Lobo

I’ve used the Lobo since the early 2000s. And is a fun, tough, dependable little kayak. I also own an Aurora and a Mark Twain as well. Love them

For what it is it is good. great beginner boat stable easy to control and get into seat. is not very comfortable but it is ok. it was my first boat. It was my gate way boat that got me into kayaking. if you see one on craigslist for less than 200 and you are looking for a beginner boat go for it

1st kayak I've owned. I like it just fine.

used on small creeks and rivers handles well rides well can pack some gear easily

I met Ann Dryer of Kiwi Kayaks and impressed her with my stories and pictures of myself sailing her Kiwi Lobo with a stunt kite. It was a blast ! I Love this simple and resonably priced boat. I have paddled it on class 2 and in the surf, It's just "Pure Fun"! A Real 10!

I am very pleased with my Lobo. It is my first kayak purchase. Before I purchased the Lobo, I paddled about 10 hours on two different Old Towne Otter's to hopefully get an idea of how close the Lobo would feel. I really liked the Otter and hoped the Lobo would handle similar to it. I can say now that the Lobo is a better boat by far. It handles up to 275lbs and if fairly accommodating for a tall fellow. Which is a must since I'm 6'7" and 250lbs. I really enjoy the wide opening as well. The seat back is removable to allow for easy storage behind you, the straps behind the seat are very simple but effective. I enjoy the front bungee cord for holding a map or deck bag. Unfortunately, the foot pegs do me no good since my legs are too long. However, I tried the boat with and without the stryofoam in the front. I found I like the styrofoam since it provides some bracing for my feet to rest up against. The boat tracks fairly well, and I have not paddled with other boat owners yet, so I can't compare how it handles with others. I purchased my Lobo at a great price compared to list. 2007 Canoe and Kayak mag's buyers guide lists it at $479 which I feel is a decent price. Maybe a little high. Overall the boat is great, I hit some mild rapids and accidently crashed into a huge boulder that left me high centered and a little shell shocked. The entire bottom of the kayak flexed in som much it pushed my up about 5 inches. Once I freed myself from my rock podium, the boat immediately took it's original form. Very rugged body, very tough. I am incredibly happy with the boat and plan on keeping it in the family forever!! My next kayak will be a tandem sit on top. Sit on top only because I'm watching my pennies! Ohh and as far as comfort, I'm a big guy and have spent no less than 3 hours every time I'm on the boat with no aches or pains. It's not a lazy boy, it's a plastic boat!! Comfort is not an issue. Nice wide seat for you!!

I bought the Lobo because I was new to the sport and wanted a boat that would do lots of things well, was light and small, inexpensive, and storable (either in the garage or on/in a vehicle). It’s a fun little boat, kind of hard to consider it a hard core serious kayak, but then I'm not a serious hard core kayaker. I've primarily used it on lakes and rivers for fishing and exploring smaller creeks and streams--all flat water. It’s a Ford/Chevy, not a Porsche/Ferrari.

I started kayaking two years ago at a local small (flatwater) lake. The marina rents out these Kiwi Lobos, so it was my first kayak. At first I spent a lot of energy just mastering the basics of kayaking itself. Eventually I got pretty good at it, to the point where I could paddle for an hour and not feel like my arms were on fire. I'm a big woman (5'8", 210 pounds) and found the Kiwi easy to get in and out of. It handled nicely, fast enough for me, not too tippy, went where I wanted it to go, and I never fell out of it. I've gone out with a couple of friends who were kayaking for the first time in Kiwis, and they struggled to keep up with me. That made me think it was the paddler, not the kayak, that was slow! The small size and light weight of this kayak would be a plus. It should be easy to chuck into the back of your truck or stash in the garage.

The main drawback is the uncomfortable seat position and lack of support in the backrest. I could never go more than an hour in this boat because my back was sore by then. I do not have a back problem.

But truth to tell, I never knew what I was missing until I rented a kayak at a kayak store. My goodness, what a difference. I never took down the name of the kayak I used, but it was new, sleek, and fast! Made those old, banged-up Kiwi Lobos feel like bathtubs by comparison. I had a friend come along for her first kayak experience, and she really likd it too. Later, she rented the Lobo, and complained that she had to work very hard to keep up with me in the Lobo, whereas in the other kayak, she felt a lot faster and could keep up with me.

A Kiwi Lobo would probably be an all right choice for a beginner who won't stay out too long, or for kids. If you want to spend more than an hour in your kayak, get something else.

Bought my Lobo as my first kayak. I wanted something very stable as I am not a great swimmer. I am taking swimming lessons however. I love boats in general and like kayaking. I find it very stable although I bought it without trying out any other type but a Kiwi. I know I should have tried others, but I felt comfortable in it. The only problem I feel is that I am going to outgrow it too rapidly. I should have looked into a more advanced kayak. But the performance of the Kiwi Lobo has been great for me. I rated it an 8 because I don't feel it handles as easily as it could. I seem to have to work at keeping it going where I want to go. I know I am a novice. Good first boat and I am going to give it to my granddaughter.

After extensive reviews and research, I settled on the Lobo. My requirements were 250 lb + capacity and 40 lbs or less weight! This kayak fit both, and I find it perfect for rivers and small lakes. It tracks great, easy to get into, and comfortable in use. I am 5' 11" and 245, it works great!

I have a Kiwi Lobo that purchased a couple of years ago. I (all 240 pounds of me) have used it on lakes and large flatwater rivers and find it tracks okay and is quite stable but, you do need to modify the seating (get a cushion..!) On the smaller fastwater (up to class II's) rivers that I have used it on it is super...it's very agile, reasonably comfortable (with a cushion), foot braces are good, it's very stable and if you go over it's light enough to make emptying it a relatively easy task (providing you can stand on the bottom of course). Whenever we have grankids over for the weekend to go paddling they all seem to want to use the same boat...the Lobo..!

I had bought a Kiwi after already owning 2 Perception Keowee's . I found that it is less stable and far less comfortable then the perception keowee's The seat is sort of cheap and your feet are at a weird angle while on the peddles makeing your heels sore. My kids wouldn't go down the river if they had to ues it, so I got stuck with it till I sold it. Shop and compare.

I purchased a Kiwi Lobe for my personal use this year because of my limited strength vs the light weight of the Lobo. After having used it several times on both lakes and rivers I find that it excels on small rivers because of its excellent manuverability and stability. I had it in some small stretches of whitewater and really enjoyed it. On lakes it "stinks", yup, thats right, it stinks. It tracks terribly, the seat adjustment (the knot in the rope adjuster) doesn't hold very well and because of the large passenger opening you cannot brace yourself against the sides at all!!!!