floorboard, hull “zippers” that hold the top decks together, bulkheads and seat components are the only unattached parts and pack easily in the hull.
The hull folds together easily, and straps are already attached to cinch and hold everything. Oru says it takes 10 minutes to put together. (Although three of us needed about 40 minutes to figure it all out the first time.)The touring-style yak is 16 feet long, 25 inches wide and can carry 400 pounds of passengers and gear. It retails for $1,999.Although you can stow a bunch of gear under both decks, the design limits the angler’s rods and accessible tackle. Most small rivers — where this boat shines — don’t require much more to catch unpressured fish.
The Coast XT felt tippy at first (I am used to superstable, hard-hull sit-on-tops). However, the boat’s secondary stability was impressive. I had no trouble either negotiating current or landing strong, brown bass. Learn more at orukayak.com.
