Aerius II 545 Classic

It’s funny to read some of the other reviews in this section. Mostly they are from old timers reminiscing about the good old days. I guess I might fit into the “old timer” demographic too. I think you have to put the Klepper into context. If you are planning a sea kayak trip to some far-reaching destination that requires a small plane or helicopter, then a folding boat is a must. There are a few designs out there but one of the oldest and best known is the Klepper.
If you live out here on the west coast of Canada you might choose a Feathercraft instead of a Klepper. They are the modern equivalent and seem to have a great reputation amongst paddlers I know. There is also the Nauiraid which is very much like a Klepper in many ways. The pre WW2 history of some of these boats is interesting including British raids in Singapore and a Atlantic Ocean crossing. I was first introduced to the Klepper by reading John Doud’s book of the early 80’s called Sea Kayaking. Doud elaborates on a trip he took paddling across the Caribbean in tropical heat complete with sharks.

Folding boats required special care. Rinsing off the canvas and Hypalon hull with fresh water to prevent mildew and corrosion. The Klepper has a wooden frame that may require touch-up varnish on areas of wear and chipping. It is unique to have you can kayak fold-up and store in the hallway coat closet.

I bought my Klepper in Germany while I was working over there. I did what any German would do and folded my boat up, packed it on a train up river assembled it and floated back down. I explored lakes and rivers all over Germany. If you are looking to get way-off-the-beaten-path a folding boat is a great option. The main mission for my Klepper was the Queen Charlotte Island or better known these days as Haida Gwaii off the west coast of Canada. Once I got home to Seattle I started planning.

In May 1980 I folded up my Klepper and flew from Vancouver BC to Sandspit on Haida Gwaii. From there I chartered a seaplane to fly south to Rose Harbor where we assembled the kayak half inside the plane and half floating outside the door of the plane. We spent 3 weeks paddling/exploring the rugged coast on our way back to Sandspit and our flight home. In those days, there was nothing down there and the month of May proved to be very early season with lots of stormy weather. We had one particular day with winds in excess of 70mph that caught us off guard.

I can tell you that the Klepper is a surprising boat. It is short, wide and totally unsinkable. It is actually a good performer if you are paddling alone on a summer day on some German Lake. The big cockpit and a central seat option make a great boat for exploring. For long touring, you need to pack carefully but since the cockpit is so large it is easy to have good access. Take the seats out and use a gear filled dry bags for seats. Pack every available area in the cockpit even under your legs. Tie down the gear in the event of big seas. The spray skirt is kind of leaky so expect water in the boat. I do not think you can capsize a Klepper but swamping a boat over a day of rough paddling is a possibility. We devised a foot operated pump for the bow paddler that had its pick-up tube way back in the stern, we used this a lot!

These days with paddlers looking for real adventure, I think the time of the folding boat might be back. Every time I see a folding boat for sale on Craigslist I think about the idea of flying north to some isolated place for a month of paddling.

Paddle-on lads

I've used an Aerius II to kayak with the owner of Klepper Kayak company and several other persons in Alaska and off the coast of Yugoslavia. They performed great. I bought an Aerius II with a sail rig from that owner (Carl Walther) several years ago and used it only once (at Lake Tahoe). I have not used it since and would be willing to sell for a reasonable price my like-new Aerius II.

Our Klepper Classic Aerius is about as old as Moses. My wife and I bought this great Kayak back in 1966 when we did not have the space o keep a rigid boat. A lot of use for around 12 years and then to the closet. Last year 2011 we took it out, dusted it off, put it together and walla.... it worked. Pretty good for a boat 45 years old.

The best made kayak in the world for sure. I went from a 2 person to a one person and am still in love with Klepper Kayaks. You become a cult member. Here are a few items to consider before buying. The skin never seems to dry. I have left it in hot, hot fl.sun for days. There always seems to be water hidden someplace. If space is an issue where you live this is a major consideration. Find a place where you can hang it to dry before you buy. The second thing you need to know about is that the seats are torture. As soon as you get the boat start your search for new seats or make your own. I ended up using a camp chair supported with webbing from an old life jacket. There are much better ideas on the net. Do not let the discomfort of the seat keep you from going out. Longhaul Kayaks has good seats and parts for your boat. You will get quicker at assembly the more you do it. Seems simple but the thought is lost in frustration in the initial assemblies. Welcome to the cult.

I still have an Aerius II which I bought in 1985-86 after leaving the Marines. Having been a Marine reconnaissance diver I always wanted the kayak used by the famous British SAS.

I don't use the Klepper much anymore because of family life, but since I've seen so many people asking about sailing the Klepper, and so few who seem to have sailed the Aerius II with full upwind sailing rig (main sail and jib) I though I'd add my comments.

Learning to upwind sail the Klepper was a feat to say the least. But when I got the handle of it (after many calls to Dieter Klepper) I found it to be a hoot. The Klepper will indeed tack through the wind as long as there is sufficient weight in the bow and you don't turn too rapidly. Changing tack by turning away from the wind (can't remember the term for this at the moment) in a stiff wind will almost certainly result in capsizing unless you're experienced.

I have always wanted to sail the Klepper for 2-3 days down the Potomac River to the Chesapeake, but realized I would need to be able to drop sails while in the water. So I built a board with a number of cleats to attach to the cockpit rim just south of midships to which I can attach the various lines and sheets. This works but I've not tried it in a stiff wind or choppy seas. I sit just aft of the board, usually on the rim of the cockpit so I can hike out and reach the tiller. Sitting so far back virtually requires ballast in the bow. I have found that you can't solo sail the Klepper in wind without sitting on the rim. I've thought about building some sort of seat on both sides of the rim to make it more comfortable for longer journeys (such as when I eventually do go on my River adventure).

