I was hesitant to buy the E-Kart Boat, being likely one of the first in the U.S. to do so. I've only had it for a week, and taken it out on the lake once - but I can say this thing is really unique and a LOT of fun! It's fast, quiet, easy to operate, and like a little sports car on the water. I even found a way to easily transport it in the back of my Jeep's 5-foot bed (it's 6-feet long, so the tailgate has to come down to the angled position), including with a little cart to and from the water. It took about 10 weeks to arrive from China (advertised was 8 weeks), so be prepared to wait some.
The pros: It's really light without the battery installed, and I can get it in and out of the truck, on to a trailer, and to the water by myself (don't try it with the heavy battery installed). It's a head-turner and conversation starter on the lake, as no one has seen one in this part of the U.S., to my knowledge. It's fast, nimble, and easy to operate. So far I ran it for about 1:05, and there was one green bar and the red bar left on the battery gauge, running it at mostly full speed. So the advertised 1:15 on a battery is likely about right. A friend's 9-year old had a blast on this thing, quickly figuring it out!
The cons: Its small size is also a negative. The advertised max weight of about 200 lbs. is about right, so for the U.S. market that may be an issue. It's ideal for kids, and for adults you need to be careful about what you weigh. It does really well on calm water, and light ripples, but waves are another story. The bow will submerge if you're not careful, so make sure your weight is back as you hit them, and be ready to accelerate quickly after the wave to clear the water out the back - which it does easily. Getting in from the water is challenging. While the battery life is pretty good, and as advertised, you will have battery-anxiety as lots of people will want to ride this thing. I recommend ordering at least one extra battery (but heads up, they're expensive).
Overall, great little product that brings tons of fun!
