Bay ST

I wanted to love the Bay ST very badly; it looks good, it's ultra convenient and setting it up and breaking it down is relatively simply and fast once you get the hang of it. However the nature of 'ultra portable' means that it has very specific performance characteristics that may disappoint. Firsly, lighty enough to carry also means light enough to wind-vane. I live in a very flat and windy city in Western Australia (Perth) that has a very wide and very windy river running through it. When using the Bay ST I tend to spend a lot of energy getting to where I need to go as it turns into the wind constantly. For some reason, the kayak also has a quite a bias to the right (and not that's not paddling technique which for me tends to the left) meaning that I also spend a lot of time correcting for drift. It's also almost impossible to bail out because when it overturns, it fills to the waterline, even with float bags inside- meaning that if you do capsize, the self rescue is a matter of swimming it back to the beach and emptying it. If you have wind and any degree of 'chop' at a 45 degree angle to your intended direction of travel this will mean that your likelihood of being swamped and then having to 'swim it back' to empty it will be high, at least in our conditions. There is no way in heck I'd take this into anything approaching open water.

It's a great idea for dead flat conditions and zero wind. Apart from that, I'd recommend a traditional kayak.

Don’t take it further from shore than you can swim. I’m a kayaking instructor and last weekend I tried to teach a student to self rescue in a Bay ST. Even with float bags and a very small paddler, after capsizing and reentering the kayak, it was so full of water that the cockpit rim was below the surface, making it impossible to pump out.

After 7 months of weekly use, I have not been satisfied with this kayak, because although the idea is great, quality control in the manufacturing process is poor. I know two other people who also have the Bay St and all of us have similar problems. For example the floorboard ("cockpit") is supposed to easily snap into channels in the side coaming. However, the grommets and fabric for various buckles have been placed so that they impinge slightly on the ridged channel where the "cockpit handles" are supposed to snap in. This is makes it very hard to get them to snap in, and after 6 months of use, those cockpit handles have split because of fabric being caught under them that isn't supposed to be there. I have contacted Oru support and so far have not heard back from them. I am a petite retired woman and didn't want to buy a lift-assist roof rack system, so this kayak solved that problem. However assembly for someone who isn't a strong male definitely does not take 10 minutes. In the summer I can assemble this in 20 minutes. Taking it out in the winter, it takes much longer because when it's cold, the plastic is much more rigid and hard to bend for insertion of various assembly parts. The zipper channels are wearing down after 6 months of use. Placing the seat back in the cockpit is a real nightmare. The seat is very uncomfortable, but that is easily fixed by buying another seat pad to place on top of it. The kayak is good-looking and collapses easily in 5 minutes. It is pretty stable in the water, but it doesn't track that well. It is faster than a junk kayak but much slower than, for example, a 14-foot Eddyline Sitka with a skeg. The Oru Bay St is pretty good in choppy water as long as you keep moving. So if you want a kayak that you can take places where you can't drag a heavy kayak, and you aren't using it that often, this kayak may work for you. However if you are going to buy just one kayak and use it a lot, I don't think this kayak is worth the money, considering manufacturing flaws and durability issues.

The boat is bulky and difficult to carry when folded up. I would rather wheel a boat on kayak wheels than try to carry that. It is also very difficult to put together, I’m a small woman, but not a wimp in any sense. It took all of my strength to get it assembled each time. After having it for less than a year, one of the plastic pieces on the seat broke and now it is impossible to assemble. It’s a great concept, but the reality is still woefully lacking,

So I did a TON of research on my new kayak. I'm a recreational kayaker just getting into open-water kayaking but most of the time I'm kayaking in the local rivers, lakes, and bays of Maryland. I drive a 4-door Mercedes sedan and racking a kayak on the roof isn't an option, so I instantly knew I needed a packable kayak. My first thought was an inflatable, but nothing stood out to me. Then, a buddy of mine pointed me to the local REI where they had the Bay ST on display. I was immediately awestruck-- the kayak is sleek, beautiful, and seems sturdy as hell for what it is. After tinkering around with it for an hour or so at the store I took one home and immediately took it out on the water. Here's my review:

Assembly: Assembly gets easier and easier as you do it more often. There are a couple steps which are frustrating, like positioning the back-half of the kayak's folds into the seatback but overall, it's super easy. Disassembly is even easier.

