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Despite its weight and odd shape, it's remarkably easy to paddle and tracks VERY WELL. I'm getting ready to shoot a video with the skeg wheels completely removed to see the difference. There are times I'd rather have them off (in heavier, shallow current) as the skeg wheel assemblies could get beat up pretty easily in such conditions.

I haven't had any issues with the slight differences in the plastics. That particular riser kit is AWESOME, as you can spin them and eliminate the rise on the rear, lowering your center of gravity for sketchy areas. If you have specific concerns about them not fitting perfectly, you could use a sander to get them in 100%, but polyethylene generally doesn't break in the way you're concerned with.

@@BarryP thanks for the reply Barry! I bought another set for my Teton and they fit fine, I'll trim these up a little to fit them and get them installed. Not sure I'm going to install the front risers, really just want my butt to sit higher. I had a very interesting purchase experience with my Manta. I'm going to jump forward to your latest availability update and comment about how it went down for me. Lifetime has really screwed up here.

Realized I was using an old account from my phone. I replied to availability using this account, my real one with some posted videos.

@@ri-jm5tn I've been on the struggle bus, myself, with the psoriatic variety for the past month or so. I literally feel your pain. We need better access to existing therapies. Some of them work like magic, but are upward of $10k/month. It's ridiculous.

@@BarryP Sorry to hear. I'm on a ton of pills $ aee $14k per injection therapy which fortunately is covered. They tell me that long covid is responsible for some chronic issues, but symptoms are very similar to RA, so who knows? Hope you're back on the river soon!

This is actually an area with a controlled flow from upstream reservoir discharge. It is on the low side, as the last couple of years have been pretty lean rain-wise.

It's remarkably easy to stay calm in this yak, but the rule applies in every yak. If you get hung up like that on the nose, let it settle into its upstream position and allow it to free (if it doesn't need any help). Be aware of downstream obstacles and turn accordingly, and get the heck out of there. The cool thing about the short, blunt and relatively heavy Manta is that it's super easy to turn, as you saw. This is definitely going to be my daily driver.

Hey , Barry, I thought you had purchased an orange paddle (???)

Walmart's policy insists that you be home when it's delivered, so the buyer can inspect shipped items like kayaks... but they have been known to just drop it and drive away. If that was the case and the kayak arrives damaged, you have a very strong case that THEY actually broke their own policy and owe you a replacement or refund. They need to allow you to inspect it and accept delivery. I haven't heard any horror stories about Manta deliveries from WM, but I suppose it's possible. If you decide to do so, pay close attention to the condition of the wheel skeg assemblies. Those seem to be the most vulnerable part in the shipping process. Another suggestion is to pick a zip code of a family member or friend and see if it's available at their local Tractor Supply. Bear in mind that the Blue colorway is a TSC exclusive, and that the GREY colorway is a WM exclusive. Let us know if you have any other questions. It's an awesome kayak, and is worth the hassle it takes to get one in your hands. My "Swift Water" video drops at 6pm ET this evening.

- For me, MD law requires that you have a PFD onboard for each person onboard during the warmer months in the Potomac watershed (wear requirements kick in in the colder months). They just have to be on the boat... at least here. I don't generally wear on my smaller-water rivers, but I ALWAYS do on lakes and ponds. If I can't have half of my body standing above water, I wear. That is my rule. Make sure you're within the law where you are. I, personally, don't bother fishing rivers that are in a particularly "high" stage. The fishing tends to suck and it's a LOT of work in a yak. - I don't worry about tethers too much, as I've been doing this a while now, but had a fairly expensive loss, here (the paddle retails $150). Lesson learned, and I will absolutely tether the paddle in water like that, from now on, every time. - If the paddle is tethered to the yak, there's no need for an emergency paddle (save someone else in your party losing theirs). - This yak is an on-top and self-drains via it's scuppers. No need for a pump... ever. The Manta drains very quickly, too. If you were to get this yak, for your small lake/pond purpose, most of the possible problems you mentioned are eliminated by it's design and stability. As long as you have a PFD on and your paddle leashed, everything else is replaceable in the highly unlikely scenario that you're even able to flip this remarkably agile, wide monster of a kayak. I have a swift water video dropping today (at 6pm ET) that should alleviate any concerns about this yak's stability. I beat the absolute crap out of the Manta in the swift stuff, and was never concerned about it tipping (even with my seat risers that raise the center of gravity). Its primary stability is outstanding, yet is very easy to move in current. This is the only yak of its kind, and I absolutely love it, so far.

