Oru Kayak introduced a whole new style of portable kayaks with their folding, origami-style kayaks. The Coast XT is the highest-performing of the Oru Kayak models. It is a 16-foot-long sea kayak that folds down to fit inside any vehicle. Oru claims that the Coast XT can do anything a full, hard-shelled sea kayak can do, including rough water, open water, expeditions, and heavy surf. The questions I have are, can it actually do these things and is it worth the money? The only way to get the answers is to take the kayak for a good test paddle, and so that's what I did.
Oru Kayak Coast XT Sea Kayak Specifications
- Price: $2000 (USD)
- Length: 16’ 2”
- Width: 25”
- Weight: 32 LBS (14.5 kg)
- Capacity: 400 LBS (181kg)
- Best Use: Open water sea kayaking
Assembling the Coast XT Sea Kayak
Oru Kayak claims that it takes 10 to 15 minutes to put the Coast XT together. It took me about 30 minutes to put it together the first time, but this is because a new boat is a lot stiffer, and I had to consult the instructions multiple times, all of which slowed down the process. I do not doubt that it will take 10-15 minutes after the first couple of times.
The Oru Kayak Coast XT comes with the standard Oru Kayak seat, which was not very comfortable when I tested it in the Oru Kayak Inlet. This time, I upgraded to the Oru Kayak gel seat. This seat does raise the center of gravity a little, so you exchange a little stability for extra comfort, but the trade off is minimal and worth it in my opinion!
The Coast XT also comes with optional thigh hooks. These must be cut out and attached before the kayak gets assembled (something I learned a little too late in the testing process). Thigh hooks upgrade a kayak because they give you extra control when paddling in rough water or rolling the kayak.
Portability
At only 32 LBS, the Coast XT is a highly portable and lightweight kayak. It is lighter than the lightest layup of a Kevlar kayak and folds down into a tiny package. Both the light weight and small size make it extremely easy to carry. However, due to the way in which the Coast XT packs down, you will need an extra bag if you want to fly with it. Overall, the Coast XT gets top marks for portability.
Performance
The Coast XT performs similarly to a hard shell, 16-foot touring kayak. It carries good speed, tracks well, edges comfortably, and turns smoothly. I was impressed. Does it perform just as well as a similar-style hard shell touring kayak? Close, but not quite. Due to its portable nature, Oru Kayak had less flexibility with the kayak's design. As a result, the Coast XT is slightly slower than similar, hard shell touring kayaks.
Stability
The Coast XT is 25 inches wide, whereas many similar sea kayaks are 22 to 23 inches wide. What does that mean? The narrower a kayak is, the faster it will travel. But, the narrower a kayak is, the less stable it will be. That being said, the Coast XT has the stability you would expect from a 25-inch wide touring kayak. It is very stable, both when you are sitting centered in the kayak and when you put it on edge. And so, overall the Coast XT gets high marks for stability.
Comfort
As a general rule, you give up some comfort for the portable nature of a kayak. That is the case for the Coast XT, although the gel seat upgrade made a big difference. After an hour and a half on the water, my butt was still comfortable. That being said, the seat doesn't provide any under-leg support or knee support. This means your legs get a little tired after extended periods in the boat. The Coast XT also lacks the foot braces that are standard in hard shell kayaks. It has a foot bar instead, which does the job, but isn't quite as comfortable as full foot braces. Overall, even though you do give up a little comfort with the Coast XT, I don't have any major complaints.
Value
The Coast XT retails for $2000 (USD), which is a fairly standard price for a quality touring kayak, and in line with my expectations for the Coast XT.
One of the big questions regarding value is whether the kayak is durable. Short-term durability is something I was able to test because I tried the Coast XT in icey conditions. There were some big chunks of hard ice floating around, and even though I was bumping the ice, the Coast XT held up very well. I was not concerned about the integrity of the kayak when bouncing around the ice.
Over time, I might be worried about the edges because the Coast XT is made from a very light material. As a result, I would take care of the kayak, and avoid dragging it. Oru Kayak states that the kayak lasts about 10,000 folds, which I'm not going to test, but I am curious about other people’s experience with the long-term durability of the Coast XT.
Who is The Oru Kayak Coast XT Sea Kayak for?
You do not need paddling experience to enjoy the Coast XT because, because at 25 inches wide, this kayak is very stable. A new paddler could hop into the Coast XT and have a great time. However, there's no doubt that it is less stable than typical recreational kayaks.
It has a small cockpit meaning that you can use a skirt. This allows you to paddle in open water that is exposed to wind and waves. On the flip side, the small cockpit will feel confining to some people.
Oru Kayak says the Coast XT is suitable for open water, heavy surf, and almost all heavy conditions. Personally, I wouldn't have the confidence to take the Coast XT into really rough conditions. This is partially because the combing on the cockpit makes it hard to get a good seal with my kayak skirt, so I would be afraid that rough conditions could make my skirt pop off. But, I would definitely be confident taking the Coast XT into moderately rough conditions. It should be noted that if you do take the boat into open water or rough water, you should be using float bags in the kayak. This helps the kayak float in the event of a capsize, and makes a swamped kayak much easier to deal with.
Oru Kayak Coast XT Sea Kayak Review: Conclusions!
I really enjoyed paddling the Oru Kayak Coast XT. It is a fun boat to paddle, which for me is a big part of the test. It is fast, stable, and reasonably comfortable. While time will only tell how durable the kayak is, I can confidently say that the boat offers good value. Is it the right kayak for you? If you're looking for a quality touring kayak that is highly portable, easy to store, and usable in moderately rough conditions, then it might be exactly the kayak that you're looking for.
Kayak: Oru Kayaks Coast XT
Paddles: Aqua Bound Manta Ray
PFD: NRS Zen PFD
Clothing: NRS Axiom Dry Suit
