Love it. Relatively new but…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 1/22/2021
Love it. Relatively new but just used it for 3 days paddling down a pristine river in Victoria Australia. Shame it is discontinued as the design would suit many well I feel as a fast general purpose/fisher. Paddles well in chop of my local windy bay and on flat water of a remote river. Good stability but seems to turn well. would be comfortable as fishing base but would not stand on it. Can be loaded up with gear (in dry bags) and still have good free board. Would have liked a bigger hatch rather than another bait bucket behind sitting position for my purposes. Water does get into seat well but do not mind as the seat and straps give very good support for my damaged lower back. At 30kg at my limit of deadlifting onto roof racks and needs to be secured for and aft to prevent sliding on standard racks. Have rudder kit installed which is nice in the wind and for longer paddles - pegs feel a little on the flimsier side and need to be a little careful of them when stacking the kayak for storage.
After years of paddling cheap, molded plastic, 8 foot, sit inside kayaks - my wife and I bought two Native Manta Ray 12 XT kayaks for each other's Christmas present. - I feel like they are the SUV's of kayaks. - I love the storage capacity as we're mostly recreational 'yakers and like to pack for the day. - Most of our paddling takes place in the channel between the Dunedin Causeway and Caladesi Island (Florida). - I tend to get a little more adventurous and wander out into the Gulf. - These kayaks handle well in wind and chop. - Only reason I'm giving it a 4 out of 5 stars is because I did have to re-glue the hinge mount for the forward hatch with marine grade JB Weld because the factory glue Native used failed on my first time out. - At 63#'s she's just a little bit heavy but that was a compromise I was happy to accomodate for the storage capacity and stability... The price was a happy surprise too.
Bought my first Manta Ray…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 2/25/2019
Bought my first Manta Ray years ago; wore it out then bought another one (12), then two more (12 and 14); 12 is best for most paddling; 14 is nice for saltwater. Now I have 3 so I can share with my family and friends. We spend most of our time on rivers in Georgia, TN and NC, running and fishing rivers up to class two+, with a couple annual trips to Florida for flats fishing. I have paddled many kayaks and this one is by far the best. The seat and cockpit shape allows you to be one with the kayak which gives you superior control in moving water and in waves. Everyone talks about what's on top and that can be important but what sets the Manta Ray apart from other boats is the hull design (take a look at the side view). The hull has excellent primary AND secondary stability; it has rocker which gives you more control in moving water and waves; and its front and rear keel are just big enough to give you a little bite but not so big that moving water pushes you around. It is narrower than most other fishing kayaks which makes it faster; when you are paddling for miles, or with friends, faster is a big deal. The original manta ray is now being sold under the liquid logic brand. If you get the chance get one. You will love it.
I fell in love with Manta Ray…
I fell in love with Manta Ray on the showroom floor. Lots of storage hatches and places to install rodholders. While I like the Manta Rays, I don't find them as stable as some other kayaks I paddled. The tracking on the 12 footer was decent but not the best and I found myself doing a lot of corrective paddling. still a decent fishing kayak for lakes, bays and even light surf. I am sure a rudder would straighten out the tracking issue.
Purchased Manta Ray in May…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 9/9/2013
Purchased Manta Ray in May for fishing. Since then I have used this Kayak in slow rivers and lakes. It is stable and what I was looking for. Starting with the seat it is very comfortable. There are straps on either side to adjust it. The foot rests are adjustable but they feel flimsy. If I push on the left foot rest the rest moves out of place.
The cockpit has several handy features. I had a taco paddle holder put on it which holds the paddle nicely. The storage compartment is nice and can hold small items, as does the one behind the seat. I use a milkcrate for my gear and secure it with the bungee cords. There are scuppers back there but I haven't shipped on any water that I can tell. The hatch at the front is nice to slide extra fishing gear in. I had two tracks placed won each side and mounted a Scotty rod holder.
In the water this kayak is stable and handles well. It can turn around very quickly. I have been in the front of a thunderstorm when the wind picked up blowing quartering across the bow. I shipped on very little water. This is a very nice kayak, nice kayak. I don't know if one could stand in this as it tippy at first. The secondary stability is excellent. I went from a Mad River Grand Teton that I used to solo in which was very susceptible to the wind. This, though it does feel the wind is not bad at all. I put a Yakima roof rack on my FJ Cruiser. The tag along wheel makes it easy to load, if the back door to the Cruiser is opened.
Overall I could not be more pleased with the Manta Ray 12.I bought this at Ozark Mountain Trading Company just east of Rogers, Arkansas on Highway 62. The staff seems very supportive and willing.
Owned this boat for 2 years…
Submitted by:
ewnash
on 8/7/2013
Owned this boat for 2 years now and have been meaning to review. Extremely versatile boat; I've used it for everything from quick 2-hour recreational river paddles to all-day fishing trips on both fresh and salt to multi-day camping trips. Reasonably quick and maneuverable on the water, amazingly comfortable seat, great storage layout. My only complaints are the footrests (locking mechanism is very unstable and twitchy) and the side drain hole, which never seems to allow me to get the last several ounces of water out of the boat. Overall a solid boat and one that I'll keep until she sinks!