Performance: This is where I was really let-down by the kayak. On the water, I noticed that the kayak just didn't hold speed very well, it immediately lost all momentum. I played around a little bit and realized that it was because of a serious port-side lean. Another reviewer on this site actually mentioned the same issue and it became apparent that it was the same one I was having. Other than the lean, the kayak is very stable and glides through the water reasonably well. There were 0 leaks and I had total confidence while paddling. I reached out to Oru Kayak about the lean and they responded quickly that the lean is due to a fold that isn't broken in. The company CEO even sent me a video showing me how to remedy the issue. He told me to crease that fold and let the kayak hold it overnight. I did exactly that and I'm going to take the kayak out again to see how it performs. I will update this review once I do.

Aesthetics: Man is this thing a looker! Short of stitch & glue kayaks, this thing looks unlike anything else on the water. I took it out for a paddle after dark and put a couple of LED lanterns inside the kayak and it just glowed-- it was simply amazing. Buy this and people will always come up to you asking about it.

Portability: You buy this because you need a portable kayak. If you don't need the portability-- go buy a regular kayak (it'll perform much much better). I can easily pack this thing up and fit it in my car's trunk. It's light enough that I can carry it with the shoulder strap but it isn't very comfortable over a long distance. I actually prefer building it out and carrying it over my shoulder that way-- since the weight is spread out more evenly.

All in all, this is a decent kayak. No, I don't think it's worth $1600 which is why I'll probably return it even if the tracking issue is fixed. But if you're a city-dweller and are looking for a kayak you can take anywhere, this is it!

Sorry to bother you. I bought Bay ST in April 2018. The whole experience made me very sad... I want to share this with kayak lovers and warn them think carefully before buying kayak!!!

The Oru customer service was not helpful at all.

I do think Oru is a brilliant idea and helps a lot of kayak lovers, especially in a small country with limited space, like us.
But by the way the boat was delivered, presented and the process of it was very poor.....

If Oru did care what customers think, they will not ignore my questions since very beginning. Its more then 5 weeks!!!

I bought this boat for my husband, for our first anniversary. It is very important.

I waited so long for possible pre-owned one, but in vain. I asked if there will be sale season but oru said no, never have sale... Yesterday, I saw a 15% summer sale!!!

I am on tight hand but I still wish Oru brings us joy of explore more..... I booked a new Bay ST.

First is the shipment cost more than 2 weeks! April is not a hot season!

I am not live in US. I asked a friend to bring it when he visited us. The boat finally arrived one day before his flight. We almost could never get the boat!!! Oru customer service did not even give us an explanation. Just said it was on the way...

I order a new boat but came like a used one!!! Handler is broken when my friend opened it in US. He called them and Oru promised to send one new handler to me to Taiwan directly. It had been 25 days.... No news at all. I could not even know if the handler was send out... ???

Could you imaging when we opened the boat and saw lots of black spot, marks, unfit zipper and a broken handler.... can’t believe it’s a new boat....it should be a happy gift but it’s not.

When I reply those problems, from the delay of shipping, the broken handle, the marks. Oru never gave me face to face reply. They just behave perfunctory...No reply if the boat or the handler was on the way... Why it was so late???

I really want to send it back to Oru and ask for full refund, but it’s not the same country and the shipping fee is not affordable...or I will.

The whole process is not happy... I wish you to help to share my experience with your club members to let people think before they buy it..

It may be very cool, very fashion, and also, good function, and nice product with good design. However, you may want really rethink it before you purchase this not cheap kayak. The one major issue is "Durability". I cannot comment on the boat itself, however, the parts, are just very simple, basic plastic. I used one time for 3 hours in water, plus 2 practices to assemble in home, one of the SEAM Channel is broken. The replacement need $30. Also, all 4 of sticks all lose and ready to full off.
I was crazy about this good kayak, but, my wife was very against it. The main reason is she cannot physical touch and visit in in store, and worry about the material. And, she is right.

Test paddled this kayak down here in Mexico on the Pacific. What a letdown! This kayak takes too long to assemble, does not track well at all, glide is minimal, and flexes way too much in rough water. The seat is the most uncomfortable I've ever sat in... who designed this?? Guaranteed to be a wet ride in waves of any sort. I tipped it to practice a reentry and its way too flexible. Glad I did the test paddle and now moving back to the Pakboat which gives a much better paddling experience in every way.

