Lifetime Lotus Sit-On-Top Kayak with Paddle

Getting this 2-pack of kayaks is one of the best purchases I’ve made in a long time. The first time I ordered it and waited for weeks, the seller just canceled the transaction due to a shipping issue, but didn’t bother to even reach out to me. So I kept looking for other kayaks, but just couldn’t find a deal like this one, so I took my chances and placed the order a second time. They used a different shipper and the kayaks showed up earlier than promised. I am so glad I ordered them. I’m a beginner kayaker, but more experienced guests have also used them and commented on how nice they are. And the best part is that as a 60 yr old, 120 pound female, I can carry it with relative ease. I’ve used it several times (on a lake) and so far it’s holding up very nicely. Another great thing is the seatback. It makes this kayak so much more comfortable on my back than rentals I’ve tried. Great purchase!

Great product and fast delivery, would recommend to anyone.

I have two Lifetime Sit-on-top Kayaks and we LOVE them! We purchased one because we found a killer deal (Walmart.com $119.50) and I prefer the sit-on-top style myself. We took it out on the lake and really enjoyed it. All three of my kids (ages 16 ,18, 25) took it out for a spin (see photo). I ordered a second one and we’ve been enjoying both! We went on a 10 mile kayak trip with a group of teenaged girls a couple of weeks ago on the Buffalo River. One of the girls started in our kayak and decided to switch out to see what a sit-inside style was like. She became very upset with her new craft and wanted back on ours. She refused to give it up to anyone in our group from then on! (see photo – She is on the red kayak in middle of photo) Just yesterday, we went out for a few hours on the lake with some of my son’s friends. We had a variety of kayaks among us. One of the boys flipped over in his sit-in style and took me with him ( i was also in a sit-in style) and we had to swim them to shore to get the water out. My two kids were on our Lifetime sit-on kayaks. One of the friends wanted to see if it was possible to swamp our kayak. He tried to flip it which took a bit… Did i mention they are very stable? He finally managed it, then flipped it back over and pulled himself back up with no problem! I would say in less than a minute EASILY. We will be purchasing a third within the next week or so.

PROS:

– Affordable
– Durable
– Sit-on-top style
– Comes with paddle
– VERY stable
– You can easily get back aboard from deep water on your own (if you are swimming or whatever)
– It is NOT swampable! Very safe!
– Great area on back for small cooler or dry bag which I highly recommend
– Can carry it by yourself from middle grooved handhold
– The flat backend lets you store it standing up (looks cool in our teens room in the corner)
– Size-wise I can actually fit 2 of them in my suburban with the seats down on one side
– Easier to transport compared to sit-in style

CONS:

– Color choice is limited (ours are red)
– Paddles are Ok not great
– The seat straps slide so you have to re-tighten occasionally (there may be a way to prevent this that I haven’t figured out yet) only one of ours does this.
– A bit slow compared to a sit-in style kayak, but you trade speed for stability.

UPDATE:

My son ( age 16 about 5′ 10″) has taken to kayak fishing now!! (added photo) What a blast!! His first fishing attempt on the lake was great! It was quite windy, causing the largest waves I have yet encountered on this lake. The stability of this kayak was impressive!

Amazing product. They are simple. But exactly what you need. I bought 4 of these because the price is so good. Your are not going to find one cheaper. Stop looking. I got these and the butt pillows that you don’t even need. The kayak is comfy on it’s own. My ten year old got in and took off no issues. Never done a kayak before. Not a lot of kayaks have oars with them. These do and cheap price. But not lacking in quality. I’m trying to hit all the point I love about these and the points your probably wondering about. They are 8 ft. I can’t carry one by myself. But I’m only 5’2 and weak. But my 15 year old held one above his head. So they are lighter. Paddles are sturdy and well made. Nothing about this kayak is cheap other than the price. 😊

One of my kayaks was damaged from shipping. But the others were fine and alot of fun on the water

I was a little hesitant to purchase this kayak, but after reading most of the reviews, I went ahead with my order. I love this kayak for what it is. At 8 feet it fits in the back of my Ford Escape when the front passenger seat is reclined all the way back. And it is only 38 pounds so I can easily carry it under one arm. The backrest is adjustable and very comfortable. I do use a cushion for the seat as the hard plastic can be uncomfortable after a couple of hours. Being eight feet long it will not tack straight, but all you have to do is adjust the depth of your paddling so that the ‘wobble’ is minimal. I have been all over Lake Nighthorse here in Durango, CO and I can go in and out of small spaces. This is a man made lake so there are a lot of dead trees sticking out of the water along the shoreline and I have fun weaving in and out of them with this little kayak. I could never do it with a bigger one. You aren’t going to win any races with this little kayak, but you will love it for leisurely paddling on calm water or water with just a little chop. Having said that, I did get caught out on the lake one day when the wind whipped up and created some whitecaps. The kayak was rocking quite a bit but I was never afraid it was going to tip and I made it to the shoreline where I was able to paddle my way back to the boat launch. I paid $350 for this one and found a red one exactly like it in WalMart for $165. The only differences were the name on the kayaks. This one is the Lotus and the red one in Walmart was a Daylite. Also, the paddle with the cheaper kayak was not a good paddle. It is shorter and the paddle actually has channels in it that catch the water and no little cups on the handle to catch the water so you get soaked with that paddle. If you get one of these kayaks, you should get two (there is a package deal for two) so you always have someone to go with. I am very happy with my purchase and am greatly enjoying this little kayak.