NEW ARTICLE: Josh tries an origami boat - Tucktec folding kayak review

[Josh]

Tucktec Folding Kayak Review
By: @Josh

You might have noticed that kayak fishing is “a thing” these days. Bass fishermen especially have taken to it like crazy. It’s a way to get out on some amazing water while spending far less than you would to buy a boat. You move faster than in a float tube, have more space, and sit up out of the water. But the drawback is that kayaks are heavy, awkward to transport and require a lot of space to store. My fishing kayak, which isn’t one of the heaviest/largest clocks in at 65lbs empty. Plus then you’ve got to get it onto the roof or into the back of the truck and from there down to the water. It can be a lot. As anyone with a float tube knows, transporting one of those can be done in the smallest of cars and you can store one in a closet. To say nothing of having the ability to add backpack straps and hike in to your favorite lake. But could there be something in between? Something that gives you kayak benefits with float tube ease? The Tucktec folding kayak attempts to be that exact thing.

Look at me! I can fold an origami kayak and catch a fish! Jokes aside, I was pretty impressed with this unique little thing. Fits in a Prius and paddles faster than I can kick a float tube.

Tucktec Folding Kayak Review

Tucktec Folding Kayak Review You might have noticed that kayak fishing is “a thing” these days. Bass fishermen especially have taken to it like crazy. It’s a way to get out on some amazing water while spending far less than you would to buy a...

www.pnwflyfishing.com

And FWIW, Tucktec seems to have some decent holiday sales going on at the moment: https://foldupkayaks.com/

 

[Matt B]

Thanks for the review. You mention airline travel toward the end of the article. That’s where my mind has always gone for the folding kayaks.

 

[Chucker]

Friend of mine has an oru folding kayak, and uses it a lot. It’s a pretty decent little boat.

 

[Josh]

Thanks for the review. You mention airline travel toward the end of the article. That’s where my mind has always gone for the folding kayaks.

The youtube guy I link to in the "golf" section of the article uses golf bags for airline travel. Seems to work out. Could be very cool.

 

[Josh]

Friend of mine has an oru folding kayak, and uses it a lot. It’s a pretty decent little boat.

I've heard good things about those too and they offer a number of different designs (even a tandem!) But they're also 2-3 times more expensive than the Tucktec for a single seater. That said, if your budget stretches that far, it'd be good to dig into some comparison reviews between the two.

 

[Sturubu]

Well jeez, thanks Josh - I pulled the trigger on the 10' this afternoon! Now the wait begins...

 

[mark wlker]

Picked up one of these brand new for a mere $850 including new fish finder!

3 Waters Big Fish 108 Pedal Drive Fishing Kayak

Just Released- 3 Waters Big Fish 108 Fishing Kayak. High Quality and Affordable Pedal Drive System. Brand New PDL for Efficient Kayak Fishing. 11 Feet long. 90 Pounds.

ecofishingshop.com

A fellow in Phoenix, AZ. planned on starting a kayak rental business, but health issues put the idea of reach. He'd bought a few of these and some Jackson kayaks. Needed to get rid of all them fast.
Right time, right place.

 

[Wadin' Boot]

It's cool to see people getting out on the water on boats that are likely built to last longer than an Explorer 200. PLus being able to lift, store and travel with something to paddle in is a huge deal. For put and take lakes this would be fun for quick fish.

I'd be very curious to see that thing handle a big boat wake, it looks like when the center of gravity is stressed, ie standing, it hinges up and you are immediately in trouble. you would want to be sure that your hinge stays/supports were always set correctly.

If you cross a big boat wake head on, it forces a weight distribution back to the center, in this case potentially overlaping with a hinge point in the hull, you would want to be extremely careful not to ship water over the rail or have it collapse. In cold water eg puget sound, you will get those wakes, including from pleasure boats that don't plane, or paddling against the wind where a wave chop sets up a harmonic of incremental water over the rail + building waves that get proportionally bigger the lower you sit with the added water-over-the-rail weight.

Would suggest if you did use this you would want a low wind day with minimal chance of getting waked and sticking within swimmable distance from shore (but out of the zone where waves break) ++++++ life jacket

 

[Josh]

For put and take lakes this would be fun for quick fish.

This is exactly what it is designed for and I work pretty hard to make that clear in the article.

I'd be very curious to see that thing handle a big boat wake, it looks like when the center of gravity is stressed, ie standing, it hinges up and you are immediately in trouble. you would want to be sure that your hinge stays/supports were always set correctly.

I don't think it would have as much of a problem as you predict. If you watch that video where it folds because the guy is standing on it, it doesn't fold instantly, it takes a bit of him standing there. A boat wake might be a decent size, but hitting it isn't going to last for more than a few seconds. And beyond that, your bow will cut through some percent of it. Water over the rail is probably your bigger risk. But that is true of any sit-in kayak without a spray skirt.

In cold water eg puget sound, you will get those wakes, including from pleasure boats that don't plane,

You would have to be crazy in the head (or just an idiot) to take a boat of this size/capability out in the sound for anything more than protected very near shore paddling on a calm day. This is not an ocean kayak at all.

That said, we all know there are many idiots out there in boats. So perhaps it's not that farfetched.