Love this kayak! I retired at an early age last fall and decided I did not want to go back to work. I sold everything, including my beloved Necky Vector and 4 other kayaks to live/travel full time in a motorhome.

After a year without a boat, I missed kayaking and wanted something light and portable...the Oru was the answer! Had a few hiccups...bow had a stern fairing so had to go thru several failed attempts to get the proper fairing. Then realized that the clip on the bow that is there to secure the fairing is the wrong one...I'm not going to bother trying to get that replaced.

The boat handles great and is easy to assemble and disassemble. My only complaint is the seat and that is because I got spoiled by my Necky seat which was specifically designed for those of us who suffer from sciatica. I purchased a Necky ACS seat, removed some parts, adapted some parts from the Oru seat back mount and voila!...I can now ride comfortably for hours! I sit a little higher with my ACS seat so had to go through a new learning curve as to handling, but all is good. I am so happy to be back on the water and love, love, love that I can throw this little beauty in the back of my tiny Jeep.

Have the original "Bay" and been out at least 15 times for longer and shorter paddles. Mine unfortunately has some kind of fault in the build where the seatback column doesn't fully click into place when closing the kayak. Every assembly in turn requires quite some prying and muscling those parts together. This has caused some strain to the seam channels at the back where they have splintered and broken up. Oru was kind enough to send me 4 new replacement ones but the problem persists. This is the only fault I can find and is probably just "a one off". They have changed the design on the newer models so this is probably a non-issue for new owners.

The kayak is responsive and turns very well. No rudders needed. No trouble in steering through heavy current either. The seat is comfortable enough and the footstraps are easy to adjust. This being a rec kayak you probably won't be able to keep up with the standard seakayaks in terms of speed. My avg paddling speed in calm waters is around 6km/hr, top speed around 12km/hr. This could be improved with better paddling technique.

The corrugated plastic holds well up to bumps and dragging through rocky landings. The only time I have punctured it was when I knocked it against a railing with the kayak in folder form. Easily repaired with gorilla glue.

Disassembly takes around 5 mins. I highly recommend getting the ORU pack. Plenty of room in there for the PFD, sprayskirt and some dry bags.

All things considered this is a good product and even though I've been a bit unlucky with my model I highly recommend it.

The Oru Kayak is awesome! I am small in size with no truck or trailer and I own a small vehicle. This Oru Kayak lets me kayak ANYWHERE. I can carry it or put it on a dolly, or backpack with it. I can attach water bottles, cameras and accessories with ease. It can be packed for extended journeys, it has plenty of cargo space. It handles very well on lakes and in the bay.

The Oru Kayak team is knowledgeable, helpful and available for questions, information and orders. I highly recommend the Oru Kayak. It is light in weight but heavy on features. It is comfortable and handles well. I am a very happy paddler
Thank you Oru Kayak !!!

Love my Oru Kayak! This is my first kayak so I don't have anything to compare it to but I've canoed most of my life. The portability is wonderful. I drive a Honda Fit so I just put it in the back and off I go. I have had the same for canoe for 10 years and never flipped it once but the first time I tried getting in the Oru I flipped it! So the stability is very different and does take getting used to. But I love the way it cuts through the water, very different than my canoe.

I gave it an 8 only because of the challenges of putting it together and comfort. Over time it is supposed to become more flexible and I have only used mine about 5 times. But it is stiff and it probably takes me about 20 minutes to put together. Also, I am concerned with some of the parts being plastic and how long they will last over time.

My biggest complaint is the seat and foot rest. I don't find either comfortable. I did get an additional cushion and that did help some and I will consider upgrading the seat once the newer one becomes available as a separate item. But the foot rest, I don't see any way that it will improve. I did buy some pipe insulation, cut them to the width of the kayak and then duct tape them together and put that under my knees. That did help but despite trying having the footrest at different positions I just don't like it. Getting in and out is also challenging, granted being used to a canoe, that is a new learning curve for me but the size of the cockpit does also make it challenging.

I don't want to sound like I'm just complaining, I promise I do LOVE my Oru!

