Pontos is about connecting with the world around you.

 We believe that the benefits of outdoor recreation and a connection with nature should be available to everyone, and we’re here to help knock down some traditional barriers. For paddle sports, those barriers are often storing, transporting, and deploying your vessel. We’ve simplified all of these by combining the concept of a skin on frame boat with new durable lightweight materials. At just seven pounds, Pontos kayaks are far lighter than existing folding and inflatable kayak options, which weigh anywhere from 20-45+ pounds, and more affordable too! With a pack down size similar to a two person tent, Pontos is the first truly packable kayak.

Sounds good, tell me more…

Pontos kayaks are made for performance in the water and packability on land. We wanted to create a boat that fits into your life, suitcase, car, closet, backpack, and budget, while still giving you everything you expect from a kayak on the water. This is a boat that’s perfect for a quick paddle after work, a long weekend in the wilderness, or a seaside getaway. At one third the weight and pack down size of the next closest portable kayak, and half  the price, we’re pretty happy with what we came up with, and we know you will be too. Once on the water, the “keel pole” presses the shell just enough into the water to give your kayak excellent tracking, meaning better performance into the wind, and more of your effort goes to moving forward instead of twisting back and forth. While Pontos kayaks are designed for flat water paddling, we’ve made them out of the same material used in hardcore whitewater packrafts, which spend their lives bouncing from rock to rock. We tried everything from name brand pack-cloths to expensive composite fabrics during development, and nothing came close to this stuff. If you do manage to tear the shell, repairs are simple, and each boat will come with extra patch material.

A lightweight carbon fiber frame that can be disassembled into 18″ sections connected with shock cord gives the boat it’s structure. An inflatable seat connects to the frame adding comfort, support, and flotation for your boat in the event of a capsize (This does not take the place of a personal flotation device, which should always be worn when kayaking, paddleboarding, etc.). The shell is made of TPU bonded nylon, with a lower hull of 210 denier nylon, and a lighter weight upper splash deck. This shell easily pulls tight over the frame, then zips along the top to complete setup.

Select your shell style in a drop down on the perk of your choice.

How does Pontos stack up to the competition?

You may have seen other portable boats out there. Maybe you’ve tried or even bought one, and you’re wondering what’s different about ours. Let’s compare a few of the big players.

Folding Kayaks VS. Pontos

We’ll start here, because it’s the closest comparison. We’re both focused on a lighter, easier transport experience out of the water, while still offering a highly functional sit-inside kayak in the water.

Portability – The foldable kayak has added a lot of portability over a standard hard shell, and we’re big fans of the accessibility they brought to the sport, but to be blunt, we’ve got their butts kicked here. At their absolute lightest and most compact, you’re looking at 20 lbs and a pack-down size similar to a large suitcase. This boat has to be a major part of your planning for travel, and isn’t very realistic to hike with. Our launch model weighs 7 lbs, and packs down to the size of a small tent, perfect for keeping in your car, van, or RV, bringing on vacation, or packing for a hike.

Performance – There are a variety of folding kayaks out there, some more focused on performance than others. In general, the lighter and more compact options are mostly flat on the bottom and do not track as well, which means the craft will fish tail back and forth as you  paddle, and less of your effort will go into moving you forward. This is only something you’ll want if you’re tackling a lot of tight turns and short distances. Pontos kayaks have a sleek form, and the lengthwise poles press the shell into the water just enough to create impressive tracking. This keeps you gliding straight ahead even through crosswinds and headwinds.

Durability – The TPU bonded nylon we’re using for our shells has been a standard of high performing lightweight rafts, even those designed for intense whitewater conditions, for a long time. If you do push it too far, it’s easy to repair! For impact, we likely have a slight advantage, and for very sharp objects they probably do, but both are suitable (and recommended) for flat water use.

Price – The cheapest model of the leading folding kayak brand cost the same as our two kayak perk option! Our mission is to get more people out on the water, and we’re very proud to have kept our price low while still offering a high performance fabric shell and carbon fiber frame.

Assembly – Both are simple, and much faster than inflatable kayaks and SUPs! If you’ve set up a tent, you can set up a Pontos Kayak.

Inflatable Kayaks VS. Pontos

We’ll keep this short, unfortunately, we’re not going to have a lot of nice things to say about what’s out there in inflatable kayaks. While more compact than a standard kayak, many are not much lighter. They are typically made from a cheap PVC raft material which is heavier, and less durable than TPU Nylon, and prone to mold! They are not known for their performance in the water, and setup requires either an electric pump or 15-20 minutes of hard work pumping. If your only concern is price, you can find some for slightly cheaper than other portable boats, but otherwise, we recommend moving on.