Just got a Manta Ray 12' sit…
Submitted by:
paddler234957
on 4/18/2013
Just got a Manta Ray 12' sit on top!
took it out for the first time on the Sebastian River here on the treasure coast of Florida. Great paddle! I'm 6'3" and 250 pounds and the 12' works great for me. Tracks and handles great. Lots of fun!
I have a 2012 model. I took…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/30/2012
I have a 2012 model. I took it out three times in different conditions to get a good feel for its performance. All times were in salt water at the mouth of the St John's River near the open ocean. Lots of oyster beds, rocky shores, sandy beaches. One day was very choppy with 15mph winds and the other two times in fairly glassy water.
Pros: Very rugged and thick molded shell. Oyster beds did very little damage. Easy to store in my 12'x10' shed (at slight angle on wall). Loads on my truck easy. Handles rough water very well, very stable. Good amount of storage. Well laid out design. Accessory rails a huge plus. Relatively fast for a 12' long, 30" wide kayak. Don't expect it to be anywhere near what a touring kayak can do. Stays very dry even in big chop. Of course the seat. I don't think there is a better one on the market. Warranty.
Cons: Very heavy IMO. I am a very strong guy and it is not a problem for me but I can see perhaps a small person like my wife would have problems loading it on a vehicle. But the weight is due mostly to the thick polyethylene material. One of the three times I went out and I was having a hard time keeping up with the fiberglass touring kayak and my AE tandem blow up. Both those kayaks are very fast and the MR is a fishing kayak that is only 12'. I was not that far behind and I also was saddled with carrying a huge cooler full of ice and drinks. The MR is definitely a workhorse. I have a rudder so tracking was not an issue. I don't really have any other negatives.
I was going to give it an 8 but then I realized that this is a rugged fishing kayak and I rated it a 10 amongst other fishing kayaks I have tried like Malibu, OK, Hobie(10 also), and WS(Tarpon). You can't really judge this kayak with touring or other types of kayaks bc that is not its purpose.
Bottom line. Great kayak that I would recommend to anyone who wants a recreational/fishing kayak.
I have owned my manta ray for…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/7/2011
I have owned my manta ray for 3yrs and fish regularly, its a 10 from front to back. Good storage, rugged, takes a beating. Lots of room for add ons.
I own 4 of these kayaks, and…
Submitted by:
paddler233922
on 3/23/2011
I own 4 of these kayaks, and I am extremely pleased with them. They are very stable, easy to paddle, and comfortable for a 1 - 2 hour ride. They are typical roto molded boats as far as durability; fairly tough. Lots of storage in the front and back, even the mini hatches for snacks or electronics. I don't care much for the foot rests, as they are a little difficult to adjust and keep stable. I run small trips for kids and adults, and all users like these boats, even the 8 year olds were able to paddle.
I LOVE my Manta Ray! I've had…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 12/8/2009
I LOVE my Manta Ray! I've had it for almost a year now, and have taken it to lakes, rivers, and beaches! It tracks well, and goes at a good speed. It handled some minor rapids great! One day, we miscalculated a trip and ended up on the river for 9 hours (oops!) but it was still fun, though we were exhausted. The seat was still comfortable though getting out at intervals was necessary to wake up limbs that fell asleep. :-P
Getting in and out of the kayak is easy as pie, and you won't get wet at all if you plug in the scuppers. If not, there is always the self draining scupper holes that still keep you mostly dry. Oh, also, I recently took this boat out on a coooold day. I was fine! I didn't get wet and I stayed warm and dry even though it is a sit on top kayak AND we were on a river with some small rapids. It was all good and I am SO happy I got this kayak!
I reviewed many kayaks and…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 9/15/2008
I reviewed many kayaks and found the best kayak for camping and fishing appeared to be the Manta Ray 12 from Native Watercraft. They did a lot of upgrades after taking it over from Liquid Logic. This kayak is supreme. Its layout is well thought-out including the drain plug on the side so you only have to roll your kayak over to drain it out. Everything is recessed to avoid snagging fishing lines. The storage hatches are all designed not to leak - though my 9 score is only for the fact the back hatch should have been design larger to all use of the entire back storage area. It is a bit small and hard to load items in. You have ample opportunities to add accessories. I outfitted mine this weekend with rod holders in the back and Scotty holder in the front and anchor trolley from watertrail paddling gear. A lot of friends were going with Tarpons, which are fine kayaks, but I fish as well so this was the perfect combination for both fishing & overnight camping trips. Now just to add the rudder and I'll be set for my kayak trip to the Everglades in January. Plus - the seat - can I say COMFORTABLE?! My bum is very happy!
