After disappointment with both conventional kayaks and inflatables, I’ve found a third option that offers the best of both worlds. Photograph: Alan Truly View image in fullscreen After disappointment with both conventional kayaks and inflatables, I’ve found a third option that offers the best of both worlds. Photograph: Alan Truly The Filter US Health & wellbeing This $380 foldable kayak fits in my Prius and goes from backseat to lake in 10 minutes Tucktec’s 10 Pro is compact enough for a small car, quick enough for spontaneous trips, and inexpensive enough to open boating to everyone
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I love the calm of kayaking . I enjoy being close to the water, the soft slap of waves against the hull, the sound of birds in the trees, and the way a river keeps offering one more curve and pebbled bank to explore.
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But I’ve never wanted the gear or hassle of the typical boating lifestyle. I don’t own a truck or a trailer. I don’t want to hoist a heavy boat on to a roof rack, ratchet it down, then drive around nervously glancing upward every time the wind gusts. I want to check the weather, pack a lunch, toss a boat in my car and get out on the water.
After disappointment with both conventional kayaks and inflatables, I’ve found a third option that genuinely lets me live that dream. Tucktec kayaks use genius, prefolded plastic design to transform from a roll the size of two duffle bags into a 10ft boat within 10 minutes. At half the price of some of their folding competitors, they’re easily the most affordable, hassle-free way to maximize your water time this summer .
View image in fullscreen I’d never go back to an inflatable kayak. And Tucktec’s new folding kayak solves the few issues I’ve had with this boat. Photograph: Alan Truly Tucktec Pro Foldable Kayak $380 $380 at Amazon Inflated expectations My wife, Tracey, and I discovered kayaking over a decade ago, starting with short, sit-on-top kayaks I could heft on to my Jeep. They weren’t especially comfortable, or easy to paddle straight, but once I discovered the joys of skimming quietly across a lake under human power, I was hooked. I just needed a way to get on the water without reorganizing my life around storing and hauling a giant chunk of plastic.
On paper, I needed an inflatable kayak, so I bought an Intex Challenger K1 . But airing up and other prep took between 15 and 20 minutes, which is too long when I only had a couple of hours of good weather. It didn’t track straight because everything flexed. Worst of all, the prospect of leaks ruined my paddling zen. Instead of gliding along in bliss, I was scanning every shallow patch of water looking for the sharp stick that could ruin my day.
Then I learned about fold-up plastic kayaks, which promise less setup time, better tracking and crucially, durability. Models from Klepper and Oru looked intriguing, with more traditional kayak shape and even quicker setup, but their prices started at nearly $1,000. Then I spotted Tucktec , a small American manufacturer that offers a similar concept wi…