Kayaking

As ebikes continue to climb in popularity, so do pedal-electric sit-on-top kayaks. One of the latest to cross our radar, the Pedayak Electric, features a unique parallel propulsion system.

Oru Kayak has long offered some of the market's most compact, conveniently portable watercraft. Now the company is expanding the appeal of its lineup by pairing its vessels with an equally compact, portable electric drive system.

Modular kayaks may be easy to store and transport, but most are made of plastic, which isn't everyone's favorite material. Two new boats from Stellar are different, in that they feature sleek, stiff, glossy, lightweight composite bodies.

Scooters have become one of the most popular gadgets for watersport enthusiasts, and the latest out to do the paddling for you is a compact pocket rocket from Japanese makers Surando Tech. Despite its size, it punches above its weight in the water.

While we have seen motorized kayaks before, they typically just have a motor that can be switched on and off. The Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132 is different, in that it features a pedal-electric propulsion system – it's like an aquatic ebike.

Although kayaking is a popular activity, not everyone has the money, storage space or transport capabilities required for one of the boats. That's where the Kayakomat comes in, as it's an onsite, internet-bookable kayak-rental vending machine.

Touring kayaks are typically made of plastic, composites or sometimes wood, but unlike canoes, almost never aluminum. That didn't faze Brennen Kunka, however, who recently built his own all-aluminum kayak from the ground up – and it's awesome!

Although one of the big appeals of paddleboards and kayaks is the fact that they are human-powered, there are some scenarios in which a motor could help. The HydroJet was designed with that fact in mind, as it can be mounted on existing watercraft.

When we last heard about Belgian startup Onak, it was debuting an improved version of its origami-style folding canoe. Now, Onak is back with a considerably smaller and less costly boat, called the Bato.

Ever since Oru introduced its first origami-style folding kayak back in 2012, other brands have come out with boats that were claimed to be lighter and more compact. Oru has now addressed that competition, with its sub-$700 18-lb (8 kg) Lake kayak.

Kayaks typically aren't something that you can store in a closet or carry in a backpack. That's why we've been seeing an increasing number of folding kayaks, and the Pontos is one of the lightest, smallest-folding models we've come across so far.

Stand-up paddle boards certainly can be fun, but kayaks are generally a faster, more efficient means of getting around. Watercraft company Bote has now combined the best features of both, in its redesigned Rackham Aero paddle board.