As a "fit" disabled person (I have muscular dystrophy), this met my needs. I have used regular kayaks and at least two people would have to help me get "into" the kayak... the Origami allows me to do it myself. I am not using it for racing or whitewater... just to get out in the fresh air, see nature, etc. And my friends who might join me from time to time may have more streamlined kayaks, but are also not looking to do anything fancy with them. When I was younger, I had a regular kayak, and know how to manoeuvre, but this has been a godsend as I age, and allows me to get out with my husband and enjoy the beauty.

I love my origami paddler. It's perfect for my use cases. It's all about use case. I needed something that could get me out on the water. I didn't want to paddle far. I'm mainly going to quiet lakes to swim and don't want to be confined to swimming beaches. I love that I can get in the water to swim and easily get back on the board without worrying about it capsizing. I can also lie down and relax/float or stand and use it as a SUP. Also it fits in my tiny volvo C30 hatch. It's so perfect for me. It's like a little floating dock that I can maneuver around the lake. It's also a great way for friends who are not big swimmers to join me and even sort of "spot" me on a long lake swim. Every time I take it out people ask me about it. It's a real conversation piece.

I have one, and I appreciate this review. My perspective: it checks all the boxes for me. As a senior female I was being kept off the water by traditional kayaks. Portability was/is key. Secondly, I wanted a sit-upon so that my 2 small dogs could come with me. I've done whitewater kayaking in the Alps, flat-water kayaking in The Netherlands (recreationally, always) and at this point in my life I just want to putz around a calm lake with my canine buddies. So for me, it's perfect.

I got one in the KS (~$350) and I am very happy with it. It's not designed for speed or agility, but for ease of use and travel. I have an inflatable and HATE inflating and deflating it. This is so much easier to throw in the back of my small SUV. I changed the seat to a $35 Brooklyn Kayak seat and that made a huge difference in comfort. Having said that, I totally agree with almost all of your comments. I want it just so I can get out in nature by myself without needing someone to help me load a regular kayak. And I also love the fact that I can use it as SUP as well as kayak. I do disagree with the statement that it needs to be used only on very flat water. I was in the Maine ocean with it, and it was definitely choppy one day and rolling waves the next, and the OP was just fine in both. I'm not interested in Oru or Tucktec or similar because you can't SUP, but I'd love to hear about other SUP/kayak combos that are portable and quick to assemble/get on the water. I had planned on getting a second OP if this one worked out, so I can go with husband or friend, but that is not going to happen now that OP company is pretty much shut down (this week due to poor business management and customer service) and going into receivership. Will be seeking alternatives so looking forward to your reviews of other paddlers.

This dude roasted this kayak without roasting this kayak.

Honestly, I love my Origami Paddler kayak. It works perfectly for me because I don't care at all about speed... I love the portability and stability.

I own two origami paddles and have to say I love them. They are super easy to get on the water and track very well when paddling. Both fit in the back of a Prius. I would recommend them for the people who enjoy half day water activities.

Wow this is a scathing review for your channel. It was really entertaining watching you struggle to find ways to be positive about it

I brought 4 of these kayaks for my youth program, Operation Waterway Environmental Education OPWWEE to give inner city, minority youth their 1st experience on a kayaks. It definitely works for kids 120lbs>, I brought at kickstarter price. They have rave reviews for their initial experience. I also brought adult kayaks like kaku zula PD, hobie 12' exclipse. & AP120. The objective was just to get them close and safe on the water to explore nature.

While I agree with a lot of what you said I bought my OP to get out on the water. After losing strength, mobility, and function on my left side due to a bad car accident (t-bone) I needed something. This was easy enough for me to get to the water, set up, enjoy, take down, and pack up. While using it I have gained so much strength, mobility, and function in my upper left half. This was my physical therapy and still would be had it not been stolen with my car last month. I’ll be watching your reviews to see if there are any other good options out there for my needs!

I have one of these and pretty much wholeheartedly agree with the review. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent out on the water with it so far - but it definitely makes me wish I had a better kayak (and I've already set my sights on getting an Oru eventually). That being said - I'm fairly happy with it still - but I got mine for the Kickstarter price of $280 (or about $340 delivered). At the retail price (even on sale) I think you're way better off spending a little more money and getting a higher quality boat.