Capsizing in deep water can be somewhat disconcerting at first, but I found that it's not as catastrophic as you might think -- you will however need to have a method of removing water, sometimes while hanging onto the side of the boat. I used a plastic milk jug cut into a scoop.

As for speed, I know that while on the tack I'm not supposed to be moving that fast, but in a good wind it sure feels like I'm moving at a good clip. And like they say, the look on the faces of the less adventurous boaters as they wonder what the heck I'm riding is priceless!!

As others have noted, the one downside to the Klepper sailing experience is the time it takes to rig the full S4 sailing rig with lee boards etc. And having added a cockpit board and the various extra rigging required to sail and drop sails from the aft position, it takes even longer -- possibly an hour on top of the 15-20 minutes it takes to put the basic kayak together.

I've been looking into buying the Balogh Batwing for my river adventure. If anyone has experience sailing both the Klepper S4 rig and the Balogh, I'd be interested in knowing your views -- especially whether the Balogh is a faster rig. I'm not interested in the AMA rig -- reverting to my Marine psychology-- that's for woosies.

Update on earlier review: '65 Klepper AE II. When I made my prior review, I wasn't as connected to the folding community as I now am. Much of the following is based on personal experience, biographies, and paraphrase of Ralph Diaz' "Complete Folding Kayaker".(ISBN 0-07-140809-6)

Do folding boats lack the performance & efficiency of rigid kayaks?
In a nut shell, no. These observations are made by persons wishing to use defensive paddle strokes. Folding kayaks are so stable that normal defensive strokes are not needed. Several individuals have weathered hurricanes in Kleppers. Folders actually perform better than hardshells in saucy weather. Folders are generally only 2' wider at the water line than rigids, so in "glass" conditions these kayaks may be toward the back of a pack, but in real life, the rougher the weather, the further in front they are. I regularly "solo" my AE II ahead of hardshells, -even double. In open class races, folders are faster than 80% of hardshells.

Are foldables really sea kayaks?
It is probable that more long open sea expeditions have been completed in Kleppers than all other manufactured kayaks/canoes combined.

Do they accidentally fold up on the water?
This one is my favourite! No! There is so much redundancy in fasteners and design, that it's impossible to accidentally fold a folder in anything but conditions that would "fold" most other kayaks. The upside is that folders "unfold" and hardshells don't. Folders are 10 x easier to repair than rigids by my experience.

Do folders require lots of maintenance?
A folder that isn't maintained may only last 40 years instead of 80. My kayak is 40 years old now and if I continue to care for it in the minimal standard I do, I expect some distant descendent 200 years from now to still be able to use it! Replacing a broken or worn part doesn't take time, you just assemble the boat when you plan to use it, w/ the new part.

Are they pricey to purchase?
Folders are more expensive than plastics, but the prices are more on an even keel when comparing top-end kayaks. Also, foldables generally don't depreciate as fast due to life expectancy. In 5 years, a foldable may only depreciate 10 to 15% where as rigids generally depreciate 50%. I've seen 30 year old Kleppers in top condition regularly fetch 3 to 4 x their original purchase price. I have yet to see a Klepper 20+ years old in any condition go for less than its original purchase price on an informed open market.

Are foldables heavier than hardshells?
In general, when weighed by the foot, a single or double foldable weighs the same as a rigid, -plastic or fiberglass. Some foldables even weigh less. I have personally experienced plastic kayaks being heavier than my Klepper.

Do folding kayaks take long to assemble?
No. It typically takes me 15 minutes to assemble my Klepper, not including rigging the rudder which typically takes me another 5 min. It takes practice to get proficient, but I don't consider my assembly time a significant deterrent.

I am a 3rd generation Klepper owner. My fondest memories of my childhood revolve around our Arius II. My parents used to sea/river kayak with us small boys (4 total). We've had our kayak on all sorts of water (occasional class 2+ rivers), from Alaska to Chile. According to family legend my grandfather and my Dad sailed one of these up a river in Chile.

I can assemble this boat myself in 15 min. and find it very stable. One of the unexpected strengths I found with this boat, is its reparability. Recently a friend folded this boat around a rock. Though badly damaged, I was able to repair the boat by cannibalizing the various broken components and ordering a couple new parts from Klepper. Any rigid kayak or canoe would have been a complete basket case. I was able to repair the wood frame in ways that would have been impossible with aluminum.

These boats are expensive but the quality speaks for its self.

If you've never seen one you might not recognize it as a 2 seat kayak, with its sloop rigged sailing option. Sail it, paddle it and store it in a closet. This boat does it all with room for 2 and plenty of gear!

This is a probably the most versitile water craft ever made. You can paddle it, row it, sail it and motor it, and it fits in the back of just about any compact car. I've take mine out on the great lakes, and just paddled it on slow rivers. It's probably the most seaworthy boat ever made for its size- Hannes Lindemann sailed and paddled one accross the Atlantic in 1957, after all. Of all the kayaks I have owned (and will own) I suspect this is the one I'll never get rid of.

Have had my Klepper since 1965. Lots of fun. It has been in misc lakes, rivers, Atlantic, Boundary Waters. Last week in Lake Michigan. Can be unloaded and into the water in 15 min.