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I give it a 4 star only because I had to re-glue the hatch hinge. - Whatever glue the manufacturer used failed after one time out. - No big deal! (Marine grade JW Weld is great!!) - Other than that, and after years of paddling cheap, sit inside, 8 footers, I love the Manta Ray 12 XT - It's the SUV of kayaks!! - Most of my paddling is saltwater (Gulf side of Florida) - Water can get choppy but I can paddle this kayak with confidence. - Very stable, with great storage capacity!! - I'm not an avid kayak fisherman (yet) - But I can pack a load on this kayak and explore the local spoil islands for a day (or more) and carry everything I need. - They were marked up at 800.00 at our local outfitter (I got two for 700 ea). - We live 5 minutes from the Gulf so it was a great investment.

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.