Honestly, I gambled. Like most things, this is engineered with a fudge-factor involved as some 275lb guy will think "hey, I'm 275lb" and then doesn't think as he loads 30lbs of gear on as well. Well, this is rated at 275lbs, will float 330 very easily. About 1/2 inch of water comes through the scupper holes though... you can get scupper stoppers if that bothers you. Personally, it doesn't bother me one bit as I may be sweet but I'm not made of sugar so I won't melt in a little water. :) Just purchased, had it on the water twice first weekend (wife bought a Tioga model). Tracks well on the water. Oars need drip blockers to keep the water from rolling down your onto you, but that's literally my only complaint. Very satisfied. Would highly recommend.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bot 2 of these kayaks a couple of years ago. They are really durable. When buying a kayak, you want to make sure the stability and durability of the kayaks are up to standard. This large size kayak is very stable and durability is much better than the street brand. I don't have any leaks so far after a couple of years of use. I store them outside under the sun and rain. It does not seem to really affect them much in terms of UV. This is perfect for family as I have a number of kids. the tandem works very well with having 2 people on board.

Bought a pair of the Anglers in the spring of 2017. We use them a lot and love them. This is a very stable kayak which is key. I feel very secure in it. That is key. Tracks well. We are very happy with them. Drawbacks are the weight, a bit heavy but not unmanageable. And the storage area inside the hull is open to the entire innards, so if you put something inside, it can be hard to retrieve as it can be anywhere inside. Too bad it doesn't come in something more colorful. But I do recommend this kayak. Great value.

I received this kayak for father's day and was able to take it out. let my wife try it and the next day I bought one for her. they are very stable and comfortable have taken them to lakes around Lake Tahoe and they are great and lots of fun to explore on.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I purchased two Tamarack Fishing kayaks. They are extremely stable. Sometime during the night, someone came onto my property snooping. I had the kayaks on the tailor strapped, secured and locked. However, there are two 6 inch dia. storage compartment lids. The would be thief's decided to look inside the Kayaks by removing the lids. However, I noticed that my sensor light came on and ruined the opportunity; though it seemed. In the morning we wen to a lake and low and behold one of the lids was removed, and no where to be found. Consequent y, I contacted Lifetime willing to pay for 2 lids so I would have a spare. However, there was no charge. Great customer service. Furthermore, we took these Kayaks out crabbing at the ocean and they worked fantastic. I did get a 10 pound weight so the high tide would not take us 1/2 mile down the coast when lifting the crab traps. The were very stable in this environment. Great to fish off of and plenty of room. The seat was OK, however for my wife needed more padding.

This is a great fishing kayak if you are a weekend angler and not going to do tournaments. It's sturdy and stable. It has two downfall to me, one being the the seat is extremely uncomfortable if you're in the kayak fir any length of time (I replaced in with a stadium seat and it's great now. And the second, and pretty major issue for anglers) is that the hatch cover right in front of your legs, is now garbage. It's now rounded, so you can't add Velcro and attach your fishing too tray to it, and it snaps on instead of screwing on. So water gets in the hull easier now. With all that being said, I own two Tamaracks. One for fishing with the flat top hatch cover, with my fishing tool box velcroed to it, and another one that I let my clients and friends use if they are coming with me.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Bought one of these last year....already have an eMotion camo sit-on top fishing kayak. Very easy to paddle, and use. Tracks very true, and with the pole holders, great to take out fishing! Very please, and the dog can sit in the front also!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I just purchased this as my first fishing Kayak and I am extremely pleased. Very stable platform and does very well in rough water. First fishing trip with this was 5 1/2 hours and I can't wait to do it again. Only down side is the size of the hatches. Slightly wider and this would be be PERFECT!

I have had this kayak for several months now and taken it out more than I can count. In fact it has performed so well my wife insisted on getting one for herself when she tried it out. After swearing she would not kayak because of concerns about stability she regularly uses hers while I am fishing and when we go out just to paddle on a local lake. This is definitely the best kayak on the market for the price level and in my opinion far better than some costing up to 3 times as much! The stability of this kayak is far better than any in its class that I have tried. The simplicity of the design makes it the perfect personal fishing vessel. The front, removable rod holder is a great feature and in a good location. The rear rod holders require that you twist around a bit to get to your rod but I can't see how that could be altered and still be functional without being in the way. I made a slight modification to the storage hatches by adding a bag so that items don't slide around when placed inside. The front one was easy but the rear hatch required that I drill out the rivets and replace them with bolts, washers and nuts (no big deal really). The weight at less than 50 pounds make it easy to pickup and carry when I can't get close to the water with my truck. The only issue I have with the entire package is the seat bottom. The attachment is a bit flimsy and the seat kept pulling loose from the snap-in rivets when I would sit and spin into the kayak. I have since replaced the seat with a stadium seat that fits into the seat well perfectly so that is no longer an issue. The added visibility has been a big advantage when sight fishing with my fly rod. The front, removable rod holder is very useful when carrying spinning and casting rods but will not accommodate my fly rod. I use the paddlekeeper to secure my fly rod while paddling and added one to the other side so I can carry two fly rods. When using spinning and/or casting rods I can carry three at once using all the rod holders but I usually just carry two. The rod holders behind the seat are a bit "blind" but work great once you figure out their location. I have had this kayak out on lakes, ponds and small rivers (nothing rough) and it has performed beautifully. Stability, function and ride are all excellent. I highly recommend this kayak especially if you are just getting started. You don't need to spend a fortune to get a great vessel. The paddle that comes with the kayak is extremely light. I opted for a longer and heavier one for when I am fishing and am shoving off trees, rocks and other obstacles. When I am out just for paddling though I do prefer the one that came with the kayak.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] We bought this kayak last week and it handled great on its maiden voyage. The rod holder worked great. Unfortunately one of the seat buckles broke but Lifetime customer service was excellent and immediately shipped a replacement part at no charge. Looking forward to many more adventures on our local lakes and the Russian River.