I cannot paddle much because of arthritis…but…I love to be on the water in a woodland setting. So peaceful and healing so it is perfect for me. Gets me on the water to just absorb the surroundings. I got a seat with more padding to add to this seat…use my outward bound paddles, used to have an inflatable kayak/board but I would not be able to blow it up anymore. Usually paddle with a friend and she helps me get it on the water, for me…this is great and does what I need it to do. PS…it does come apart in 3 pieces that weigh 15lb each so can be managed alone.

That particular kayak is about sacrifice, just like everything else in your life when you live in a big city in a tiny apartment. Lol

I got my Origami Paddler through the Kickstarter program . I bought this for it's 'portability' and affordability to be able to get on the water. I'm a female in my 60's in good health and outdoorsy. My primary water access is a harbor. This thing is more awkward and bulky to get to the water than I envisioned. Also, I totally was shaking my head in agreement when the reviewer said he wasn't enjoying the paddling experience and he wasn't comfortable. I was paddling the harbor behind a companion in a rental kayak and she was moving so much easier, so much faster than I was. I was glad when the hour was over. I agree that this is probably best reserved for an evening paddle on a still-water lake. Even my harbor has currents and the disturbance created by other boats that are too much for this paddler to contend with.

Reviews like this highlight how much manufacturers need to find more reliably biased reviews. Ken, you're not very good at being a shill. That being said, it is interesting to see how many companies are putting out watercraft-like products instead of watercraft. At this pricepoint, Origami would have been better served spending a couple more months working on the design since the cost of production would be impacted little. Capacity is a concern as well since a 195 lb paddler wearing shoes and a PFD while carrying a paddle and a sandwich can hit close enough to 230 to be below the water.

Very fair review Ken, perfectly pitched. It also looks as if it fell out of the Ugly Tree at birth and hit every branch on the way down! ...I'm sure its mother loves it 😁

I had the same impression. Got the Origami to get on the water. Have it for 2 summers now, but searching for a Sea Eagle. It's great for the calm water, stand up and jumping in and out, but now looking to get into more mobility and longer time on the water. Great review. Thanks.

Very accurate review. I was the only Ocean Kayak dealer in Vt. before anyone here was interested in kayaks. I have 3 different models (surfing, white water, and touring) plus 1 Oragami. All were designed by the same guy. That's why I purchased the Oragami. I agree with your assessment and would add that it is a better paddle board than a kayak with regard to comfort. Young kids will love this thing for horsing around on the water. I think fishermen will find it to be a nice platform (standing) on flat water. I will be selling mine soon.

We bought 4 and love them! Does exactly what we expected.

Ken, your honesty and unbiased opinions based on your 30+ years of experience are why you have nearly 100k subscribers. With that being said, not every product that you review is going to be great, despite your positivity. Some products will be a flop and that's okay. The reviews that you provide not only help the consumer in a potential purchase decision, but also aid the manufacturer in the design of their product. In regards to the Origami Kayak/Paddleboard, I enjoyed the innovative design of the vessel. But for the price and limitations, it wouldn't be a good investment.

I’m happy that you are review more budget friendly kayaks. I have never pound that kayak but it looks so uncomfortable compared to other kayaks in the same price range not even mentioning the performance. Thank you for this review keep up the good work!

I am stunned to find a negative review after saying nice things about the tuktec. You have renewed my faith in your reviews

Great review. It's great to see your consideration of the paddle community in this. 💕 Thanks!!

Hi Ken. I just found this review. I wish it had been created 5 mos ago when I preordered my paddler. I probably wouldn't have ordered one. Now it's a bust point because I got notice today, after several emails about an eta for shipping, (it was supposed to ship June 22nd) that the company's shut down, and I'll be extremely lucky to get my money back!! I will be watching many more of your videos before I venture into another purchase! I am a first time buyer with some health problems that make it almost impossible to use a roof rack and traditional kayak. This seemed like a perfect solution... Well, once bitten, twice shy. As I said, Research! I think your reviews will be very helpful!

Love your honesty, your integrity and your tactfulness. Not many people I think would have all that in a review.

I enjoy mine. It is not built for speed. The criticism of the footwells is easily addressed by sliding one’s butt forward or backward an inch or two to get the leg extension comfortable. I can understand how one could get uncomfortable after an hour, but I just keep changing postures. Too bad the company went belly up. I am fortunate that I was able to get mine before they went under. It has the versatility, portability, durability, and affordability for which I was looking.