I needed to get back on the water again. I rowed - sweep and scull for 10 years, but it had become impossible to row. I would have loved to buy a scull, but they are expensive and difficult to store. The Oru Kayak brought me back to the water.

I had three issues - weight of the boat, transporting, and storage. The Oru answered all issues. The boat weighs in at 26 lbs. (I'm 5'1") A kayak weighing 50 lbs. would be impossible for me to lift. Transporting is a cinch - I throw it in my trunk. No expensive car top. And storage is a cinch as well. It folds up to the size of a large suitcase.

There are other advantages - I can launch from anywhere. High dock, low dock, rocky beach, sandy beach. I've done it all. All you need is room park your car and room to unfold it. And it's a sweet little boat. It tracks nicely and is light in the water. A lovely paddle is available to anyone.

Lastly, the company is great to work with. Great video to follow to learn how to unfold it. And customer service is great. I would highly recommend both the company and the boat.

I bought the ORU kayak after seeing it on Shark Tank and not wanting to buy a new rack for my car. The maiden voyage was this past weekend in Elkhorn Slough. The kayak lived up to its hype! Being my first time, it took 25 minutes to put together. It handled well and was very comfortable on the water. I broke it down in 10 minutes. Only complaint is the number of times I was stopped to answer questions about the kayak.

The Oru Kayak is a 12 foot kayak that becomes its own box through a series of clever folds. I am picky about kayaks and expect anything I buy from toasters to Toyotas to deliver what they promise. I live in the middle of the Canadian prairies and knew I'd have to buy before I try, so I held off getting an Oru until some initial comments surfaced on the 'net.

Now I've had my Oru since the beginning of July and the bottom line is that this boat gets two enthusiastic thumbs way up! It's light, portable, sleek, suitably robust, handles well and makes paddling far, far too convenient. Do yourself a favour and get one!

- - - Handling
Let's talk handling first, because that's what a boat better be good at. If it transforms into a herd of Dinobots but handles like a shopping cart, I ain't buying it.
This may come as a surprise, but the Oru handles as well as any kayak its size. The chines are cut nicely to allow sleek tracking, and the lightweight kayak gets an advantage on speed. An adjustable footrest allows a paddler to push more into each stroke.

For the past couple years, I've made do with some plastic rec kayaks at the local marina to get my kayak fix. The Oru is way above rec status - rec boats are heavy, slow, and well, terrible really. The Oru is definitely a step above that. It can't quite compare to the performance of a 17' sea kayak with a rudder, but is one of the best kayaks of this size I've used and I have no qualms taking it anywhere I'd take a comparably sized and priced Necky for instance.

I've had the Oru on a flatwater man-made lake in the centre of my city (Regina, SK). I've taken it in roughish conditions on a mid sized lake with odd counter-currents and 30km/hr (18mph) winds and on a leisurely paddle in a longish lake. All with good tracking and manoeuverability. At the end of each paddle, an on-looker will almost always ask if my white and orange boat brought in any water. No. It doesn't. The only time I get wet is by paddling under a waterfall in the city lake or from entering the boat with wet sandals. Self-inflicted every time. It has never let in any water. The boat is sturdy, the corrugated plastic robust, and the handling very nice. It's a real boat, folks. I wouldn't paddle it over a bed of dagger-like rocks, but it's taken some bumps and scrapes with no signs of wear.

The Oru comes with a quality seat too, much like other kayaks in it's category. It doesn't have any dedicated storage, but you can stuff things behind the seat and strap items to the bow. (Straps included.) Mostly because of storage, I'd call the Oru mostly a daytripping kind of kayak. At some point this summer I plan do an overnight paddle across a nearby lake with a backpacking tent and sleeping bag tucked behind the seat. If you had someone to carry some of your multiday gear, you could easily take this on a longer trip.

- - - The Clever Twist
People will stop to talk as you assemble the Oru. It's natural. You show up with a box and ride into the waves in a boat. Who doesn't want to know more? It takes a maybe 30 minutes the first time you fold it into a boat, but after that can assemble it in less than 10 (mine has a particularly tough spot on the front fold that will get more flexible with more folds and reduce this time a bit). Collapsing it into a box is even quicker - 5 minutes max and that's mostly if you take time to sponge the water off and let it air dry a bit. There's one especially gratifying step in the folding process, a moment where you are folding it up where it's a boat, basically a boat, still a boat, then wham - a box. This gets a collective "ahh" from a crowd of onlookers every time and makes me grin like I invented the thing. Which I didn't. Still, I get a moment to bask in the brilliance of the design.

