Folding Kayaks Forum

Just saw an ad for this. Looks terrific. Has anyone here tried one?
https://www.seaeagle.com/RazorLite/393rl

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Chris T.
~'91 Klepper A2 w/ BSD schooner rig.
'64 Klepper Passat/Tradewind and T12 restoration projects.
Non-folding: Early '90s Old Town Canoe.
Previously owned '04 Pakboat Puffin II and '05 Swift (prototype), as well as an '84 Hobie 16.

Short review:
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=1768588#1778865

_________________
Chris T.
~'91 Klepper A2 w/ BSD schooner rig.
'64 Klepper Passat/Tradewind and T12 restoration projects.
Non-folding: Early '90s Old Town Canoe.
Previously owned '04 Pakboat Puffin II and '05 Swift (prototype), as well as an '84 Hobie 16.

Just saw they have an 'XL' 473 on the way too.
I give it a virtual review on my blog. Same weight and price as my Seawave but I bet it will be faster.

There's another actual review of the shorter one here.

Could be a game changer for IKs

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inflatablekayaksandpackrafts.com

Hi

are there other dropstitch-kayaks availible?
Similar to the razorlite but with v-shape hull, because i do not prefer piroque-shapes for rough sea.

I'm looking for a kayak in dropstitchmaterial similar to a seakayak, deck similar to seawave/pakboat-xt-concepts.

Is dropstitchfabric ok for selfbuilding? Hints of welding/glueing availible?

br hannes-vienna/austria/europe

I've continued to check in on that market occasionally. It appears that Razorlites are still the only game in town, except I saw that one company is manufacturing a "drop-in" dropstitch floor, so that one can stiffen up one's existing inflatable.

In terms of hull-form, I found that my Puffin II, which had similar hullform (flat bottom, symmetric double-end) to the Razorlites, was quite good in the ocean. It rode well over the tops of 4 foot swells, and was the best boat for capsize recovery that I've ever been in (could empty it of water before re-entry with one hand, while treading water).

_________________
Chris T.
~'91 Klepper A2 w/ BSD schooner rig.
'64 Klepper Passat/Tradewind and T12 restoration projects.
Non-folding: Early '90s Old Town Canoe.
Previously owned '04 Pakboat Puffin II and '05 Swift (prototype), as well as an '84 Hobie 16.

Chris, I had also a swift. I sold it 1 week ago.
it is a really goot kayak. I don't know why Pakboat is not producing this boat.
the razorlite has a simliar hullform like the puffin???
I tested last year the small razorlite and didn't hav this feeling.

my mainproblem of the razorlite is that the hull is more a siton than a sitin-kayak.

Aside from the configuration as a sit on, what did you think of the performance of the razorlite? How does it compare with the Gumotex inflatables?
thanks
Bernie

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BernieM
Folbot Cooper, Pakboat Sport, Innova Sunny, Epic GPX, Oru Kayak, Wike Bicycle Trailer

Dschin-- you would know far better than I. I have never seen a Razorlite "in the flesh", so I'm interested to hear your paddling impressions, and glad to have my misperception corrected.

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Chris T.
~'91 Klepper A2 w/ BSD schooner rig.
'64 Klepper Passat/Tradewind and T12 restoration projects.
Non-folding: Early '90s Old Town Canoe.
Previously owned '04 Pakboat Puffin II and '05 Swift (prototype), as well as an '84 Hobie 16.

i will try it to write down my feeling

I tested the razorlite last year (spring) at river danube (current 5-6 km/h) wind vers current, short high waves
double and single paddle
the first feeling was a stable boat more canoe like.
I could go against the current. with the current against the wind it became wet (no spraydeck )


the boat was rigid - more then the seawave

when i used the single blade I raised the seat. I think that the single blade (bentshaft) had a better performance.

I think that the razorlite combined with a deck like puffin will be ok, otherwise it is a "sunshinboat" (drops from the paddle cause wet shanks-even when you use droprings. I think there is no offer for a deck

speed aprox the (under solopaddler)

place between the sponsons: big plus for the razorlite. the razorlite is a siton-, the deawave is a sitin-kayak

contra: the price - in chech you will get a seawave with single and double deck for aprox 900 eur, the price for a razorlite is aprox 1900 eur.

I didn't test the manner when touching rough stones, but I think theat the seawave will spring back. so you have to be more carefully when using the razorlite


with the seawave(2013 prototyp) i played in the biscaya near coruna and never had problems but fun. I do not think, that I will repeat this game with razorlite, because the shank-connecting to the boat is not availible. the razorlite offers a good stability at the beginning but with higherwaves from the side the razorlite will become tippy

OK - it was a short test (~ 1 hr) on a river.

*g*@ seaeagle: if I get a boat at no charge for testing I will do that down the river Danube to the black sea in 2016(june > begin september) - aprox 2000 km. - updrade to an expedition version (deck ala packboat, deckrigging, lifeline) will be made by me - long review will follow
I will do that as member of the TID(http://www.tour-international-danubien.org/tour/pdf/TID_A_short_overview2.pdf), where more then 100 paddlers will join (folders, hardshell, IK) - good PR if the boat is OK

Thank you very much for that review! I hope that SeaEagle takes you up on your offer-- I think it's a good one.

_________________
Chris T.
~'91 Klepper A2 w/ BSD schooner rig.
'64 Klepper Passat/Tradewind and T12 restoration projects.
Non-folding: Early '90s Old Town Canoe.
Previously owned '04 Pakboat Puffin II and '05 Swift (prototype), as well as an '84 Hobie 16.

I willl write an E-Mail to them *g*

there is also a 420cm kayak availible.

The Razorlite looks very much to me like the traditional bateau, a simple, flat-bottom paddling craft still found on the bayous and swamps of southern Louisiana. Should be a good inflatable for messing about on protected waters.