Hook ups, perhaps. Link?

I would remind everyone that Tractor Supply and Walmart are THE ONLY authorized dealers for the Manta Angler, and would strongly advise to not buy "new" from anyone else, in order to avoid warranty issues on an otherwise awesome 5 year warranty that only kicks in if you buy from an authorized dealer. Sorry, Ryan. Facts!

Links are in the description.

Agreed. I don't think you can really go wrong with either kit.

@@BarryP so far do you like the manta? I really wanna upgrade to a more stable kayak than my tamarack. Unlike the yukon it has 2 seat adjustments and it's longer but not as wide

@@codysiow2516 So far, it's performing wonderfully!

That is great, Nicholas! My email is on my home page if you want to send me a couple of photos of what you built! Thanks for the kind words!

Yeah, was hurtin' for a few seconds. That's why we hung around to make sure he didn't show any signs of concussion. I clipped out about 15 minutes of him talking about the fishing before we left.

It's tough water, and the bite can turn on and off like a switch in there, but can be VERY rewarding. This is up near Keyser, WV.

Indeed!

That's great, brother! Let us know when it's out!

Yep. People have been reporting that they are able to get ahold of them. Walmart's availability seems a lot better than TSC's, but things will improve over time. Thank you for the compliment! I truly appreciate it!

Everything you said is wrong. What you proposed would be a 24v presentation, not a 12v presentation , as required in this project. I'm not going to argue with someone that doesn't understand parallel vs series or how voltage and charging works. I've been doing low volt stuff for 30 years (as a professional). Go fry your own stuff and start fires, but don't profess to me and my viewers your complete lack of understanding about how electricity works. Folks, ignore this know-nothing know-it-all. He'd present a 600v "array" to a 120v system, and try to blame the equipment mfgs for him burning down his own house. And before you say it, I'm not angry, I'm just protecting my viewers from your lack of knowledge and the bravado that accompanied said lack of knowledge. You are the epitome of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Thanks for watching!

Just out of curiosity, what did you get?

You'd be surprised how easy it is.

Do you have one on the way?

@@BarryP not yet, soon tho

@@emarmy00 I finally got the Manta onto a long, swift stretch yesterday. It's a great kayak!

That's great to hear, man! Thanks for keeping us posted through the difficulties!

Not as they are. The four holders, themselves, are identical. They fit into a bump-out that is part of the actual kayak mold. So any one of the four holders is going to orient the exact same way in any one of the four spots. Also, that doesn't solve the high, vertical, tree-grabbing angle. They could be modified, and that may be okay for some, but not for me (with the camera setup).

I'm happy to hear it was helpful! Be sure to check out my video from today that expands upon why this is an even better riser kit than I originally thought (link won't work until 08-02-24 at 5pm ET... 10 min from now): th-cam.com/video/LydX7Vt9zXs/w-d-xo.html

@@BarryP Yes Sir!!

I do not.

Nothing to do with the video, eh? Context doesn't matter? Sorry i wasted your time. LOL

For?

You'll better understand the rationale if you check out this vid to see the inner workings of the rod holder assembly. It is very specific to this kayak and its molds: th-cam.com/video/rIcXfiyFJ-U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=eVUp-Z8DKq-9X1nQ&t=257 Also, with the placement of them, there would be nothing that I could do to keep the inner pair out of my camera shot, which would not only be annoying to me, but those that view the videos. 🙃

Thank you, AiO!

I don't consider it a whitewater yak, either. LOL However, for me, a kayak has to be able to get through Class I and II to get to the honey holes. I'll put the leash in the description. It's $6.

@BarryP Awesome! A lot of the small creeks have deep holes full of smallmouth here in Ohio. I'm usually traveling to northern Ohio for largemouth, walleye, and perch in the lakes. Good job on the rapids. The Bonafide RVR is probably the best for fast rivers but it also 3x the cost of the Manta 😆

@@lowlifeangler My buddy, @OnlyFins has a RVR. We are hoping to get together this season and swap yaks to compare.