Everything - seat, footrest, even a PFD can be stowed in the box. I have a two-piece paddle and that's really the only thing I need to store outside the box. The box is about 32"x29"x12", though I'd give it at least 18" of width for proper storage. It fits in the corner of my bedroom.

While transporting is way more convenient than a rigid vessel, the Oru is a bit big in my Ford Focus hatchback. It takes up 2/3 of the back seat or most of my hatch. Because the straps and handles catch on the seat or hatch a bit, it fits best in an empty hatch, which mine never is. When I first got it I thought I could store the Oru in my hatch under its cover, but the Oru is taller than the hatch cover, meaning I can tuck it in there, but need to cover it with a blanket to keep people from seeing the kayak and its "Oru kayak" wording through my back window. A slightly bigger vehicle would be ideal. You could tuck the Oru in the back cargo area of an SUV easily and nobody would even know it was there.

Carrying the kayak is comfortable for fifty meters (50 yards) or so. But it is kind of awkward any farther. It's just a bit too big and sways into my calf or hip periodically. Once assembled, the kayak is light and easily carried, reminds me of the Olympic-stye racing kayaks for how easy it can be carried.

- - - Costumer Service
I've contacted Oru a few times via email and had friendly responses from Jess, Oru's customer service rep. My kayak arrived in six weeks as advertised on the site. They say four to six, but I'd expect six is the norm.

After the kayak arrived, I misplaced the user's manual and Jess shipped another copy within days of my email.

- - - Extras
The paddle, float bags and backpack. All of these are available on the Oru site now. I don't own any of these, figured I'd make sure I liked the boat first before investing too deeply into the system. I expect them all to be the same quality as the kayak and will probably purchase a backpack as my adventures take me farther from parking lots. I picked up a Aquabound Sting Ray paddle over the Oru paddle mostly because I got to try the Aquabound at a local store. (The Sting Ray is outstanding, by the way.)

- - - The Price
First, I'll say that for the month of August 2014, Oru is offering $100 off if you enter a code from someone who has purchased one. Feel free to enter VXISCSF7 at checkout for your discount. In return I get a gift certificate from REI as well.

By now, price can be your only reservation. The Oru is $1195 US. The Oru is capable and very convenient. I have it in the water about every third day, often on my way home from work. In the month I've owned it, after shipping costs and converting to Canadian dollars, the boat has cost me about $120 per hour of use. By the end of summer, I'll be at $60. And that's just my first summer with this kayak.

In short, the sheer convenience of this boat means I use it a lot. More than I would a rigid-build one that needs to be manhandled from a garage and strapped to a car. For me, it instantly rekindled a love of paddling and is worth every penny.

- - - Summary Pros + Cons

Pros:
• assembles and disassembles in 10 minutes
• stable, fast, good tracking
• lightweight, durable, handles like a "real" kayak
• portable, brilliant design

  Cons:

• slightly big for a compact car
• minimal storage, no dedicated storage

The Oru Kayak solves many of the problems that have prevented me from purchasing a kayak sooner. As an apartment dweller, storing a kayak is a problem. The folding Oru makes it easy to store and transport. I can even carry it up the stairs of my third-floor apartment with relative ease. I can fit two of them in my compact car, without having to purchase and rig up any special racks.

In terms of handling, I'm pretty impressed. The Oru is only 26 pounds, which makes for pretty responsive maneuvering in the water. It seems pretty quick too, possibly because it weighs half the weight of similar sized kayaks.

The seat is about as comfortable as other kayaks I've paddled. It's not sitting on a couch comfortable, but it's definitely something you can handle for a couple of hours on the water. The adjustable back and foot bar make it easy to customize for all sizes.

The cockpit rim is very similar to traditional kayaks, which means many accessories like skirts and clip on cup holders will still work.

Some downsides include the lack of storage bins (it's just not possible since the boat folds). There's plenty of space behind the seat to shove stuff, but it's not particularly accessible while paddling. There are also tie-down straps to attach extra equipment.

