Lifetime Manta Tandem Sit on Top Kayak with Back Rests, 10 Feet

I bought this for use at Lake Powell where conditions can vary dramatically from shallow calm water to wipe caps and ugly chop. I liked the 3 paddling positions allowing 1 or 2 paddlers to effectively use the Kayak. The "tunnel" hull is very effective at "tracking" without using a rudder. Even though the hull maxes out at 3 feet wide and is very stable, drag is minimized. We've had a bunch of casual users and all have liked it in comparison to recreational kayaks they've used in the past. With the paddles included, the price is fair at $500 and a bargain now on special at $404. The construction is solid and looks like it'll hold up well. I'd definitely buy this again!

Having recently moved to Catalina island, we bought this tandem kayak to maneuver the ocean currents and allow us to explore the coves with our kids. This kayak has met and exceeded my expectations. It is extremely sturdy, maneuvers well and the price was fantastic In fact, our friend could NOT believe how much we paid for it. He spent far more for his single kayak. The only issue I had was that it is still very heavy as most kayaks are. We just bought the wheel trailer and now that issue is resolved. I highly recommend this kayak as it is stable even with a family of 4 on board.

This is a very stable kayak with the flexibility of seating 1 or 2 riders. Where this kayak shines is playing in the surf (we take it to the Gulf of Mexico every year and it's an absolute blast) and short (1-2hrs) trips in lakes and rivers. It's length, weight, width and design are for stability over speed and agility so I wouldn't recommend this kayak for long touring or trying to keep up with friends with long, sleek kayaks. In the Gulf playing in the surf I have handled 1-3 foot waves easily and on a few occasions I have tried it in 6-8 foot surf too (although that can be a little too exhilarating). The well placed scupper holes clear the water fast, the upturned bow cruises over waves, and the seat backs with multiple foot positions allow for quick adjustments. The hollow design means it has amazing weight capacity and I've had myself (6'1", 250lbs) and 4 kids hopping on and off in the water without difficulty. I own 6 kayaks/canoes and this is one of our favorites to use when we want to have some quick fun.This is a capable fishing platform although the design doesn't have a lot of storage or places to secure your gear. When I fish with this I "go light" usually just 1 pole and a very small tackle box. If you are a serious angler there are better options. If you just want to get out and fish a few hard to reach spots it's fine.I would recommend this to any "weekend warrior" that wants to have some fun playing in the water with the family. If you are someone that is serious about kayaking as a sport that you are going to do frequently I'd look to a longer, lighter, more narrow kayak.

I bought this Lifetime Manta Tandem kayak because the reviews here on Amazon.com were so positive. Unfortunately the kayak didn't live up to my expectations.Cons:1) It took on water in the interior of the kayak. A brand new boat should not take on water. We left it outdoors on the grass the first night of vacation, and we got a bad thunderstorm. While of course water collected on the top, when I dumped the kayak over, I was shocked to find that significant water had collected inside the sealed kayak itself. I had to open the plug and drain the water from the interior. Every day we had the boat on the water I also had to drain it out. It wasn't obvious to me how water was getting inside, but it was.2) The back rests are so uncomfortable that both my brother-in-law and I could barely walk after using it. We had also borrowed a Hobie Kona tandem kayak, and the seats in that were super comfortable in comparison. Maybe you get what you pay for, but I need to be able to walk so the seat backs were unacceptable.3) It was impossible to steer this boat in a straight line. We were constantly turning left, then right, back and forth, wasting tremendous effort just to keep on course. Maybe if we hadn't borrowed the Hobie Kona we would have chalked this up to skill, but the Hobie was super easy to control. Maybe the 10 foot Lifetime Manta is too short to be stable in terms of steering.Pros:1) It is inexpensive.2) Has a good handle in the front and hole in the back which is helpful for mounting on your vehicle roof.3) It is laterally stable in the water.I couldn't understand why other tandem sit on top kayaks cost 1.5 to 2 times as much. Now I think I know why. It's too bad, because I really wanted to like this kayak.Amazon was great with prompt delivery and return. Too bad the kayak wasn't up to par.

The bad:You wont be wining races give its wide design. Also you may be working a bit harder than usual because it displaces a lot of water as it moves.The good:Overall this was a very well though and implemented design. It has great cargo capacity, very stable, easy to maneuver, and fairly easy to carry, at least for a 3 people kayak! I can put this on top of my SUV alone. And can carry it for short distances with no problems. Other very well designed features are the fishing rod wholes, and the single carry handle. The paddles are a bit short, but if you try longer ones, and you have 2 people paddling, you will be hitting each other. Kudos for the engineers!