I've had one of these, their smallest folding kayak, for a few years.

On one hand, the Oru is incredibly unstable compared to a traditional kayak, whether a sit-on-top or a slide-in. The hull is made of flimsy plastic sheeting, is super light, and I doubt I could re-enter from the water if it ever flipped. I am not a great (or even good) kayaker, but I've done it (traditionally) a couple dozen or so times, taken kayak roll classes, learned wet exits and re-entries... more than a recreational renter would typically do, that's all I'm saying. I would never even ATTEMPT any of that in an Oru. I think it would just rip, if it hadn't already sunk by the time I got above water. If I capsize, I'm swimming to shore. If it's cold water, either I'm close enough to shore where I can walk out -- and that's only because I've swam a lot in cold waters -- or I'm not getting in. If there are rapids, I'm going to go somewhere else. If it's choppy, I'm definitely not getting in. I'm going to put on and fit my PFD before getting in.

But on the other hand, despite all those limitations, the Oru is my favorite watercraft ever. In the summer it just lives in my car's roof box, and we pull it out every other weekend or so, along with an inflatable paddleboard. We seek out gentle streams and serene mountain lakes -- of which there are plenty near us, and the Oru makes it possible to enjoy those bodies of water without needing to be rich and having a garage (a rarity in these parts) to store the kayak, specialized car racks, the upper body strength to lift it up, etc. For me, it turned kayaking from a once-a-year activity to multiple times a month.

Could Oru improve their safety signaling in the ads? Sure. But I look at those ads and think, "models being models". If you're going ocean kayaking next to a glacier with a bottle of wine, a puffy, and no rescue plan... I mean... exaggerated advertising or not, you're probably pre-selected for evolutionary culling anyway. No safety warning is going to save you. There will always be thrill-seekers and risk-takers who get off on doing stupidly dangerous things, especially in outdoor sports. But to a reasonable person, looking at a generic ad like that, I bet they're just thinking, "that looks fun but cold, maybe I'll try that somewhere warmer and safer". A reasonable person also wouldn't look at a car ad and then go buy and drive one at 100mph around tight mountain curves.

At the end of the day, at some point we have to let adults be adults and take responsibility for their decisions. Part of the joy of the outdoors is having freedom to roam as you wish, to be relatively unconstrained by the rules of man. It does not, however, absolve you from the laws of nature. Whether you're kayaking questionable waters, skiing sketchy slopes, hiking alone for days, free solo climbing, swimming open waters... you have that freedom, but you're taking your life into your hands. Death or injury is always a possibility... an eventuality, even.

With many outdoor sports, if you go unprepared, you're risking not only your own life but that of the search and rescue team who's going to try to find you when you disappear. With kayaking, if you go under, you have mere minutes to survive or die. Take basic safety precautions so you're not putting yourself or anyone else at unnecessary risk. But beyond that, it is your right and your prerogative if you want go out there and do things. If you bring a beer with you, that's your choice... you're an adult. Don't be stupid, use some common sense, and take some basic precautions. But also don't let generic warnings scare you away from the things you love. Many things are worth the risks.