In the end, this should motivate companies and manufacturers of these products to make a more effective product, which is better for everyone! All feedback is good feedback

I bought one, waited a year for it and all the hinges came broken. Plus it was so much heavier than the way it was portrayed. I sent it back and got an ORU Inlet. Love my ORU!!!

Great review! I looked at this last year when looking for something light and portable to get me on the water. I watched many reviews and decided on Eddyline Sky 10 b/c it’s so light I could load it on top of my car by myself-- so glad I went that direction!

For a few hundred dollars more you could get a really nice Sea Eagle razorlite.

The first time I saw this advertised on FB, I was really surprised at the number of excited people that wanted to buy it. It looked like junk to me from the very start with low weight capacity and very little freeboard, short length, etc etc. But I've been paddling for 20 plus years. I sort of knew you'd form a fast opinion on this one. Obviously this is aimed at people new to paddling that don't know any better. Glad you did an honest review. There are much better kayaks for less and used is a great way to go to get started rather than fall for a gimmick.

This is a great review thank you for the honesty. Knowing this is not a shill channel will keep me coming back! Subscribed!

I purchased 2 for $800 with seats and paddles. I have never kayaked before, and I used this in flat, calm water. I had fun. I would be disappointed if I paid $800 for just 1. The seat will not keep you sitting up. But, for short jaunts into flat water, this is a good product.

I loved this review, thank you so much! I bought one last spring and received it this spring. I did have two broken hinges that took a while to receive replacements, but finally got it on the water this weekend. And you hit many of the reasons I'm not keeping this. It was fun, and much more stable than I expected (I literally could not tip it over), however I hate lugging it around even with a hand truck I purchased separate and it's too small for what I wanted to do with it (fish and take my dog). So, I bought an iSUP instead and I'm super happy with that. But you're right, this is great for those that just want to get on relatively calm water and enjoy being on the lake for an hour or two at a time, no muss, no fuss. I will say, I purchased mine for $450 in April 2021 and that was as much as I was willing to pay for it. I would not have purchased it at the recent $695 price point. I will also say, it is worth the investment to buy a longer kayak paddle. I had a pelican brand longer paddle laying around and used that to paddle around and had zero issues with water spraying in my face or dripping back onto the paddler. The paddler was also not as slow as I expected, and I think a big part of that is that my paddle was longer.

I got three of these for my family through the Kickstarter campaign, so I saved a pretty good amount of money. (I paid about $310/unit.) I have done serious paddling in the past, but as you point out in the video, my intention was to have a lake or small river sit-on kayak for us to relax and enjoy. The things that bug me about the boat are some design decisions and quality issues that the company likes to gloss over. By the way, this does not include the hinges that there were issues with when they shipped. The company has addressed that and are willing to replace the defective ones. One of the decisions that bugged me were the decision to use silicone bolts in the hinges - of which about a third of mine were sheared off, and I had to go out an get steel bolts. (They must have recognized this because when I mentioned it to them, they sent replacement bolts and barrels that were steel.) But there are some other design decisions that could easily have been addressed: 1) Portability could have been improved easily by having some way to grab onto the boat when it is folded up. Having the two straps in the middle of one side (that are actually the straps holding the seat pad down) are very awkward. Additionally, having a token shoulder strap whose only way to be secured to the boat is being wrapped around the hinges and hence putting the entire weight of the boat on the hinges that had problems with breaking could have been improved just by having two points to secure the strap to the boat. 2) Many people have needed to seal the plugs on the deck with silicone because they leak water into the hull. 3) When the freeboard on a boat is that small when you weigh 195 pounds, 230 is a pretty optimistic weight limit. Usually, "Do Not Exceed" weights have quite a bit of tolerance built into them. I have a feeling they should have listed the weight limit more in the 220 pound range. 3) The biggest thing with me is the seat. For the amount of support it gives, they might as well not have included one. You're right - a little molding of the deck under the seat would have helped. The only thing I can think of why they didn't was because they were afraid having a molded seat that a paddler didn't fit in would be worse than none at all. But the prototype had a solid back piece, and that would have been much better. I just discovered that they have declared bankruptcy. Unfortunately, there are a number of customers who never received their boats. I hate to see that with any company, and they did seem to have good intentions. Unfortunately, I think just a little more thought would have, while not making a performance kayak, produced a much more practical and successful casual boat.

