Manta Ray 12

[JayB]

My days of long paddles are over. I'm not going more than two or maybe three miles in a day. So it was time for a smaller boat. Don't get me wrong, I love my Tarpon 160. But was just to heavy and cumbersome for my needs now.

I chose the Manta Ray 12. It is about the ideal small kayak for a big man. I am 6' 5" and weigh about 216. The cockpit is one of the roomiest I have ever sat in. Not only is the width good, I can actually get all of my long legs in to the cockpit without removing the foot pegs. I couldn't do that in T160.

The seat that is built in to kayak is the best I have sat on. You will not need an after market seat.

The kayak handles like a 120 should. Very agile and quick to turn. I wouldn't want to go a long distance. It isn't fast and it takes forever to get it up to speed. But the long trips are behind me.

I am not familiar with tank wells but this one seems huge! I don't know how much stuff you carry but this looks like it would hold all you would want. There is plenty of under deck storage too.

If you are a big person and want a small kayak make sure you check this one out. It is just about perfect at what it does.

Jay