Packrafts VS. Pontos

While significantly different in function, packrafts are still worth mentioning. We want you to get the boat that’s right for you, so consider how you plan to use your watercraft!

Portability – Many packrafts pack down as small as a Pontos kayak, and some can weigh even less. If your main focus is hiking, and you are less concerned with performance on the water, this may be right for you.

Performance – Here’s where these two craft completely diverge. If you want to take on rapids and waterfall drops, get a packraft! But when you want to move under paddle power on flat water, packrafts have virtually no tracking, and will really struggle. If you’re looking for kayak performance on lakes, bays, and calmer rivers, Pontos is the way to go.

Durability – Pontos Kayaks  and packrafts are both made of the same TPU bonded nylon material, which has not only been tested in rugged conditions around the world, but it’s also far more eco-friendly than heavy plastic boats and fabrics with DWR finishes, which leach into water and your skin! Our launch model uses a 210 denier nylon for the shell, the most popular for packraft bodies as well.

Price – Though made from the same material, packraft construction involves creating many complex air tight seams, and is fairly labor intensive. Our shell has fewer seams, instead getting it’s shape from the frame, allowing us to produce and sell for less!

Assembly – Both are easy, though a packraft will require an additional device for inflation, or a lot of lung work, which isn’t always ideal after a hike in the mountains.

Ok, I’m in. What’s next?

We’re asking you to help us reach order quantities of the materials needed for a full production run, and guarantee enough demand to allow us to produce our boats locally. In return, we’ll get a packable kayak into your hands as quickly as possible, and provide constant updates throughout the supply, production, and shipping process. Keep reading to hear how we’re going to make it happen.

Hi, my name is Adam and I designed this boat. The idea has been floating around in my head for the past seven years, with the first prototype hitting the water about four years ago. The iteration process started fairly slow, but by early summer 2021 I had a design I felt really good about, and prototypes I could really enjoy paddling with family and friends. That’s when I started focusing on the next phase – how to share what I’d made.

Here’s where it really becomes a team effort. So many people came together to make Pontos a reality, assisting with testing, filming, photographing, writing, planning, and much more. Early in the design process, a friend suggested crowdfunding, and after a bit of research it seemed like the right answer. As I worked through the design, I nailed down the best materials for the job, and identified some suppliers for those materials, who we’ve now gathered samples, lead times, and price quotes from. Manufacturing was the last question mark. Especially with soft goods (the fabric shell) we had a lot of concerns around outsourcing.

After reviewing different options, we agreed that producing the boats locally was the way to go. This allows us to ensure ethical manufacturing, avoid complex supply chain delays, and cut carbon emissions from parts bouncing factory to factory. It also gives us greater freedom responding to demand, offering new colors, designs, accessories, boat styles, and making any other important changes and adjustments on short notice.

As soon as our campaign closes, we’ll place orders for the components: carbon fiber tent poles, heat sealable TPU nylon for the shell, and custom fittings to connect the frame and give it shape. We have experience producing the boats ourselves, and once materials are ordered we’ll hire a team (size depenent on the volume of orders we get from you!) to help us speed up production. As boats are completed (ETA June), they can begin making their way to you on a first ordered, first shipped basis! 

Risks & Challenges

While a lot of work has gone into preparing for this launch, there will always be risks, especially in uncertain times. We feel we’ve done everything we can to prepare, however, disruptions and shortages seem to be in the news daily. Should any arise, we promise to notify you immediately, and keep you informed through the resolution process.  Our network of experienced and knowledgeable support gives us confidence that we will overcome the challenges we may face.

Other Ways You Can Help

Thank you for what you’ve already done – your interest in our project means so much! If you love our idea, but it’s just not the right time for you to back the campaign, we totally understand. We plan to be around when you are ready, and you can help make that happen by getting the word out, sharing this campaign with your friends and community to make our launch successful. Make some noise and tell others what you see in Pontos!

Maybe you find what we’re doing interesting, but don’t think it’s for you. Though part of our mission is to show people that the outdoors can be for everyone, it’s got to be your call. Feel free to pass us on to the outdoor enthusiasts in your life! Indiegogo has a built-in share tool to make it easy!