Folding Kayak - Performance

Performance

Folders are known for their durability, stability, and longevity: The Klepper Aerius I (a single-seater) was used successfully in the early days of white-water kayaking before the era of modern polyethylene boats, owing to its durability and excellent manoeuvrability. Some well-maintained Kleppers have been in use for more than 25 years.

Although a few hardshell kayakers are critical of folding boats, and do not regard them as in the same category as hardshell boats, folding kayaks exhibit many of the same paddling characteristics as the original skin-and-frame vessels of the circumpolar north. A few folding kayak- notable the Feathercraft Khatsolano- are equal in performance to the fastest hardshell kayaks. Other than contemporary replicas of Inuit, Aleut, and Eskimo kayaks and baidarkas, they are the closest relatives to the skin-and-frame boats of the past. The TRAK boat goes a step further, allowing the kayaker to adjust the shape of the hull with its hydraulic system for varying conditions on the water.

There is a belief by many in the folding kayak community that folding kayaks and other skin-on-frame kayaks offer features that aid paddling efficiency. In a hardshell kayak, waves and chop on the water can slow down the momentum of the craft (pushing the kayak back). It has been hypothesized by some that the flexible skin on such kayaks help the kayak absorb the energy of waves and current, which allows the boat to move more easily through rough conditions. Some paddlers find skin-on-frame kayaks to be very efficient paddling rougher waters, while many simply enjoy the feeling of closer contact with the water and waves.