Urban Kayak Design
Nobody makes a decent kayak for urban residents. There are more than half a billion people living in cities and suburbs, throughout the developed world. Many of these people do not own a car, nor do they have a space where they can store a rigid kayak. What is needed is a lightweight portable kayak that they can easily carry in a backpack – from the train station to the waterfront.
There are ultralight inflatable rafts on the market, but these are too slow and too squiggly for use on harbors, lakes, or on long rivers. There are also inflatable standup paddle-boards available, but these are too heavy, and also too slow. Plus standing on a small bouncy boat is not for everybody.
This page documents an experimental sit-on-top kayak that I constructed using readily-available parts. The boat is not perfect, but it suggests a solution.
Urban Kayak Design Guidelines
A kayak for urban residents should satisfy the following design constraints:
It should weigh less than five kilograms.
It should assemble easily in less than five minutes.
It should do at least five kilometers per hour on flat water.
It should be inherently safe to use by a beginner boater.
It should be suitable for choppy harbors, lakes, and rivers.
All of the gear that comes with the boat (e.g. bag, pump) should go on the boat.
The boat should cost less than $500, with all the necessary gear.
Prototype Kayak
I slapped together a prototype kayak for my partner, Ana. I started with the lightest and narrowest cheap inflatable stand-up paddle-board that I could find. I then added a seat, a footrest, some tie-downs (on the back – for her gear), plus thigh-straps – to secure Ana to the boat in choppy water. Below is a picture of Ana in her kayak on a local lake. Note the thigh-straps:
Another picture of Ana. Again, note the thigh-straps:
Here is Ana on the Passaic River in New Jersey – without the thigh-straps:
Here is Ana on the Raritan River in New Jersey:
This boat is too heavy, and too slow, but it is safe, and comfortable. It has proven to be a good boat for the small rivers and lakes of Northern New Jersey. There are some fairly simple changes that could be made (in a factory – not by me) to create a much lighter kayak that would also be suitable for larger bodies of water.
Boat Components
The following items were purchased from Amazon:
Inflatable stand-up paddle-board, $136: link
Two sets of six 6cm d-ring patches were glued on (to attach items), $20: link
Vinyl cement – for gluing the d-rings to the boat, $18: link
2” webbing and buckles, for thigh straps, $12: link
2” hook clips, for thigh straps, $10: link
Bungee cord, to hold the boat bag on the back, $54: link
Kayak seat with backrest, $99: link
Four-part paddle, $80: link
Note that several of the items above listed would suffice to make many kayaks.
Seat Requirements
The seat with backrest that I bought is a bit more expensive than most, but I went with it because I was familiar with the brand. A seat needs to have a rigid back, plus tie down straps going both forwards and backwards – so it can be secured to the d-rings on the boat. The seat back needs to be high enough to provide adequate support, but not so high that it interferes with the boater’s lifejacket. The seat base should be comfortable to sit on, and also drain water. I could not find a kayak seat that does all this well, but it could be made.
D-Ring Installation
Glue the d-rings to the boat top surface – six along each side. The frontmost pair will be placed where the footrest is going to go – at the front end of the foam pad. Position the other d-rings along either side of the top of the boat – so that the seat can be attached where it is needed.
Footrest Construction
To make the footrest, the following items were purchased from Lowes:
Charlotte ¾” PVC plumbing pipe, $7: link
Charlotte ¾” PVC pipe caps (2), $2: link
PVC pipe glue, $9: link
Wooden ¾” round poplar dowel, $6: link
Blue 3¼” swimming noodle (one item), $5: link
Measure the distance between the two d-rings that will secure the footrest. Cut both the PVC pipe and the dowel to that length, plus another 20cm. Shove the wooden down inside the PVC pipe. To make a tight fit, first cover the dowel with duct tape. Glue the two caps to the ends of the PVC pipe.
Cut the swimming noodle to the length of the distance between the two d-rings that will secure the footrest. Insert it on the PVC pipe and place it in the middle. Securely attach the PVC pipe to the two d-rings on the boat however way you wish. I used Velcro tape.
Thigh-Strap Construction
One can buy commercially made thigh-straps for kayaks. I bought them all, and they were all deficient in one way or another. So, I made my own, which were cheaper and better. Using the purchased parts that are listed above, I did the following:
Cut two 5ft sections of webbing.
Cut two 9” sections of webbing.
For the two long sections, create a loop (by sewing) at the front end. Make the loop big enough so that it can go over the PVC pipe. See the first picture above for details. At the other end of the strap, attach the adjustable half of the buckle.
For the two short sections of strap, attach a hook clip (see above purchase list) – so the strap can be attached to a d-ring. At the other end, attach the fixed end of the buckle. Sewing will be required.
To install the thigh straps, put the front loop over the ends of the footrest. Secure the rear strap to a d-ring. Connect the two straps using the buckle, then pull to make tight. One of the good things about this setup is that as the kayaker presses her legs against the footrest, it tightens the straps going over her thighs, which holds her more securely on the boat.
Tie-Down Cord Construction
The bungee cord should be attached to the last two pairs of d-rings – behind the seat. Ensure that it will securely hold the boat bag, with the pump inside.
Market Analysis
There are more than half a billion people living in cities and suburbs, all over the developed world. They live in large densely-populated waterfront cities like New York, Boston, Hong Kong, Singapore, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Sydney, or Auckland. They also live in suburbs, or small towns – especially in Europe. These people often do not own a car, nor have a garage. In short, they have neither the space to store a rigid kayak, nor the means to transport one.
These urban and suburban residents are disproportionately female, and also older. Many of them see kayaking as one of the few outdoor activities that they can safely do as they age. Paddling does not have the hazards that they associate with bicycling or hiking. It is a gentle form of whole-body exercise that is physiologically and psychologically relaxing. But these people are not willing to lift a heavy plastic boat. They want a kayak that they can easily carry on their back.
I have spoken to many thousands of urban and suburban residents from all over the world who have expressed their frustration regarding their inability to enjoy their local rivers, lakes, and harbors. They want to buy a boat that they can easily take on public transport, or stash in the back of their car. I estimate that if there was a decent kayak, then tens of millions of people would buy one.
Local Outdoors Movement
The local outdoors movement is about acknowledging that urban residents do not do the Earth any favors when they travel to a remote rain forest for a holiday. The emphasis should be on bringing the outdoors to the people, rather than having the people travel long distances to visit the outdoors. In many waterfront cities, the nearest available outdoors is the local harbor or river.
A related issue is that access to the local outdoors for urban residents is about much more than just recreation. When safe, healthy, affordable, and family-friendly outdoor recreation is enabled at scale, it can deliver significant public health benefits. Providing access to urban waters to local residents is also a good way to get public support to clean up said waters.
Feedback
Feedback is welcome / Graeme Birchall