Outdoors

Folded-plastic kayak is made to be cheap and transportable

Folded-plastic kayak is made to be cheap and transportable
The Tucktec kayak is currently on Kickstarter
The Tucktec kayak is currently on Kickstarter
View 4 Images
The Tucktec kayak is currently on Kickstarter
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The Tucktec kayak is currently on Kickstarter
A retractable skeg helps the Tucktec track straight
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A retractable skeg helps the Tucktec track straight
The Tucktec, laid out flat
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The Tucktec, laid out flat
The Tucktec can easily be stowed in the back of a car
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The Tucktec can easily be stowed in the back of a car
View gallery - 4 images

While kayaks are great for exploring your local waterways, they're also pretty awkward to transport – especially if you don't have a car-top carrier. The Tucktec is designed with that in mind, as it folds together from a single sheet of plastic.

Invented by South Carolina-based paddler Dan Norton, the Tucktec measures 10 ft long (305 cm) by 31 inches wide (79 cm) … once it's folded into shape, that is, which is said to take about two minutes. When not in use, it folds down into a rectangular package measuring 48 by 15 by 8 inches (122 by 38 by 20 cm). It weighs 28 lb (12.7 kg), and can accommodate a user/cargo payload of up to 350 lb (158.7 kg).

Eco-minded potential buyers will be glad to hear that it's made of 100-percent recycled high-density polyethylene, which can be recycled again once the kayak is discarded. That hopefully shouldn't be anytime soon, though, as its reinforced fold lines are reportedly good for thousands of fold/unfold cycles.

The Tucktec, laid out flat
The Tucktec, laid out flat

Along with the main kayak body itself, the Tucktec kit also includes an adjustable seat and padded footrest, foam sponsons along the sides, a paddle, a dry bag, and a retractable skeg (a rear tracking fin).

When it comes to folded-plastic kayaks, however, many people are sure to think of Oru's existing line of boats. Norton tells us the main difference between his kayak and those is the fact that while the Orus are made of corrugated plastic, the Tucktec is constructed of solid 1/8-inch polyethylene.

This, he claims, makes for a stiffer, more responsive and more impact-resistant body. Additionally, because that stiff shell requires less in the way of structural supporting elements, it can be both manufactured and sold cheaper.

The Tucktec can easily be stowed in the back of a car
The Tucktec can easily be stowed in the back of a car

Should you be interested, the Tucktec is presently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of US$259 will get you one, when and if they reach production – the planned retail price is $499. For comparison, the least expensive of the Orus sells for $899.

You can see the Tucktec in use, in the following video.

Sources: Kickstarter, Tucktec

Tucktec Kickstarter Video

View gallery - 4 images
4 comments
4 comments
nick101
Be fun to paddle around a pond but too short for any distance, nothing more frustrating than trying to get a stubby little 10ft kayak to track properly. I found out the hard way, longer is better.
Nobody
This seems rather expensive and inconvenient for a marginally good kayak when you can buy rooftop pads and straps for $20 and carry a regular kayak on almost any vehicle. This, like all sports, seems to have a nearly infinite number of levels which run from short white water kayaks to 20 foot long ocean kayaks. Ten years ago people asked us why we would want such a small unstable boat but today everyone wants one.
CarolynFarstrider
I have a wonderful inflatable canoe that looks a great deal more stable, can carry two people and kit, and is a smaller size package. Is this better?
GurubandhuKhalsa
Can you steer these with your feet? Dp they have skirts for bad weather and to prevent the paddler from getting wet?