Portable kayaks for big adventures

With the pandemic and labor shortages, it can be difficult to rent a kayak. Rental seasons are shorter and hours more limited. Some would like to own their own boat, but it’s not always easy to fit in a small apartment.

Mary Tison
The Press

And for those who don’t have a car, it’s unthinkable to transport your beloved kayak by bike, metro or bus.

Really ?

In fact, there are solutions available to kayakers in urban areas, such as inflatable kayaks, foldable kayaks and small ultralight rafts called packrafts.

Scott Fawcett of Arnprior, Ontario is familiar with the first two types of boats.

The small business Mr. Fawcett started five years ago, Ottawa Valley Air Paddle, sells various next-generation inflatable and collapsible models.

“Generally, it’s the same kind of people who look at inflatable kayaks and foldable kayaks,” says Fawcett. Most of the time, it’s people who don’t have a lot of space to store a boat and don’t have an easy way to transport it. We also see experienced kayakers who are aging and finding it increasingly difficult to place a kayak on the roof of their car. »

Inflatable or foldable

Inflatable kayaks and foldable kayaks have their pros and cons. You have to assess your specific needs to make a choice.

“The main advantage of inflatable kayaks is the price,” says Fawcett. They are a bit cheaper than foldable kayaks and potentially a bit more comfortable. They are therefore more of interest to people who are primarily looking for a recreational kayak, or those who are afraid of capsizing. »

Foldable kayaks are relatively new to the market. Unlike traditional collapsible canvas kayaks on a frame, which are heavy and complex to assemble, a folding kayak looks like a large sheet of origami that you fold in a few simple steps. There are essentially two major players in this category, Oru (the brand offered by Ottawa Valley Air Paddle) and Tucktec, which offer essentially the same performance. Tucktec kayaks are less expensive than Oru’s, but are heavier.

Foldable kayaks are a little lighter than quality inflatable kayaks, such as the Moki model from Kokopelli. They also take a little less time to assemble, 3 minutes for an Oru kayak versus 7-10 minutes for an inflatable kayak.

Mr. Fawcett explains that in the field of inflatable kayaking, it is the robustness of the materials and certain key construction details that differentiate between quality models and inexpensive models. “You lose those features, but you save on price. »

Small ultralight rafts are very different from inflatable kayaks. They are very light: 2.7 kg for the Rogue-Lite from Kokopelli compared to 11.3 kg for the Moki-Lite from the same company. And when folded, they are the size of a (large) beach towel.

“It’s a different product,” says Scott Fawcett. They are not designed for cruising in a straight line, for a leisurely leisurely outing. »

They behave much better in the river, in white water. They are designed to carry a lot of gear, like camping gear or even a mountain bike. Adventurers, who go on a long hike that involves crossing waterways, particularly appreciate it.