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Just got an email from Oru about their new boat, the 12', 28lb Bay+. Looks like they've made a number of improvement, like a new seat, better fasteners, a deck hatch, and deck straps. They claim a capacity of 260-300lbs, which I think is pushing it for kayak of that volume- 300lbs would bring it very low in the water.
The obvious comparison from my experience would be the Folbot Kiawah, which is similarly priced, 15" longer, and claims a useful load of 200lbs, which is more like it, I think. The Kiawah is also probably more rugged, has built in reserve flotation, and is field repairable. A 12' Pakboats Puffin is even cheaper, costing not much over $1,000.
I like the idea behind the Oru, but I feel that they're competing directly against boats that are most likely more rugged and long lasting. There's obviously a lot of hand labor or tooling costs in the Oru, given the asking price. If they could market a boat for $500 or less they'd be on to something.
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Michael Edelman
FoldingKayaks.org Webmaster
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