I stumbled upon your channel a few days ago after buying my first inflatable kayak. The intex challenger 1, one you have actually reviewed. Thanks for sharing all your information! Loving your videos!

That's one point for Intex Challenger K1 here... 🙃 Great review. We also need some negative ones, at least from time to time.

Good honest review.

I have always been afraid of the water until now. I realized riding on top is a huge benefit for my fraidy cat brain. Funny you described this kayak as great for people who want to get out, see nature, watch the sunrise, sunset and that is EXACTLY the kind of person I have become. Sometimes I go 1 - 2 hours once or even twice a day, depending. I just can't stay out of the water! And I try lots of different lakes, ponds, rivers (staying away from dams!) Even comfortable in river with wake now on the paddler. So, as a sunrise and sunset chaser I have gone pretty much every day, not always successfully catching those. But it's a fun game! If there are thunderstorms, I get myself up early enough to get out there and paddle. I may have missed one or two days - and it's been about a month, straight of getting on the water. I would you to see you test this as a paddle board. I understand that's it's main purpose. So, a paddle board you can kayak on vs. a kayak you can paddle board on. Does that make sense? I have recently purchased a second hand tucktec as well, mostly to bring my 74lb dog who is too heavy for me to bring on the paddler. I see what you mean! I know from your other reviews it's not meant for speed, but holy moly I fly on it by comparison. I like that it's a bit of a workout to kayak the paddler. It's, again, definitly great for scenery. In fact, in the tuckteck, when I try to catch some wildlife, I go past too fast, by the time I get my camera out, wheras the paddler is nice and slow going without using the oars. :) Thanks for your reviews. Very informative and entertaining.

Great review, Ken. People need to see that the thing is more about compromises than performance or effective design. And now apparently out of business, too. As you stated, would be sad for people to try these scows and think "Wow, I don't see what's so great about paddling."

Thank you. I bought an Origami and have had it out twice and completely agree with everything you’ve said.

A great review, as you have always done. Like your honest opinions. Definitely appreciate the fact that manufacturer was trying something new, which is a good thing for the industry. The positioning of this product, from just watching the review, could have been made a bit clearer by the manufacturer. It is not a kayak in my view. But better suited as an in-between of a SUP and a sit-on-top kayak. I trust the manufacturer be benefitted from your review, think harder about what this “thing” is, and better capture the essence of that “thing”. A great review, and keep it coming.

Thanks for the honest review.

I have been enjoying this SUP paddling around lakes.

I would say that's more of a toy for kids to mess about in than it is a serious paddling tool, so perhaps your expectations were a little too high. The problem is that the price is not a kids toy price. It seems like the manufacturer has tried to differentiate themselves from everyone else and ended up producing a heavily compromised product that does not excel at anything except maybe stability. I've never paddled one of course, but it certainly looks as bad as you describe it to be.

Great honest review, you are a better man than I.

We must have hit some kind of sweet spot with our two Origamis - got the early Kickstarter price, but the more durable hinges. Haven't had plug issues, both fit in our CRV, and we're in and out of most state and recreational park boat ramps in a few minutes. My wife and I paddle lakes in South Carolina where it gets hot in summer, so a little water around the seat can be a good thing. Our outings are 2-3 hours typically, probably a few miles of paddling, and we usually find some time to tie up together in the middle of a lake and eat lunch, or just lay back, stretch out and float a bit. I paddled as a Boy Scout and an adult leader, in canoes and kayaks on still and moving water, so this isn't my first rodeo, and Ken's review was on point as far as the details go; I'd prefer foot pegs and maybe a better seat, and the boat isn't speedy. However, he also noted that it's very maneuverable, very stable, and you can be in and out of the water very quickly. Those items actually fit our use case well, so we're happy. It's too bad that Origami is in receivership. I think if they could have made some more design refinements, added some interesting accessories (like seat options or a camera mount) and gotten their price back to the original Kickstarter range, the product would have had reasonably wide appeal. In any event, we'll be experimenting with ours for quite a while longer.

It's an accessible boat coming from a small vehicle. It definitely was made for a certain size person - probably the creator. As a SUP, it's actually very enjoyable after getting a dedicated SUP paddle. It's not made for extreme current as the warning on the paddle says.

