I looked around quite a bit before deciding to order a kayak online. The kayak itself is nice, exactly as pictured and a good bargain. I do take exception to the way it was packaged for shipment. It was basically in a big plastic bag which offered no protection to the rigors of shipping. My kayaks (2) both arrived scratched and dinged up, which I why I gave it a "3" for meeting expectations.

A great beginners kayak for flat water or slow moving river water. I weigh 245lbs and it works fine for me. It is slower than the longer and more streamline kayaks but at 1/3rd the price it works fine for my needs. It is not designed for white water so if you are looking for high adventure spend more money and get a kayak suitable for those conditions. My wife and I did a 10 mile trip on a local scenic river at low water volume and the kayak performed very well.

I bought a similar model at Sam's Club and a couple months later wanted another because so many people were interested and didn't want to keep borrowing my friend's, who also purchased one at Sam's. They fixed all the flaws in the one we bought, and added a handle and a comfy back rest. The cooler holder (beer hold) is bigger and nicer. The first model we purchased was the Monterey and very happy with both :) I have recommended to others to purchase this. It is well worth it. I live in SW Florida and have seen lots of things our boat can't get to. Love it!

I was afraid that this would be more of a toy than a real kayak, but that's not the case. I'm a woman in my early 50s & I decided to buy a recreational kayak after borrowing a friend's a few times at the beach. I wanted something relatively lightweight so I could load it into my SUV by myself & at 38 lbs. this is about as light as they come. I haven't tried loading it on the roof rack of my truck yet (I think I'll have my 6'2" husband standing by just in case). "Real" kayakers may scoff at the built in handle on the side but it makes moving this thing a lot easier. You can't beat the price here & the Ship-To-Store was great. I tracked the shipment as the delivery truck made its way across the country from the manufacturer. I was even able to order the kayak online then go to my local WalMart to pay for it in cash, so I don't load up my credit card. I'm very pleased all the way around.

We bought a Lotus and an fishing kayak- both sit-on-tops. We LOVE them! They're light to carry to the water. They float and maneuver well and are very stable. In fact, they're so stable we put our 35lb shepherd on with us and she jumps from one to another as we paddle along without problem or tipping us over. They store easily too. I wish there was a better way to transport them as I have to take my window props off on my shell to carry them in the back of my truck. Still, not to big of a deal and well worth the fun we've had on ours. They have done well on large lakes and in rivers with mild rapids. They are well worth the price we paid for them and I think they are much more durable than some of the more expensive kayaks we looked at before purchasing these.

This is a great kayak, so easy to get in to and easy to paddle. It navigates in pretty shallow water too so that makes it nice for the creek. I only wish it had a handle on both sides so someone can help you carry it if you want. I've never kayaked before. I was surprised how easy this was. Lots of leg-room for tall people too.

Before we purchased 2 of these kayaks we read all of the reviews. All reviews were good and we agree with the stability, ease of use, storage, transportation, good quality of product, etc. We are in our late 60's and have no problem transporting or lifting the lightweight kayaks into our pickup truck. My husband has severe arthritis in his knees and the open kayak enables him to get in and out of the kayak without undue stress on his knees. There are several small rivers and lakes in our area that are great for canoes and kayaks and this Lifetime Lotus is just perfect for a comfortable, relaxing afternoon on the water. We are very, very pleased with this product. The free delivery to our local Wal Mart was so easy and quick.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] We bought this 2 pack along with some youth kayaks to get out on our local lakes and ponds. This beat all of my expectations. Quality is great and ability to transport is fairly easy. We are already looking at getting 2 more so friends can come along

I am a 59 year old woman who was looking for a basic kayak that was reasonably priced, easy to use, stable, light enough I could carry it by myself, and get it in and out of our Yukon by myself. The Lotus has met all my expectations. There's a "grip" in the center of the kayak where you can grab it and carry it. It's a little awkward and I wouldn't want to carry it long distances, but I can get it in and out of the car without help and carry it to the water. It weighs 38 pounds. There's also a short handle at the front to help pull it out of the water. The kayak was easy to get into and I felt it was stable. I weigh 150 pounds and it held me just fine. I'm a novice kayaker and had no problems getting used to using the included paddle. I plan on using this on calm days to cruise around our lake having fun. The kayak came with one scupper plug. I didn't really have any problem with much water coming up through the open scupper holes. You can order additional plugs online if you want them. You do get wet some, but it's more from water splashing on you while paddling. The open scupper holes help drain any water that gets into the kayak. I'm pleased with this kayak and feel it was good value for the money. Free shipping to my walmart, so I picked it up there. I was somewhat concerned of possible damage due to experiences of some other reviewers. Mine arrived in perfect shape. It was in a plastic bag so didn't really provide much protection, but maybe they are being more careful. We checked it over closely before taking it home to make sure.

I am writing virtually the same review for this kayak and the dragonfly moorea as they are identical except for the seat and color. This has been a perfect starter kayak for our family and it is an exceptional value. The kayak is on the slow side and it does not track perfectly. Both of those are no big deal for use. What is important is stability. It is almost impossible to tip this over, and if you do fall/jump out it is easy to pull yourself back on as the rear of the kayak is specifically designed for that. We like the included paddle, but as new kayakers we do not have much comparison. This thing can handle an average adult and a kid no problem, which is great for us. My eight year old and even my five year old can handle this kayak on their own. Another benefit of the sit on top style of this kayak is that they are designed to stack for easy transportation. It really could not be much easier to stack them on the car and strap them down. It does, though take a little strength. I will say that I like the seat of the dragonfly moorea a little better. I can make this seat comfortable, but it takes some adjustment. Also the moorea seat has a watertight storage area built into the seat. This is an awesome kayak at a great price and is perfect for family recreational use.