Skin-On Kayak ‘Kit’ A Graceful Design

[leadin]We came across the O Six Hundred kayak and did a double-take at the lovely lines and translucent skin.[/leadin]

That’s one pretty kayak! It’s made from plywood ribs and a translucent “carbon skin.” It ships as a kit that you put together “like IKEA, without the allen key,” the brand touts.

The O Six Hundred weighs in at about 22 pounds, and the Australian creators Ben Cooper and Andrew Simpson of The Balmain Boat Company claim that “if you’re strong enough to lift it, you’re smart enough to build it.”

It ships with 30 pieces that make up the frame. They are cut on a CNC router from hoop pine plywood and snap together.

The time-tested Inuit design has been around for more than 4,000 years, although the price is definitely 21st century: The O Six Hundred sells for about $1,400 USD.

If you’d like to try your hand at a semi-homemade kayak, give it a look online, where you can inquire about purchasing your very own.