Oru - Folding Kayak
My review of the Oru Bay St folding kayak.
TLDR; super light, good for beginners with the right accessories.
Why I bought the Oru Bay St
At the time, I was just an apartment dweller who loved the ocean. I had been on one kayaking trip with a friend at that point, but really didn’t know anything about the sport. I was itching to find a hobby that fit and just randomly bought this kayak. My only criteria was that it would need to fit in my apartment! I purchased the 2019 model Oru Bay St in 2020 and paddled it consistently for four years.
Also - can we talk about how YOUNG I am in this photo?! Wow, the start of my kayaking journey!
Initial Thoughts
The first time I built my Oru it took me 45 minutes! But very quickly I got my set-up time down to 10 minutes. I loved how light the kayak was to carry - I’d walk it down to the beach, set it up, and paddle the ocean.
As a new kayaker in a folding kayak, I was cautious and kept close to shore. But I LOVED this kayak and officially fell in love with kayaking.
Over Time
A few years into having my Oru I took my level 1 kayaking certification via Paddle Canada. This course covered paddling technique, rescues, navigation, etc. The course included a kayak rental so I didn’t bring my Oru. After the course was finished, I had a lot of questions about whether I could apply the self rescue techiques successfully on this style of kayak and how the heck I wouldn’t just flood and sink my boat. I did some research and learned I would need to purchase float bags for my kayak. Float bags trap air in the boat and help displace water should you capsize. Once my float bags arrived, I tried them out and was able to successfully self-rescue on the Oru, although I kicked myself for not having bought float bags earlier. They should really be included with the kayak, I think it is incredibly unsafe to not have those come standard with the kayak.
The more I kayaked locally, the more I wanted to kayak in new places. I was keen to try kayak touring and kayak out to incredible remote campsites. The places I had my heart set on going had more challenging conditions than my local protected bay. I wasn’t confident I could paddle my Oru there, and I needed more space for my camping gear, so I just ended up renting sea kayaks for these trips. Paddling in a sea kayak and feeling how different that type of kayak fit my body is when I started to realize the limitations of my Oru. I wanted to go further, I wanted to learn new skills like edging, and with the lack of thigh braces in the Oru, I would have to look at getting a different kayak.
By the time I was wanting more from my kayak, was around the time the Oru started to show some wear and tear. Some of the components that have broken are the front and back combing latches which snapped in half - but I was able to easily get cheap replacement pieces from Oru (this time made of metal instead of plastic). The other piece that is close to breaking off is the handles on the floorboard - where they connect to the combing and snap in place. This replacement piece is harder to source, likely needing the whole floor piece to be replaced. Over the years I’ve had this boat, I haven’t had any issues with the folds of the kayak or the boat taking on water because of the folds. It has really just been the plastic components that don’t hold up over time.
Pros:
Light weight
Ease of assembly
Time to assemble (10 min)
Folds - ability to store inside, take on a plane/bus/inside your car (no roof rack needed)
Price point - on the lower end compared to other folding kayaks
Low maintenance
Cons:
Plastic materials / long term durability (particularly the floorboard connection to the combing - a critical connection)
Fit - no thigh brace preventing skills development, foot bar in lieu of foot pegs (not as stable)
Seat - absolutely needs replacement, a lot of Oru owners (myself included) purchase the “SweetCheeks200”
Comfort - not comfortable for paddling long distances
Carrying case not practical for carrying longer distances - backpack accessory required
Pack down size is bulky - it will fit in your trunk but takes up a good amount of space. I don’t think I could get two Orus in the back of my Kia Soul
Not safe without float bags - an accessory that should 100% be included from Oru
Overall take
The Oru will always have a special place in my heart as my first kayak. It is great for beginners who like me at the time, didn’t know enough about kayaking to care about things like the fit or how much gear can fit inside. If you fall in love with kayaking (which you will) you’ll probably outgrow this boat in 2 years like I did. But, it was a great starter boat for me before determining what I wanted in my next boat. You can always start with the Oru and upgrade to something else in the future. If you’re a casual paddler, this is a great easy to assemble, lightweight kayak for day trips (as long as you buy and use float bags every time).
If you found this review helpful and are buying an Oru, help a girl out and purchase through my affiliate link. There is no cost to you but I make a small commission which helps me in paying for the hosting and maintenance of this blog.
If you are going to purchase an Oru - I highly recommend the Bay St or Coast XT models. All other models are not safe - they are not sea worthy as they do not support self-rescues, which is highly dangerous.