This reminds me of a sized up, folding Lifetime Recruit. I'm a small adult who used the Recruit as one of my intro boats, as I fit in the weight restrictions and it fit inside my SUV. Had a cumbersome inflatable for longer trips, but used the Recruit when my time to be on the water didn't justify setting up the inflatable. The inflatable was also a very poor kayak in different ways, but comfy, lol. The key thing is though, the Recruit only cost about 200 bucks. (The inflatable, barely over 100!) So I could say a lot of nice things about my experience with the Recruit - it was really easy to get back on top of, it only weighed 20 lbs and I could sling it under one arm like a surfboard, it was easy to clean. All of those things is in the context that I got two bad kayaks for cheaper than the price of one normal low end rec kayak, both pretty portable, and knowing that hopefully I'd only be using them for a year. This price point for that level of weight on a portable kayak is silly, an Intex Explorer inflatable for two people is 5 lbs less than that, and that feels heavy enough.

I guess Tim Niemier is achieving his goal of getting more people out on the water.😎 This kayak is not my first pick but I could see how it would work for some people.I GUARANTEE YOU that as a seasoned BIG WATER kayakangler that I COULD catch fish off of this.GUARANTEED!!!! Thank you,Tim Niemier!!!🤗

Neat concept, but I wouldn’t want to take it down The Loxahatchee River 🐊🐊🐊🐊

8:10 only one of those footwells has a drain? So if you're shorter, I guess you get soggy heels. Niiiiiiiiice.....

I just bought one to use as a cargo sled to tow behind my fishing jet ski...should work out well.

I agree with your review.That was pretty much what I thought when I first saw it.Its is portable but I’d MUCH rather get another inflatable.

I have two regular (hard shell) kayaks and bought this (via the Kickstarter at a much cheaper price). I think your review is spot on.

You can increase comfort by either adding a throwing float cushion under your seat or upgrade your seat with a raised stadium seat. Either will add cushion and raise your seating position about 3 inch+ which makes it much more comfortable. Making this small upgrade shouldn't cost much more.

I've never seen Ken give a bad review before, so this must be pretty bad. There is one thing it does does however. It seems to be very portable, and setup & tear down far faster than any other portable kayak options so far. This could be hope that the company or some copy cat will re-design this concept with better performance, and hopefully make it lighter weight and less bulky while they are at it. I love my inflatable kayaks such as my Sea Eagle Razorlite. I've looked at the ORU's and Tucktec to add to the collection as I'd like to find something for those bad weather days just to get on the water for a half hour, even staying near the boat ramp as the inflatables are too much work especially to pack up for that short of a paddle. Well worth it on a normal day. This kayak still seems expensive for what it is. If it was lighter weight, less bulky and less expensive, it might serve the purpose I mention, but as it is I'm better off waiting for a day with better weather and a day I have more than a half hour to spend on the water.

I would call it a folding paddle board more so that a Kayak.

I'm shocked. Yesterday i watched a healthy strong young lady on her pink origami paddler at Scarborough Bluffs (Lake Ontario) paddling at a fast pace against the wind on choppy water. She was bolting along as if she was racing. When she finally paddled to shore I ran to ask her some questions. She said she absolutely loves her origami paddler and she regrets not buying two or three of them from kickstarter 2yrs ago. Yes I've researched and understand that some people have been let down by this origami company. But because I saw with my own eyes how she vigorously handled her OP I went online between yesterday and today and now I have bought myself an orange OP (not pink my favourite colour but these kayaks are hard to find).

After waiting many months finally got out in my OP today. Have to agree with the review. Felt like paddling in jello. Slow boat to nowhere. So called seat was worthless - difficult to find a comfortable position. Amen to the footwell spacing being inadequate. Plan to hand this over to my 6 year old grand-twins for something they can play on now that the water has finally warmed up.

This would be perfect basis for a DIY builder. For myself this would be a short range fishing platform - long range isn't an issue. Better than a float tube - no puncture risk. Portability and assembly is KEY to fit inside a compact car. Stability trumps speed. Looks like a winner for me.

Honestly I LOVE my Origami paddler! It suits my needs, I just wanted to get on the water without a lot of hassle. Turns out my four year old grandson loves to go out on the lake with me. We paddle a bit and then jump in, paddle a bit and jump in......I guess it is ALL about how you want to use it!