@BarryP Awesome, I saw those RVR at the Ohio Expo, they are sick. You want a quality kayak ,but at what cost? Look at the Hobies , they are way overpriced. The Lifetimes are affordable and have thicker walls than the Acsends. I like my Lifetime Tamarack Pro but going to upgrade to a Native Slayer propel 10 do the pedal drive. Still expensive. $2299

We could distance-colab on that. I know you haven't had a great look at that holder assembly yet, but it should be fairly easy to modify to "point" the outer holders. You'll see what I'm talking about when you take it apart. I just don't like the high vertical-ish angle of any of rear holders. I'm a skinny water guy and "high" or "wide" always spells trouble. LOL

It actually was one of your finer moments. You composed yourself perfectly after being sent into a situation that even makes me nervous. You nailed it.

I like the orange for gnarly. I regard it as a necessary inclusion in stretches like that. It's TERRIBLE for video. It draws a lot of attention away from the catch. I have another 250cm Kerco in all black, and with the riser mod, should be just fine for paddling the easily maneuverable, wide monster that is the Manta. This yak is amazingly agile. I'm loving it!

That's a great idea! I don't necessarily see the kit "play" as problematic (yet). I intend to remove the actual holders during high-speed transport and keep the mounts in place. The way the holders fit the mounts is a little odd, but once you set the track mounts in place, you can insert any holder into any of the mounts and they will basically be pre-set. One of the things that stood out to me for these kits was the ease of keeping them secure in gnarly water if anything goes sideways (literally). They are cheaper than the name brands, and while the play is a little annoying, it's super quick getting the rods out of a "locked" position from the holders. Your idea eliminates the play, but I'd be a little worried about losing the springs when I remove the holders from the mounts for transport. If I kept the holders in place, this would work quite well, but adds about a 6" clearance to the Jeep. Thank you, @MrUCL. I'll definitely keep it in mind if I see any issues, down the road.

Hahahaha! Look at the thumbnail. You'll see it! LOL

Agreed, and that may be the intention. It's awful for skinny water with current, though. The front holders aim a little bit forward and out... pretty suitable for outrigging, as well. That's why the angle of the rear outer holders doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. The nice thing about this mod is that you can completely customize not only the vertical angle (which is REALLY high on all holders on this yak), but also the horizontal angle and direction. The big issue with the rear outer holders is that it's super easy to smack your stored rods with the paddle at any time that you do any serious paddling. They are basically useless, to me.

@@BarryP I understand. Do you think the front rod holders keep the rods forward enough for it not to be an issue while paddling?

@@SalvadorFrieri Shoot me an email to barrypfishing@gmail.com and I'll send you a photo of what it looks like.

@@SalvadorFrieri If you're using them for trolling on lakes/ponds, you should be fine. If you're in current, you may end up smacking the rods occasionally with the paddle blades.

It's a great yak for what you're looking for. It'll also teach the kid about balance, as it's not the most forgiving yak if you take it too far to one side or the other.. One or two tips and it will likely never happen again.

They do. Links below. But bear in mind that they are not available for direct shipping, and are not intended to be. This yak is a Tractor Supply and Walmart (shipping only) exclusive. TSC Version: www.lifetime.com/lifetime-91302-angler-kayak Walmart Version: www.lifetime.com/lifetime-91319-manta-angler-kayak

@@BarryP thanks for reply

@@RMD-uw5np No problem!

For the record, my channel was not-yet monetized when this video launched. This is more about context and solution. Because the context is; "If you screw this up, it can literally kill you. Here's the solution." You have to understand the why, before the how. That's how people learn. I'm sorry that I wasted your time.

I currently use a Cadence Vigor 1000 with my C-Series: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0912MLBTL?th=1

I'm in Maryland.

No problem!

That's interesting! While the paddle isn't mentioned on either website, I did see an "unboxing" of the walmart version from Your Outdoor Adventures where he cut the plastic wrap and there was indeed a paddle. It's an aluminum 240cm. You might want to go with something in the 250-260cm range anyway. 240 is a tad short for a 38" beam.

You are very welcome... from a scrawny middle aged man!