I also have a little bit of trouble getting into the boat. it seems slightly tighter than other kayaks I've tried. Each time I enter/exit the boat, it seems to get easier so this may not be a real issue (and I'm by no means a small person at 6'2" so many people might not even notice).

You can read a more in-depth review on my blog:
http://jones.in/for-a-blog/review-oru-kayak/

I don't own it but I had a chance to test a friends out. I love how portable it is, it tracks great and is pretty fast due to the light weight. It performs very well for a folding kayak. You can't compare it to a rotomolded kayak, those are still superior due to the weight and rigidity.

I do question the durability because a couple bumps will show dents and creases which may effect the integrity and fold marks. It is not very stable in rough water, if you become sideways and get hit by a wave, there is a high chance of flipping.

I do wish they give an extra outer vinyl bag to protect the kayak instead of using the kayak folded into a bag itself. This will prevent scratches, creases, and dents during transport.
I think future improvements that will be nice would be to adhere a vinyl skin underneath the kayak.
Have a support brace to convert into a catamaran design with inflatable tubes for extra stability.
I do wish the price point to be around $500.

I tend to go paddling when I'm on holiday.. but have never put in the effort to go out on the water in London, even though I walk along the canal every day. A couple of weeks ago I took out the Oru, and it felt great. After one round of assembling it at home, the second assembly was smooth - maybe 10 minutes? On the water the boat feels sturdy and responsive. The only thing slowing me down was fielding all the comments from passersby.. Can't wait for my next outing - and the return of sunnier days to London!

My husband and I are still trying to tighten the straps of this kayak. I've called the company so many times and complained but they're in CA and I'm in NY so they really can't come fix the straps. I've watched the video dozens of times. My kayak is half assembled, sitting in the garage and maybe in the spring we'll put it together... or sell it.

I really didn't know what to expect (beyond getting second hand accounts of those fortunate enough to paddle the Oru before mass production), but I must say - I am pleasantly surprised at how well this boat is constructed. From the fasteners, the foot rest, seat cushion, and the hull itself - its very well made and you can tell a lot of thought went into its design (and production!) At first, I was very careful with all of the pieces (as should be the case with any new toy), but I soon came to realize that boat hull and components were rigid and meant to take some bumps and bruises.

This is only a snippet of "Part I" of my review of the Oru. See the whole review on my Facebook page at goo.gl/UfEulN

Both my wife and 1 are some of the early backers of the Oru Kayak... I have to say that I am extremely pleased. I have a Pontiac Vibe car. and we could easily put the 2 kayaks we got INSIDE the car (and could have put 2 more).

What this kayak is not is a kayak designed to feel rigid and rugged - it is lightweight, portable and fast. It is however rugged. I don't feel like it is going to fail on me. Once I got used to paddling it, I was racing along and enjoying myself.

The minor issues I had I addressed with Oru, and they were extremely responsive over them.
Personally I recommend them.

I've been in the market for a folding kayak for a while, since I can't store a full size in my apartment and don't have a roof rack. The Oru Kayak seemed promising at $800, but I wanted to try it out first- I was concerned mainly about its durability and handling, but I was also skeptical that it could be assembled in 5 minutes.

Luckily, Oru Kayak is based in the East Bay (Calif.), and though a friend of a friend, I was able to arrange a test run on Saturday. On all counts, I was extremely impressed!

The assembly was as easy as advertised. Anton Willis, the Oru's inventor was there to walk me through assembly, but its simple and intuitive. With a little practice, anyone will be able to assemble and break down the Oru within 5 minutes.

On the water, the Oru handles smoothly and is surprisingly fast. I can't speak for extreme ocean or whitewater kayakers, but the Oru will be able to easily handle whatever I can throw at it.

Lastly, durability. In the video on Oru's Kickstarter page, its hard to tell how strong the material is. I'd seen it described as similar to what postal bins are made out of, but in fact its a much hardier form of corrugated plastic. Its strong enough to stand in with full weight, and I didn't worry about dinging it at all. And Anton said that it can be folded 20,000 times without weakening.

All in all, I really like this boat. My only complaint is that I won't be able to get one of my own until next spring (2013).