Loving mine, got through kickstarter..take it out on sea and its great. Never use the seat tbh..

I thought my deschutes 145 was lacking for 700(after discount) but it blows this thing away by a mile lol Edit, the only thing missing on the Deschutes are drain holes, otherwise it's amaaaaazzing! Tandem, 28 lbs, would LOVE to see you review it!

As a portable kayak alone, yes there are many other options. As for me, I like it because of its hybrid purpose for my pre-teen; stable (slow) kayak and a sup. Yes, could be cheaper, but better than buying a portable kayak and a portable sup in my opinion..

I use mine for my grandkids to stand on and be really stable then it folds up and stows in the camp so it wont get stolen. We have a 'weekend' cabin so boats can't be left by the water. Agree with review. It meets a specific need and for that need it is perfect otherwise it isn't for you.

GREAT VIDEO! Seems like they could have at least contoured the seat area.

Thank you, Ken!

Gateway kayak.. lmao good one dude😂

My Origami Paddlers are absolutely perfect for what I need. 100% as described. Very functional.

For the money, I would much rather buy an Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame.

I got this so I could go out when and where I wanted to while living in my tiny apartment and driving my tiny car. The limitations of going out with tour groups and the cost has this paying for itself (I got the pre-sale rate of $460 delivered). It is okay for most of my purposes like going to see things like the Florida springs and other places I want to stop and look at what's going on in the water, otherwise this video is pretty accurate. I took it out with a meetup kayak group and I slowed the entire group down. My butt was also very sore from the less than comfortable seat. I would buy it again at the $460 rate which included shipping but not for the price it is going for now. In the meantime, I'll be upgrading the seat for $50 on Amazon and use a $40 cart from Academy Sports to get it to the water (I am 5'1" and it comes very close to dragging the ground when I carry it using a strap!). When space allows, I'm excited to get a streamlined kayak and separare paddle board. The origami paddler can be used as a spare if someone I know wants to kayak or paddle board but does not have one of their own. Also note that the customer service experience is lengthy. You send an email and wait days to weeks to get a response. I sent a question about repair for a deep ding (right now it's only that and not a hole), trying to be proactive and hopeful they are prepared for such happenstances. It's been almost a week and haven't gotten a response, I've seen some videos on KZfaq for repair, I'm just not sure if they will work with this "recycled plastic" material the paddler is. Just another thing to consider. My other emails were resolved but it did take some time for that resolution. Being on the pre-order list there was a slew of emails delaying my order from three to four months to almost a year out, the communication to me relayed as unprepared and unorganized. By this I mean the emails were necessary to keep us updated, but the wordiness, incredible length and content to me came off simply as unprepared and unorganized. I would have rather just got the facts in a few short sentences.

I have one that I hate. It is so bulky and hard to move and when I put it on a scale it weighed 62 pounds-not the 45 that was promised. Plus the hinge broke on the very first time out, and now the company has sent out an email saying they have cash problems and can’t get me a replacement. It’s currently just taking up a bunch of space in my basement. Bought an inflatable paddleboard with a comfy kayak seat and my life is so much easier

Hoping you will soon review the Bass Pro Shops line of Ascend Kayaks. Specifically the FS10.

For $700 you can buy two box store kayaks that would paddle better than a yellow lily pad.

So what is your recommendation that would check all the boxes that OrigamiPaddler boasts…portability, dual kayak/sup, and in this price range? I have 2, my son and I both are pretty happy. It’s much more portable with a very cheap fold up handcart. Is it fast, no. But for a casual paddler, it satisfies us. I have used a traditional kayak, and yes those perform better. But, I can’t get out on the water nearly as easy with those. You have to load them on top of a roof rack, bungee them down and by the time I get to the water I’m too tired to kayak! I love the freedom of getting out there with no fuss. I can even go kayaking alone and handle it all by myself, that’s hard to beat.

You're not an a$$. So I got an Origami at a Kickstarter price (I think about $330). At that price I recommend it, but I would definitely not but it at $500+. I also modified mine. I installed side handles and replaced the crap stock seat with a seat from BKC. They have improved my experience noticeably. The other thing I'll say about the Origami is that I enjoy it more as a paddleboard than as a kayak. Sure it's not very fast, but as a heavy-set guy, the stability is definitely a plus for standing. I HATE the drain plugs. I get having a plug is necessary on any hard shell vessel, but the form factor requires 3, and they fill up relatively fast (might also be because of mhy weight, but still). Anyway, it's okay for the price I got it for, but I'm still getting a real kayak soon.

Refreshing!

For the price of this kayak, you could get a better used one and maybe save some plastic from being wasted.

Hi Ken, what kayak would you recommend for multi-day river touring? I'm looking for something that paddles easily on flat water and can keep up with my friend's tripper canoe, but is also capable of handling some whitewater at least up to class 2 or easy 3. I have plenty of experience in whitewater kayaks.

Hey, have you seen or tried the point 65 models from sweden? It seems Nice but there is no review of them at all. Is that something you would look into? Thanks

$800 is how much I spent on an old and used but quite nice fiberglass tandem boat AND two brand new carbon/fiberglass paddles

I took my paddler out for the first time and got my 95 lb labradoodle to join me.....I'm 225 lbs!! We had alot of laughs just putzing around the dock with the front end partially submerged. In future though, I will just let my wife use it and buy an inflatable.

I bought this on pre-order sale. I've been trying to assemble it bc they sent a hinge replacement kit when I keep telling them the molding for hinge is off. No idea if I'll be able to even assemble this or return it. Not happy at all. They won't let me replace it without a tech support call session. Takes them 2-3 weeks to respond to email. Wish I'd just bought a cheap SOT at Walmart for my travel kayak for half the price of this.

I feel like an inflatable SUP with a kayak seat would fit the same purpose (and actually be lighter to transport, and probably move better in the water if you bought a 12') and can be picked up secondhand for well under half the price.

I'm curious to know what you all think about its portability. Tried mine out for the first time, and once it was in the water, I enjoyed the experience, but to and from the water and car killed my back. It's so heavy and awkward. I thought that I'd be able to carry it myself. I'm not in the best shape, but I'm pretty active!! Any pointers?

Seeing how this is made, there is no reason why this should cost more than $70-80 (it's almost like three garden-umbrella base stands put together).

I will say it’s less clumsy than the sea Eagle 393RL. And it will store easier as well. The sea Eagle you can’t store in a shed or garage that gets hot. That aside I think this would be perfect for kids at the lake house. Well it would be for $100-150. Other than that…nada!

Crescent Shoalie. Try it you’ll be impressed.

Looks like zero expectation of a dry butt on that thing...would drive me crazy sitting in a puddle of water the entire paddle.

I bought one of these and even just putting it together in my garage I instantly regretted it. I did the kickstarter campaign. It was delayed delivery for almost a year, quality compared to the initial video was misleading, and when I tried to return it….I wasn’t going to get anything back after shipping, minus a fee. Had it for a year now and can’t even be bother to try and get on the water with it. Now looking for a inflatable SUP and a kayak too. Do not buy one…..but if you want a free one…let me know🤣

When I saw their Kickstarter video awhile back I thought their sales pitch was very disingenuous and knew it was heavy, bulky, and would probably paddle like crap. I'll stick to my Oru and iSup when I need a portable boat.

I just tried mine for the first time..granted I’m 220lbs, but it says it’s good up to 230lbs. Within 5 mins, the middle part of the kayak was filled with water and it started to sink..I had to rush to shore. Anybody else having issues with drain plugs allowing water in?

The paddle is short. I had my friend use a 220 cm paddle. I have an Oru which I really like. Was out yesterday and another paddler had a Tucktec.

Thank you so much! I was wondering about that thing. It is WAY too expensive...a tuftec would be a better value!

I have one, it’s still in the box. Any takers??

I wonder who the competition is that this person works for?? I have 2 of these and they are amazing!!! Wife is 5’ I’m 6’.. they fit in back of my Prius and are sooooo fun. This review feels very odd.. looks fun does great but you dislike it and don’t recommend???😂😂😂

Wow this is pretty negative. I bought 2 of these and hope I like it better 😂. I only weigh 130 lb and I like switching from kayak to SUP mode. I got 2 of these for $800 so I thought price was not bad. What do you propose as alternative?

looks like a lifeboat for a real kayak...

"It's a flat, flat water kayak"...🤣 You tried SO hard to be impartial.